Joe Concha: ESPN’s Simmons ‘Embarrasses Himself’ with Dunham Interview

Editor’s Note: From Joe Concha, writing at Mediaite:

In what some might think is the best news of the day: The numbers are now out for the much-hyped fourth season of HBO’s Girls… and they’re ugly.

In the lush timeslot that is Sunday at 9:00 p.m., the program drew just 680,000 viewers, which is down40 percent from last year’s premiere (which alsoaired during the Golden Globes). In the key ages 18-49 demo, Girls raked in only 390,000 viewers, a drop of 35%. Context is everything, so it should be noted that the late Sex and the City averaged three millionviewers in its fourth season. Needless to say, Sunday night’s viewership total was the lowest ever for a Girls‘ season premiere.

[…]

The media, of course, still adores her. ESPN’s Bill Simmons — my favorite writer — interviewed her today for Grantland and declared Dunham was a victim of a “smear campaign” despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Pains me to say it but the Sports Guy embarrassed himself today, allowing his subject to say this about the allegations against her for fabricating the campus rape story:

 

Read the rest of the story at Mediaite.