It has been 24 days since we entered 2011 and today’s blog gives me the opportunity to breathe my say about history’s worst ever girl power television show (which I am glad (well make that I was rejoicing) that its sequel in the cinemas last year ended up as a total box office flop). If you don’t know what am I talking about, it is Sex and the City. Call me every name in the book or hate me all you like, but as a female television viewer, I am sorry to say Sex and the City is the dumbest television show ever to exist and it always negatively stereotypes women all the time.
When it first came on air in 1998, I was barely 15 years old and back then, as a really naive kid that time, I wanted to watch it but my parents stopped me for a very good reason. A few years later, when I was about 20 or 21, I decided to find out what made that show appealing to girls and women. So, I watched one episode of that show and it didn’t even impress me at all after ten minutes that I ended up flipping the channels to watch some police drama and music shows instead. Looking back that time, my parents made the right choice of stopping me in the first place. Man, am I glad that I just don’t find Carrie Bradshaw and company really all that great.
The reasons why I dislike Sex and the City to the hilt are:
1.) It gives educated and independent women a bad name
Call me old-fashioned, the unrealistic portrayal of educated and independent women like Carrie Bradshaw and Samantha Jones as materialistic, selfish, needy,sex-crazed, whiny and slutty women really put us modern girls and women in a very bad light. What is so good about talking about fashion, men and sex 24-7 anyway? Give me Dr. Temperance Brennan from Bones and Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds anytime for me to go awe over rather than put up with shallow and daft bimbos like Carrie Bradshaw and Samantha Jones who are nothing but bad role models to women and girls.
2.) It shows that it is okay to be mean and selfish towards friends
Carrie Bradshaw is a very bad friend who doesn’t even give a care about their feelings and only cares about herself. Like for example, there is one episode where Carrie demands money for an apartment from her close friend, Charlotte. Or when she threw a bratty fit all because her friend (portrayed by Tatum O’Neal in one episode) told her that she was being irresponsible to spend $485 unnecessarily over shoes when the money could have gone to other things like food, bus fares and other basic needs.The word narcissism is definitely written all over Carrie’s face.
3.) It shows that women can treat men like used tissues
It is blatantly obvious to see that Carrie Bradshaw treats men like used goods and always never satisfied in bed. She is just so pathetic for acting like a loose slut that she really needs to have a proper hobby to keep her mind occupied rather than being so hung up about how good or bad the men are in bed with her or how great is her casual sex life.
4.) It shows that it is okay to be a homewrecker
Carrie is not just a slut but also she is a homewrecker who is willing to break up people’s relationships all for the sake of lust and selfishness.
5.) It portrays that women only love shoes and other designer goods
Hello, Carrie is nothing but a narrow and negative portrayal of modern women as materialistic and shallow creatures who only care about shoes and all things designer labels and luxurious. I maybe a female but I don’t find designer labels all that appealing at all.
6.) It shows that it is okay to be as insecure and covetous as Carrie
Over and over again, the show is all about how insecure Carrie is and how much covets what her friends have. This woman sure has a chip on the shoulder and by the look of it, she is and will always never be satisfied with everything in life. If women emulate her covetous behaviour, I cannot help but feel sorry how pathetic they are.
7.) It shows how it is okay to think that the world revolves around you
The show is about how Carrie thinks the world revolves around her where she throws a fit over trivial things like her coffee is not hot enough as one of the examples. Carrie, the world does NOT revolve around you and it doesn’t owe you anything at all. Perhaps Carrie Bradshaw needs is a reality check. If any female thinks the same way as Carrie Bradshaw, well, shame on her!
Last but not least, Chris Noth’s quote regarding Sex and the City 2 being a box office flop in 2010, “It is over. The franchise is dead. The press killed it”, does ring true and boy, am I glad that Sex and the City is definitely dead which leaves me smiling all the way. Who needs to contend with Carrie Bradshaw and company any longer anyway?
Anyway, what says you about this? Feel free to say what you think and your opinions are welcomed.
whatsaysyou 
i do agree with you in some points, this show does shows that women are very sex-crazed and slutty, but then there are also men who are sex-crazed and slutty, is it really that bad? some even do this for a living, so what are we complaining about?
2) in that one episode, when both Miranda and Samantha offered to lend Carrie money for her apartment, she felt upset that Charlotte didnt offer it as well, i think that she was upset, because she didnt feel like if she needs her, she wouldnt be there for her, it’s sort of a psychological feeling. She didnt demand her to lend her the money though, she just asked her why she didnt offer it, she wouldnt have accepted it either, but she just wanted to know why she didnt offer it.
3) i think the one who treat men like used tissues is Samantha, she is the one going around sleeping with every men in Manhattan and some in Brooklyn every night. and as i said, there are also men and women who do this for a living, so, i really dont see the harm and down side of it.
4) i dont think she wrecked a family, she suggested to Big that in one episode that they cant see each other again after sex, she felt like a slut. even before that, when Big went up to her apartment and said that he was all fucked up, she refused him to let him in and told him to go back to his wife. and when Big followed her to the escalator in a hotel (when she was trying to finish up an article), she kept telling Big not to follow her in, and told him to go back to his wife, he just kept grabbing her and kissed her. Even though at last, she gave it in and started to have sexual relationship with Big, i think that she tried her best, and that she really doesnt want to hurt Natasha (Big’s wife)
5) and yes, im also a female, i dont find designer’s product very appealing. I havent been to New York, but with the standard of living, i guess it’s very common to see people wearing designer’s goods everywhere when u walk on the street? i’m not quite sure.
6) I think the reason why Carrie is insecure is because she was hurt by the men twice, who she loves deeply and believed that he was the one for her. but then again, i really dont see how she was insecure with people in her life.
7) well i havent watched the whole series completely, i just watched bits and pieces, but based on that example that you listed with her coffee is not hot enough, i mean i would do that too, when i ordered hot coffee and it’s not hot enough, i would tell the baristas to make it hot for me too! i mean, would you?
8) there is one thing i would like to say i was quite disappointed with Carrie is that when she started dating Aidan, and they havent had sex, she was all disappointed and said that they are just friends who just kiss. i’m from Hong Kong, and in asian culture, we dont start a relationship with sex, we are sort of like Aidan, we have sex with the ones we truly care about, and may want to develop the relationship better. I also think that there are also New Yorkers/ Americans who are also like Aidan too. Sex is not everything, you can also have a relationship with no sex at all.
Carrie is a true believer of love, i think that she really just try to find the one who would love her the way she loves him. Moreover, this show is just fiction, don’t take it so seriously.
Thank you for your opinion and it is greatly appreciated very much with what you said. However, I have to disagree with the true believer of love part because Carrie Bradshaw’s kind of love is not a true, selfless and sincere form of love at all. Her kind of love is more of a selfish and false love which would send men running for their lives than put up with her any longer if she is a real life person in this non-fictional world. That is not all, Carrie plays her part as a homewrecker where she did destroy Mr. Big’s marriage to Natasha. Any sane and sensible woman who is pursued by a man who wants to cheat behind his wife’s back would resist and not allow the cheating and marriage-wrecking to happen. In Carrie’s case, she is the stupid one who cannot pull herself together and think of the consequences of her doing when she chooses to have an affair with Mr. Big, a married man. Mr Big is not just to be blamed alone, Carrie is also at fault. Therefore, these two are responsible for destroying Natasha’s happiness and marriage.
I love the show however, I understand were your comming from but from what I read I can’t see were you draw your conclusions from, I mean you did mention that you watched maybe 10mins of one episode so how can you sum up an entire what 10years of a show with such little viewing of it. I get how you feel about the stereotyping of women but hey grown women have sex and they can have sex like men have sex they are human, however if this was a show about men would you be saying the same thing? ummm maybe not, and the show is about sex, hince the name Sex and The City, Carrie writes about sex so ummm expect there to be sex and lots of it and my guess is that your parents didn’t let you watch the show because your were just 15 at the time and ummm it’s a grown up show duh any way the show is about 4 fictional women living their single lives in NYC, I mean it television things are going to be extraggerated for entertainment (E.N.T.E.R.T.A.I.N.M.E.N.T) purposes so get over it and get over yourself cause you should like such a hater and what’s even worse is your hating on a person that isn’t real so how sad are you.
Thank you for your opinion but hey, I am not the one that is sad, you are. Sorry to say I am here to have my say and you can say whatever you like but that doesn’t take me down one bit.
I completely agree with you! Thank you for checking out my post too, it’s good to know there are kindred spirits out there! The episode that made me realize that Carrie absolutely sucks is the one where she goes to Aidan’s country house. She freaks out about little things like squirrels, screams at Aidan for no reason, acts like a huge brat the entire time, and tops it off by inviting Big, the man she cheated on Aidan with, to come visit and stay the night. Really, what a piece of work.
Thank you very much for your comment, Chelsea. You definitely hit the nail on the part about Carrie. Makes me don’t understand what makes those two men really find her charming. To me, she is NOT all that and she is nothing but a spoilt, shrilly and pathetic shrew who has no brains at all and she needs loads of sense slapped into her. Her fashion sense is atrocious and an eyesore for someone in her thirties and forties.
well, the only explanation is tht there’s a small percentage of men who would find her appealing despite all tht behaviour she’s displayin. 😛
Omg I am literally sitting watching that episode thought the same thing and scrolled to your comment. I thought oh god she burned her legs and screams, like relax! But then thought gee we all get like that. I get upset and hate everything around me because I’m angry at that moment. But in the end love the show but the women are annoying. We get it Samantha you love sex! so do I but even Charlotte said is your vagina in the tour guide of Manhattan. Speaking of Charlotte ugh I’m annoyed how every man is a potential husband. She’s beautiful and educated but obsessed with marriage. And we have Carrie who acts like marriage isn’t important but seems to be looking for it the whole time but crying all the time. Miranda was moody at first but I love her character. She says the most hilarious truthful shit. Gotta love her. She shuts the women up for us.
Very nice site.Thank you for your work.I will revist you again.Cheers mate!
You are welcome.
the show may be just a fiction, but i can see why your parents dont let u watch it at 15 cos they probly felt tht u might not able to tell the difference btwn fiction & real life. nw u’ve reach the age where u can judge on yr own on whats right or wrong, whats real n fiction – good thing yr parents knws tht & u follow their advice at 15.
Thank you very much for your input. You are right in a way that I got my parents to thank me for doing that 13 years ago. Little did I know it will help me today as a person and it still does.
Couldn’t agree with you more!!
Thank you for your feedback, Genevieve 🙂 and high fives to you!
There’s a lot I wanted to say about this, but I will expand on it later. However I will say I am glad I am not the only one who is not a fan of this show. I watched some episodes and I watched the movie and you know, it always gave me the impression that it is just trying to imprint these materialistic and spoilt-brat ideas onto women. It is as if it’s telling us “you must be like Carrie and her friends to be a successful woman in today’s world”, which I find absolutely disgraceful and wonder if the media and society at large is really trying to dumb us down and create a bunch of mindless sheep.
I find it almost laughable that “normal” women want to follow in the footsteps of characters like Carrie; I mean why? Most of can’t even afford that lifestyle…I wonder if Carrie could even maintain such materialistic, designer goods if she were real, especially in difficult financial times. The ideas in this movie present an unrealistic ideal to look up and want to achieve. Happiness does not come from fancy designer shoes or being invited to fancy parties or getting everything your way. In fact, when a grown woman only seems to strive towards such things and when it feels like she only sees others (including partners) as accessories, it gives one the feeling that she is not truly happy with herself.
Now, I don’t want to condemn anyone who enjoys the show; I like to believe most people can see it as simply a relaxing way to escape reality, and they can realise that one should not look up to such fiction as a way of life, or as means to become an “individual” through fashion. However, I also think there are a number of young people and even women who will confuse fiction and reality and thus, start worshipping a show like this and that is truly disturbing. Of course the media attention towards that series doesn’t help either, especially when we are bombarded with these ideals of how we should act/think/look like, but that is why everyone must be strong, find their own feet and their own views to stand for.
I apologise for the somewhat off-topic rant. 🙂
Thank you for your in-depth input and no, it is okay with your off-topic rant. But you do have a point that it is so laughable to have people emulating Carrie Bradshaw. Thank you again for pointing out how young people, especially the females, confuse reality and fiction especially with stuff like Sex and the City and the sort of thing.
I 100% agree with you! I remember going to the theater with a few friends the weekend it came out. We went to see Prince of Persia and the ticket taker told me I was one of the first women that he saw that wasn’t going to see that film. I took that with great pride. Sex and the City doesn’t speak for me. Me and my friends, both old and young women, do not lead lives like that. If we did, we would be very selfish and cruel towards men – we are not!
You not only got the chance to take it with pride to be a female who went to watch The Prince of Persia rather than endure with Carrie’s vapidness all over again. You should be saluted for being of the girls who rather turn away from SATC. I agree with you that if us women behave the way Carrie does, sadly, the world will become a terrible place for those poor men.
I second that statement. I know so many women my age who think the women on Sex and the City are ‘girls to emulate’. In my opinion, they are immoral, slutty, asking for STDs, and deviant in some instances. I would NEVER want to be like them. They are materialistic and self-centered as well. I am proud of my monogamous relationship. I’ve been divorced and am now remarried. I adore my life with my beautiful kids and heroic husband. That NYC lifestyle sets the wrong example for women today — it makes the road to perdition look like the yellow-brick-road.
Thanks, Samantha. I feel so sorry for women who think Carrie and co are proper role models when all they do is put modern women in a very bad light and those characters just make me sick. Last but not least, you summed it well that they are self-centred and materialistic.
I feel sorry for people like Samantha who use their children and not so interesting or heroic hubbies as status symbols and signs that they are more well-adjusted, holier than thou, and worthwhile than other women. Bo hoo….you spread your legs for some guy at least twice, next?
Thing is about women like this, is you never know what THEY did to be so perfect and special.
I hate Sex and the City. When it first came out, I only disliked it. I tried to watch episodes out of pure curiosity, but when I found myself rolling my eyes every five minutes, I had to change the channel. Now, I won’t even attempt a stop at it, flipping through channels, at a hotel, in the middle of the night, when I’m on a trip and can’t sleep. (Sort of how I feel about Two Men and a whatever. Won’t even watch that up in an airplane, when it’s the only thing on screen and I don’t feel like reading anymore.)
They’re all just SO shallow! I couldn’t stand it. And, what’s up with the ridiculously expensive shoes, and brand-name clothes madness. It got to the point where it felt like the whole show was marketing for the same class of vapid women showcased on the screen. Sheesh. And, it was just so borrring.
When the 2nd movie came out, one of my friends was all excited about it and asked me if I wanted to go see it with her, and I said I’d rather have my eyes gouged out by a hot poker (a phrase I’d always wanted to use, but never had the right moment). Ugh. I was in the minority among my friends with this show.
Give me Olivia in Fringe any day over these women. They give women a bad name.
Thanks, paikea. Looks like I am not all alone after all 🙂 Yeah, Olivia from Fringe and Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds would rock us anytime while vapid Carrie Bradshaw just fails to impress (sorry to say don’t understand why women and girls want to emulate her when she is the most terrible and worst fictional role model to be created in the first place)
You are certainly not alone:) But, it certainly feels like it at these times, doesn’t it? Good thing there’s the internet! Lol!
Join the anti-Carrie Bradshaw club (nah, just kidding). Anyway, thanks for your input.
Women can like shoes, you know. I think all the women unfulfilled in their own lives and relationships are getting a little uptight it.
It’s a show. Yes, it can be a tad unrealistic at times, and Samantha is quite an over the top character (who gets that much sex,really?)
Lighten up, gals. Buy yourself a designer bag or something, or don’t your “wonderful” hubbies allow you to do anything fun? 😛
Think it depends from what point of view you see the series. So what they like sex and men but at
the end of the day it’s relatable to real womens’ attitudes towards sex. Some are careful and some are not. I live in a big
city and to survive you need to have a cutthroat personality- it’s truly a game of the fittest. Ambition is part shallow but there is truly nothing wrong with it and if everyone around you has the same attitude you don’t notice any difference. The only thing that I would comment is wealth which is fictional. But it gives interns like me hope! Hope that one day we will earn a decent wage. Intelligence can be measured in so many ways. It’s is either moral or immoral.
Well I have to half disagree with you on that though. That show is giving nothing but an unrealistic and bad message to womenfolk.
I’m not particularly bothered about the sex part of it. I don’t really judge on those grounds, unless a show is being particularly misogynist in it’s dealings with sex.
I just never found a thing relate-able about any of these women to who I’d want to be or to whom I’d want any of my kids to be. (Well, Carrie pining over Mr. Big for years was so annoying. I didn’t even watch the damn thing on any kind of a regular basis, and I still knew what was going on! Get some pride, girl!)
They were all so shallow. That’s what got me. And, it just seemed like all any of them ever gave a crap about were expensive shoes, and clothes, and looks – like any of that mattered a damn to who they were inside. That’s clearly not what the show was about, though. But, it really blew me away that women and girls wanted to emulate these women, of all women.
Btw, intelligence is not either moral or immoral. Intelligence has nothing to do with morals. You can be intelligent and be a horrible person with crappy morals.
I thought the show was funny. I think Samantha’s character is hilarious and refreshing. I just don’t take it too seriously or see it as a model to live my life by. God no. The first thing I noticed about the show when I started watching was that, they never try very hard to work anything out with a man. A man has one flaw it seems and they toss him aside, but constantly complain about being alone and never being able to find a good man. If I followed this as my rule book of life, I would be alone at 38 as well! My fiance would have been booted a long time ago because he is not absolutely perfect, but no man is and I do think for certain impressionable audiences, this show can send the wrong message about what you can expect from men and relationships. When Carrie does find a good guy and a healthy relationship with Aiden, she blows it by cheating and breaking up Big’s marriage. That’s another point about the show. You have to appreciate it for what it is and the characters for who they are. Carrie is not an emotionally healthy person. She has commitment issues with Aiden, seeks out men who won’t commit like Big and the only mention of her family in the whole series is when she talks about her dad walking out when she was 5.
I also wanted to comment on the materialism comments that you made. I don’t live in New York. I think I have a pretty good sense of style, but I have never been into designer labels. Why are you paying thousands of dollars for something that is worth no more than what you could buy at an outlet store? There is really nothing about the materials or anything that make the clothes/shoes/handbags any better than any other clothing you can pay for. You are paying thousands of dollars for a label. If it says this on it, people know you spent a lot so now you’re cool? I just don’t get that. Some designer clothes are hideous anyways. Ever see a fashion show on t.v.? Where could you ever wear those crazy outfits?
Great point, Kelsie, and thanks
All I have to say is: it’s a fucking TV show, ladies. Get over it and stop over-analyzing it! Sure, Carrie is a woman living beyond her means, but it’s just a tv character! Geez! The show does NOT promote her lifestyle; it just shows different types of women; some who have money-making careers, like Samantha and Miranda (both powerful and financially stable) and Carrie is the one who spends even though it appears she doesn’t make much money and lives paycheck to paycheck. She is the struggling writer but has to have nice expensive shoes she can’t afford. if anything, the show demonstrates that it can be a bad thing, to be so self absorbed and obsessed with material things. I have never heard any of my female friends WHO LOVE SATC ever claim to want to emulate them or be like them. It’s all in fun. And if anything, it shows that women can have fun, have safe sex and still have careers. If men can have sex with no strings, why not women? And there is nothing wrong with labels (we all wear them, even if it is Old Navy) and dressing nicely doesn’t mean spending 500 dollars on shoes, UNLESS you can afford them. And if you are Samantha or Miranda and you make a good living, and you CAN AFFORD IT, then buy it. The problem is not in spending 500 dollars on shoes, but only if you are living beyond your means. Just ask Suze Orman! 🙂
Thanks for your comment, Chris. But sorry to say I have to disagree with you though: we are not over-analysing that dumb show and you can think all you like. Carrie Bradshaw maybe a fictional character to you but she is actually a based on a real-life negative person that some of us may have come across in our entire lives. Yes, again, there are some SATC fans who emulate what Carrie does and sees her as a role model when she is so not one.
The problem is that we, as a society, thinks there’s absolutely nothing wrong in blithely spending 500 dollars on a pair of shoes just because they have a fancy label – even if you can afford it.
I, actually, go out of my way not to wear “labels” – from my shoes to my purse. The only things in my house that have labels I give a crap about are my violin, piano, and bass guitar, amplifier, sound-reduction headphones, and mp3 player. And with those things, labels actually mean something.
There are a lot of things wrong with this show and we have every right to discuss them.
Well said, paikea.
This show is entertainment for women. It makes sense that men wouldn’t enjoy it period, and I also understand why many women don’t find it appealing either; the characters are extremely shallow and vapid. I don’t understand exactly what any of them is looking for, Charlotte seems to be the only one even remotely interested in a family, which is not accurate in the real world. Most women do want children. The only thing these women seem interested in is designer labels and sex. However, the reason so many women are obsessed with this show is that EVERY girl can relate to it. We’ve all been in at least one of the situations these women find themselves in with men. Mr. baby-talk. Mr impotent. Mr too-well-endowed. Mr. Tiny Penis. Etc. And it showcases these sexual snafus in a fresh and humorous way. Just to argue both sides of the case here.
Eh. I don’t want children – as don’t three of my best friends. Since we’re all in our late 30’s-40’s, we’re NOT having children (and we’re all married, so our husbands are down with that as well) – probably the only thing I had in common with SATC, which I hated. I think more women are choosing NOT to have kids these days. I have never regretted my decision for one second.
The women in SATC all talked in code and played games with relationships. I’m a straight talker – always have been. I’m not one of those women. Neither am I obsessed with shoes, or clothes, handbags, or designer clothes or shopping for any of the above. (I haven’t even worn high heels in 15 years). They were all so shallow, I just couldn’t stand them. The show bored me to tears – the women and the men.
Of course, this wasn’t actually a show that catered to women who prefer sci-fi/fantasy/action. So, I started out in the minority anyways.
Going to make this comment short. I love SATC, but I have to say I agree with you at some points. I don’t think the first five episodes aren’t any good, so before judging the whole show, you should probably watch every seasons (if you want to, of course) and then make an opinion at the very end! (:
Thank you for your comment, Christina. But sorry to say a few seconds of watching of any episode of SATC only makes me want to throw up. Therefore, I would rather see ladies from Criminal Minds and NCIS kicking some baddies’ bums than see boring old Carrie talk about herself in narssisstic mode, her luxuries, her sex life and her Mr. Big. No offence, but I cannot stomach that show at all.
I have to say that I agree with you. These “women” are usually acting like 12 year old’s with undeservedly large bank accounts and no sense of an idea that they should be leaving the world a better place than they found it. Shows like this don’t just make me angry about how women are portrayed, but they make me dispair for humanity!
So, basically, you welcome comments as long as they agree with you. How very typical.
I actually watched the entire series, unlike you, which gives me a more informed basis for an opinion. Further, I might point out that you were 15 when you watched it. You weren’t the target audience, and frankly, *I* couldn’t have understood nor identified with any of the issues the characters had at that age. I guarantee you couldn’t. That’s not an insult; that’s just making a point that anyone of that age would have lacked the schema, or background experience, to be able to relate to anything which was happening to the characters.
Did I love SATC? Eh. I liked it and it was entertaining. I *definitely* preferred it to tripe like Friends, and I’d rather watch it than crap like American Idol or Survivor, that’s for certain. What does bother me about your statements is that you seem to believe that one *either* enjoys shows such as Bones OR one enjoys shows such as Sex and the City. Such is not the case, and frankly, I prefer having a variety of female characters. Sure, I like Bones. I liked Criminal MInds, even if I’m completely sick of the faux-brother/sister relationship with Garcia and Morgan. I like nerd girl characters in general and I think they get short shrift, especially when it comes to matchups (and boy, did CM steam me on that one) but that’s a subject for a different post.
*However*, there’s one problem that Hollywood seems to have with female characters, and that is that they’re almost caricatured. They’re not permitted realistic flaws anymore. While I may not have necessarily *liked* the female SATC characters (honestly, I really disliked Miranda as a man-hater), as a writer, I can appreciate that they were different and well drawn. They had flaws, and believe it or not, realistic ones.
For example, how many of us in our 30’s have had friends (like Miranda) who were complete man-haters? I have. How many of us in our 20’s and 30’s had friends who, while they may not have wasted their rent money on shoes and fashion, spent it on crap rather than responsibly paid their bills? I did. I even had a friend (of sorts) in college who was as opportunistic and slutty as Samantha, and I can’t even count the number of Charlottes who attended my undergraduate college.
I hate to burst the bubble here, but SATC doesn’t even come CLOSE to portraying women as useless and stupid as most of the shows of the 60’s and 70’s did. Hit one of the cable channels that air old TV shows and you’ll see what I mean. Try watching the original Star Trek sometime, if nothing else. I STILL can’t watch that without getting steamed, even though I can respect it as a seminal TV show.
Honestly, I don’t care if you hated the show or not. I couldn’t get into the show myself as much as some for the same reason I could not get into chick lit as much as some. *However*, what I could appreciate was that whether or not these were characters I would like, they were characters which were well drawn and different. I also really get sick of the incessant cry of characters who ‘aren’t good role models’. Hello? Why, exactly, does every FICTIONAL character need to be a role model, especially when they’re characters who are targeting a 25+ audience? Surely by then, women have figured out the role models they want!
IMO, if we want to throw off on poor role models, let’s start with reality crap like the Kardashians, the Teen Mom series and half a dozen others. At least SATC had good dialogue, witty writing and a plot…which, even on the eps I didn’t like, surpassed the best eps ever of something like, say, Dancing with the Stars.
Sex and the City never claimed to represent all women everywhere. This is a show about four specific women. Not four women behaving how you personally think that they should. Anyone who appreciates good writing has to give SATC respect. The writing is top notch, and the acting is great. Whether or not you agree with their behavior is completely irrelevant. It’s television!
I wasn’t only one who think Carrie Bradshaw is neurotic person I’ve ever seen!!!!! Omg!!! I hate she pretends being like independent woman but she can’t afford to buy her HUGE apartment!!!! Is it normal!? Even she lives in Upper East side which is expensive place!!! How ironic that she can afford to buy her Damn Jimmy Choo!!!!! Also I hate she treated Aiden so bad. Oh yeah..
Hi. I found what you said interesting and while some of it certainly rings true I disagree with you on some points
1)When Carrie got upset with Charlotte it was not because Carrie wanted Charlotte to pay for her apartment, it was because both Samantha and Miranda (who had a child on the way) offered the money, which Carrie did NOT take. She took the check from Big but didn’t use it. All Carrie wanted was for Charlotte to make a kind gesture by offering.
2)Who knows if Natasha and Big would have lasted regardless of the affair. To be frank I was more disappointed that Carrie was breaking Aiden’s heart. I didn’t give a care regarding Natasha and Big’s marriage.
3)The fascination with sex. It is called “SEX and the city”. What else do you expect? I understand you’re old-fashioned but nowadays a lot of people just…have sex. And others like Charlotte are more old-fashioned and value marriage.
The fascination with labels..and the obsession with shoes- eh I found it dumb but some people are like that.
I just want to mention: I neither liked or disliked Sex and the City. It just provided entertainment for me sometimes
SATC was merely a cable TV show. I didn’t realize, however, that many women were emulating the behavior of the characters. Striving to be like them with all the dysfunction and neurotic plot lines that viewers were supposed to be laughing at – not trying to reproduce in their own lives. Even now women make reference to the show, e.g. “I’m a total Charlotte when it comes to so and so”. God, move on. It was just a TV show. The movies were horrible. Middle-aged women behaving like adolescents.
Firstly, you have to acknowledge that the show is based on the writing of a sex columnist so it will clearly have a focus on sexual relationships/encounters in the Big Apple. Part of the shows premise is that the writer Carrie looks to her own and her friends experiences to draw conclusions and make observations about male/female relations. The show isn’t called ‘Career and the City’ or ‘The Arts and the City.’ It is specifically about sex, so sex is going to be disproportionally discussed! Also, the characters have quite different ideas about sex ranging from prudish to downright outrageous. But, what is so wrong with women experimenting sexually? Men do it all the time. We really need to get rid of this ‘slut’ idea. If a woman being sexual is slutty, then why not men? This double standards holds no water in a any rational argument about gender roles.
Secondly, I do see how the show is materialistic – and promotes such materialism. This all depends on which part of the city you live. If you’re in the East Village your experience will be utterly the opposite. In that part of the city, vintage clothes and dive bars rein supreme. Midtown is more materialistic as a lot of the big companies are there and all the fancy stores. I’m personally not very fond of that type of materialism (i would never pay $100s for a bag or shoes) – its just not something I’m that interested. However, there are people in the city who ARE really into the newest designer bags and shoes. Different strokes to different folks. Though, how on earth Carrie affords such things on a writers salary is beyond me! Many people who live that life are in severe credit card debt and have no savings (as Carrie reveals when she wants to buy her apartment and reveals she has NO savings. Though, in defense of the show, Miranda and Samantha DO have savings which shows how responsible they are.
Thirdly, i abhor the way the women treat the nice men – especially Aiden and Steve. The women claim that they can’t find love, but when they do find it with amazing and cute men, they don’t want it!! They have this ridiculous ideal mate of something super wealthy, politically/socially influential and someone who will love you faithfully and spend time with you!! These two character traits don’t go together!! If you want a nice, regular guy who will spend time with you, whats wrong with an electrician? or a cop? etc. A super rich, super hot guy is unlikely to want to settle for one girl and is unlikely to not stray. However, the girls often seem to pursue the exact type of guy who will mistreat them and then they complain about guys mistreating them!
Fourthly, they do kind of present a positive image for women. They’re independent and self sufficient. But, i prefer a Dr. Temperance Brennan role model. She is smart, self made etc but isn’t elaborate like the Sex and the City characters. in real life, i don’t thnk i would want to be freinds with any of the Sex in the City characters coz i’m not really into fancy parties on the Upper West Side or fancy Galas where celebrities are or fancy vacations. I prefer bike rides by the water, a plate a spaghetti in a small local eatery or a day trip upstate to go hiking. I did find Carries snobbishness at Aidens cabin really distasteful. We all have clothes we don’t want to ruin, but why would you go somewhere rustic wearing such fancy clothes? Silly girl. Though, Carrie really does come off as pathetic in regards to her craving for Big. But, we’ve all lost our dignity over guys in our lives – it just looks worse on screen!!
So, i see where you’re coming from with a lot of those issues.