Why The Intelligent Woman Loves Sex And The City

(Copied from my external BLOG, which I advise you read for the purdy, accompanying pictures)


So we’re all aware of the hit HBO TV series ‘Sex And The City’ (based on the novel of the same name by Candace Bushnell) and the approach of the much anticipated sequel to the SATC movie. Once I’d finished squealing with glee and expressing my desire to strut the cinema with my gal-pals, I began to wonder: why is it that such a diverse range of women love the show, and how does it cater to those who aren’t satisfied with ‘sass ‘n’ style’ alone?

If a street surveyor were to ask me, ‘What do you find to be most exasperating about women in the media today?’ there’d be no better answer I’d rather give than: ‘Nothing! Women today represent the strongest of our era, and I’m proud to say that I rest assured In the knowledge that our youths have some fantastic role models to aspire to’

But that answer wouldn’t be realistic, would it? Of course there are liabilities to the gender, and of course I find myself giving the obligatory sigh in response to some of the stereotypical hog-faced-loathsome characters as seen on The Jeremy Kyle Show. And yes, It’s no secret that the presence of airheaded-Ugg-obsessed bimbos is (unfortunately) becoming increasingly more acceptable. This is glaringly obvious to most.

I sit proudly in the knowledge that I voluntarily escaped these fates; and yet it is my belief that one show united a great deal of us, one that catered to all, and knew no prejudice: Sex And The City. I know what some of you might be thinking. It was a shallow, sex-based cult show that relied on all of the above stereotypes to keep it running. Some might say it targeted a niche audience and had little more than ‘kooky’ fashion advice and ‘sassy’ phrases to keep it sustained. I’ve often thought the same thing.

But let’s examine those statements for a moment; can they be entirely true? Frankly, the answer is no. To truly believe those opinions would be to deny the show’s much deserved success entirely, even if it could sometimes have us rolling our eyes in disapproval. (Besides, to believe the previous assumptions of SATC entirely would be to accept the relevance of Desperate Housewives, and I shan’t be doing that!)

Let us not ignore the truly gripping qualities of Sex And The City, and let’s not act as though there aren’t thousands of perfectly intelligent women (and men!) that enjoy this show too. How come, I hear you ask?


My theory is as follows. Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte, with the exception of being fashion-obsessed, are all successful career women. Occupations such as columnist, lawyer, PR agent and art dealer all sound like pretty drool-worthy jobs if you ask me. These women are not simply credit-card dwindling morons relying on daddy to pay off their debts, oh no! They are strong, independent, career-driven females. Isn’t that what we all aspire to be? Granted, they’re also glamorous, confident, and fabulous. But if you truly pay attention to the messages that drive each episode, you’ll find that despite common assumption, they’re telling us time and time again that money and success isn’t everything.

These are not airheaded women; they are intelligent, ambitious, and searching for love. Scatty? Yes. Easy? Too easy. Typical? Well, aren’t we all? Now that I mention it, surely the definition of ‘typical’ actually suggests that it’s a commonly practised and understood thing? No, the women portrayed do not profess to be perfect. If you ask me, it begs question as to why some of you would expect them to in the first place.

Barring all the obvious attractions of a glittering, girl-power sitcom, I find that it’s the relationship between the four friends and the success they have in their fields that sucked me in from the start. They’re living my dream, and each episode gave me the sense that I was experiencing it too; through the good times, and the down-right terrible. I made mistakes, broke relationships, and despaired alongside them; but I triumphed with them too. I like to see humans, not mannequins; if you’re a person that’s appreciative of SATC, then you’ll know precisely why I found that in this show. SATC is all kinds of girly, air-headed fun; but it’s the intelligent girl’s sitcom too.