Sex and The City first aired in 1998, a timeless show about four women living in New York. The four main characters represent four different archetypes of women. They are strong, smart and successful women. When the show first surfaced, it created a new definition for the word “women”. The show surrounded their lives and their careers, emphasising the importance of friendship. In the duration of the show, they were there for each other until the end, through thick and thin and that’s what being a women is all about.
Women are constantly compared against each other, they are always in competition and whilst some competition is good, women should be supporting each other and surrounding themselves with positive feminine influences.
Sex and The City defines women empowerment.
During the series each of the women go through tough times, such as Charlotte being unable to conceive, Miranda’s mum dying or Samantha having cancer. Even through these obstacles their friendship remains unbreakable. Which is what should be reflected in the relationships women have with each other these days.
Some feminists argue that Sex and The City contradicts the idea of feminism because the show is centered around men. I would argue otherwise. If you look deeper into the show the foundations are based around the strong bond between the four women. I believe that the women embrace feminism, such as in the episode when Miranda isn’t happy that Steve won’t let her pay for anything, she tells the girls “I want to enjoy my success, not apologise for it”. They are exploring the modern era where women are full time workers seeking money and power.
When Miranda is looking for an apartment, everybody she comes across doesn’t believe that she is paying the deposit herself. She is a very profitable woman who works hard for her money. She doesn’t believe in staying at home and letting a man provide for her when she can put her Harvard law degree to use. Miranda is probably the most relatable woman in the show, as she is fearless in her opinions and never makes apologies for her life choices. She is the epitome of the modern woman.
Also, in regards to feminism the whole sexual premises of the show took feminism to a new level. The women of Sex and The City were always frank and honest about sex, something that shocked many viewers. Pre the feminist movement, women were put on a pedestal to be seen and not heard. They were viewed as civilised and respectable ladies, not women who would talk openly about their sex lives. They talked veraciously, honestly and as some people would put it, they spoke “like men”. Considering feminism argues that men and women are equal, why can men talk about sex so blatently and women can’t? It opens up everyone’s eyes to the fact that women can do and say whatever the hell they want.
They defied all expectations. What they said and how they said it was simply revolutionary.
What made the show so refreshing is that in amongst all the men that come and go, their friendship only ever grew stronger; it gave single women a sense of self belief. They didn’t grow out of their friendship, as if it was their only priority until marriage and children came around. Their friendship held them together and spurred them on. As Charlotte says to the women in one of my favourite episodes “maybe we can be each other’s soulmates”. Yes, I agree that the show can be incredibly unrealistic at times, and we can’t always agree with their opinions.
But ultimately it restores our faith in the significance of retaining a strong friendship. It teaches us that us women really do need each other.
