The Appeal of Sex and the City

I have been spending way too much time watching Sex and the City. I have a long-running love affair with HBO comedies, so it's not too surprising that I am a fan and happen to own five of the six seasons on DVD. Plenty of people love the series, and if you haven't been living under a rock for the past decade, you probably know that it is an extremely popular franchise. However, Sex and the City seems to come under a lot of criticism. Sex and the City, much like Justin Bieber and Twilight, is a popular joke among teenage boys and those who act like them on the internet.

Rather than writing a defense of Sex and the City, I want to share my recent analysis of why I personally enjoy the show so much and what makes it so funny even now, thirteen years after its premier.

Of course, there are the age-old arguments that Sex and the City takes place in a fantasy world where a columnist like Carrie whose job consists of writing 600 words per week can afford such extravagant clothes, much less groceries. (And the going out! This whole show revolves around these women going out to hip bars and restaurants, and that shit gets expensive!) And while I agree that the lifestyle factors into the appeal, it can't be the only reason, since clearly not every show about rich people is wildly successful.

So here is my super in-depth analysis of the appeal of Sex and the City: Ladies like to talk about lady things.

This one simple sentence can be used to knock the show, and to insult women by implying that all women like is "lady things," but I think openly talking about fashion, sex, makeup and dating is what draws me to the show.

I have found that admitting to being into anything traditionally girly can signal a loss of credibility, or at least coolness in certain company. From the time I was a child, I can remember that girls who liked guy stuff were considered cool. I even remember considering myself a bit of a tomboy, even though I've never particularly enjoyed sports. I liked the idea of being a tomboy more than I would have liked being one.

Nowadays, my interests are varied. I'm passionate about theater, feminism, beer, television, nail polish, comedy, you name it (not sports!) But in a group of people of different genders, do I feel comfortable discussing lady things? Not really. I have to be afraid that I'll be categorized as one of those girls who always whines about inequality, or that I'll be like ALL female comedians who make jokes about periods. (I'm not sure it's possible to have seen every female comedian, but obviously somebody did when he began spreading this reliable fact.) In the fantasy land of Sex and the City, Carrie rarely gets chastised for her love of shoes. She is a grown-ass woman who lives in her own apartment and does what she wants with her money. Nobody marginalizes her passion for fashion as girlish frivolity. Carrie goes through life with her interests--sex and shopping--on her runway-fresh sleeve. Watching a show where traditionally womanly interests are not closeted or shameful makes me feel a little bit less ridiculous about the size of my ever-growing cosmetics collection.

And then of course there's the sex. These ladies speak openly about their sexuality, if only with each other. I don't have many friends who have as much sex as these women, but you don't have to be promiscuous to be able to relate to the sometimes awkward situations that arise in the show. Women are not encouraged to talk about their sexuality the same way that men are, and since it's honest, relatable and a little taboo, the comedy is golden. Does open conversation about women's sexuality make it a feminist show? Absolutely not, but even when I fully disagree with what Carrie and the gals say about men/women relations, it usually stirs up some interesting conversation with my own friends.

And last but certainly not least, it's fucking funny. The show is funny. It is a joke. Sometimes I think the teenage critics (who are obviously trolls that I shouldn't respond to) don't realize it's a comedy. Newsflash- if you laugh because it's being overly dramatic, that may have been a joke.

So I will sit here, paint my nails and sip my $3 latte while watching Sex and the City because my apartment is a safe-haven for lovers of all things girly, thankyouverymuch.

Oh, and on a side note: what's up with people putting down the show because they don't think Sarah Jessica Parker is pretty? You're entitled to your own opinion, and I can certainly see where you're coming from, but by using that tactic, you imply that every woman has to look like a model for you to enjoy a television show. That's a little strange.

In other news, I missed a post on Sunday because my friends were in town and I got a brand new cat who distracted me. Meet Olive, everyone: