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Original poster

Carrie Bradshaw - A CF, right?

641 replies

Nikhedonia · 29/11/2020 20:09

She's a pretty self-obsessed shit friend, but a CF too, right?

I rewatched an episode the other day where she needed to buy her apartment and she expected Charlotte to sell her engagement ring to fund the purchase Shock

I reckon if SATC were real, Miranda or Charlotte would be on MN gushing about their best friend being incredible and everyone would be calling Carrie a CF and advising them to go NC.

OP posts:
Original poster
Nikhedonia · 29/11/2020 23:15

Charlotte and Harry would have any interest in giving Carrie relationship advice after just having a baby ffs?

They were probably so conditioned by this point that any significant life event meant absolutely nothing unless the world according to Carrie was fine.

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ChonkyLamp · 29/11/2020 23:15

I read the book that I assume SATC was (very, very loosely) based on, and tbh the characters in it are pretty much ALL shallow, selfish and self-obsessed. Also needy, insecure and highly strung. None of them are really likeable, and the central idea of a strong female friendship group is just not there - it's very fragmented. Quite a dark book.

The idea seems to be that being in the New York dating market is very bad for your personality and happiness, and also leads to some weird and absurd situations/dark comedy.

I'm guessing that they wanted to make the TV series fluffier and more feelgood, so pushed the friendship thing to the fore and cast charismatic actresses to charm the audience. And tried to shoehorn some True Lurve narratives in there. It looked glamorous and started to be sold as an aspirational lifestyle and enviable Girl Power friendship group.

But underneath it's fundamentally quite depressing and the characters are often very unpleasant.

I'm questioning whether the characters HAVE to be nice in order for it to be a good TV comedy, though. Do we have to like them, or can we just laugh at them and cringe a bit?

FromEden · 29/11/2020 23:19

They were probably so conditioned by this point that any significant life event meant absolutely nothing unless the world according to Carrie was fine.

Haha yes, they all have Stockholm syndrome by that point. If I was Miranda I would be relieved I got cut out for an absolutely ridiculous reason, not groveling to get her back. No one ever calls her out on her shit. I'm actually getting quite angry now just thinking about it Grin

LadyTiredWinterBottom2 · 29/11/2020 23:20

I think KC lashed out in grief and may have been more diplomatic in other circumstances. Much like Carrie, SJP should not have made it into an opportunity to further her image.

Haha the bird in her hair was just weird. ' I put a bird in my hair and he couldn't get out of the car!'

purpledagger · 29/11/2020 23:23

I used to adore SATC, but yes, I agree about Carrie.

As the series went on, I did think it became all about Carrie. SJP gave herself the most interesting storylines and screen time. I think that SJP felt threatened by How popular Samantha was as a character

hadenoughnegativity · 29/11/2020 23:24

I don't think anyone has mentioned Candace Bushnell yet. Has anyone read any of her original books? And if so, is Carrie the same narcissistic personality in the books as on screen? I haven't, but this thread has got me interested again.
I just wonder how much of the character development was SJP her self's doing?
Oh and the stolen shoes at a baby shower! How cheeky was it of Carrie to create her own "wedding list"

Original poster
Nikhedonia · 29/11/2020 23:24

"Is that what that was?"

Come on. A fucking bird in her head... Confused

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Original poster
Nikhedonia · 29/11/2020 23:26

*on her head Grin

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ThePinkGuitar · 29/11/2020 23:27

Not read the whole thread but currently rewatching on sky Atlantic
Re Charlotte ring cheeky fucker of the highest order
Taking big to aidens country house wow like anybody on the planet would think that would be ok?!

user1481840227 · 29/11/2020 23:28

Americans in general can't hold a knife and fork properly. They often don't use a knife at all and use the side of their fork to cut things and if they do they switch the knife to their right hand and then put it back down when they're done with it. Its all kinds of wrong!

I'm sure that I do this. I was trying to picture my exact knife and fork routine in my head but forks started to lose all meaning in my head and it seemed like such an alien thing to use lol

but I definitely have the fork in my left hand while using a knife and then switch it to the right hand to eat from. That's common in Ireland ....my son holds the knife in his left hand and it always looks so weird and awkward to me because everyone else does it the other way!

LadyTiredWinterBottom2 · 29/11/2020 23:30

Haha Miranda brings some realism to the weird bird on head situation!

hadenoughnegativity · 29/11/2020 23:31

Fork in left hand and knife in right is the correct way

FromEden · 29/11/2020 23:34

but I definitely have the fork in my left hand while using a knife and then switch it to the right hand to eat from. That's common in Ireland ....my son holds the knife in his left hand and it always looks so weird and awkward to me because everyone else does it the other way!

I'm Irish and I never noticed anyone doing that until I moved to the US. I've always had my fork in the left, knife in the right and thats where they stay!

Emmapeeler2 · 29/11/2020 23:40

I loved SATC. I was quite self absorbed myself at the time and didn't notice but I now agree she was a massive CF.

I think I would still love Miranda and Samantha though.

ZaraCarmichaelshighheels · 30/11/2020 00:00

@FortunesFave

The shoe thing always made me cringe...where someone stole hers at a party....I KNOW her friend was an arsehole about people taking off their shoes but to make her pay for them!
You have missed the message from that episode, it really wasn’t about the shoes, it was the principle, it was the fact Carrie had spent a lot of effort with gifts celebrating her friends life choices, engagement, wedding, children etc and her friend shamed Carrie for spending a lot of money on a pair of shoes for herself, basically saying her single life was shallow, hence why Carrie sent her a wedding invitation to ‘marry herself’ and the only thing on the list were the missing shoes. I think it was one of the best Carrie moments, standing up for women who are single and to state that single women’s life choices are just as valid as a married woman’s. In fact it’s my favourite episode.
Luciferthecat666 · 30/11/2020 00:04

I just remembered a rare nice thing Carrie did. When Miranda and Steve went on their honeymoon and offered to take care of Brady along with Charlotte. I was so surprised by that because normally Carrie is never that thoughtful.

Original poster
Nikhedonia · 30/11/2020 00:10

Re: the shoes at the baby shower. That was one of those rare episodes where Carrie was right. Her friend was a twat about how Carrie chooses to spend her money.

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AngelicaSchuylerAndHerSisters · 30/11/2020 00:35

SJP has a no nudity clause in her contract. KC doesn’t so couldn’t refuse to do all the nudity. The others do topless scenes but were paid more to do it...according to the Sex and the City bus tour I went on in 2005! If that is true, I can see why KC might feel singled out. And SJP was the exec producer and had a lot of creative control.
I bet no one who is a really successful and driven actor in a hit US TV show is especially nice.

Cheeseandwin5 · 30/11/2020 00:55

I have to say , I only watched a few episodes an hated everyone.
The only half decent character was Miranda.
I remember back than thinking how insulting it was that these women were viewed as the kind of role models girls wanted,.. selfish, rude, without empathy and just plain nasty, but somehow ending up landing on their feet. I was obviously wrong though as the show was successful.
I guess its my own issues but, whilst others saw themselves as one of the 4. I think I would see myself as someone like Bigs wife.
I remember a like minded friend say the show was actually based on 4 male gay characters and to be honest I can see that

LizzieAnt · 30/11/2020 00:55

but I definitely have the fork in my left hand while using a knife and then switch it to the right hand to eat from. That's common in Ireland ....

What? No, it's not. At least I've never seen it.

bumbleymummy · 30/11/2020 00:56

Yanbu total cf. I loved Aidan! She was so horrible to him. He deserved much better.

Original poster
Nikhedonia · 30/11/2020 01:01

I think I would see myself as someone like Bigs wife.

Which one? Grin

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user1481840227 · 30/11/2020 01:29

@LizzieAnt

but I definitely have the fork in my left hand while using a knife and then switch it to the right hand to eat from. That's common in Ireland ....

What? No, it's not. At least I've never seen it.

Definitely is among my friends. They all do it! I've made a point of looking and checking when me and my son were discussing who was doing it wrong Grin
MustardMitt · 30/11/2020 04:02

@EachandEveryone I 100% bought a Rampant Rabbit off the back of that episode BlushGrin it was so LOUD!

I loved it back in the day as did all my friends, I had all the video box sets. I think it was after the LA episodes it started to go downhill, with a few exceptions. I always thought of myself as a bit of a Carrie - that makes me cringe thinking back, but she was so cool but also real in a way I can’t explain now but seemed so logical to my early 20s self! Miranda was the most realistic, but the reality was I wanted to be that Cool Girl who had all the boys and went out all the time - I didn’t want to be career focused and money sensible.

@Cheeseandwin5 it was definitely based on a column written by and didn’t have a clique of 4 friends. It was just ‘Carrie’ and her life, which wasn’t nearly so glamorous or fun! I had the book - I only remember one story called The Girl, where I think Carrie pulls a Good Samaritan and takes a drunk girl up to her flat and she’s weirded out by her. I think Grin

Hydrate · 30/11/2020 04:19

I still like satc, but never thought Carrie was appealing in any way. As a pp said the other three grew but she stayed exactly the same.

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