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Original poster

Sex and The City

143 replies

Theteenandme · 04/08/2025 13:40

I've never watched it before (apart from half the episode where Carrie loses her shoes and is a bitch about it). Its absolutely awful and such bad acting!

Did people really like it originally? Or was it one of those things people said they liked because they thought they should?

I dont think it's just looking at it through modern eyes. I cant imagine I would have thought much of it at the time either.

OP posts:
StrawberrySquash · 04/08/2025 14:09

@houwseevryweekend It's funny how it's dated and yet not. Definitely things have changed and people say things they wouldn't now. But other elements are like a cliché of now, but they were saying them in 1999. In some ways it just shows things don't change!

JHound · 04/08/2025 14:22

Coffeeishot · 04/08/2025 14:00

It was clear they had it in for Kim Catrall and it was definitely racist imo.

Show quote history

Yes! I mean SATC has always been weird in its portrayal of ethnic minorities - I will never forget that episode where Samantha had a black boyfriend, but they amped the cringe up in SATC 2 and really did a terrible job with Samantha’s character.

Clearinguptheclutter · 04/08/2025 14:26

I absolutely loved it at the time. Even though it’s a bit dated in many ways I still enjoy.

first film was good, second was just awful

Bingbangboo · 04/08/2025 14:32

I loved it when it came out and I still love it now. I agree that the first series is a slightly different format and the continuing themes gel better as you move through the series.

For full disclosure I also love Girls and I know that has a marmite reputation.

ExtraOnions · 04/08/2025 14:36

I loved it originally, and still like dipping in. It’s not aged well in parts, but there are some good stories.
There is a whole site somewhere around why Carrie was such a terrible friend. Goes through every episode. She really was a terrible friend.. and very selfish

Just looked it up, and found out they are still at it ! https://carriebradshawistheworst.com/

Carrie Bradshaw is the Worst

https://carriebradshawistheworst.com

Glamourreader · 04/08/2025 14:41

Love it. Just to spend 30 minutes in something from a woman's point of view where she's not going to be murdered is still pretty refreshing.

I know the characters are flawed and sometimes selfish, people are.

Actually nostalgic for a time when Charlotte could be horrified by a man she was dating requesting anal sex without anyone telling her off for kink shaming etc. We were more free to have opinions back then!

Neighbours87 · 04/08/2025 14:41

I loved it at the time. First season wasn’t great and it’s definitely aged but it was entertaining and funny.

PermanentTemporary · 04/08/2025 14:43

I absolutely loved it at the time and would cancel anything to see it. Had a nostalgic rewatch a couple of years ago and mostly it’s extremely vapid, but there’s still some of it that has real bite, all these years later. My favourite moment was when Carrie realised she’d spent everything she ever earned on stuff, except the script turned away from it and made a joke. But somewhere there’s a better series where they didn’t do that. In the end they were always going to choose fluff. But I thought Big and Carrie were a terrible storyline from the start and they only got worse, they never made sense except as the origin of the story - woman chases superficially appealing man who she thinks should be the one, except he very obviously isn’t. Hence I hated the first film (don’t marry him you idiot!) and didn’t bother with the second, and certainly wasn’t going to put myself through AJLT.

Its clear from this that I took it all too seriously lol, except that the characters really were a lot more interesting at times than most TV women then.

NeelyOHara · 04/08/2025 14:44

Having 4 women over 30 as the main characters in a tv show was amazing at the time, still is to be fair.

HeadNorth · 04/08/2025 14:50

I loved it at the time. I haven't watched it since, or the follow up series. But I thought it was great at the time, I loved that the main characters could be shallow and selfish and fun, enjoy dressing up and going out and doing things that weren't worthy. And fall out with each other and be catty, then make up and support each other. At the time, that was truly ground breaking for female main characters.

I don't get all the the people scrambling to put it down now as if they are too superior to enjoy anything so frivolous. Get over yourself. It was a fun show - not a philosophy symposium.

CoffeeCantata · 04/08/2025 14:50

I agree, OP.

I watched a couple to see what the fuss was about but hated it. It’s sold as a feminist thing but those awful women are just slaves to the male gaze. And Carrie’s ‘fairy ballerina’ clothes are ridiculous.

But the main objection I have is - it’s boring, cliched and implausible.

A thing of it’s time, and it hasn’t aged well.

GoneGirl12345 · 04/08/2025 14:51

Funnily enough, I am rewatching it from the beginning. Was a huge fan when it first came out and I still love it.

Some of it hasn't aged well (a couple of awful episodes inc Samantha dating a black guy and language around transwomen characters).

But it made me look back fondly at the days of partying, wearing heels and cute outfits in my 20s and 30s!

It also made me realise that part of why I let men treat me like shit was because Carrie normalised toxic relationships. Even glamorised it. I will forever love her, but she is definitely flawed.

nopiesleftinthisvehicle · 04/08/2025 15:00

Am currently rewatching and do so once a year.

Yes, Carrie's excited screaming is bizarre! What 36 year old screams like that?

I have tried to mimic the tone, but as it sounds exactly like my neighbour's 4 year old in the garden on a summer's day, It's impossible 😬

JHound · 04/08/2025 15:05

Glamourreader · 04/08/2025 14:41

Love it. Just to spend 30 minutes in something from a woman's point of view where she's not going to be murdered is still pretty refreshing.

I know the characters are flawed and sometimes selfish, people are.

Actually nostalgic for a time when Charlotte could be horrified by a man she was dating requesting anal sex without anyone telling her off for kink shaming etc. We were more free to have opinions back then!

I need to rewatch it, I don’t remember watching that episode!

DiggingHoles · 04/08/2025 15:08

What irritated me was the abortion fake-out story that so many shows did during that time. Miranda got pregnant, planned an abortion and then didn't go through with it. Why not just leave the abortion part out of it then? It felt so moralistic to see nearly all female characters in shows around that time change their mind. They only wrote these scenarios because the actresses of these characters happened to be pregnant at that time and they had to write in something dramatic to explain the character being pregnant and it was always a damn abortion fake-out.

Only Scandal actually had Olivia go through with it and it was revolutionary. Still is, considering the abortion rights women in the US have lost.

JHound · 04/08/2025 15:09

PermanentTemporary · 04/08/2025 14:43

I absolutely loved it at the time and would cancel anything to see it. Had a nostalgic rewatch a couple of years ago and mostly it’s extremely vapid, but there’s still some of it that has real bite, all these years later. My favourite moment was when Carrie realised she’d spent everything she ever earned on stuff, except the script turned away from it and made a joke. But somewhere there’s a better series where they didn’t do that. In the end they were always going to choose fluff. But I thought Big and Carrie were a terrible storyline from the start and they only got worse, they never made sense except as the origin of the story - woman chases superficially appealing man who she thinks should be the one, except he very obviously isn’t. Hence I hated the first film (don’t marry him you idiot!) and didn’t bother with the second, and certainly wasn’t going to put myself through AJLT.

Its clear from this that I took it all too seriously lol, except that the characters really were a lot more interesting at times than most TV women then.

Yep they always chose fluff and a Hollywood ending.

But I still enjoyed it despite the lack of realism.
(In real life a woman who was messed around by her on and off lover for years would never end getting married to him.)

Original poster
Theteenandme · 04/08/2025 15:10

CoffeeCantata · 04/08/2025 14:50

I agree, OP.

I watched a couple to see what the fuss was about but hated it. It’s sold as a feminist thing but those awful women are just slaves to the male gaze. And Carrie’s ‘fairy ballerina’ clothes are ridiculous.

But the main objection I have is - it’s boring, cliched and implausible.

A thing of it’s time, and it hasn’t aged well.

Yes, Im so feminist that Im going to spend all my time with my friends discussing men.

OP posts:
JHound · 04/08/2025 15:12

GoneGirl12345 · 04/08/2025 14:51

Funnily enough, I am rewatching it from the beginning. Was a huge fan when it first came out and I still love it.

Some of it hasn't aged well (a couple of awful episodes inc Samantha dating a black guy and language around transwomen characters).

But it made me look back fondly at the days of partying, wearing heels and cute outfits in my 20s and 30s!

It also made me realise that part of why I let men treat me like shit was because Carrie normalised toxic relationships. Even glamorised it. I will forever love her, but she is definitely flawed.

Those episodes were cringe and now rewatching the episodes where Carrie dates a bisexual man and Charlotte is horrified to learn the man she is dating is uncircumcised….

I liked those two episodes at the time but find them really problematic now! Weird given it presented itself as so progressive.

SpaceRaccoon · 04/08/2025 15:13

I liked those two episodes at the time but find them really problematic now! Weird given it presented itself as so progressive.

I think their desparation for men and the nuttier stuff like circumcision haven't aged well, but honestly the gender/trans stuff is of a saner time.

AleaEim · 04/08/2025 15:14

I loved it in my early twenties and only started watching it because I watched the film and wanted to see what the hype was, I was def just trying to fit in and pretended to love it more than I did. I genuinely thought my life would end up like theirs and in some ways it did help me live out my dreams of living in NY and London so I have that to be thankful for BUT I watched all over again and couldn’t believe how shit it was, it def hasn’t aged well however it’s not much more cringe than other US shows aimed at females tbh. ANJT is so so rubbish but I’m currently watching it at moment so my standards mustn’t have changed since my twenties 🤣

Charabanc · 04/08/2025 15:14

JHound · 04/08/2025 15:12

Those episodes were cringe and now rewatching the episodes where Carrie dates a bisexual man and Charlotte is horrified to learn the man she is dating is uncircumcised….

I liked those two episodes at the time but find them really problematic now! Weird given it presented itself as so progressive.

Show quote history

But you have to understand that lots of American men are circumcised, not just Jewish men.

SATC is so unpopular and unwatchable that there are two current threads on Mumsnet about it 😆

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 04/08/2025 15:14

Bingbangboo · 04/08/2025 14:32

I loved it when it came out and I still love it now. I agree that the first series is a slightly different format and the continuing themes gel better as you move through the series.

For full disclosure I also love Girls and I know that has a marmite reputation.

I LOVED Girls too.

SATC was of its time and the films best not watched at all .

PermanentTemporary · 04/08/2025 15:15

I remember watching Borgen and a character had ill advised sex, got pregnant and had an abortion all in episode 1. Made me realise how in US TV shows and even most films no woman ever actually has an abortion - the pro choice bit is that they consider the option, that’s it. Tbh it’s not that common in uk to either. It was amazing to watch Always, Often, Sometimes, Never (? going to have to check the title).

Charabanc · 04/08/2025 15:16

PermanentTemporary · 04/08/2025 15:15

I remember watching Borgen and a character had ill advised sex, got pregnant and had an abortion all in episode 1. Made me realise how in US TV shows and even most films no woman ever actually has an abortion - the pro choice bit is that they consider the option, that’s it. Tbh it’s not that common in uk to either. It was amazing to watch Always, Often, Sometimes, Never (? going to have to check the title).

But they talked about having had abortions on SATC. People watching it now don't realise how much ground it broke for women back then.

Lazywalker · 04/08/2025 15:16

I really liked SATC when it first came out. Took me years to realise how much of a nightmare Carey was though!!

Turned off AJLT after about four episodes, so woke and it just ruined it. Also no Samantha = no SATC, sorry!