Sex and the City and feminism

[Bumperlicioso]

Ok, I will admit that despite it's flaws I love SATC. It was a background to my time at university and a bonding thing between me and my girlfriends.

But I don't deny it fails in the feminism stakes a lot of the time. It's very of the 'choice-feminism' school of thought. The women are all supposedly empowered by sleeping with lots of men, being slaves to fashion and consumerism, and are defined by their sexual archetype.

However, they women get their strength from their friendship which tends to come first before men, they are all professionally sucessful (and mysteriously wealthy!) and it does deal with misogyny and double standards, the idea that men can be promiscuous but not women, the looks Miranda faces when she buys a house on her own.

What do you all think?

Warming to my theme a bit here...

No-one would expect lesbians or gay men to live a life of celibacy and rely solely on their friends...

One of the hardest aspects of being in the closet is the lack of any sort of sexual fulfilment (one of the reasons my father finally pushed my brother to come out was because he was concerned that he was missing out on such a fundamental part of being a young person) - so why would we expect a hetero person to go without?

And yes, I realise Samantha could go on living an effectively single life, with sexual partners - men - in her life only on a short-term basis. But surely there comes a point where this isn't so much unfulfilling, as getting to a point - maybe in your 70s, maybe your 80s! - where the potential pool of partners dwindles to pretty much non-existent. I mean partners who want the same thing - a brief sexual affair as opposed to something more meaningful and long-term.

Plus, isn't it a bit odd to say that short-terms flings are OK as long as the person is technical single - as it implies that long-term, monogamous, mutually satisfying relationships (i.e. the antithesis of being single) is somehow wrong or bad, and it's not.

I agree Miranda was the most feminist character.

I always noticed though, how in the early seasons she had short hair and wore ties and sharp suits. Then later on she wore skirts, dresses, dangly earrings, etc.

Did the creators of the show feel they had to 'soften' her to make her easier to like?

Carrie was so needy regarding men in every series. When she was single she was either obsessing about Big, Burger, Hayden, Big, some random bloke, Big.

Its s shame that the programme couldn't show her been happy single for a bit.