Am I the only female on earth who doesn’t care about Sex and the City?
I don’t care about the new movie any more than I cared about the other movie, which I didn’t see. Who gives a shit about these awful women? Oh right, everyone. I tried to watch the TV series a couple of times but all it did was create arguments with my husband. I would start whining. “Oh god, eeoow, she’s so ugly!’ or “Jesus, how pretentious!” and he would reflexively defend SJP and the dialogue, both of which I found excruciating.
So, can I assume the popularity of this franchise is something to do with female friendship? Does it remind us how nice it is to have a group of girlfriends who aren’t afraid to say ‘clitoris’? Or is it just a fantasy about having lots of clothes?
Is it a comforting fable about how you can be super ugly but still considered attractive a la SJP? If I was ever going to respect SJP, I would have to reconsider after she denied having that mole removed. She can deny that her husband’s gay if she must, but denying the mole is like insisting that we’re all blind or brain-damaged.
All I know is this: I have zero interest in seeing this movie. I hate all four actresses. I am mystified by the whole phenomenon and it took years for me to decipher the acronym SATC.
(In fact, I just learned what FLOTUS and POTUS mean!)
The only movie I want to see less than Sex and the City 2 is Killers, a romantic comedy starring Ashton “I can’t shut up!” Kutcher. If I had to choose between them, I’d just kill myself.
you know, i first started watching it on dvd when i was a freshman in college and still a virgin. i liked looking at the clothes, and was pretty curious about all of the sex and dates the ladies were having… even if it was a little cheesey.
but then a bunch of girls from my major got into it and acted like it was REAL LIFE. and started saying things like “i’m SUCH a carrie!” and having cosmo viewing parties and posting quotes on their facebook about “trying to find my big!!!!!!” and reciting all of carrie’s monologues about love, and trying to create real life situations based on the show. and i was just turned off by the whole thing.
i still watch reruns sometimes, and play “would you let me out of the house wearing that” with the bf, but it’s just not the same…. and i think mostly women find sjp attractive, but men don’t…
I personally love the SATC series and went to the opening night of the 1st movie with a group of girlfriends after going out for martinis first. Yes… seriously.
I love the show but have leaned that I kind of hate SJP’s character, Carrie, because if you really look at her she is a neurotic selfish fucked up person.
That makes my girl friends really mad by the way. They don’t know what I mean by that and they hate that I don’t think of myself as a Carrie (you know- they SHOE thing) but if you do watch the show and you know what she did to Aiden you’ll know what I mean. Selfish.
Also, the episode where she gets broken up with by way of a post-it… well that just sent me over the edge with her. Psycho.
But whatever. I still love the show.
Sorry Sis- I know you don’t know what I mean with those references. And good for you. You and the show don’t really seem like a “good fit”.
*THE shoe thing, not “they”
@TheShoeGirl: I laughed pretty damn hard at the reminder of the post-it breakup. You’re absolutely right, SJP’s character is pretty selfish. I must confess I did watch one of the movies. First of all, let me say, I did not grow up around cable, and we barely have channels now. I don’t watch TV, but the few times that I did, I did not watch SATC. I saw a shitload of commercials and always wondered about it, but like Smallville, my attention span just wouldn’t hold.
I don’t know which movie it was exactly that I saw for SATC, but it was when she was getting married to Mr. Big. The whole plot is pretty off. Carrie’s not even really a working girl. It’s like a New York fairytale to be honest. And one thing that kind of rubbed me the wrong way was the whole black girl as charity thing (talking about her assistant).
Anyway SW, I centered a blog post around you. I wanted to link you, but I just don’t know how to. It’s all about Sea. Secretly, I wonder if we’re all mildly obsessed with her. So much so that we keep on going back for more.
Have a love rest of the week!
I didn’t mind the show, but it (and to a much larger extent, the movie) was full of shit. As a tween when the show began, I didn’t really get or care about the sex/dating parts initially, but I did think Carrie’s clothes were cool. But the movie doesn’t even have cool clothes, it’s all fug.
I’m happy for WendyB getting a pair of her earrings featured in the movie, though- it’s major exposure, so good for Wendy!
I loved the series & watched each episode multiple times on DVD. I was working 1-million hours/wk & needed a release/outlet/healthy way to destress. SATC is pure fickle fantasy, never meant to be realistic. It’s written by gay men & one can easily imagine these women as gay male characters. For god’s sake, they are gay male characters.
No women work 2-hrs/wk at their high powered jobs yet can regularly afford NYC luxury, drag home strange men 365 days/yr at 3am without becoming assaulted, are a size 0 but are always eating, drink like fish every night but don’t look it even though they’re over 40 & can afford the best spas/yoga/designer everything/restaurants/events to attend/homes.
The 1st movie was awful, but I’d outgrown the series by the time it came to screen. Well, it was more a case of being inundated by SJP talk for so many years, I could no longer bear it. Since more time has passed, I’ve lost all interest.
But, when I was in my 30’s, in a miserable relationship (or in none), I felt better watching pure fantasy of lives no one will ever have.
The role that was perfect for sjp was that witch movie she did with Bette Midler. Didn’t need much time in make up or prosthetic moles for that role. Horse faces belong in the barn, not In The City.
You aint the only one who doesn’t care about the show or the movie. What can they possibly have to go on about for how many years now, 15 or 16? You would think by now they would have worked out their problems already. It’s time to move on to Geriatrics in the City.
You’re not the only one, I hated the first movie and don’t really care for the series, although it’s more tolerable than the movie. I’m going to watch the second one with a group of die hard fans. I was lured into it by the promise of drinks.
For me it’s the fantasy, the redonkulous clothes and the friendship reminders that I like. I found the dynamics between characters to be quite truthful. The “bullshit bagels”, the judgement over the UPS blow job.. Miranda’s friends being cunts about her having the baby. Still, movie-wise I can see how it would grate. This movie does look even more unrealistic than both the series and the first movie put together. I’ll still go and see it though.
I’m not really into heterosexuality or conspicuous consumption and ignored SATC on television. Was roped into the movie by my grandmother and basically watched two hours of male apologists. He apparently has a history of betrayal in some form or another, and you apologize for not catering to every neurosis after he ends up leaving you at the alter? If you haven’t discussed the terms of an open relationship with your spouse, or passes/freebies, it is not your fault for your spouse to cheat on you just because your sex life is sporadic. It’s his fault for cheating, and both your fault for not communicating. So much for liberation through stilettoed singlehood. Men whine and/or act like toddlers and women are angry until they blame themselves and come around. And one of them shit her pants. I don’t get it either, and I don’t want to hear anyone else try to explain why I’m a Miranda.
I used to love Sex and the City on Tv years ago, but even at the time I knew it was ridiculous fantasy, how on earth could the SJP character possibly afford all those mega expensive shoes ? Now I go see the films out of nostalgia, but no way could I ever sit through a box set of the old series!
SATC apologists on Godammit? (Vomits copiously out of window, then throws self out)…
I read an interview in which she acknowledged having the mole removed. Apparently her brother is a plastic surgeon or something so he did it for her…
I am proud to say I have never watched a single minute of any of the tv shows or the first movie. I won’t be catching the 2nd one, either. Only thing worse than a chick flick is a chick tv series.
I don’t care for the acronym SCOTUS, myself. Reminds me too much of SCROTUM.
Look Sister I agree that SJP is absolutely no looker but I like the SATC franchise.
I’ve met Candace Bushnell twice you know.
I started watching in 99 when it came to Australia and I’d just left my marriage and was hanging with my gal pals. It spoke to me.
Plus I like the outfits.
And I saw them shooting an episode when I was in New York in May 2003. They were set up outside Saks 5th Ave. SJP was the thinnest person I have ever seen in real life. The security people were saying “No photos of Miss Parker” I ignored them and got some nice snaps.
Pity you don’t live here- the Stones doco starts in 13 minutes. I’ll take photos.
Now go and action some gardening like I told you to.
I know someone who recited the Carrie poem at a wedding.
I swear I am not making this up.
I was late in the game, when I started to watch SATC. I don’t have a TV, and one night I was over at a friends house. Everything stopped when the show came on. I must admit, I got sucked in. I remember not really liking Cary at first, and I hated Samantha, but I did get caught up. We went back and rented all the previous shows that I had missed, so that I could catch up, and then continued until the end. It was a fun thing to do with my friends.
The series does show an evolution in character development, and each character does grow to a degree. Some seasons were better than others, especially in the clothing department. I did enjoy watching the fashion part a lot. I would probably not be caught dead in half the shit these girls would wear, but some things were good. Very unrealistic. Carrie probably had as many shoes as your beloved Sea.
Supposedly they ended the show, because they did not want to kill the story (as deep as it was). SJP claimed that leaving while it was still so popular was key, which made me scratch my head when there was talk of a movie.
The first movie was a recap of the show, and made everything come together, and the story is complete, all the questions were answered. Believe me there does not need to be another one, not by a long shot. Yes this is a sell out and a ridiculous one at that.
Oops I spelled Carrie wrong the first time.
I liked the show, but started watching it in reruns long after it started and then gradually caught up. I didn’t think Carrie was selfish, I thought she was looking for what we all were looking for, but in nicer clothes and with kick-ass shoes. I always thought she was too skinny, and alternated between attractive and horsey, but the how-can-they-afford-to-live-like-this-in-New-York issue is certainly not unique to SATC. Look at the characters in Friends; or any family sitcom where the dad’s probably making $50K and they’re living in a 3000 sq ft in downtown Chicago. I think they walked a fine line between taking something to the extreme and caricature, sometimes successfully, sometimes not, but what show hits it nail on all the time (besides West Wing)?
Anyway, if you want a show to be realistic, you ARE looking in the wrong place. Modern Family seems to be pretty “real”; Seinfeld had its moments, but one could ask the same question about the characters in that show and their work-to-income ratio.
My husband actually theorizes that the 4 women are supposed to represent the 4 “compass points” of a woman’s personality — the vixen, the brain, compassion, desire for love/meaningful relationship. And I really enjoyed the friendship part of it.
I did like Aidan (personally) more than I liked Big, although I’m not sure who would be “better” for Carrie, but the pain and misery of their (Carrie/Aidan) breakup really resonated with me as I was going through my own divorce at the time. I liked the exploration of Carrie and the Mikhail Baryshnikov character and her struggles to decide if she could/should redefine herself for the sake of a man that she truly cared about; her sense of loss when they were in Paris really resonated — she defined herself as a writer, and by her relationships with her friends — what was she without those?
On the other hand, I have no desire to see the movies. Seems like something better suited to 30-minutes once a week. . .
I have to say I actually enjoyed the series, although Carrie Bradshaw is a neurotic mess from beginning to end. Sometimes it’s cute, especially at the beginning of the series (which I thought was better written than the later seasons), but often it’s just cringeworthy. I was a much bigger fan of Miranda than of Carrie.
For me, it was light and fluffy escape after work or school. Half an hour of silliness before doing housework or homework. I thought some of the dialogue could be pretty clever, and although it seemed kind of sexually excessive when I watched it in the past year, when it first came out it was pretty new and ballsy for female characters to be so open and up-front about sex.
The thing that really bothered me was the way the show treated the men, specifically those Carrie dates. They were nothing more than reagents for her many personal crises, really. I ask you, what’s the point of creating interesting, likeable male characters if you’re just going to throw them away so that the female lead can have a nervous breakdown? Excuse me, I’m sorry. ANOTHER nervous breakdown.
Shows that hit the nail on the head every time?
*The Sopranos
*Mad Men
Best shows ever made.
Ladies, ladies, ladies, that show and the films spawned off it are monumental crocks of shit, vacuous drivel that makes my ears and eyes bleed
I went with a pregnant friend to see the 1st film, she promised me food & booze beforehand, and who wants to let down a pregnant lady?
I was then accused of being cold & emotionless when I laughed at her and some others crying at scenes that just left me indifferent, if not a little exasperated by the inane cheesy fake sentiment of it all
I think it’s a bag of shite, and here are my reasons why:
Completely stupid characters with no backbone or any spiritual substance, the deepest thing they seem to think/talk about are men, shoes, sex and other people
They have no hobbies of any value or interests that interest me
Not one black face amongst them, and when they did throw one in the 1st film, she had to be a stereotypical “I love me some Louis Vitton!” house negro. Please.
The clothes are boring & predictable in their desire to be wacky and original, any silly twat can throw a semi decent mish mash together with untold $ to spend. That.is.not.style.that.is.money.
They spend countless hours talking about how strong they are, how far they have come in the world, but the film ends with them all only being happy when they have a man and a wardrobe.
0 out of 10
Give me Barbarella any day, at least she never denied who she was.
Might be a generational thing but I CAN’T watch SATC anywhere.
Shows I love:
*Sopranos
*Breaking Bad
*The Good Wife
I like it…primarily for the shoes and clothes and I thought Big and the guy who is on United States of Tara were hot. I’m not very girly. I don’t read chick lit or see chick flicks…except for SATC. Absolutely Fabulous was my most favorite female centric TV show. Your going to probably roll you eyes at this, but a restaurant here did a big kick-off party for the first movie and I gave away a pair of Manolo’s to one lucky winner. (I was reimbursed with food and booze which was nice). I’m looking forward to the second one. Mainly because of the location and the clothes are right up my alley.
I’m proud of WendyB getting her Cleo earrings featured.
Oh, and the mole debacle was ridiculous. But I did feel sorry for her when she was voted one of the ugliest actresses by some men’s magazine that escapes my decrepit brain.
Without having watched it, I formed the opinion that I hated SATC and avoided it. Then, en route home from Italy, I stopped off in London to visit a friend, and the worst bladder infection of all time kicked in, no doubt a result of having sex in the sea with a horny Italian. My friend’s roommate had the entire DVD set, and loaded up on drugs, I decided to watch it.
And I have to say…I loved it. I thought it had some really funny moments, moments where I thought “this was on TELEVISION? on AMERICAN television?” And even though the characters are all quite cardboard, and even though I am very unglam, and even though their lives are totally unrealistic (i never saw them take the subway) occasionally something happened to one of them, or one of them said something, that seemed to resonate in some way with me…at least it made me laugh.
…but I do agree with you about how annoying and pretentious Carrie is. And yeah, her ability to be very attractive even with her ordinary looks gives hope to us all.
The first movie sucked though. it was total shit and i will not watch this new one.
The only reason why I watched it (TV show, didn’t see the 1st move) was for the dialogue with the gay friends. That was really funny. Gay men are wonderful. As far as the way they dress and live, sorry, but NY women aren’t like that, nor do they dress like that. (they’re also not like those loser Real Houswives of NY, but that is another story). A- the clothes are too expensive for most women, and B- most NY women who have real lives wear some variation of a black/grey/navy uniform that does not look like they tried too hard. It’s actually the bridge and tunnel crowd and the tourists that try to emulate Carrie, et al. But they don’t know that when they dress like that, it’s a dead giveaway that they are wannabes. Their outfits were the fruit of Patricia Field’s imagination. (btw, I rode an elevator in Barneys a couple of weeks ago with Pat Field and she smells like an ashtray and looks like a low rent lesbian hooker). I am reading a book called “Spent” by Avis Cardella, which is a memoir of a woman who lived , born and bred in NY who was a free lance journalists and was a compulsive shopper. She points out that free lance journalists (a la the early Carrie Bradshaw in the series) could not afford to have the then $500 per shoe collection and be able to buy all those expensive hideous oufits AND be able to pay for living expenses. I am so over this!
No way man… I love it 🙂
yeah. I could give two shits about this show. it makes women all seem like shallow bitches.
I’d rather my public sayings of the word clitoris to be safely within the confines of an arcade or canoe.
I’m with you Sister – SATC is utter bullshit. No interest whatsoever.
And ughh to gaggles of screeching girls in stilettos rushing off to the cinema together and following it by cocktails. Makes me feel almost as queasy as the thought of having to go on hen night.
I hate that show. It gives me nightmares. Shallow self obsessed bitches. As I remarked to a friend many years ago, it is about shallow empty cunts discussing their empty cunts.
I admit I watched the show. It was a needed break from my very unglamorous reality at the time. It was fantasy and I drooled over the shoes and clothes. But I think all the characters are awful; they’re really horrible to each other and Carrie is a colossal selfish, neurotic c*nt. I haven’t watched the first movie, never will, and have no intention of seeing the new one. What I find annoying, even maddening, are the gaggles of 20-something females trying to imitate the SATC lifestyle and posting about it on their blogs. The disgusting materialism and lack of substance of it all is enraging. These girls need to be headed to a library not to Barney’s.
I never got into the show. If it ain’t science, or sci-fi it doesn’t hold my interest much. I’ll take a crappy made for the sci-fi channel movie any day over SATC (and I’m talking crappy when it comes to made for the sci-fi channel). As a matter of fact I’d rather watch the King Crab Hunters instead of SATC.
another friend of mine refers to SJP as the equine one.
i hate correcting people but… she def did address the mole thing. on letterman. but that is besides the point… who gives a shit about her mole in the first place.
Dexter would def. have to be my favorite show… how amazing would it be if Dexter snuck onto Sex and the City and chopped up ALL FOUR bitches for the terrible way they treat men… Wishful thinking.
The show never resonated with me, strangely enough, because I don’t like talking about my sex life with my friends. I’m okay with discussing it in a cultural, philosophical (“what kind of women would I date if I was a les?”), or anthropological manner.
Like I said, I’m no prude, and some of their discussions made me roll my eyes.
I began watching some of the show because my college roommate loved it. Eventually, one of my MALE friends (who is a girl at heart!) convinced me to watch the movie with him. It wasn’t “stab my eyes with skewers” bad…..but it was pretty close. I never got offended about the token black character because I was like “CARRIE, YOU FUCK!” during the entire wedding.
I’m sorry. I completely despised her character. I didn’t find one trait that was particularly admirable besides her friendship with the other women. I don’t obsess over shoes and I really REALLY hated the Aiden/Big plotlines. I love Chris Noth but I HATE BIG. Even Mr. Darcy at first sight had more appeal to me.
Oddly enough, Charlotte is my favorite character! I liked Miranda too and felt like she always got the shit end of the stick.
I prefer the name Sarah Jessica FootFace
I used to watch the show. I was fascinated mostly by the clothes. Then I was annoyed by how ubiquitous it became and all of the lame tie-ins and how girls tried to emulate their looks – not matching is not a style in itself – and their lives. I don’t think a lot of young girls got the point. These women were older, late 30s and 40s. It seemed like it gave license to everyone wantingto be a dumb shallow whore. Whatever. I didn’t see the movie in a theater because it seemed dumkb, a movie, why ?? i did see it on dvd and it was horrifying. I couldn’t even finish it. One of the worst things ever. I have to ask, did the cinematographer hate her ? SJP, looks so f-ing bad, I couldn’t get over it. I used to think she was adorable but what happened to her face ??
I tried watching SatC once. I think I made it through one episode, but never again. Aside from the clothes, there aren’t any redeeming qualities that I can see. And the cult that surrounds it scares me a little.
PS. You got obliquely name-checked by fashionista.com this morning: http://fashionista.com/2010/05/most-influential-personal-style-bloggers/11/
The show is silly, but sort of charming in a clued-out way. It’s like watching Gilligan’s Island but in Manhattan.
I don’t give a shit about SJP but people who state “shes’s so ugly” or “looks like a horse” like they’re just stating the obvious, or worse yet that they’re the only one who can see the emperor has no clothes, completely miss the point. SJP is a very original looking woman. When she was young her big hair beautifully set off her large features. Its the constant air of desperation and overly-made-up sub-avant-garde ridiculousness of Carrie Bradshaw that has made SJP so unappealing.
Vergoncha, what terrible way did they treat men? All I saw was the four of them gushing over or bemoaning their sex lives and accommodating the tantrums of the men in their lives.
Watched the show every now and then, seen the movies, did not treat it seriously for a second; SJP is a “jolie-laide” and does a pretty good job in this category, given that she is, indeed, quite horsey. Next movie? Whatever…will probably watch it, when in need of mindless entertainment.
BTW, I’ve read Candace Bushnell books – did not enjoy them at all, there is some air of desperation about them, and very unlikeable characters.
Bessie, nice to know that I’m not the only female who likes S-F. For some reason, none of my female friends do, zero, zip. Who is your favourite S-F writer?
Never seen a single episode – while biologically female, my fave show EVER is The Wire, with a 2nd Battlestar Galactica. Don’t get the shoe obsession either – I favor comfort or androgny in that department.
But I hope that the movie sells a bazillion Wendy B earring sets and she becomes a household name. Someday, when I pay off my last vintage Hermes scarf, her stake-through-the-heart ring will be mine….
I’d like to hear more about fave SF writers too – women seem to write fantasy more, and not hard SF/space opera. I’m quickly coming to love Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette myself, and the amazing Caitlin Kiernan (who is sorta fantasy) but I’m such a noob, I know I’m only scratching the surface.
You’re not alone. I never could stand the show.
Like you, sister, I tried watching it once or twice and found it madly boring and stupid.
Who cares about these foolish, insecure women? Not me.
I’ll admit to enjoying the series but the movies are an insult to females everywhere.
I do hate how that show inspired girls to strirve for that FAH-BULOUS big-city attitude. Like saying “Samantha” things or shopping with your gay or brunching all dressed up.
No, you’re not the only woman who doesn’t give two shits about this crap. I’ve watched exactly half an episode and couldn’t stomach one bit more.
Every time I see SJP, I’m reminded of her line in “Ed Wood”: “Do I really have a face like a horse?” YES DEAR, YOU DO (except that horses are usually pretty).
I always thought that they were always terribly overdressed – or wearing cute outfits staged for the occasion, like “Carrie in the country” – jumberjack shirt, jeans, cute boots with 4 inches heels, etc. It was just as realistic for me like watching a movie about leprechauns and their social customs.
I like William Gibson, Iain.M. Banks, Neal Stephenson, Connie Willis – she’s really great, Elizabeth Hand, Terry Pratchett…
I’m probably the only woman who doesn’t like Sex and the City OR Seinfeld. Oh, it was hell in the office having to listen to the weekly day-after updates of both those silly shows. Now it’s Lost updates of course.
Sarah Jessica Parker can’t really act, but I like her looks; she’s one of the few celebrities around who’s got interesting, individual features and doesn’t look like a pod-person clone.
I subscribe to the ideal that it’s ok to like stupid/retarded/vapid things/shows/blogs/anything as long as you KNOW it’s stupid. Yes, Sex and the City is dumb as fuck, I know this. I still find it very entertaining. I’m also still in love with John Edwards even though he screwed everything up and is pretty much considered retarded. I would still fuck him, but it’s ok, because I KNOW he is retarded. (not literally of course, because i’m pretty sure that’s illegal)
I don’t love, I don’t hate it, I just don’t care.