Sex and the City

I've been re-watching old episodes of this show, and it amazes me how people who haven't seen it have such a wrong idea of it.

The truth: It's a show about four women who are absolutely miserable.

People who don't watch it tend to believe that fans idolize the women and want to become them. Silly, the women in the Hamptons who wear pricey shoes and outfits were already like the women on the show. The rest of us watch it because it's really funny, and because it makes us feel better about our own lives.

The women on the show are never happy. The only time they smile is when they're drinking Cosmopolitans together and laughing at each other's dating misfortunes. The rest of the time, they are pursuing some 6-foot-tall rich guy who turns out to have a horrible problem. (Just pick one.) It's nice stress relief to see four successful women who can't get it together to have a decent personal life.

So if you haven't ever seen the show and want to feel better about yourself, watch it. Even if you haven't been on a date in thirty years, you will still feel better off than the women on the show.

The other amazing thing is how dated the show already is. I mean, look at the size of this phone!

Update from a member of the male species:

"so i guess you had nothing to blog about. ferris bueller's wife and her tv friends don't count."

Au contraire, mon frere!


Update from a member of the female species:

Loved your Sex and the City post. I can’t remember where I read it (and of course I can’t find it online now), but I think it was mystery author Laura Lippman who wrote something about how that phone and answering machine was dated before the show even started and that it was just a device the show’s writers used so we could hear Carrie’s answering machine messages. The reason I remember this is that I have that exact same phone and answering machine. It is still in operation and still works (I keep waiting for it to die so we can get voice mail, but it hasn’t yet) – my husband gave it to me our first Christmas together in 1994 (it’s actually the best-working and sturdiest cordless phone in the house). I also remember that Paul & Jamie had the same model on “Mad About You,” >further dating SATC. > A-ha! I found it - >http://www.journalscape.com/LauraLippman/2006-03-14-11:31

Take care, Andrea http://reallivewoman.blogspot.com/

Update from a member of the male species:

I’ve often thought that, in spite of the name of the show, each was looking for love in the city, though Samantha would be loathe to admit it. I think in one episode she said she never let a guy stay the night so she wouldn’t let herself get suckered into believing the lies he would tell her the next morning. If not, it sounds like her anyway.

Charlotte is more upfront about her desire for traditional happiness. Miranda and Carrie fall somewhere in between the 2 extremes.