Sex and the City

I first caught SATC in the late nineties, and thought it was great. At the time the show really captured a certain nineties sensibility - it was cynical, tongue-in-cheek, adult. Though not your average SATC fan - heterosexual, thirty-something male working in IT - I became obsessed, and was sure to see each new episode the first time it aired. However, over time I became disillusioned with the series.

First, I eventually read the book. Despite the author's reluctance to say anything, the show never was much like the book, and has - over the years - strayed far far away. The book is, like most of Candace Bushnell's work, insightful and witty, with its humor derived from a certain urbane severity; it shares more with the works of Carrie Fischer and Tama Janowitz than any of the stuff now labeled Chick Lit.

Bushnell's characters may fall in love, even marry. They may have Manolos and Birkin bags, but this is all background noise of sorts. Bushnell is an under-rated pop-anthropologist, depicting the tribes that inhabit the big city. We may no longer be hunting our food, or struggling to keep the fire going, but it is still all about survival. Bushnell is great at depicting the primal hunger that, while it once made man fight to the death over territory or a fresh kill, now makes women deck themselves out in top gear and hunt down that Banker or Fortune 500 Executive, or fight tooth-and-nail to break through the glass ceiling.

Second, somewhere midlife, SATC, the show, got lost. All that incidental stuff - the shoes and bags, and places-to-be-seen - moved from the background to the foreground. The show became one long glossy luxury goods advertisement, the kind found in Vanity Fair. The movie underlines this - while there are great story lines, etc, the theatrical release is one obscene orgy of consumerism and decadence.

Too bad. The last years of SATC is an insult to both the book and the early years of the show. It is certainly an insult to the public, but - considering SATC was most popular in its later years - maybe the insult is much deserved.

.."Sex And The City" is so unique, so original, so fresh, I totally understand why it appeals to men, women.... These stories are delivered with such honesty, and rawness that you can't help but say to yourself: "oh my God, I feel like that too!" or "that happens to me!" We all know of someone, who has experienced 'something' similar to the story lines. That's the beauty of "Sex And The City". It tells it like it is. And Something has to be said for the BRILLIANT performances each and every one of these women (and men) gives. Sarah Jessica Parker is amazing. She radiates every emotion to perfection. Kim Cattrall is my favorite. She's a blonde bombshell who does not beat around the bush. Her character is so openly honest with 'everything', you can't help but love her character "Samantha" and either cheer or crack up at her episodes. Cynthia Nixon's character is awesome. I think we all have a little bit of "Miranda" in all of us. And Kristin Davis as the annoying, "Charlotte", gives the story lines that feeling of "hope" and "innocence". This show truly deserves all the praise and awards it's currently getting. Do yourself a favor, buy and see "Sex And The City" and see for yourself. You'll be hooked, and you'll discover a world that many try to "avoid". We're only human! We deserve a little "Sex and the City".

10/10

I am a 23 year old single woman living in Manhattan and I love and relate to this show. All though I am younger and poorer than these women, and I don't get nearly as many men as they do (not to mention the fact that I'm Black!), I think this show has alot of insightful and funny things to say about being a woman in New York.

And to address the sex issue...I am so tired of the Madonna/Whore complex everyone in the country seems to be up to their eyeballs in. Get over it! Women like sex, they have sex, and they have sex with men they don't like. So what? And so what if they continue to look for Mr. Right even when they're with Mr. Right Now. What person man or woman hasn't consistently done something, seemingly at cross-purposes with their intended goal in the name of love, lust, or companionship? Stop with the tired double standards (that includes HBO's ban on full frontal male nudity on the show!)

Let's address the real issue: We all wish we were getting it as much as Samantha--even it's from just ONE person!!!

Endlessly rewatchable, sex and the city is a one of a kind tv show epitomizing the early 2000s. With a long running tv show it's inevitable to have some good and not so good storylines. But for the most part, SATC got it right, showcasing four single girls navigating love and life in New York City. One of my all time favs.

There are some series that really take you back to a certain era. Series that have characters that stick with you as you move through your own life. Sex and the City does that, and it is always wonderful to re-watch it.