Watched Sex and the City for the first time in a while

[Anonymous]

Charlotte did marry a hot rich WASP. The man was impotent.

Clearly you missed some episodes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Charlotte did marry a hot rich WASP. The man was impotent.

Clearly you missed some episodes.

Yes, at like age 35 to some gelded momma's boy Trey? That whore story arc was cringe, obviously motivated by writers set out to humiliate and settle scores WASP elites they were jealous of. How many episodes did that carry on for from beginning to end? Point is Charlotte wouldn't be on the dating market past mid 20s, she would have been long married to a boy she knew from prep school or college and had a few kids by the time the show began when the characters were in their early 30s (Sam was 40). The drop dead gorgeous blue blood can't find a husband until she's 35, then IVF issues, then WASP is a dud ... here's comes an ugly bald Jewish lawyer to save her.

This is 100% true. There was also a lot of score settling from the ugly girl nerd writers who had Charlotte, who would, everyone knows, have had her pick of the best/top men and ended up with the best guy, ending up with that ugly fat loser guy. And meanwhile Miranda, who no straight man would really want to date, ended up dating hot Blaire Underwood and slutty Samantha got Smith Jerrod. The whole thing was laughable "let's make a story where the prettiest girl gets humiliated story" and it was childish

[Anonymous]

4am insomniac - enjoying reading all of your thoughts. The movies were a disappointment. For me, SATC was my escape. It was easy. I still turn on the E channel marathons. It's familiar and calming. I don't overanalyze it. I live in NY and at the time, the show mirrored my life. I wasn't like one of them, but a little like all of them. Marriage wasn't appealing and I repelled the thought. Sex was incredible, albeit fewer partners (Samantha), 60+ hour work weeks plus travel (Miranda), link that connected our circle of friends (Carrie), a few values/expectations and style (Charlotte). There was that one simple dress in different colors that Carrie wore often. It's the one she's wearing on the bus ad in the intro. Loved it and had it tailor made. Ruined it playing basketball after a wedding. Dined and played at many of the same restaurants and bars. The show was relatable to me, my friends and lots of NYC women at the time. 

Here's the fun part. Remember the Richard/Samantha scene on the pool deck? They were wearing white hotel robes and Richard forced Sam to confront her fear of love and connection. It was filmed at Sky Studio near NYU on W. 4th. We had our wedding reception there, a few weeks after the scenes were filmed. In fact, the chef and event planner were there at the time. Kim C (Sam) was not happy and ordered everyone out, since it was a nude scene. Understandable.    

The not so fun part--The Twin Towers were the back drop for the pool deck scene. I have so many pictures on that deck with the towers in the background. Six weeks after our reception, the towers were gone. My friend (videographer) and many of us were grief stricken. I was in Boston on 9/11. My family and friends were frantic since I shuttled back and forth every week. My husband still lived in Boston and his family and friends were frantic. He was headed to SF, on Wednesday 9/13, same flight# Boston-SF.

Months later we received the video. The final frame was a long night shot of the towers and fade to black with a heart wrenching, but touching sentiment. We watch it with our son sometimes, but never on the anniversary of 9/11.

[Anonymous]

I've never understood the appeal of that show.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a great appreciation 20 yrs later of what a terrible friend Carrie was! She was painted as such a "girls' girl," but now with more life experience under my belt, I can see her as a terrible friend.

THIS! I went back and watched and couldn't believe Carrie was ever considered a good friend of an "it girl" in our society. She was THE WORST friend and a pretty shitty girlfriend, too. Every single conversation she has in the series she always turns back around to talk about herself.

Being an "It Girl" doesn't have anything to do with being likeable.

I always thought Carrie was meant to be an anti-hero. I don't think any of the main characters were meant to be heroes.

I said 'it girl' in our society, as in everyone loved her and wanted to be her. Watching it now I couldn't help but wonder....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I would absolutely agree it has aged horribly but I would love to hear from others WHY -- why did it age so horribly?

My thoughts include
- Gay male stereotypes, cringe
- Lack of BIPOC, wince
- Obsession with affluence in a very pre-2001 way
- The obsession with men, dating, sexual experiences, etc is just embarrassing.

I can’t put my finger on it but there are a lot of things that make the series really dated. I’m 35 so I watched some of the middle and later of the series on DVD in 2002-ish, and then watched the TBS edit when I was in college. Even in 2004 or 2005 or whenever that was, the early episodes from the late 90s were very dated.

+1
I can't put my finger on it either, but it is dated and, to me, I think it is b/c it use to relatable or at least something I could see myself/my friends doing the same thing or living vicariously through the some of the characters and their traits.

Maybe b/c now I'm older, established, have a family, no longer "looking", content, etc. the series just seems so meh. Almost foolish.

I think it's also showing the city as a playground for the rich that has not aged well. That was presented as desirable in the show, but now -- as people leave cities due to high costs -- it has become a negative. Cities are rich people places became gross and depressing.

I think there's been a backlash to high heels.

Also, as a 20-something, I didn't understand how much the having kids things -- when, with home, how many -- would become, for better and for worse, a great strain and great sorter of my female relationships by 35-40, and this is not realistically demonstrated in the show at all. I think a lot of us who watched the show at 20, and didn't think much about the characters being 40, are now 40 ourselves, and realize the show is about 40 yr olds acting like they're 20. That's yikes for me.

An element you’re not mentioning is that this is very much an NYC phenomenon. Tons of my friends in NYC are married to their career and are childless/single by choice. It happens with a lot more frequency in NYC than any other major metro area in the US. They are all now in their late 30s to late 40s, having spent 20 years in the City.

The show was written by snarky gay Jewish men who wanted to glamorize hedonism. It doesn't age well because we all know women still dating and having casual sex in their 30s isn't anything to aspire to, they're all disgusting and sad trainwrecks who viscerally repel high-status men. The only accurate storyline was the desperate lawyer getting knocked up by the loser bartender. That's the real outcome of careerism and whoring around into your 30s: Clock-ticking desperate women with a lot of mental baggage settling with losers. And in real life "Charlotte" would have had kids and been married to a hot rich WASP who played lacrosse at an Ivy League college long before the show began.

HAHAHA I bet you and your hot rich husband only have missionary sex. I feel bad that you clearly think life stopped at 29.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Charlotte did marry a hot rich WASP. The man was impotent.

Clearly you missed some episodes.

Yes, at like age 35 to some gelded momma's boy Trey? That whore story arc was cringe, obviously motivated by writers set out to humiliate and settle scores WASP elites they were jealous of. How many episodes did that carry on for from beginning to end? Point is Charlotte wouldn't be on the dating market past mid 20s, she would have been long married to a boy she knew from prep school or college and had a few kids by the time the show began when the characters were in their early 30s (Sam was 40). The drop dead gorgeous blue blood can't find a husband until she's 35, then IVF issues, then WASP is a dud ... here's comes an ugly bald Jewish lawyer to save her.

You do know people haven't been marrying in their mid 20s for like.......decades now, right? This isn't some new phenomenon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Charlotte did marry a hot rich WASP. The man was impotent.

Clearly you missed some episodes.

Yes, at like age 35 to some gelded momma's boy Trey? That whore story arc was cringe, obviously motivated by writers set out to humiliate and settle scores WASP elites they were jealous of. How many episodes did that carry on for from beginning to end? Point is Charlotte wouldn't be on the dating market past mid 20s, she would have been long married to a boy she knew from prep school or college and had a few kids by the time the show began when the characters were in their early 30s (Sam was 40). The drop dead gorgeous blue blood can't find a husband until she's 35, then IVF issues, then WASP is a dud ... here's comes an ugly bald Jewish lawyer to save her.

This is 100% true. There was also a lot of score settling from the ugly girl nerd writers who had Charlotte, who would, everyone knows, have had her pick of the best/top men and ended up with the best guy, ending up with that ugly fat loser guy. And meanwhile Miranda, who no straight man would really want to date, ended up dating hot Blaire Underwood and slutty Samantha got Smith Jerrod. The whole thing was laughable "let's make a story where the prettiest girl gets humiliated story" and it was childish

You really seem to be a Charlotte who just can't stand that maybe someone's life didn't turn out picture perfect. It's called real life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:4am insomniac - enjoying reading all of your thoughts. The movies were a disappointment. For me, SATC was my escape. It was easy. I still turn on the E channel marathons. It's familiar and calming. I don't overanalyze it. I live in NY and at the time, the show mirrored my life. I wasn't like one of them, but a little like all of them. Marriage wasn't appealing and I repelled the thought. Sex was incredible, albeit fewer partners (Samantha), 60+ hour work weeks plus travel (Miranda), link that connected our circle of friends (Carrie), a few values/expectations and style (Charlotte). There was that one simple dress in different colors that Carrie wore often. It's the one she's wearing on the bus ad in the intro. Loved it and had it tailor made. Ruined it playing basketball after a wedding. Dined and played at many of the same restaurants and bars. The show was relatable to me, my friends and lots of NYC women at the time. 

Here's the fun part. Remember the Richard/Samantha scene on the pool deck? They were wearing white hotel robes and Richard forced Sam to confront her fear of love and connection. It was filmed at Sky Studio near NYU on W. 4th. We had our wedding reception there, a few weeks after the scenes were filmed. In fact, the chef and event planner were there at the time. Kim C (Sam) was not happy and ordered everyone out, since it was a nude scene. Understandable.    

The not so fun part--The Twin Towers were the back drop for the pool deck scene. I have so many pictures on that deck with the towers in the background. Six weeks after our reception, the towers were gone. My friend (videographer) and many of us were grief stricken. I was in Boston on 9/11. My family and friends were frantic since I shuttled back and forth every week. My husband still lived in Boston and his family and friends were frantic. He was headed to SF, on Wednesday 9/13, same flight# Boston-SF.

Months later we received the video. The final frame was a long night shot of the towers and fade to black with a heart wrenching, but touching sentiment. We watch it with our son sometimes, but never on the anniversary of 9/11.

I appreciated your post, especially your close call story. So many close calls, and yadira, some final curtain calls during that period. I worked for a dot com in silicon alley during the same time and can relate. I often remember SATC closing off the streets to film. I'm actually an extra in a few scenes. None of the stars talked to me but they cracked jokes all the time. I liked it when they wore uggs or flip flops with their designer clothes because they were only filming waist up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never understood the appeal of that show.

I’ve never understood the appeal of Friends. I don’t understand how SATC can have multiple threads about not aging well and Friends gets a complete pass. Talk about unbelievable NYC representation. There were no BIPOC, gay, trans (except chandlers father who was played by a woman) in NY.

[Anonymous]

I was out of college for this show and it absolutely appealed. No the characters were not likable and were caricatures and yes the show absolutely showed and talked about things other shows were not touching. It was ground breaking then - for that as well as being at the beginning of the move away from non-network/primetime series. I would expect it has not aged well; it would be tough/rare to find any TV that is such a pop culture archetype of a time and place that would age well. I still rewatch sometimes but jot because it aged well, rather for the nostalgia of myself when it was relevant and probably also the comfort I aged better than it did.

[Anonymous]

If it weren't groundbreaking it wouldn't inspire so much rage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I still do love Comos. Best martini ever!

Me too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still enjoy it. Is it brilliant? Nah. Is it good for turning my mind of and watching something unrealistic and fluffy? Sure.

+1000

It’s my go to when my husband travels and I’m alone with my TV.

yep, I still like it and one episode is one of my favorite TV episode of all time.

But I never "liked" any of the main characters, in terms of actually thinking I would like them if I knew them. (Maybe Miranda.) But TBH, I'm not sure they were written to be that likable. They were meant to be caricatures.

OTOH, I *loved* the male characters (and still do). Steve, Harry, Stanford, Smith, Aidan, even Big. (Chris Noth can do no wrong IMO.)

The notion that anyone criticizes the unlikable characters of SATC while touting Gilmore Girls is LOL hilarious to me. The most annoying character in television history is Lorelai Gilmore. Unwatchable.

This! GG was such an awful show. I never understand the love for it. I admit that SATC hasn't aged particularly well though. I agree with some pp's that it broke new ground, but now that women's sexual liberation is more the norm, there's not much left to glean from it and it's no longer fresh. I enjoyed it back in the day though.

That’s your opinion.

Hello, Captain Obvious! Everything written here is our opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Charlotte did marry a hot rich WASP. The man was impotent.

Clearly you missed some episodes.

Yes, at like age 35 to some gelded momma's boy Trey? That whore story arc was cringe, obviously motivated by writers set out to humiliate and settle scores WASP elites they were jealous of. How many episodes did that carry on for from beginning to end? Point is Charlotte wouldn't be on the dating market past mid 20s, she would have been long married to a boy she knew from prep school or college and had a few kids by the time the show began when the characters were in their early 30s (Sam was 40). The drop dead gorgeous blue blood can't find a husband until she's 35, then IVF issues, then WASP is a dud ... here's comes an ugly bald Jewish lawyer to save her.

This is 100% true. There was also a lot of score settling from the ugly girl nerd writers who had Charlotte, who would, everyone knows, have had her pick of the best/top men and ended up with the best guy, ending up with that ugly fat loser guy. And meanwhile Miranda, who no straight man would really want to date, ended up dating hot Blaire Underwood and slutty Samantha got Smith Jerrod. The whole thing was laughable "let's make a story where the prettiest girl gets humiliated story" and it was childish

No way! Charlotte’s second husband was the best. She got a keeper.