As a human who enjoys equality of the sexes it’s often unfortunate that we have to wade through problematic entertainment to find pleasure in the ample amount of media that is available to us. I often find that a TV show I dearly love can be slightly sexist, homophobic, racist or just downright degrading to any type of person. And I know a lot of people will ask why do you watch these TV shows then if you disagree with the messages they bring to the table?
The truth is that for something I love or enjoy I accept the negatives. In today’s world it seems like we can’t enjoy anything because anything can be argued as problematic or offensive. Even TV shows and movies that are credited with being progressive can have some serious problems such as the TV shows Girls, Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars or any show that seems to be progressive in one aspect but regressive in another. However much these different types of media can hurt positive representations of women, as a woman who loves film it’s almost a necessity to ignore these feelings and try to understand that most popular culture are just facets of the time period they were created in.
Let’s talk about Sex and the City.
Sex and the City is a television show created by Darren Star and produced by HBO that ran from 1998 to 2004. It’s known for its raunchy plot and its depiction of 1990s fashion and culture. The show uses nudity, sexual content and themes that would be considered inappropriate, even by today’s standards. Because of its themes it’s often criticized for being immoral and purporting the idea that women are obsessed with men, and with sex
Despite its sexualization of women, which to some seems over the top though nudity only occurs a handful of times per season (which is very different to several times per episode in Game of Thrones) it showcases the modern woman as a sexual being. This can be understood as a bad thing as not every women is incredibly sexual but understanding that once upon a time Feminists fought hard for female sexuality to be taken seriously and understood we must acknowledge the positives presented to us here.
In addition, as women were once expected to wear a lot of clothing, show no skin and not to engage in any sexual manner at all, the women in this TV show are empowered because they can make choices about the clothing they wear and what they do with their bodies sexually. This show represents women that have autonomy over their lives which is what Feminism has fought for since its creation.
Plus, Sex and the City’s main characters are all women and not just carbon copies of each other, but complex women who have different hopes and dreams, jobs, status and class, and even differing views on sex. Each character brings something to the feminist table, so to speak. Carrie is a writer for the New York Times with a sex and relationships column, Miranda is a single lawyer, Charlotte is an art dealer, and Samantha owns a PR company.
Not only the fact that these women are the soul of the show, they also pass the Bechdel Test (wherein a work must have at least two women who talk about something other than a man) in every single episode. Sure the majority of the TV show is about sex and relationships with men, but it is also about friendship and being single women living in New York. It’s about their trials and tribulations as women over the age of thirty and how they fit into the world.
The major themes of the show are the love lives of the main characters, but it also addresses sexism that still exists and the troubles women go through when they are single and childless in America. Most importantly it allows the audience to see the often unfair expectations put on women to be pretty and young. As well as the expectation to be in a relationship, to have children, get married and not to be the sole breadwinner of the family.
Sure, this TV show has a lot of problems and can even be argued as representing women in a negative way, but for a female audience the positives of the show are abundantly clear.