As I begin to navigate the highs and lows of romance in college, I continuously find myself turning to the wise words of Carrie Bradshaw and her friends. Sex and the City absolutely gets it right every time. It is an unapologetically honest depiction of four friends through their relationships with themselves, each other, and significant others, while living in New York City and experiencing womanhood in their 30’s.Â
Sex and the City perfectly shows that at the end of the day, your female friendships can be the most important things in your life. We watch as Carrie and her friends sometimes find themselves undervaluing their female friendships when experiencing the dopamine rush and intensity that a romantic relationship brings, but the beauty in the female friendship exists because it is constant and steady. Carrie and her friends prove this when we see them hold each other up as they each face heartbreaks and challenges, and fulfill each other’s lives through the bonds they have with each other. My all time favorite quote from the show is when Charlotte, Carrie’s perky, old fashioned “sorority girl” friend says to the other three girls when stressing over the subject of soulmates, “don’t laugh at me, but maybe we could be each other’s soulmates. Then we could let men just be these great, nice guys to have fun with.”
Sex and the City repeatedly also addresses the single woman trope and the stigma that surrounds it. We see Charlotte, Carrie, Samantha, and Miranda all experience the looks of pity and the “you’ll find someone soon” speeches from their coupled/married friends, but we also watch these women live fulfilled, independent lives in New York City. We see them live autonomous, interesting lives without having a significant other. SATC perfectly portrays the beauty of living the single life and the internal strength and confidence these women have.Â
And of course, Carrie and Big. A love story that begins within the first episode and spans the entire show along with multiple movies, it’s a relationship that bluntly depicts everything that comes with love. This includes cheating, fulfillment, joy, companionship, and soul-crushing heartbreak. It is an honest portrayal of the good and bad that love can bring along with human behavior.Â
In the end, as I take my first steps into adulthood, I catch myself finding lessons I need to internalize within their struggles and how they overcome them. I have been taught the value of female friendship, and have gone back and forth with Carrie as she does with Mr. Big. I believe that this show captures some of the most important lessons and experiences of womanhood in a completely unique way.