Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Original photo by Greer Long
Wellness > Sex + Relationships

Don’t Be Carrie Bradshaw, Instead Be Samantha Jones: 10 Tips On Being a Maneater!

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Amherst chapter.

Earlier this year when Sex and The City was added to Netflix, I was so excited to finally have the chance to watch the iconic show! However, to my surprise, Carrie Bradshaw may not be the show’s star

The character that got me hooked was Samantha Jones. The way she carried herself with confidence and poise made her character shine! But the way she didn’t let men run her life inspired me to write this article. Although I love Carrie, I did not enjoy how she was always running after Mr. Big. 

Samantha on the other hand, couldn’t care less about chasing after an emotionally unavailable man. So thanks to Samantha Jones, I will be giving 10 tips on how to be a maneater

Do Not Wait For Someone!

If you realize you’re holding yourself back from finding the right person because you think your partner will change, then you gotta snap out of it! Samantha Jones would tell you that they aren’t going to change for you when they’re too busy loving themselves. 

Get busy!

There are just way too many people out there to settle on one bad partner. This is why we have our friends to cheer us up, take us out, and find that new person!

“I love you, but I love me more”

A maneater takes care of themselves both mentally and physically! They aren’t constantly focused on love but rather on doing what’s right for themselves. That can be many things such as self-care, exercising, focusing on your academics, career, etc. 

You’re not their mother!

Never baby your partner because it’s not your job. You’re too busy doing other things rather than doing their dirty laundry that their grown selves can do. 

 Cut off all ties when it’s time

Nothing you can do at this point besides cut the bad energy out of your life, and move on! 

Never apologize for being you

If they don’t like you for you, then they can find someone else. 

Never lose sight of yourself 

The thing I noticed about Carrie when she gets into a relationship is that she tends to follow what her partner says and does. (Spoiler), Carrie drops her career, her friends, her apartment with fixed rent in New York, and HER COLUMN for a man!! I was very disappointed because that’s what makes Carrie….CARRIE, and she drops all of her favorite things?? Don’t make that mistake because I promise you a relationship is not always worth it. 

Stick with your day ones

The thing I loved about Samantha was her loyalty to the girls! She never let any man come between her and her friends, and she would always prioritize them. 

Don’t get overly attached so quickly 

If you find yourself being impressed by the bare minimum and think they’re the one for you then it might be time to reevaluate your standards. 

Be the man 

Samantha treated men how they would treat women, and she was not ashamed of it. You shouldn’t be either!

Although the show is known for its fashion and “promiscuous” theme, it tackles different topics relating to relationships, sex, friendship, and adulthood. I loved the show, and I think it’s that kind of show where you will better understand it as you get older. As a 20-year-old, there were topics that I related to, and I think each character’s experiences and personality reflect what a lot of people go through, especially in relationships. 

Samantha Jones may not be for everyone but I think her mindset and values are important, which focused on not being influenced by society’s norms of finding the right person and getting married, and rather having fun no matter how old you are, and not being afraid of challenging the norms. Which is so iconic of her! 

I hope these tips remind you that you’re in charge of your life, and you have the power to control it, just like Samantha Jones.

Can’t get enough of HC UMass Amherst? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, listen to us on Spotify, like us on Facebook, and read our latest Tweets!

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar
Amanda Chung

U Mass Amherst '26

Hi! I’m a member of UMass Amherst’s HC, and I’m just spreading my ideas and having fun! :)