The shows that I am focusing on here are Girls and Sex and the City. Why these two? Well, for one, both of these shows broke so many barriers and dared to open conversations that other shows would not touch. They have commonly been compared to each other the moment Girls was released (which was eight years after SATC ended) and lastly because both of these shows remain my go to’s, my OGs and shows that equally remain to be a source of entertainment, truth, reflection and at times, horror.
We loved it for the adult content, the fashion, New York and all of the many story lines
I remember for some reason watching Sex and the City when I was pretty young. It syndicated on Aussie TV for what feels like forever, as it does everywhere else, and I have no idea how old I actually was but I remember watching it all in such awe and shock and was instantly hooked. The characters all have their strengths and deep flaws, but they are all (more often than not) very likeable. I remember back then, worshipping Carrie which we know was the creator’s intention, which is in stark contrast to when I watch it now with the accumulation of life experience and wisdom up my sleeve (lol) where I am now able to clearly see the majority of Carrie’s actions as the biggest dick moves to date.
Is this really a feminist show?
Hmmm not really? Well, for the most part, ok, yes. Mainly for the parts where it brought topics and conversations onto our screens that the other shows that attracted the same audiences just didn’t touch. The conversations I am talking about detail the most arbitrary expectations and societal pressures that women face on pretty much anything – getting the top job, finding the right man, getting married, having babies, being successful (but not too successful), I could go on. They also broached subjects that were so important to see and hear. These discussions included casual sex, abortion, STIs, breast cancer, adoption and classism.
The downfalls
SATC was one of the 90’s shows that did not age very well *cough Friends cough* and had a helluva lot of problematic storylines and scenes. So I have pulled out a couple but yikes, there are many that have been left behind.
Just like Girls which I talk about below, the show’s real visible lack of racial diversity was a big one and had a lot of negative press. We cannot include the only time that Miranda dated Blair Underwood and the episode where Samantha slept with the food critics brother was oh so traumatic.
Samantha being slut-shamed by her ‘friends’
With Charlotte’s sly remarks about Samantha and her brother and Carrie’s constant under her breath and passive-aggressive comments about Samanthas lifestyle. We heard you Carrie, you snake.
Umm, they made 30 sound old AF!
The good bits
The many men that the show introduced to the storylines with all of their quirks, expectations and backstories were wild. I learned a lot watching all of this unfold, most of which was gravely misguided, but there is still a lot of quality there.
I still believe in Mirandas ‘lights on’ theory and its application to dating and finding a partner. Her quote was “Men are like cabs, when they’re available, their light goes on. They awake one day and decide they’re ready to settle down, have babies, whatever, and they turn their light on. Next woman they pick up, boom, that’ the one they’ll marry. It’s not fate, its dumb luck.” Ok, so this is a bit simplistic, but we cannot underestimate the timings when we are looking for a relationship – I have found anyway.
My top 10 fave, cringe and memorable moments, in no particular order:
- The most obvious issue here… Carrie being able to afford her flat on that wage. Bahahahah
- When Carrie expects Charlotte to lend her money and gets upset when she doesn’t want to. Holy shit this bit boiled my blood. The audacity!
- Carrie breaking Aiden’s heart and we all felt it
- Berger breaking up with Carrie on a post-it-note
- Carrie sending Aiden to help a naked and injured Miranda. Once again Carrie proves her dickness
- HOW. CARRIE. TREATS. AIDEN
- Petrovsky entering carries life and being smitten by her even though these two are polar opposites in every way
- The fight that Carrie and Miranda have in the thrift store. Oh I felt this one to my core
- When Natasha comes home from the Hamptons early and catches Carrie there alone. This scene killed me! Carrie is a dog
- The Russian AKA Aleksandr Petrovsky slapping Carrie in Paris. We know it was a mistake. But I hated these two together, so this moment ranks.
The show that subjected viewers to uncomfortable interactions, nudity that was not mainstream and the millennial existence in its natural state
I haven’t seen too many episodes of Girls in full since the show ended years ago. So I had to get on the ol’ Google for a refresher course. Whilst doing some research for this blog I remembered how much I loved Girls – through the majority of its existence (let’s just forget about that final season, ok?). Created and written by the super talented Lena Dunham, it was deeply confronting, constantly frustrating and refreshingly liberating. I remember watching this show being like, ohhhh I see so this is the New York that they want us to see from the angle of newly graduated struggling 20 somethings. I see.
The show that spanned six seasons over five years, featured four main women at its core and they literally could not have been any different. All of their storylines found a way to express their individual struggles and journeys, which were of course paved with privilege and endless opportunities. Sure, there were struggles and real failures, but we did have a hint of a feeling that they were all going to be ok.
How is this a feminist show exactly?
As mentioned above, they definitely set the scene for conversations that other shows did not dare to attempt. Girls made the body positivity movement come to life as we could relate to the main character Hannah and all of her insecurities the more we got to know her. On the same note, she was amazingly confident and much to so many reviewers dismay would appear naked in as many scenes as possible.
Hannah’s rebuttal to be called hysterical (totally something I learned here btw!) and really put into perspective how easily labels and names can be thrown around at women when their conversations may get a little bit too difficult for others to navigate.
If you need a reminder on your abilities, the mantra:
“The Worst Stuff That You Say Sounds Better Than The Best Stuff That Some Other People Say”
The downfalls
- The prominent whitewashing
The show (much like SATC) had a lot of backlash about the lack of diversity. I mean, it is set in Brooklyn yet the main cast and many of the other characters that were pulled into episodes, were all white, it was really bad. The couple of episodes that had Donald Glover play Hannah’s boyfriend were not received well as they were seen to be merely a gesture to include POC, not a genuine effort to be inclusive.
- All of the damn millennial privilege
Hannah approached the world like she could have anything she wanted and in fact, that she was entitled to it. The pilot ep saw Hannah be cut off from her parents and Hannah’s blatant rejection of this fact. She equated a push for independence and growth as a declaration that her parents did not love or care for her. Basically privilege in a nutshell. The other women in that make up the main cast all had their fare share of spoilt brat moments too.
Hannah gets a job at GQ. An underrated storyline imo
I loved Hannah’s stint at GQ which was such a glorious take on a world that Hannah tried too hard to avoid. It showed what an ‘artsy’ forward-thinking educated writer would feel if taken under the wings of a massive publishing corporation. You could feel her struggle her way through wanting to remain authentic and open in her writing, but also have her narrative be dictated by trends and the bottom dollar. But the perks at GQ were so strong, you can’t help but understand how easily Hannah was sucked in so fast.
“I Don’t Want To Freak You Out, But I Think I May Be The Voice Of My Generation”
My top 10 fave, cringe and memorable moments, in no particular order:
- ‘Take out the trash’ episode (the episode itself wasn’t one of my favourites) and the ‘she wouldn’t get a guy like that’ conversation it sparked
- When Marnie sing ‘Stronger’ at Charlies event and it is baaddddddd
- Elijah. Just, Elijah
- When Hannah made the date rape ‘joke’ at an interview. Wow
- Shoshanna Accidentally Smokes Crack
- Jessa Gets Married to a Douchebag. Wow this whole relationship was so bad
- Shosh getting drunk at the beach house and telling the others how fucking horrible they all are
- Hannah discovers that Adam and Jessa are seeing each other
- We all know this moment… The one where Hannah jams a Q-Tip into her ear!
- Marnie’s terrible YouTube music video of “What I Am.” Hilarious and tragic wrapped in one.
Ok, this was a long one! I do hope you did enjoy though.
Thanks for reading,
Mel x