Sex and The City: 11 years apart
Sex and the City is a show most women find themselves relating to. Albeit, for us starry-eyed almost adolescents, the world of Carrie Bradshaws and Samantha Jones swimming through a sea of 20 somethings can be quite enticing. However, it's been almost 10-something years since I first watched Sex and The City (sneakily, but that still counts), and as a 21-year-old now — I can’t help but watch it very differently.
The charm of sex and the city, as debated heavily through the years, lies in A. the magic of New York City, a concept romanticised extensively in all of media history, B. The allure of four really cool women floating through life and (spoiler) finding love, and C. the fashion.
Now, for the members of Sex and The City, fashion is a huge part of life. As a child, what truly drew me in was the way everyone seemed to pull off such glamour in their everyday lives. Of course, how could one forget the infamous tulle skirt/white tank combo Carrie was seen sporting at the beginning of the series back in 1998. This was one that made loyal watchers believe that we too, can be our own Carrie Bradshaws.
I’ll admit, I don’t know what it’s like to be a 30-something single woman in a large city. Although, I do know what a 20-something feels. Perhaps, I’d have changed my colours once again in 10 years. The most fantastic thing about watching SATC once again after all these years, and with what seems like a newly awakened mind, I’m finally starting to get what the show is about — springing through life one day, one encounter and one experience at a time. I am, however, leading a very different life in a city that may be commonly compared to New York. My life when put under the microscope and held in comparison to the lives of the fabulous ladies of SOTC may seem a little drab in regards to the ‘glam’ factor. In my early twenties, I have most things I’d like. Including the things I actively work for myself and not with my parents’ help solely. Maybe it's the cultural disparity or the difference in our lifestyles and thoughts — but one thing is for sure, I do see a lot of myself and the ‘;)’ factor in my life when I watch a show like Sex and The City.
I know, I know, my narrative seems to come through as very rose-tinted. But that’s exactly it! I grew up in the times of PEAK Disney channel dreams. I have always pictured my life to be this typical American High-School drama, so much so that I once begged my mother to buy me a book called ‘How to be Popular’. That day, I felt so powerful that I could conquer the universe. Or something else disturbingly close. I was on top of the world, man! the truth is, I didn't even read the whole thing. It was 300-something pages long, and I was done. I suppose it was then that I developed a larger view of life and society as a whole. I watched a shit-ton of movies, from Bridget Jones’ Diary to Ramona and Beezus to Shutter Island. Man, I was hooked! Sex and The City was one such show that I not only discovered how to watch secretly (because what 10-year-old knows about threesomes? I didn't know shit, and I didn't care for that). I was all for knowledge, of any and all kinds! I just wanted to know things.
With the (still blossoming) knowledge of sex and well, non-PG-13 things, I have developed a very individualistic perspective to topics focussed on in the show. I now know not only of my own experiences with certain things first hand, but also have a variable imagination about the things the show talks about extensively. I now relate to the script up to a fair extent and have an opinion on most things. Look at it this way, I grew into the show. Although, anyone who has seen the show knows that SATC is more than just sex. It is high fashion, the idea of (what seems like rare, but anyway…) being broke, obscure and extra characters, finding love and companionship, and most of all — the feeling that is New York City.
