3 things I've learned from watching “Sex and the City” - consumerism, patriarchalism, racism

Even if you’ve never watched “Sex and the City”, there must be some association creating in your mind when someone mentions this world-wide popular TV show.

Sympathy? Hate? Naughtiness?

Have you ever tried to perceive characters and situations this TV show presents as some kind of ground that carry and load deeper reflections and meaning on cultural and social relations and institutions?

Creating ideal women’s fashion icon that encourages consumerism

Fashion holds one of the central places in “Sex and the City”. Visual identity of every of the 4 main characters is crucial. Each of these ladies becomes a recognizable fashion icon with its unique style, carefully created by a lot of fashion experts who were part of “Sex and the City” behind the camera cast. Manolo Blahnik, Prada, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana etc. are just like another character in the show.

“Sexy and the City” offered a widely recognizable and accepted notion of beauty and must have fashion details among ladies. Main actresses wear almost exclusively designer clothes and shoes. Belonging to the desired class is confirmed through buying and possessing expensive shoes, clothes, accessories. Depicted in that way, fashion in this show served as a model to many girls and women to spend their money on hair, clothes, perfumes and all the other beauty and fashion must haves. Fashion dictations driven by the consumeristic logic of profit counted on collective unifications of desires and aspirations of the female audience to be someone else.

Patriarchal marriage and subordinated position of women

I must admit that “Sex and the City” speaks a lot about position and rights of marginal social groups. Here by this I primarily refer to the gender (women) and to a group based on non-heterosexual identity (gay people). But, if you take a closer look, you’ll quickly find out that all female characters in the show end up in a monogamous relationship with their loving male.

One of the final scenes in “Sex and the City” movie is probably the best reflection of aspiration of all female characters to live happily (also rich!?) and forever with their soulmates. In a huge closet, Mr. Big (powerful tycoon and wannabe alpha male) proposed the main character Carry Bradshaw, putting her favorite fancy designer shoe on her feet. Reference to Cinderella is more than obvious. All previous promiscuities that this TV show allegedly promoted are being annulled in this triumphalist act of pure conservativism. A princess finally finds her prince!

Absolute domination of white people

While writing this blog I tried to imagine any Afro-American character in “Sex and the City”. And I only could remember one of them!

All the main characters here are white women. And their partners too. Racial minorities almost aren’t depicted in this show. Although there is a little improvement about racial representations how the seasons move on, sum up there is a strong segregation and absolute domination of white people in this show – they don’t hang out together, go on holiday together with non-white people. Non-white people are represented via stereotypes.