Cosmos Anyone?

I've decided the dedicate this next post to something I have much adoration for and that has taken me a considerable amount of time this summer: Sex and the City. (i also need to write my dad a poem for his 50th birthday, but ive been putting that off for weeks and another hour can't hurt)

what exactly is it that keeps me going back to the store on countless occassions, and now even splitting the bill over cash and credit card just so i can afford to have the next season as quickly as possible? Is it the theme music? The chic location? (NYC, DUH!), the "fabulous" parties and scenarios? or, much to the pride of Ms. Bradshaw herself im sure, the outfits? But this is not about my Sex and the City obsession, its about the show itself. Once you've watched as much of it as i have, (yes, i'll admit it) it does become easy to see why critics say what they do, and I have my own pet peeves, but often the more you pick the show apart, the better it gets.



1. All they ever talk about is guys!



Yes, the girls do have a tendency to obsess too much over guys, but the sad thing is, women do that, alot. In both real life and the TV show, everyone seems to think that they are out hunting for their perfect soulmate who will magically make all their problems go away. Some of the best in-jokes my friends and I share often go back to some horrible guy-based scenario gone wrong, and we can easily talk for hours analyzing the stupidest details. (Guys cannot possibly also be this obsessed, can they?) And seeing it all condensed does make you think: why do we care so much? Some critics may take this behavior as pathetic or shallow (which it sort of is) and blame poor SATC, but I think the show is smarter than that. After all, who said it better than Miranda in season two: "All we ever talk about anymore is [guys and penises] What about what WE think, WE feel, christ, does it always have to be about them!" And if one excellent thing is at work in the show, however, it is the way the four characters grow as they realize that nothing is perfect. who would have thought that Miranda, bent on gaining equal respect as a partner in her lawfirm, would spend two seasons raising a child? or that Charlotte, the innocent idealist, would almost break up her marriage soley because of sex? The irony may sound cliche, but its the irony you only find in real life. And I've even changed as a viewer. I used to dislike Miranda because she seemed boring and was less attractive, but now her intelligence and attitude (not to mention the adorable Brady!) are some things that make her my favorite of the four.



2. Carrie is stupid, and No one's life is really like that!


Thats another thing about the show: though sometimes the characters or scenarios might seem a bit silly or stylizied,(and the one-liners a little too fast) there is much real-life intelligence at work here. What exactly do people consider cheating? Do singles make up 'dating myths' to keep hope alive? Is monogamy not an expectation anymore? why do we always feel the need to classify our relationships? These are questions that almost anyone (or at least women) have asked themselves at some point or another (Even if most of them are questions that can only be answered with more questions)and that are pretty relevant to today's society. And as for the rest, what's wrong with a little romanticism on TV anyway (lord knows reality TV is overflowing with it) Who doesn't wanna be livin it up as a minor celeb in NYC? and it's interesting to see how they use the word "fabulous" sometimes. It almost seems superficial on purpose. After a bad break up, who doesn't want to go to a "fabulous" party and forget all their troubles? Yes Carrie does seem juevenille at times, and is no doubt a serious shopaholic who looses her cool from time to time, but as much as we hate to admit it, there is a Carrie in all of us.



3. What's with some of those outfits? and all those puns?



...yup, got me there.




PS: Yes, I too have just realized i watch waaaayyyyy too much SATC, but what can I say, it's fabulous!