How Sex and the City Can Improve Its Legacy
Photo Sex and The City
By Lauren Payne
We’re a few days into 2021 and the news hasn’t exactly been… positive. The world is still battling coronavirus, the United States is dealing with acts of domestic terrorism, state lockdowns are still popping up and Kimye is reportedly over.
Although things appear pretty grim, one positive thing to come out of 2021 so far, is HBO Max announcing a 10-episode long Sex and the City revival series called And Just Like That.
Sex and the City has been beloved by women everywhere since it premiered in 1998, but many agree the series hasn’t aged well. Even Sarah Jessica Parker, who played the iconic Carrie Bradshaw, called the show “tone-deaf” during an interview in 2018. Carrie’s unrealistic lifestyle, the slut-shaming Samantha endured from her “friends”, the lack of diversity, the show’s romanticism of problematic relationships and Carrie’s closed-mindedness around sexuality, makes the show hard to watch these days.
Despite this, every few years, women re-watch it because although it had its issues, Sex and the City was truly ground-breaking for its time. As Cynthia Nixon, who played the revered Miranda Hobbes on the show, explained in an interview last year, the show was “revolutionary” in terms of the characters’ ages.
“We were all over 30 when it started. And as it went on, we were quite a bit older than that.
“[It] showed how women are deeply interested in sex and really care about it; not just as a means to get a ring on their finger, but as a matter of personal interest and choice.”
Sex and the City was a show women were drawn to because it dared to present them in a different way; a more honest way. Yes, there were problems, but people still learned from the show and embraced it.
If written correctly, And Just like That could be just as powerful as when the original first premiered. The reboot has the ability to right some wrongs the original series created and I have some ideas.
The new series could acknowledge Carrie’s closed mindedness about sexuality, by having her take the time to learn about sexual fluidity and gender, because we all remember when Carrie is her peak problematic-self and dismisses a very great guy just because he’s bisexual. Addressing her ignorance could really give her character a chance to grow to become a more well rounded and knowledgeable sex columnist.
The show also has the potential to present her experience during the 2020 cultural reckoning at Conde Nast, which resulted in the resignation of Bon Appetit’s then editor-in-chief and Anna Wintour publicly apologising for her treatment of people of colour at the company.
The upheaval caused a domino effect across the wider editorial industry, with many powerful figures resigning from their roles and some publications folding as a result. Carrie would certainly have opinions on this, and it would have also affected her work majorly as she did work closely with Vogue throughout the series.
Keeping in mind she wasn’t the only issue with the show, we can’t just focus on Carrie.
I hope we see Charlotte transform into #WokeCharlotte, the version of the character Chelsea Fairless and Lauren Garroni of @everyoutfitonsatc fame, created in 2017. Have her teach Carrie about the harsher topics she’d rather ignore. Have her explain why her language is so questionable and have her encourage her friends to be more inclusive.
Perhaps the cast can talk openly about embracing your sexuality and how not being tied to a significant other can actually be liberating.
Samantha Jones personified this notion in the original series, and the fact they’re doing a reboot without her is honestly baffling. She was by far the most open-minded and liberal character on the show. Whilst Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte were all trying to find Mr. Right, Samantha blazed the path for women who aren’t focused on marriage and just wanted to take charge of their own lives.
Since Samantha won’t be in the reboot, the least the writers could do is honour her legacy in some shape or form. Have one of the other girls divorce their significant other, embrace the essence of Samantha and explore their sexual independence. Have it be Charlotte, who continually gave Samantha the third degree for not chasing a wedding ring in the original series - or, there’s even some whispers that her role may be replaced by two women of colour in a bid to reflect some true diversity.
Looking back, it seems Samantha was judged for something new every episode. If it wasn’t for embracing her sexuality, it was for exploring a same-sex relationship, choosing not to have children and telling the honest truth when no one wanted to hear it. Samantha deserved better and having one of the other characters live in her shoes for an episode or two could really shine a light on how badly they treated her.
I could go on and on about other ways And Just Like That could right the wrongs of Sex and the City, but I’m sure you’re already feeling exhausted.
If we could see three women who were willing to learn from their mistakes, put themselves first and truly embrace modern life and all of the ways it can allow them to grow, I think the revival might just be worth the wait.