Femininity and Sex in the City

I can’t recite every single line from Sex and the City like many of my Carrie-obsessed friends; however, I have caught a few episodes over the years. Before reading Angela McRobbie’s article, I found the show generally very feminist and progressive. Its whole premise is about four single women having, well, sex in the city. Each character has had several lovers over the years, and they are able to engage in these on-and-off again relationships without obscene amounts of judgment or criticism. The character of Samantha in particular engages in sexual relationships as if she were a man – tossing them aside when she is done with them.  

As McRobbie points out, the show is seen by some as championing post-feminism. While these women can be perceived as unbound from certain gender stereotypes such as the stay-at-home mom and the caring wife, they are certainly not detached from their femininity. The consumerist culture dominates the show, functioning as a “televisual magazine and show window.” The characters are obsessed with clothes, shoes and accessories, embracing the characters’ female-ness rather than repressing it. This idea of consumerism gives off the message that successful, liberal woman can still enjoy the aspects of femininity while not regressing back to old and outdated ideas of what a female’s role should be.

However, what I found most interesting about McRobbie’s article is that while Sex and the City has been praised by feminists (for many of the reasons above and more), the program still has many regressive characteristics. While the characters are very independent and liberal, their minds are still always male dominated. Carrie is especially a great example of this. She’s always after Mr. Big and even in the pilot episode where she “has sex like a man” all she really wants, in the end, is to find love and be swept off her feet.  As McRobbie states, the show is filled with “a tidal wave of invidious insurgent patriarchalism which is hidden beneath the celebrations of female freedom.” Carrie is constantly seeking the approval of men and this, in my opinion, negates many of the feminist qualities of the female leads. While they have taken great strides in both feminist and post-feminist ideas, they have yet to completely break through the barrier of patriarchy and male submission.