Opinion: The Joy of Sex and the City (or lack thereof)
Jun 3rd, 2008 by Jon Posted in Life Stories | 7 Comments
This blog post does not contain spoilers for the Sex and the City movie. This post is not a review, but an Opinion / Editorial piece.
This week my wife and I are celebrating our 6th anniversary, so yesterday we decided to catch a movie. Originally we were planning on catching the Indiana Jones movie, but our babysitter showed up late and we arrived 5 minutes after the show had started. So we opted for the Sex and the City movie that had just opened.
I had watched bits and pieces of the original TV series with my wife and found it amusing and fairly well written, so I wasn’t against watching the movie spin-off.
The movie was good. It was entertaining and charming - a modern day fairly tale of life-long love in a complicated world where things rarely go smoothly. The acting and storytelling is what you’d expect from the TV show, so they stuck with the formula (thankfully).
Fashion labels and how much an item cost are pridefully mentioned throughout the movie. Carrie Bradshaw, the character played by Sarah Jessica Parker, owns a $200 pillow, leaves behind a $450 pair of Manolo shoes at her boyfriend’s penthouse apartment, and hires a personal assistant to help her read aloud her emails. There is even a scene where Carrie changes into fur and high-heels outfit so she can make a late night visit to comfort an emotionally distraught friend.
Despite the fact I enjoyed the movie, I found myself repulsed and disgusted by the superficial front put on by the characters and the society depicted. I’m sure the original series was just as materialistic, so why am I acting so surprised?
Once again, having been to a poorer country has spoiled my attempts at escapist entertainment — I just can’t seem to enjoy myself in many mindless pursuits anymore. Whenever a price tag for a fashion accessory was mentioned, my stomach churned as my mind converted the cost of shoes into the number of families that can be fed in Nicaragua.
Luckily Carrie Bradshaw doesn’t exist and not everyone is so obsessed with having “the good life”. In reality, the world is hurting and there are people who are doing great work to help those who are suffering and in need. Though Sex and the City is a fairy tale world, I’d rather live in this world of ours, warts and all.
Technorati Tags: review, Opinion, Sex and the City, movie, entertainment
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Rampant consumerism reigns supreme!
Maybe you should have gone for Indy
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Very interesting take on the movie, Jon. I watched a few seasons of it but have not seen the movie. I will see it next week with a few girlfriends as my DH can’t stand the show.
I think my DH would concur on all the points that you made above. After watching a few episodes with me he was disgusted with the materialism and the Mr. Big character. Being a nice guy (!), he was appalled how Carrie could be in love with someone who treats her poorly and yet let go someone who treats her so well. *sigh* The heart has reasons the reason does not know of. But that’s another topic.
Yes, the show makes Manhattan women seem quite shallow, huh? I have to admit that I used to work and live in Manhattan and I did succumb to a few of those cliches (no sex–just shoes!) to amuse myself when I was not doing long hours at the firm (14+ hours). Perhaps it highlights the instant gratification culture that we live in nowadays where if you have the money, you can buy it instantly and feel good about it for about 30 seconds.
I was not a Carrie but I do have a few shoes to show for it. I am guilty of liking beautiful things as you can see from my floral photos. But with changing jobs, kid and all, I have to say that I no longer long for those things as there are more meaningful things in life.
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Nice perspective Jon. Not all think like us though. I sadly got forwarded an email from someone who proudly thought I would enjoy it. It was a newsletter he had been secretly subscribing to, it was about the poverty in Nicaragua and the good life that can be had by all of ‘us’ North Americans for a fraction of the cost. Cheap cooks, maids,homes on the seashore. It broke my heart. I know this exists but to see it come from a person I know made me sad. Mind you this is not friend but someone who donates small amounts to us in between his 10 exotic trips a year. The truth is these types of people and the Carrie Bradshaws may be the more impoverished. This is something that I need to remember. So sad to have to be seeking like this all the time and never feeling fulfilled.
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Oh (sheepish grin for almost forgetting)…
Happy Anniversary!!!
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Marg:
Haha. Metrosexuals have nothing on Indy!
Lauren:
Burger was a nicer guy and he rode a motorcycle! Then again, Mr. Big had more money, so perhaps it isn’t too surprising a fashionista would go that way?
That’s a good point about the instant gratification culture we’re living in. Not surprising, is this why less people are getting married and not having kids?
I have my guilty pleasures too (photography gear anyone?
).
June 3rd, 2008 at 3:39 pm
@Kathy:
For better or worse, some of those exploitive enterprises are actually helping by providing a job and income to a local.
It’s like how cruise lines pay pennies to workers from poor countries, but for that worker, it’s more than they would have earned back home.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:57 am
i noticed that Sex and the City has a polarizing effect on both men and women… people either love the movie or they hate it