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BrooklynnEarly
JohnKubler
English114B
14March,2015
SexAndTheCityFilmAnalysis:ImpactsofSexuality
Maytwentyseventhof2008,PatrickKingreleasedSexAndTheCity.Thesixseasoned
showfeaturesfourwomenCarrie,Samantha,Miranda,andCharlotte.Thesefourwomenlivein
Manhattanandtheshowisbasedontheirmanyencountersandrelationships.Eachofthesefour
womenhavedifferentoutlooksonrelationshipsandwhatloveis.SexAndTheCityoffersavery
realisticviewofhowwomenfeelaboutmenandromanticrelationships.Italsoaddressesmany
ofthemisconceptionsaboutmenandwomenandhowsociety'soutlookonwhatmenand
womenwantisnotalwaysthecase.Thesefourwomendefythestereotypethatwomenshouldnt
beintouchwiththeirsexuality.Carrieisasexcolumnist,Samanthaisinpublicrelations,
Mirandaisalawyer,andCharlotteisanartdealer.Forthemostpart,thesewomenare
successful.Iwillbeanalyzingtherolethatsexandsexualityplaysinthelivesofeachcharacter
andtheirroleinrelationships.
Carrie,whowritesasexcolumninthenewspaperisveryattractivetomostwhenand
thereforereceivesalotofattentionfrommen.Justlikeanywomen,shehasherinsecurities.She
isdefinitelyawomanwhoiscomfortablewithhersexuality.Whenitcomestosexuality,Carrie
believesthatitshouldbeexpressed.Sheusesheroccupationasareasontohavemeaningless
hookupswithmen.Whensheseenheroldfriendattherestaurant,sheusedhersexualitytoget
himtoagreetohookupwithher.Heronlyreasonforhookingupwithhimwassoshecan


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experiencesexlikemen(withnostringsattached).Shesaiditwasapartofherresearch.Carrie
obviouslyenjoyssex,however,sheconsiderstherolemenandwomenplayinsexandthe
doublestandardsinvolved.Theexpressionofone'ssexualitycanbeinthesimplestformsand
Carrieissomeonewhoknowshowtodiscretelyandopenlyexpresshersexuality.Thedress
(nakeddress)sheworeonherfirstdatewithBigwasaformofsexualexpressionaswellasher
posingforphotography.Herconfidenceandeventhefactthatshecarriescondomsinherpurse
areallexamplesofhowCarrieexpresseshersexualityaswoman.IntherelationshipthatCarrie
haswithBig,heisthedominantindividual.AlthoughCarriesaidshewasntgoingtohavesex
withBigontheirfirstdate,shemanagedtoandshesoneseekingvalidationintheirrelationship.
Therefeelingforeachotheraredefinitelymutual,butBigisthemasculineoneandhetakes
charge.
Samanthaisthemostpromiscuousofthemall.Shebelieveswomenshouldenjoysexthe
waymendo.Mencaneasilyhavemeaninglesssexwithnostringsattached,however,itsnotas
easyforwomen.Samanthahasthesameoutlookonsexthatmendo.Shehasnodesirefora
seriousrelationshipandsheuseshersexualitytohavesexwithanymanshefindsremotely
attractive.Shesaidthatsheenjoystheequalluxuryoftreatingmenlikesexobjects(Ep1.
7:477:49)Sheuseshersexualitytoheradvantageandbelieveshersexualityiswhereherpower
comesfrom.Samanthasvalidationcomesfromthesexualrelationsshehaswithdifferentmen.
Forexample,shefelttheneedtohavesexwithBarkley,whoonlydatesmodelsandrecordstheir
intimacy.ItmadeherfeelgoodaboutherselfbecauseBarkleyhadareputationofhaving
relationswiththemostbeautifulwomentogracetherunwayandifhesleptwithher,thatmeant
shewasjustasbeautifulasthemodelsheusuallydates.Samanthaisstronglyawareofthe


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genderdynamicsinsociety,whichexplainsherattitudetowardssex.WhenSamanthaandCarrie
cantgetatableatthatrestaurant,shesaiddoyourealizeisshewereaman,notonlywould
webeeatingrightnow,theydbesendingoverfreedrinks(Ep5.2:152:20).Sherecognizes
thatshecanusehersexualitytogetatableifthehostwasamale.Samanthadoesnthavea
steadyrelationship,howevershedominatesheraffairs.Shemakesthecallsandwhensheisdone
withtheguy,sheleaveshimandmoveson.
Mirandawhoisalawyeristhemostmasculineofalltheotherwomen.Shelikedominant
menwhocantakecharge.Shehassomewhattraditionalviewsonrelationshipsbecauseshe
doesnttrustmen.ShetoldSkipperIhavethistheorythatmensecretlyhateprettygirls
becausetheyfeelthey'retheoneswhorejectedtheminhighschool(Ep1.16:2716:31).
Mirandaisalotmorecautiouswithwhoshedatesandhasrelationswith.WhenshemetSkipper,
shedidntwanthimuntilhemadeamoveandshowedherthathecantakechargeandbe
masculine.WhenSkipperputhishandonherthighsheaskedhimtoremoveit.Mirandadoesnt
usehersexualitylikeCarrieandSamanthado.Shesalotmorediscrete.TedBakeristheman
thatMirandametinboxingclassaftersheaccidentallypunchedhimintheface.Shewasalot
moreattractedtoTed.IntherelationshipMirandahaswithSkipper,shewasdominant,however,
Tedmaybemoredominantintheirrelationship.WhenMirandadidntwanttobebotheredwith
Skipper,sheavoidedhim.ShedidntavoidTedyetbecausesheseesthatheismoremasculine.
Last,butnotleastCharlotteisthemosttraditional.Shebelievesinloveanddating.She
doesntsupportcasualsex,eventhoughshehookedupwiththeHasidicfolkartist.Charlotteis
notascomfortablewithsexuality.Shewashesitanttobeamodelfortheartshowoffemale
genetalia.Sheisconservativeandoldfashionedwhenitcomestosex.Althoughsheclearlyhad


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agreattiewithCapoteDunkin,shewasntwillingtosleepwithhimonthefirstnight.She
wasntcomfortablewithtakingtheirrelationshiptothenextlevelsosoon.MirandaorCarrie
wouldhavemostlikelyhadsexwithCapote.CharlottetoldSamanthaImnotbuyingthat
womenhavingsexlikemencrap(Ep1.15:3015:32).Clearlywhenitcomestosexuality,
Charlottebelievesitisdifferentformenandwomenandthatitwillstaythatway.Shebelieves
intraditionalromance,wherefeelingsdevelopbeforeasexualrelationship,notafter.Miranda
canhavesexwithaguyandnotthinktwiceaboutit,butCharlottedevelopsfeelingsaftersex
anddoesntwanttoforgetaboutthosefeelingsinexchangeformeaninglesssex.
SexAndTheCityhighlightssomeimportantaspectsofmodernromance.Theonly
successfulrelationshipthatIseenwasbetweenCarrieandBig.Whatmadetheirrelationship
successfulwasthefactthattheybothwantedthesamething,whichwastobetogether.Bigjust
didntwantsexfromCarrieandCarriejustdidntwantBigforthesex,theybothwanttoexplore
somethingmoreintimatewitheachother.OneoftheBigIdeashighlightedinSexAndTheCity
isthefactthatmenandwomencanenjoytheirsexuality.Womenareusuallyfrowneduponfor
havingmultipleaffairslikemendoandexploringthemselvessexually.Everyoneissearchingfor
thatonepersontofallinlovewithandmarry,butthisshowtellswomentogooutandexplore.
Thekeytomakingmodernrelationshipslastistobeequallyinvolvedintherelationship.Of
course,themanismasculinebecausemenarenaturallythatway,however,thereshouldbean
equalbalanceofpower.Menandwomenshouldntusetheirsexualitytogettheupperhand.