An Analysis of HBOs Sex and the City :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

HBO's Sex and the City has become a cultural icon in its 6 seasons of running. Based on Candace Bushnell's racy book Sex and the City, the show exhibits an unprecedented example of the sexual prowess of women over the age of 35. The result is an immense viewing audience and an evolving view on the "old maid" stigma that a woman's chances of finding love are significantly reduced after thirty-five. In this paper, we will closely analyze the characters and themes of Sex and the City to explain the significance of what the show represents in American culture. Sex and the City is a show centered around four beautiful, successful women in their mid-to-late thirties. Although the show focuses on the "love lives" of the four women, the title has been dubbed "Sex and the City," and not "Love and the City." The question is, why? Well, it could be simply that sex does sell. Perhaps Candace Bushnell christened her book Sex and the City because it would attract more readers. However, while this may be a small, superficial factor in the reasoning behind the title, the content of the show suggests a deeper purpose behind the focus on sex. For the most part, the relationship between love and sex is dichotomized throughout the show. Although the characters end up married or in a monogamous relationship at the end of the series, the majority of the show is concentrated on the women's brief sexual encounters and the glorification of their trysts. Only once in awhile do the topics of love and sex come up simultaneously in the characters' post-sex brunch conversations. The show presents beautiful, successful women having sex and talking about sex like men. Meaning, their promiscuity is excused and their sexual vulgarity is quite often the comic relief in the show. This deflates somewhat the double standard that men can sleep around, but if women do, they are "dirty." Although each character has a different view on sex, they all share the mindset that casual sex is acceptable. The show never breaches this mindset, creating a world where promiscuity and sexually aggressive women are common, and sexy. Samantha Jones, played by Kim Cattrall, is a sexually dominant character who is afraid of commitment. The episode entitled "The Good Fight" ("The Good Fight" 1) features Samantha explaining to her friends that her current lover is just a "sex thing" and that her emotions are intact.