Men, Sex and the City

The other night, a group of my guy and girl friends were sitting around watching “The Office,” all enjoying it. But immediately after the show ended, one of my personal favorite shows came on — “Sex and the City.” As I squealed in girly delight, the men around me grunted, stood up and went into my roommate’s bedroom to play video games. It was as if “Sex and the City” had become the new boy repellent. Their disgusted reaction would lead you to think I had just put on “Must Love Dogs” and asked us to sit around painting nails, wearing oatmeal masks and playing Truth or Dare. I couldn’t help but wonder ... what makes a show strictly for girls and other shows acceptable for all?\n“Sex and the City” is associated with femininity in that the main character Carrie has an addiction to shoes and fashion, and these all connect to appearance (which is associated with the feminine). Furthermore, the show is as much about sex as it is about relationships, and relationships often deal with emotions as opposed to a stereotypical masculine quality like stoicism, and that feminizes the show as well. And perhaps most obviously, the main characters are four women. There have been many television shows that have featured only male or female characters, but that doesn’t mean that both are seen equally in society. Just think of the connotations of a “chick flick” versus a “guy’s film.” Chick flicks are thought of as sappy and romantic. They aren’t held in very high regard. A guy’s film would typically be thought of as an action film, with gory scenes, power struggles, war, etc. Whereas the chick flicks are brushed off, a guy’s film is associated with qualities of power and takes on an active role. But there is a certain sense of mobility within femininity in that girls can enjoy “Die Hard” freely and openly, whereas heterosexual men who love “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” might find themselves in an embarrassing situation. \nI asked a male friend of mine why he thought guys didn’t like “Sex and the City.” His response was, “It’s like the most boring, softest-core porn ever. It shows all the dumb things surrounding sex that most men find tiring or annoying.” While I’m not saying that everyone has to like the show, I am arguing that it shouldn’t be disregarded simply because it’s associated with women. I would go so far as to say the show even empowers women.\n“Sex and the City” shows financially independent older women who are in no hurry to get married, as well as women who have a strong sexuality that doesn’t have to be exploited. Sometimes they want relationships, sometimes they just want sex, and I think that represents a very human quality which has often been misrepresented in terms of women in the media. It also features women who I happen to think are attractive, but seeing as Sarah Jessica Parker was selected by Maxim magazine as the Unsexiest Woman on the \nPlanet, perhaps it’s even breaking down gender stereotypes in that it features women as main characters who don’t have to be beautiful.