Sex and The City: Purely Editorial

I've been reading tons about the Sex and The City Movie for months - it's impossible to avoid. And there was the inevitable excitement, and the even more inevitable backlash, and then the parsing of every word and interview by cast and character alike, and now - the bitching. I've read things that have said the movie is racist. And antifeminist. Of course, none of that stopped me from seeing it last night. And that being said, I've got something to say as a Puerto Rican feminist.

Ask the monkey for more, and beware, there will be spoilers.


The movie was great. And it was great for the reasons the show was great - it only takes itself seriously about two things: fashion, and the relationships of these women. That's it. It's not trying to be any more or any less than a story about characters. It's not a 'film', it's a movie. And it succeeds on that standard beautifully. Go with your friends, eat popcorn, and laugh at the cheese and cry at the cheese and call it a night.

The calls of racism have mostly to do with a couple things: Charlotte refusing to drink the water in Mexico, Miranda judging a neighborhood by following a white man with a baby, and Jennifer Hudson's character of Louise being the 'magical negro' stereotype. Okay, deep breath. I'm not offended by any of this. And I'm touchy in real life, you can ask people.

This is why: It's perfectly in line with Charlotte's upper east side existence to be psycho about something like the water in Mexico. That's what the character is - needing to be in control. Notice her three friends just roll their eyes and ignore. Because the movie isn't advocating anything societal. There's no need for Carrie to sit down Charlotte and say "Honey, that's borderline racist." We're not stupid, we know it's ridic.

Same with Miranda. Has anything in her character ever suggested she'd feel comfortable living in an area where she couldn't read the signs on the stores? No. This is Miranda - the only place she's ever felt comfortable is her home, she wants her perfect area. Would I personally like that quality in one of my best friends? No, but it's certainly in MANY of my best friends. I'm a brown girl with a lot of white friends who would totally follow the white guy with the baby, and pray he was gay while they were doing it.

The character of Louise isn't offensive because she was the magical black friend - it was annoying because it wasn't necessary. Carrie really didn't need an assistant, but I'm happy that when they gave her one, it was at least a GOOD assistant (if not a good actress). The only purpose the character served was to reflect Carrie when she started out in her twenties, and if the writers chose to have a black woman be the "Carrie" of the new era, than I'm happy they did.

On to the women's issues. Having read multiple articles and blog postings about the objections to this movie, I still don't get it. Carrie is superficial. The women talk about their men constantly. They like shoes. Uh, yeah? So what? It's a mainstream movie about four women in their forties who with all their faults manage to stay true to each other. Please explain what other movie is going to do that. Please tell me ANY other film that is going to get a massive campaign and opening that revolves around grown up women.

Here's a tidbit: People are superficial. People talk about their love lives constantly. People love shoes. I can't personally afford to spend five hundred dollars on heels, but that's because I'm real and they're fictional. But I do have friends I would walk through fire for, that I would run to in their time of need, that would take care of me after heartbreak.

And that's why the movie was great. The movie was first and foremost, always about these four women who loved each other. And that's the reflection that women want to see of themselves on the screen - that as wonderful as romantic love is, you have the choice as you age to keep your best friends in your lives.

Big said to the girls "A guys just lucky to come in fourth". That's what Sex and The City is about.

The outfits are just window dressing.