What could Gen Z find so captivating about a 1998 sitcom about a middle-aged woman living in New York City? Sex and The City follows Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her three friends, Samantha Jones, Charlotte York, and Miranda Hobbes, as they navigate life, friendship, and, as the title would suggest, sex in the city.
My first encounter with Sex and The City was around five years old. My cousin had the box set on DVD, and I, who thought “sex” was a bad word, was not the target demographic for the show at the time. However, after hearing about it endlessly online and from friends, I finally gave the show a chance last year, and it quickly became one of my comfort shows. So, how did this show make its way to the forefront of Gen Z girl culture? Well, here are a few reasons why I think the show is doing so well.
we can all relate to one of the characters
Are you a hopeless romantic like Charlotte? A maneater like Samantha? Cynical like Miranda? Or a little delusional like Carrie? As some would say, if you think you’re a Samantha, you’re a Carrie, and if you think you’re a Carrie, well, you’re probably a Carrie. No matter which character you resonate most with, every girl can find parts of themselves in the women of Sex and The City. This makes the show feel that much more relatable, and debating which character is who is always a fun hangout topic with your girls!
it’s a perfect depiction of female friendship
As Carrie once said, “Sometimes it’s the family you’re born into, and sometimes it’s the one you make for yourself.” Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda are the original girl’s girls, and the heart of the show lies in their connection. The women were there for each other through everything, never letting jealousy, judgment, or men get in the way of their friendship. Something we don’t see much of these days is a focus on the power of female friendships, and Sex and The City is a refreshing example of this despite it being almost 30 years old.
It features Everyone’s favorite situationship
Another reason I think Sex and The City is so popular again is the situationship between Carrie and Mr. Big, which is, at times, hard to watch. From the beginning, it was clear Big didn’t want a relationship with Carrie, introducing her to others as a “friend,” only taking her on dates at the Chinese Restaurant across town where they wouldn’t be seen, and nonchalantly dropping he was moving to Paris with no regard for her. Despite the plentiful downs, it was the ups that kept Carrie (and us) holding on to hope for their relationship.
This part of the show also sparked a lot of online discourse. Some sided with Carrie, finding her relatable and a victim of yet another emotionally unavailable man. In contrast, others found her delusional and guilty of trying to force the relationship despite clear signs that Big didn’t want to be with her. Whichever side you agree with, this type of situationship is one we all know too well and helps explain the talk around the show recently.
Sex and The City is helping yet another generation of women navigate womanhood. It’s timeless, chic, relatable, and, in my opinion, deserves all the hype it’s been getting. Have you watched Sex and The City yet?
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