Few television shows have etched themselves into the collective consciousness as deeply as Sex and the City. Premiering in 1998, the series which explores the lives of four women navigating their careers, relationships, and identities in Manhattan was something entirely new, giving voice to experiences that had often been relegated to the margins. Fast forward to today, and the show continues to hold a special place in popular culture. 

As a Gen Z woman, I exist in a world where social media is a cultural playground, a place where past pop culture icons are continually rediscovered and reimagined. And amidst this constant swirl of digital content, Sex and the City has emerged not just as a relic of the past but as a vibrant, ongoing conversation. My first encounter with it came not through TV, but through the internet — memes, Twitter threads, TikToks dissecting Carrie Bradshaw’s questionable life and relationship choices.

24 years ago, Natasha found out Carrie was having an affair with Mr. Big in 'Sex and the City' pic.twitter.com/63Ta015DMk

— popculture (@notgwendalupe) August 21, 2024

Just like me, this is how many in my generation came to know Sex and the City: through the lens of social media, where the show’s legacy continues to be dissected, debated, and, most importantly, adored. And what most of us have found is that the show that, despite some aspects of it feeling dated, speaks to the ongoing struggle for self-definition and the complexities of modern relationships.

 

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At its core, Sex and the City was always more than a film about women and dating. It was a narrative of change — personal, social, and cultural. When the show first aired, it captured the essence of a transitional moment in American culture, where the roles of women in society were rapidly evolving. The four protagonists — Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbes, Charlotte York, and Samantha Jones — represented distinct facets of this evolution. They were empowered, flawed, and complex women living in a city that was itself a symbol of ambition and freedom. But even more, they symbolize different facets of womanhood. The show portrays their struggles, triumphs, and everything in between, making their stories relatable across generations.

At a time when television often relegated female characters to the sidelines of male-driven narratives, SATC flipped the script. The show dared to present women not as secondary characters in someone else’s story but as the protagonists of their own lives. Prior to SATC, the portrayal of single women in their 30s was often limited to tragic figures obsessed with finding love, lest they be relegated to the sidelines of life. However, it portrayed a different narrative, one in which women could be successful, fulfilled, and complete without centering their lives around men. 

The show was rather revolutionary in its depiction of female friendships as a central pillar of a woman’s life. The friendships between Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte were the show’s true love story. These relationships were complex, supportive, and, at times, fraught with tension, much like real-life friendships.

Despite the late ’90s setting, the men of Sex and the City aren’t all that different from the men of today, especially in how they navigate relationships, commitment, and personal growth — or the lack thereof. In the series, Carrie’s primary love interest, Mr. Big, epitomizes the quintessential emotionally unavailable man. He’s charming, successful, and enigmatic, but he consistently struggles with commitment. Big’s indecisiveness and reluctance to fully invest in his relationship with Carrie is a dynamic that many women still recognize in their dating lives today. His pattern of hot-and-cold behavior — where he pulls Carrie in only to push her away — remains a familiar trope in contemporary relationships and “situationships”.

Similarly, other male characters on the show, like Steve Brady and Aidan Shaw, reflect the complexities of modern masculinity. Steve, Miranda’s love interest, embodies a different kind of challenge. He’s kind, genuine, and eventually becomes a stable partner, but his initial immaturity and reluctance to meet Miranda at her level professionally and emotionally speak to a common frustration women face with men who are still “figuring it out.” Aidan, on the other hand, is presented as the seemingly perfect guy —loyal, supportive, and ready for commitment. Yet, his need for things to be a certain way and his struggle to understand Carrie’s complexity highlight how even well-intentioned men can fail to fully comprehend or accept the multifaceted lives of women.

Sex and the City has had a lasting impact on the entertainment industry. It paved the way for future shows that centered on the lives and experiences of women, proving that stories about women could be commercially successful and critically acclaimed. From Girls to Broad City to Insecure, the influence of Sex and the City can be seen in the numerous shows that followed in its footsteps. Watching it now, it’s impossible to ignore its racist undertones, lack of diversity and some of the more outdated views on relationships and gender roles. But even these flaws have become part of the conversation. Social media has allowed fans to critique the show in a way that’s both respectful of its legacy and critical of its shortcomings. We can love Sex and the City while also recognizing that it was a product of its time, and that there’s room for growth in how we tell stories about women today.