I am such a HUGE Sex and the City Fan. I have no idea why. I know there are many, many financial discrepancies in the show, but I still love it. I can’t wait for the movie to come out. So what’s real about it and what’s not?
Reality is that Carrie the main character loves to buy shoes and clothes. She spends her entire income on Manolo Blahniks. In one episode Miranda tells her if she didn’t have 100 pairs of shoes, then she’d have her $40k downpayment for her apartment going co-op. She breaksdown and realizes she has wasted all this money on shoes, with no where to live.
Yes that is an absolute reality that at 35 she has no savings. I know there are MANY people like Carrie, so it’s a reality. The fiction is having a friend able to loan you the $40k downpayment, which Charlotte does by giving Carrie her “old” engagement ring. We never find out if Carrie pays Charlotte back. But I think she does.
Another time, when Steve and Miranda are expecting a child, Steve feels slightly despairing over “going into debt opening my bar and we’re having a kid.” Wow, a person admitting that having kids are expensive. They revisit the issue seasons later when Steve talks about them not being able to live in Manhattan anymore because they need a larger home with their child and so they need to see this house in Brooklyn. And Miranda says she’s not a “tunneler”, but decides she’s gotta do what’s best for her family even if it’s not fun. I guess growing up is never fun.
Reality is that not many people can have the lifestyle they want, and most have to make sacrifices along the way. Miranda and Steve become suburbanites because they can’t really afford the city! Fiction is being able to afford anything in Manhattan like Miranda did in the first place (but she was a partner in a law firm so maybe).
Or Charlotte getting a prenup with her first marriage and then still fighting over an apartment in her divorce. The reality is that divorce is never easy and even with a prenup there can be issues. The reality is 50% of couple divorce. So there is often a lot of splitting of assets, and prenups should probably be standard for anyone over 30. But the problem is the even with a prenup you could end up in a major divorce battle. So the fictional part of SATC, is that you get a penthouse apartment from a marriage. Reality is you will fight even with a prenup!
Sure SATC is not complete financial reality. But there are a lot of underlying financial themes. I especially enjoyed how each character developed emotionally and matured and moved to different places. I loved Charlotte becoming a housewife. And Miranda a working mom. Within the four characters there was a lot of evolution of where their lives lead them.
And I feel like this movie might answer a few unanswered questions. Sure it’s not Alice in Wonderland story, but it sure is fun to watch.
11 responses so far ↓
2 boomie // May 25, 2008 at 9:38 pm
I’m seeing the movie next week. But I will be curious. In this day and age of a faltering economy, I wonder what will the impact of all those designer clothes that the SITC women are wearing will be on all of us now? My daughters used to go out and buy $500 shoes, just like Carrie, but use a charge card, as did most of their friends. Those days are over for them. You’d have to be insane to go out and spend like that now.
So, I am curious to see what is going to happen. (as for my girls, they were young and impressionable then. Much smarter now!)
3 devil // May 25, 2008 at 10:34 pm
I, too, wonder how audiences will respond to a group of nipped, tucked and botoxed women flouncing around in expensive designer clothes right now. Sounds like bad timing for this movie, so we’ll see.
When Otto Preminger’s classic, Laura, came out in 1944, a segment that featured the main character flaunting very expensive clothing was deleted. Such showiness was considered bad taste during wartime (and rationing).
4 Meg // May 26, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Interesting, I hadn’t considered people having a bad reaction to the flagrant materialism in the movie; that’s what everyone has always loved about the show, after all, and I don’t see any reason that’ll change now. (And people CAN still charge $500 shoes. At least here in Dallas that trend doesn’t seem to be subsiding).
In fact it’s kind of unnerving. The show/movie seems to be following the typical a-feminist “one day your prince will come and you’ll be able to afford anything you want!” plot-line. Gag me.
What’s realistic is that Carrie finally meets someone and falls in love. What’s unrealistic is that he’s a “Mr. Big” who will buy her a nice penthouse apartment and build her a shiny new closet!
5 boomie // May 26, 2008 at 6:38 pm
From what I gathered regarding the movie: it does NOT have a fairy tale ending. Carrie still hadn’t been able to buy her own home because of those $500 shoes and her inability to save. Not all of us have a friend who retained an engagement diamond ring (the law states it is a gift and must be returned if the marriage doesn’t go through).
There are many women in America (one of my daughters included) who believed the hype of SITC and tried to emulate the show by buying and charging all the stylish junk. (I call it junk)
In this economy, anyone who goes out and buys the stuff is unrealistic.
But, I guess we have to wait and see and actually watch the movie.
6 Future Millionaire // May 26, 2008 at 9:18 pm
I’m a fan and I’m planning to see the movie no matter the finances or over priced stylish clothes. Its entertainment. I am however, glad that the show had the episode about Carrie not having any money because it might have helped these daughters that the commenters have see that most people can’t afford to live those kind of life styles.
7 fancastgal // May 27, 2008 at 3:36 am
I’m so excited by Sex and the City the movie! Here’s an interview with Sarah Jessica Parker:
http://bigpicture.fancast.com/2008/05/news_sarah_speaks_on_sex_and_t.html
8 LivingAlmostLarge // May 27, 2008 at 7:24 pm
I think that the film is about fun. I never believed it was reality because honestly who can afford that lifestyle? I never could, still can’t, and would love to! But reality?
I gotta believe however there are women who can afford that lifestyle, especially those who live in Manhattan. Truth is probably there are people who rake in $250k+/year in their 20s and can afford to eat out, $500 shoes, purses, etc. NOT Carrie, but she started to make real money from her book.
11 Dollface // Nov 9, 2008 at 9:46 pm
I loved the television series, and even though the financial situations were ridiculous, it was fun to watch.
That being said, I thought the movie took Carrie’s consumerism to a whole new level. Labels were everywhere and there was a friggin’ advertisement in the middle of the movie when Carrie tries on a bunch of dresses and reverentially murmurs each designer’s name. I love that Carrie has the craziest outfits, but come on.
Great post.
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