In 2016, my mom and I headed to the Bloomingdales in our hometown mall to catch a glimpse of Sarah Jessica Parker signing shoes from her brand SJP. At that time, I only knew her from the semi-forgettable, yet iconic rom coms she’d starred in (“Failure to Launch” is a classic in my house). After peering at SJP for a while and taking videos for my Snapchat, we left.
When I got home, I immediately searched for a way to watch “Sex and the City,” her late 90s early 2000s hit HBO series.
Upon my first watch of the show, all I wanted to do was live in the West Village with my friends, buy expensive shoes and write columns. Yes, these aspirations have changed, but whenever I put on an episode of “Sex and the City,” I’m transported right back to that feeling.
Netflix has a way of reviving older shows for new audiences. We saw it with the resurgence of Suits in 2023. Gen-Z was the driving force behind the rewatch, finding love for the 2010s show. This April, “Sex and the City” made its debut on the streaming service Netflix, and it was no exception to this trend.
The show’s newfound popularity surprised me, given its multitude of problematic moments. There is an astounding lack of diversity, stereotypical portrayals of the LGBTQ+ community and a cameo from Donald Trump. Despite these flaws, “Sex and the City” has become the show of 2024.
When “Sex and the City” creator Candace Bushnell was asked about Gen Z’s love of the show, she said, “Young people still relate. I have so many young people who come up to me and just say they love the show, and they’re in a lot of the same situations”.
“Sex and the City” still resonates with audiences because every character has their own unique strengths and flaws.
“Sex and the City” follows four women in their 30s and 40s navigating dating in New York City. College-aged viewers see themselves in the four main characters and take a breath. Many of us have faced the ups and downs of a situationship (hopefully none of you encounter someone like Mr. Big). We’ve been ghosted (maybe not with a post-it note, but it’s never fun).There is comfort in knowing that there is time to grow in the years ahead of us. The women of “Sex and the City” give us a glimpse into life beyond college.
Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, is a character many viewers relate to. I was even awarded the “Carrie Bradshaw” of the IDS Arts Desk in an end-of-year superlative. I couldn’t help but wonder, is it my writing or am I a toxic girl? I’m hoping it was just for my columns — because Carrie can be a mess. From ditching her friends to meet up with her very toxic situationship, Mr. Big, to freaking out over her boyfriend’s bisexuality, Carrie’s behavior hasn’t aged well.
This is where Gen Z viewers differ from the original audience. When I talked to my mom about the show, she said everyone was rooting for Carrie and Mr. Big to end up together. But when I watch with my friends, we boo whenever they reunite.
Even Rap icon Megan Thee Stallion dedicated part of her interview with Jimmy Fallon Oct. 23 to the show after watching it for the first time. When Fallon showed her a picture of the character Samantha played by Kim Cattrall, she exclaimed, "Is this not a picture of me? She is me, I’m her."
On Carrie she said, “She’s always attractive, doing these sicko things. She’s nuts.” She followed this up with, “I see a lot of myself in this character.”
Megan’s reflection is what is so compelling about the show -– it reflects our own messy sides, the parts of ourselves that we might cringe at, but continue to accept.
For 2024’s viewers, “Sex and the City” is an escapist, yet honest watch. Samantha, Miranda, Charlotte and Carrie stumble through relationships, have their own insecurities, and make sometimes awful choices. By the end of the episode, they get up, brush themselves off, and keep going, just like us.
