Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Sex and the City: Why you shouldn't be ashamed to call yourself a "Samantha"



Remember this Photoshop disaster??


Sex and the City might have ended in 2004, but it still impacts women in their early 20s today. Blame it on the Style Network, or blame it on the movies. Alas, I am not complaining, I often use the show to slide into a coma each night. Why? The show is well written, and the characters are pretty well developed (for the most part). Sex and the City is also a great break from the mind numbing reality trash television that I find myself obsessing over everyday. Which brings me to my first point: If you are a woman between the ages of 20-50, you have surely been asked this common question:

"What Sex and the City character do you identify with?"

Most women are going to say they identify with Carrie, which I will later prove is a way of selling themselves short. Some women will say Miranda, because they are b%tches of sorts. And of course, the most annoying "friend" in your group will say that she is a Charlotte. In my opinion Charlotte is the "Karen" of any group of girls. Confused? Please view the following..


I hate to break it to you, but if you consider yourself a "Charlotte," you are a "Karen," and NOBODY wants to be a "Karen." 


Which brings me to my main point ... How many women say that they identify with Samantha? Have you ever heard a women say "I am a 'Samantha'?" No! Why? That is a good question. Samantha is sexually confident and independent. She often refers to herself as a "try-sexual," meaning, she will try anything once. Most women see this strength as being a "slut" or a "hussy." However, she is doing no more than a man would in the same position of both financial and social power. In reality, Samantha  is a independent businesswoman with a career in public relations. She is EVERYTHING a woman should strive to be, which is confident, strong, and outspoken. Why wouldn't a woman want to identify with a character such as Samantha?


"I'm gonna splash some water on my face, and then I'm going home. And I will not be judged by you or society. I will wear whatever, and blow whomever I want, as long as I can breathe and kneel."- Samantha Jones 


As I previously stated, I believe most women do not say they identify with Samantha because they think she is amoral. This conclusion tells allot about how women view EACH other in society. When women judge each other, if they have knowledge of a woman's sexual behavior and it is deemed to be promiscuous or deviant, all accomplishments live in the shadow of  said "sluttery." Tell me, do guys not want to be like their successful friends who get laid all the time? I would even go as far as saying that most guys would love to be the male version of Samantha!

If you ask me, there are plenty of worse people that you could identify with. Take for instance, Carrie. Yes, she has great clothing (sometimes) and seems to be down-to-Earth. But honestly, it is obvious that this girl is f^cked up in the head. She wouldn't know a good man if she walked right into him. And God forbid if she has to live life without a man, or a cigarette for that matter. What is her claim to greatness, you ask? Carrie writes the column Sex and the City, and dates a string of well-to-do bachelors who help keep her in the lifestyle that she is accustomed to living, but can't afford (well, she can't afford it for the majority of the series, anyway). Let's all stand up and give Carrie a slow clap, shall we?


"Last night, I could not stop thinking about a Big Mac. I finally had to get dressed and go out, and pick up a guy."- Samantha Jones


So,  if being a "Samantha," is unacceptable to the general population of WOMEN, then doesn't that mean that we are simply holding each other back from greatness and true equality with men? Don't you want your female friends to be strong, independent, successful and fearless? Better yet, don't YOU want to be a strong, independent, successful and fearless woman? As long as you're not sleeping with your best friend's boyfriend/husband, why is it bad to be like Samantha? In the end, not only do I encourage women to stand up and say they are a "Samantha," I encourage all women to strive to be more like her!

1 comment:

Meredith said...

Loved this post! I have a friend who answers the question in terms of percentages because she thinks that most normal women are a combination of the characters. I agree. I'd say I'm probably 65 percent Miranda, 15 percent each Carrie and Samantha and 5 percent Charlotte (which accounts for my clothing preferences).
I'm mostly Miranda because I've made my peace with my bitchiness. :)