If you want one of the best contemporary examples of art influencing life, look no further than “Sex and the City,” the hit TV show that appealed FAR more to women than to men.  Obviously.

When I first moved to NYC several years ago as a freshman at NYU, I was familiar with the show and its popularity, but I didn’t realize that an overwhelming majority of women who had also recently begun their City lives actually wanted to be like these women.  Cosmos and lunch dates and, oh yes, lots of sex and lots of city.  The fact that Chris Noth (the famed Mr. Big) regularly patrolled the streets near NYU didn’t help the phenomenon.

I did some informal research and watched the show.  Strictly for research.  Not only was I bored, but I didn’t understand why any 18 or 19 year old would want to be like these women.  They weren’t able to maintain any realistic romantic relationships, they were self-absorbed and superficial, and their group friendship often consisted of meeting for lunch and talking about how they treated humans like toys.

Maybe my criticisms come from the fact that I’m a guy.  But by jumping around from relationship to relationship like the characters in the show, the wealth of choice—especially in New York—only devalues the experience of connecting with another person.  Yet the lifestyle of choice is so appealing and empowering that it drove a TV show that influenced an entire generation of women.

Alright, I admit, I’m just bitterly jealous of Carrie’s shoe collection.

Share this Post!