Urban Myths in "Sex and the City"

In this blog I am going to apply the situation of discourse to an episode of "Sex and the City" that discusses urban myths, and the fact that we have made up modern-day urban relationship myths just so we can bring ourselves to date. Let me explain. Our four friends in the show broach the subject on fictional fairy tale stories that have been concocted by women. These tales are about men who have kept their promises to women, and have become the true, dependable hero and life long provider that we all hope for but can never quite seem to attain. It provides the hope that there is that one perfect man and great relationship just around the corner. Carrie then asks the sad question "Do modern-day singles need modern day myths just so they can date?"
The implied author in this case is someone who understands the frustrations of women in their need to find men they can trust. Apparently there seems to be a shortage. Also, maybe the author has been, or has friends that have been burned by men's unfulfilled promises and lies. In discussing the idea of myths to keep hope alive, the author implies that even though we live in a modern world, we are not unlike the ancient Greeks or other peoples, who also used myths to help explain their sometimes unhappy lives. The authors names in this case are Patrick King and Cindy Chupack. I think the ethos of the authors is believable. These writers write from personal and researched knowledge and experience, while at the same time built credible reputations as TV producers.
The target or implied audience is women, and maybe more specifically single, dating women. From the show it is obvious that this debate is about women's perceptions of men. These stories or myths are supposedly made up by women in an effort to stay positive in today's world of dating. The goal of the creators is to show women the lengths to which they can go to believe in that happy ending, and to decide whether or not they feel they need to believe these kinds of stories anyway, in order to lead a normal, happy, optimistic life. As a female audience member I can understand why these stories are prevalent, and I think they are good for some women to believe in. I include myself as the implied audience (even though I have been out of the dating scene for some time), because I am a woman and if nothing else I can empathise with the trials and tribulations that women face in today's dating games.
The message of this text uses specific language that women of today can understand and relate to. For example one of the myths told in this episode involves a man who tells his lover he will leave his wife for her. He actually gets a divorce, marries his lover, they have two kids together, and they all live happily together in the quiet suburbs. The reality of divorce and adultery in today's lifestyle is commonplace, so the use of this kind of language to tell a story is normal in our modern environment. The emotional and logical appeals of this episode are evident in the subject matter of women wanting more out of their relationships with men, and the fact that it seems logical to make up fairytale myths in order to keep the faith.
The script presumes that women want to, or even need to believe in these types of stories in order to be happy or fulfilled. This may lead one to think maybe women are perceived as somewhat weak? Of course not all women need to or want to believe in these tales. The occasion of this particular work is probably to identify with a current audience who it believes experiences and questions these events acknowledged. TV shows in general provide entertainment and information, which in turn may lead to reflection and thought on the part of the audience. Thus, we can presume that the audience itself can potentially benefit from any certain exposure to the TV. Of course what we see all goes back to the motives of the many producers and writers etc., who hopefully most of the time recognise topics as stuff that we want to know about.

In my last post I made a few comments that I would like to explain further. I mentioned how the shows target audience is women. How could it not be women? The show is based on the points of view of four friends who interact on a regular bases and discuss their trials and tribulations, which for the most part happen to revolve around men. A website I found, www.hbo.com/city/cast/crew/amy_harris.shtml, interviewed one of the producers, a female. She writes these episodes from her own personal experiences as a woman, whether that story line comes from a fabulous date or a bad break up she has had! I also read many reviews about the show online, one website being, www.mouthshut.com/review/sex_and_the_city.html. It is clear from this that the majority of viewers are women, who say they can identify themselves with the different characters and situations on the show.
To state that women are the primary intended audience, is not to say that they are the only audience. Of course it is appealing to some men, whether they are straight or gay. Some of my fellow classmates have stated that they have male friends and even a dad who watches the show, albeit for different reasons! I don't believe some men can't or don't enjoy the show, after all it is entertaining. Carrie's gay friend Bradford who features in the show fairly regularly, probably attracts gay men who are interested in how the show portrays the sagas of gay dating in the modern era. Mr Big's character, who is greatly afraid of commitment, may draw in guys who can relate to that mentality! Some men may even want to gain some insight into how women think about and perceive men so they(the men) can relate better to women. The show also incorporates the latest "in" and "hip" real live places to hang out in New York City, and the general lifestyle of a fast paced city that can appeal to either sex.
No matter who you are, if you watch and enjoy the show, I believe that you can take something from it, whether it pertains to your own real life experiences or those of someone you know. Personally, it makes me think about things in my life that I can relate to on the show and even learn from. It is unhinged and does not hold back on any aspect of love, which I think is in sync with the crazy fast paced world we live in today. I think it is great to throw these issues out there, so people can derive their own conclusions as to what it all means. I could be writing for days if I were to go through all the topics, problems, and confusions addressed from the four women's different standpoints on the show. My main point is that for many of us (mainly women), whether you identify with Charlotte, Carrie, Samantha, Miranda or even Mr. Big, they can help answer a lot of questions that we face in today's world of love and courtship.

Sex and the City

I watched "Sex and the City" the other night, and must admit that I am a fan of the show. Sorry Dale! For some reason I can relate to, or at least empathize with many of the topics and issues the girls deal with. I don't know of any show on TV that always gives a real portrayal of love anyway, but I like what this show has to offer up. One aspect I do find a little over the top is how Samantha (the sex fiend) manages to find sex whenever and wherever she wants! Aside from that, on each episode Carrie raises a question on a particular subject related to love and relationships. These questions stem from the different situations the girls find themselves in, and ultimately are a reflection of how women look at the world and more precisely their relationships with men. Don't forget this show is geared toward women, the target audience is women, so understandably men are not going to be very interested in it.

This particular show dealt with the idea of romance and how women perceive it in today's world. In this particular episode Carrie is dating a Russian composer who among other mushy gestures, writes her a song and serenades her with it. Not used to this situation, Carrie finds it a little corny and feels slightly uncomfortable. Afterwards as she discusses it with her friends (three other thirty something independent women) they come to the conclusion that maybe romance is lost to women nowadays. It's not that they don't want romance, it's that they (we) don't know how to deal with it because it is something that belongs in another time, something from a faraway past that we have only read about. Speaking of which, this relates to my recent reading of De Rougemont. In his writing about courtly love he mentions how in the twelfth century troubadour's poetry, women were idealized and almost spiritualized by men and their effort to get to the next world. It's in a different realm but the main point is that women were put on pedestals and treated royally.

In today's world we are programmed in a certain way, and romance is not part of our DNA make up. From my own personal standpoint I can relate with Carrie in the sense that I don't care much for lovey dovey behavior. I'm not saying I'm a cold hearted person, in fact I am in a happy, long term relationship but in all honesty I don't think I would be completely impressed or blown away with a totally romantic partner. I guess my point here is that I can relate to the many issues that are brought up on this show. It motivates me and I am sure other women, to think about lots of interesting things from a female standpoint. The fundamental differences between how men and women think and act is the basis behind how they interact, and that in turn relates to love and courtship. This show inspires women to think about the questions raised, relate them to their own lives, and hopefully help give meaning and answers to certain aspects of it.