May 15, 2008

I suppose I'll chime in on this too...


For a period of time stretching from around 1999 - 2003, Sex & the City was my favorite. TV show. Of all time.

My mom was concerned about the "pretty racy stuff in there," and none of my friends watched it at the time when I started, in 11th grade. I introduced my friends to it, having Sunday night Italian-ice-and-S&TC gatherings in my parents' den. I remember being shocked that the ladies were in their 30s (not 20s), and being envious of their obviously exaggerated but still exciting lives: bedding minor celebrities, buying $400 shoes at the drop of a hat, and all while holding jobs that were fabulous, lucrative and not life-consuming.

I also still feel the permanent effect of the characters' sexual... um, freedom... that we saw on the show. The idea of 30-something women bucking the idea of the "slut" while still getting it on whenever they wanted was mind-boggling. Not for me, but certainly affected the much of the female population.

Anyway, I took this Sunday night addiction to college, where my DVDs held me over until the new seasons began, and I ate up all the stories. I loved the character development and for a long time put up with the prattling narrative, because the stories were engrossing enough to enable me to tune it out.

But as I got older, a tad wiser, and watched every episode a few too many times, I began to tire of Sex. Or, rather, I tired of SJP. Carrie Bradshaw... how many 28-minute episodes can I sit through in which you hog camera time, breathlessly gawk at Manolos, make lame attempts at self-deprecation with bad puns and speak - with - too many - dramatic - pauses? I still loved Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte, but both the concentration on and growing intensity of Carrie and her neuroses began to drive me away.

Admittedly, I was bummed when the show finally ended, but I had had my fill. The rumors of a movie never got me all hot-n-bothered, and I'm still not sure how I will feel about it. The trailer seems somewhat predictable, including what I hope are the left-side-of-the-funny-bell-curve jokes. I have read so many spoilers I have no idea what will happen. And the fashion looks delightfully over-the-top, which is a good thing.

Here are some of my predictions for the film, coming out May 30:
  • Carrie will continue to grate on my nerves; double the effect if narrative is included
  • Charlotte will continue to be the cutest pregnant gal in the room
  • Samantha's character will be well-acted but over-written but hopefully will make for lots of Smith camera time
  • Making Mr. Big a real person (John James Preston?) will seem surreal and he will do something to remind us all who Big is.
  • Miranda will be the refreshing rock of stability and the voice of reason, with a goofy Steve tagging along who you'd never date but can't help but "aww" at.
Here's what my girlfriends and I will do for the big opening night in 2 weeks:
  • Go out for sushi
  • Wear cute outfits
  • Buy tickets ahead of time
  • Go out for drinks after
Here's what I will emphatically NOT do:
  • Cry
  • Over dress
  • Expect normalcy from Carrie
  • Drink a Cosmopolitan.
Are you going to see this film? Are you a new fan, old-school devotee or hater? Don't you agree that you love the show but Carrie is off the preverbial rocker?

Cheers, with a Jack-n-Coke or equally non-S&TC drink,
Hayley

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