No 2!

"You know me I don't really believe in marriage, Now botox on the other hand works every time." [1] How are females represented in Sex and the City the movie, are these representations stereotypical and do they differ from the representations of women in the past.

For many years it could be argued that women are “symbolically annihilated [2]
through the media. Women are usually portrayed as week and powerless [3] . According to “Mulvey” [4]only their to satisfy the male gaze. However to a certain extent this theory is a controversial representation and is mainly linked to stereotypes, [5]which is a social classification of a group of people identifying common characteristics and identifying them in a often over simplified and generalised way.
Sex and the City the movie illustrates the basic outline of proving women’s independence. Women being the main protagonists [6] of the movie is evidence of women’s independence. Independence is also portrayed through the sexual freedom, sophistication and career focused of all the women acting as in the film. However this change created a moral panic to members of society though the media. The four main characters of the film Carrie Bradshaw being the main protagonist as she is the narrator of the film, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte . All the women are represented to have sexual freedom, be financially independent and have opportunities to rise in their occupations however in some aspects of the film the women are represented to be week and helpless and needs the man for protection and love which shows a week side to their in dependency.

Historically it is obvious that women did not have any specific or certain roles apart from being sex symbols for the male gaze [7]. Females were stereotypically represented to be, uneducated, man dependent having a sexual image for the male gaze[8]and being helpless. Vertigo (1958) is an example of women being week , helpless and man dependant [10]. However comparing this text to Sex and the City it differs in many ways. Similarly to Sex and the city the women in Vertigo are seen to be glamorous sophisticated and sexy. However in Vertigo Propane’s theory [11]comes in to place as the women being the princess needs to be rescued by her prince the male who is shown to be independent , soupier and strong. However it could be argued that as time goes on the position of the women is changing.

“Some like it hot”[12] (1959) staring Marilyn Monroe shows females in a different light. Females are represented to be more independent and being able to work and have a career however their was still a big element of the women needing a man to be in her life for support and comfort. Also due to Marilyn Monroe having all the requirements to be a “Femi fatal”[13] as she uses her seductive looks to manipulate the man into giving what the “Femi Fatal” wants. It could be argued however that the that certain character in behaving in that kind of way for the male gaze according to Mulvey.[14]



Through out Sex and the city movie Carrie Bradshaw forces the audience to identify with her as she is the main protagonist of the film, and the narrator [15]. The character of Carrie is shown as an image obsessed women who is constantly purchasing the latest designer labels in order to feel the self confidence she requires to succeed in her personal life, social life and her carer. According to Feminists[16] Carrie is presented in an extremely positive way, the fact that she has a career and is able to purchase anything she wants with out the help of a man shows a very independent side to her, However in some aspects this could be argued as the main reason why Carrie moved to New York is to find love therefore this could show that even though women are very independent financially and lead their own life there is still the certain link were women such as Carrie Bradshaw still need to find a man for love and support.

Furthermore In the film the main protagonist is a women who is played by Marilyn Munroe [17], which in them times could be seen as quite surprising as Sex and the City the movie has a main protagonist of a women however this is in the 21st century. Marilyn Munro is known to be a successful actor, who is idealised by many women due to her being a beautiful sexy individual that women aspire to be like. In the film she is dressed in reviling clothing , her voice could be described as seductive at all times throughout the film. The main protagonist of the film is seen to use her appearance and body to seduce the rich men for their money and her own pleasure, following Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze the film [18] could be said that it is mainly aimed at men however women who aspire the main protagonist could also be the main viewers. However it could be argued that the idea of the female gaze is coming in to practise around the 1960’s, which was discovered by Linda Williams [19] (1984). The audience views Monroe to be gazing at the men she is attracted to however films before the 1960’s did not include such a thing.[20]

Furthermore the idea of the female gaze is coming in to practise much more often in recent films. In Sex and the City the male is represented in a certain way that is not a stereotypical representation. Samantha was said to “ watch a more interesting show” which was seeing the man have sexual intercourse with a women. This could be seen as the male being the sex symbol for a change instead of the female. However in some certain aspects Mr Big takes on the traditional role of a man who is providing for the women and being their to support her in anyway he can.

Sex and the city could be compared to Kill Bill[21] as they are both modern texts however differ in many ways. Even though the texts are very modern the actress in Kill Bill is represented as a fighter acting all the roles of the strong stereotypical male.[22] However sex and the city girls are independent in certain aspects such as through their career and finance but they are always represented to be in need of the male, Carrie quotes “ women come to New York in search for labels and Love”[23] This connotes that women would go to extreme measures in order to find the certain individual that is right for them. On the other hand feminists[24] could argue that the female in Kill Bill is still listening the main man who is giving the orders “Bill” and following them which gives a anti- feminist representation[25].

Similarly to Kill Bill, the film “Mr and Mrs Smith”[26] has the same idea of the women taking on such a masculine role however due to the film being produced in 2006 it is more advanced than Kill Bill therefore the main two protagonists of the film one male and one female are fighting to try and kill one another even though they are married.[27] This shows the idea of as time moves forward women are being much more independent relaying on themselves and not needing the male figure at all.

Further more Sex and the city girls could also be compared to the girls from the James bond series “Bond Girls”[28]. Previously in James Bond movies the girls were placed in the film for the male “ eye candy”[29] as they did not have any purpose or took part in any main roles of the film apart from being their for the sexual pleasure of the male audience. However it could be argued that the role of the women over time is improving majorly especially in films such as James Bond[29]. In recent films now we see the women having status and actually has a specific purpose of being their not only for the male gaze[30].

However it could still be argued that even in this day and age women in other aspects of the media are still “symbolically annihilated [31]as they are still represented as sexual objects. An example of this is advertisements, nearly all advertisements have sexual connotations to them even though the advert itself does not relate to sexual acts in anyway. Usually the audience views a women holding a certain object which represents a “Falic Symbol[32]. The main purpose of this is for the audience to be attracted. to the product and then purchase the item that is being advertised. Furthermore certain stereotypes[33] of women still lives today in the media as the media emphasises the fact more. For example women with blond hair are stereotyped to be “airheads”[34] therefore the media will emphasise the label by making the women look exactly how she is stereotyped to be. However this could be extremely difficult to be removed from the media as they a known to be the “fundamental drive” [35]witch meets the main requirements for the audience.

Furthermore this could be argued as films such as “Legally Blonde”[36] are trying to break the stereotypes that blonde women are only their for the male gaze and to be symbolically annihilated. “Legally Blonde” could be seen as an inspirational text due to everyone doubting the main protagonist as she was judged by her stereotypical image. However instead of fulfilling the stereotype[37] she went against it and achieved her target of being a lawyer, proving that stereotypes are not necessarily true

It could be argued that due to the birth of the Contraceptive pill[38], women had much more grater power to take control over their bodies. Due to the contraceptive pill women could have sex freely without the risk of getting pregnant, also due to the contraceptive pill and also abortion clinics that came about In the 1960’s women do not have to have to have an unwanted baby as there are many alternatives. Sociologist “Sue Sharp” (19..)[39] conducted a research discussing the correspondence she found between the images of femininity portrayed in popular culture and the aspirations of the majority of girls were wanting to have many children, get married, settle down and get a office job. Sue Sharp then followed up her study 20 years later were she found a much more different attitude towards marriage as most of them said they would not like to get married early and have children the most important aspect they were focusing on is getting the best career they can do.

In Sex and the city the character known as Samantha is represented to having a very important sex life. “Samantha colours everyday every hour if she could do” this could be the cause of the contraceptive pill as women could be seen to taking advantage and therefore being extremely sexually promiscuous. Samantha quotes “ I met a guy with the funkiest taste in spunk”[40]. This shows that women in the 21st century could discuss anything like such a normal thing, without no rules against or laws saying it is wrong. However forty years ago this would not have been acceptable and women would have been servilely punished for their actions.


On the other hand Charlotte could be seen as a stereotypical housewife who enjoys to have children and also enjoys to look after her husband. Charlotte quotes “ Carrie I’m pregnant” with all excitement and joy showing she is not interested in the big carer and the sexual freedom but she is however interested in being a domestic house wife, it could also be said that Charlotte is taking on “The triple shift”[41]. therefore this links back to Sue [42] theory and even though this is the 21st century some females actually choose to live the traditional way instead of the modern, but with choice. It could be said that the “Pluralistic model is reflecting on society.[43] However due to always living in a male dominated society their will always be a certain kind of element throughout the media were women are represented as the week and helpless housewife/nurturer, and the male will be represented as the main strong superior Breadwinner who is also known to be “The head of the house.” [44]

Through Sex and the City it is obvious to say that society is not as much a patriarchal society as it once was[45]. Individuals from all ethnic backgrounds in society are slowly understanding and allowing the idea of women being successful and independent in their carers and general life. However this could also be seen as a problem to the male as he may face the idea of “the Masculinity crisis”[46] were he may feel that he is not worth much in society any more and always compete with a female in the work force which could be very challenging for the male.


According to Fluid's book “ Backlash The undeclared war against American Women, argued that that in the 1980’s [47] their was a backlash against feminism especially due to the spread of negative stereotypes against career- minded women[48]. However it could be said that Sex and the city contradicts this theory and rebels against it as they are still independent, career minded, inelegant, educated, and sexually free women.[49]

On the other hand “ David Gauntlet” “Media, Gender and Identity”[50] was published in 2002 and explains that differences between women today and women in the past. It is obvious that through society being a more open minded place there is many changes of the position of the women in society. Gantlet discussed gender in contemporty TV programmes, during the 1990’s and into the new century, gender roles on television became increasingly equal and non stereotyped within some limits however still the majority of lead characters were still mainly male. A key study of portrayal of women was shown during the 1990’s by “Elasamer, Hasegawa and Brian” [51] was not published until six years later. Through statistical evidence we can see that in prime TV shows men took the bigger percentage of 61% speaking and acting the main roles however women only had 37%. [52]

On the other hand during 1992 to 1993 another research was conducted finding that only 3% of women were still represented as housewives as their main occupation this was seen as a massive decrease since the 1970’s [53]

The women in sex and the city are represented as week even though they have a good working position in society such as being a very good lawyer such as Miranda, However she is represented as being quite desperate to find a husband. Women in sex and the city are also represented as promiscuous they are portrayed as not caring how they get their sex but as long as they get pleasure from it it is seen as normal.

A quote from “Feminism and film” on Gender in contempery movies states the following: Often and anxiously envisions women stereotypically as good mother and bad hysterical careerists. in the past and today, every Hollywood women is some else’s other[54]. This quote is suggesting that however much forward women move there is still a certain element of the being housewives in some respect.

“Charlie’s angles”[55] however staring , Diaz and Liu represent redhead, blond and brunet respectively are all representing them selves in a negative way by using their body's for things they are looking for. However they are also seen as role models through them being represented as Strong as a man and even stronger[56]. On the other hand the girls are known as “Charlie’s Angles” therefore this shows that they are listening to everything the male says and then follows it which could be argued that that patriarchy's still exists in society today.

Gunter (1995) [57]suggested that women are represented as being week, victimised and always shown to be in need of a man’s support and care. Linking this theory to Sex and the city there is still some elements that are true such as Miranda getting cheated on by her husband because of the lack of sex she gives him shows that women are providing this certain “free service”[58] that is not optional if they want to keep the man. This shows that in certain aspects men are still in control. However this could be argued as due to their being much less marriages because women want different things in life that they did not want in the last it could be said that women could leave their husband if they are not receiving what they need form their men and this also emphasises the “musicality crisis”[60] of the man worried he may not have a status in society because of women taking over.

Therefore after understanding and assessing the certain representations and stereotypes of “Sex and the City” it could be confidently said that women in pervious historical texts had very degrading, sexual and housewife roles overall very stereotypical roles . However due to having these roles previously it has sent a message that this can not go one in films and society anymore therefore the tables have turned for women as now they are represented to be sexually free, carer focused, not putting up with an abusive relationship and women are just as good as men are represented, females are now seen to be more than capable in representing themselves as strong, capable, and hardworking. The four main characters have a very positive representation showing that they have a much bigger status in society than they did previously encouraging more women to be like the Sex and the City girls.