Have you ever watched that show on Netflix, The Movies That Made Us? I've watched a couple episodes and well.. these aren't the movies that made me. The most influential show that contributed to who I am is Sex and the City. And let's be honest, I was watching HBO much too young. My mom was pretty lenient and at the age of 14, I fell head over heels in love with Carrie, Manhattan and all things Sex and The City. Carrie had curly hair like me, she took fashion risks and I loved watching her try to figure it all out. What a character and what a cast, I think every woman saw a bit of themselves in this group.
I started to question exactly how much I had been influenced by this show over the years. I was already pretty passionate about fashion BSATC. I knew I wanted to live in a big city one day and I wanted to meet a great guy and have a family. In most areas of my life the show amplified interests that I already enjoyed. I think the negative influence occurred through the character Big. The way that the show created this larger than life being, this perfect, mysterious man that was never quite available or fully willing to commit created a brain fog. Their connection was undeniable and it became quite intriguing, even competitive watching Carrie go back and forth with him, hoping that she would one day win him over and all of her dreams would come true. From Carrie cheating on Aiden to Big marrying another woman, all while we knew that this was her guy, it was absolutely gut wrenching. It left an impression that women should continue to pursue men again and again.. who weren’t ready to commit, who weren't totally interested because in the end.. you get the guy you really want. Well I wish I had a movie like He's Just Not That Into You at a young age because it would have saved time and heartache over the years. But hey, we live and we learn! I figured it out and didn’t take any BS, it paid off and I’ve never been happier.
Spoiler alert... isn't it mind blowing that they would take Big away from Carrie in this new reboot? This person that she had spent so many years of her adult life loving, the man that she had pursued and forgiven again and again. They were finally together and in a blissful flow of contentment. And Just Like That (insert snap) he was taken away. He's gone, like really gone! It's a huge slap in the face to women that in the end, you may be all you have. But such is life..
Of course the positive influences of SATC heavily outweigh the negatives. To a young girl from a small town in Louisiana, it revealed that there was so much more out there. That I could create a path for myself that was different from what I saw day to day. It showed me that there was power in my sexuality and that a good group of friends can get you through anything. Like the many ups and downs, heartbreaks will come and go and what's most important in life is.. we can't just stay who we were, we must always be growing and evolving as women and as people. Always hoping for the best but prepared for the worst. So although our hearts are broken that SATC would take Big, we still have our girl and she is still something!
Yours truly,
Syn
