Sex and the City Addiction – the cold, hard reality.

Let’s face facts, when watching Gok Wan’s Fashion Fix with a Pot Noodle is all you have in ways of a steaming hot style guide, Sex and the City can provide a heavenly escape. But it can go horribly wrong.

When you’ve ground down the entire box set and snorted it in one, as I have – until Carrie’s inane ramblings have become a running commentary in your now defunct brain – the cringe factors involved in the entire show become null and void. Four cliched examples of New York women are lunching, shopping and shagging, but you continue to bum it regardless. This, as well as understanding the following factors, make Sex and the City Addiction a scary thing to have.

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  •  Being at a certain point in the box set is a state of being.

Repeat –  ‘a state of being’.

The ‘state of being’ comes within ‘The Cycle’ – beginning at episode 1, Season 1: (‘Sex and the City’); right through to the last episode of Season 6: (‘An American Girl in Paris, Part Deux’); and finishing with the first film, Sex and the City: The Movie. You do NOT watch the second. Then after a brief sensation of superiority you begin again at Episode 1; thus continues the cyclic glory. You will be at some point within this cycle at all times, without needing a helmet nor an Ibuprofen. It’s a truly beautiful thing. 

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  • Recognition of the almighty acronym. 

Of course you know what SATC stands for, it even looks like a word to you. And you sometimes say, ‘I’m going to watch some Sat-kuh.’ Because that’s the only way you can pronounce it, and it makes you feel exclusive.

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  • You relate happenings in your own life to that of Miranda, Carrie, Samantha or Charlotte – even if you don’t want to. 

‘My boyfriend won’t commit but we belong together – what if he’s Big?!’ cries friend into her sodden sleeve, and you grip her shoulder in understanding. ‘I’m pregnant but I don’t know how to babyproof a toilet? I’m such a Miranda!’ says hypothetical up-the-duff friend, and you tilt your head in empathy.

Group hug everyone! Tonight, we’re eatin’ Shabbat.

And when your friend comes home with a bald, hairy-backed boyfriend and beams ‘I’m becoming a Jew!’ – well you just scrunch your nose with pleasure because your whole life has led up to this very moment. The truth is, anything from Sex and the City can relate to everything, whether you like it or not. Yes, from seducing the fattest guy at Weight Watchers using a Krispy Kreme, to taking the virginity of a fresher because he has the same name as you; it has most of your main life events covered. Ah, the image of young Corinne lounging in his Gryffindor boxers will never leave my mind.

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  • You recognize Samantha’s conquests in other, forgettable films and features. 

‘Oh look – he’s the guy with the funky tasting spunk.’(Shall We Dance). ‘Oh – he’s the guy whose penis was so big it was like a wall of flesh.’ (Phone Booth).

‘I’ve been thinking about you, and the work that you do – solving the psychotic mind games of Jigsaw. So I bought you canned goods – they’re the best.’..

‘Hello, priest that Samantha can’t ever bone’ (Saw V).  Unfortunately, as you’re nearly always watching these films with grandparents or other distant family members, yelling, “You tell ’em, Friar Fuck!’ would be inappropriate. But rest assured they were thinking it. Everyone was.

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  •  Huge chunks of script are embedded into your brain.

Let’s test this theory… just picking at random… the episode where Carrie goes to see Miranda after Aiden has picked her up off the bathroom floor.

Miranda- ‘This is bullshit.’
Carrie- ‘I know.’
‘Not that, you! You and your bullshit bagels! First you send your boyfriend to do your job, and now, the bullshit bagels! You didn’t even bring cream cheese!’
‘I bought the good bagels?’
‘If you fell, or something, there is no way I’d send my boyfriend to help you, and YES I KNOW, I don’t HAVE a boyfriend.’
‘What’s the problem, Aiden is better in a crisis than I am-‘
‘I was naked, Carrie! I was on my bathroom floor and I was naked, did he tell you that!’
‘No, he’s a gentleman. …. Alright, I’m sorry. I promise I won’t send my boyfriend to do my job again.’
 

Ok – that was just scary. Give or take a few errors, I think that was almost completely right. Learn from my dispicable life mistakes and burn your box set before you get to this point. Or consider it, that’s enough.

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  • You have considered going on Mastermind with Sex and the City as your specialist subject.

Q: How was Miranda dressed
when she saw Eric?
A: Mario

……

.…..So potent are the intricacies of your knowledge. You know that the turquoise Jimmy Choos that Scout chewed up were circa 1996, and that Miranda’s first boyfriend, never featured, was called Eric. Oh, also, Carrie wore a BELT around her bare stomach once – as an everyday outfit. That’s enough to make you want to sink a few strong Cosmos. Or maybe just throw them, directly into your eyes.

……

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  • You have watched it enough to know that Carrie is a neurotic, whiney, self-absorbed little bitch who deserves no friends.

So Carrie is clearly, the star of the show.  She’s supposed to represent consequences to actions, learning from mistakes; all the complexities, the downfalls, the deep, questioning, feminine ANGST of women everywhere… and I don’t like to cuss in my blog after my Dad told me off once, but y’know what? She’s a dumb bitch. Carrie is the biggest anti-hero there is.
I even found this on Google:

…….

How To Be Carrie.

 – Twist every conversation back to when the topic was about you, no matter how serious the current subject. Examples as follows:

‘Wait, you think you might get marrried? But Big leant me his spare toothbrush head, what about that?!’

‘You need a lawyer for a divorce settlement? Ask her about that girl who made a mean face at me, remember that? Remember how hard that was for me?’

‘I have a great boyfriend but I’m having an affair with Big, can we discuss that? I’m devastated.’

‘Oh my God, Aiden doesn’t like me. Oh my God, Aiden likes me too much. Oh my God, I’ve accidentally told Aiden I’ll marry him. Oh no, I split up with Aiden and now I have no money. Give me money, Charlotte. Charlotte? You’re a bad friend.’

 – Scream at things. Such as rain. A closed museum. A squirrel. Wind. A heeled shoe. A taxi that is nowhere near you. Scream, scream, scream.

 – Get food on your mouth whilst you’re eating. And lick it off in a really retarded fashion when a guy informs you of said face-food. I could list the times this has happened – jeez Carrie, learn to eat.

You may think this took a long time. It didn’t, I knew exactly where to look.

– Blow off your friends all the time for assholes, then do nothing but complain about those assholes when you’re with your friends. Big won’t give you a housekey? Good! That’s karma for standing Miranda up as she sat at a bar alone, just because he was cooking you some veal. You deserved that ugly swan purse he gave you for that faux-pas alone.

– Related: Cancel on your best friend who has cancer so that a Russian pensioner can rub your feet and recite poetry. Hey – you know in Paris where a kid slapped your head and then you stood in dog shit? That.

 

  • You deny the existence of Sex and the City 2.

Speaking of Carrie’s idiocy, in this film she’s just crying out to be buried under a camel. It actually causes you pain to watch any of this seriously. The whole thing was deeply, deeply traumatic – as fans know. It’s a sore point for us. My sister couldn’t even look at me in that theatre, she knew the mutual pain that our glance would share.

If I may quote SATC, Samantha, S6 E8; ‘Karaoke – I don’t do that.’
And Sam betrayed us all, and our eyes and ears burned.

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So as I’ve highlighted here for the good of women everywhere, there is a dark side to liking Sex and the City so, so much. I could go on but I think for the sake of my shattered reputation, I’ve said enough. If anyone would like to join this SATCAA meeting and admit to their problem, I would welcome it – including details of any further symptoms.

NB: I dedicate this post to the woman sitting next to us during our first SATC movie showing, who arrived alone, left alone and kept answering Carrie with ‘Mmhmm!’ whenever she asked one of her rhetorical questions. You keep answering those questions, girl! Hey – can’t no one answer those questions but YOU.  Peace  <3.

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17 responses to “Sex and the City Addiction – the cold, hard reality.

  1. This is a fantastic post! I love it. My roommate has a serious SATC addiction, and she sticks her fingers in her ears every time the second movie comes up in conversation. I need to direct her to this post.

  2. Thank you and thanks for commenting 😀 and you should – it would be good to know I’m not the only one to feel offended by its existence! x

  3. this is literally the best SATC posts I’ve ever read – I’m so glad I’m not the only one who thinks Carrie is a total bitch who doesn’t deserve friends! SO funny!! xx

  4. Ha! God, Corinne. You never fail to crack me up. This in particular: “Alas, the image of young Corinne lounging in his Gryffindor boxers will never leave my mind.” made me about lose my damn mind.

  5. You. Are. Hilarious.

    I’m a recovering SATC addict—sober now for at least 5 years. Although this post should have a warning at the top (does it? My eyes glossed over any warning if there was) stating possible trigger for addicts. I’m going to have to start again from the beginning now… even though it didn’t hit its stride til season 2 at least.

    But some scenes I will never forget—Carrie and Big on the street after he tries to get her back “You and I NOTHING” HEART SHATTER. Miranda eating the proposal cookie. Miranda-Carrie fights—such a real depiction of female friendship.

    Anyway. LOVE.

    • Thanks Lindsay – and no it didn’t have a warning, I’m so sorry for causing your relapse! Five years is impressive! I’ve considered giving it up for at least that long, just so that it can feel new again, but I doubt it’ll happen.

      ‘Walk up and down all you want, BECAUSE I DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE!’

      That’s it I’m skipping to Season 6 tonight.

  6. So true and so funny – I’m yet to find any box set owners who actually likes Carrie!

    • This morning I remembered the episode where she’s in Aiden’s country house and burns herself making a pie. God Carrie.
      Thanks for commenting 😀
      x

  7. Every time Carrie screams I want to shank her.

    Also, the way I knew I was obsessed is when I insisted my boyfriend had to watch it otherwise we would never work out because it’s the best thing to watch when I’m hungover on Saturday mornings. (Thankfully, he totally loved it.)

  8. Oh hi this is just totally, utterly and completely my life. I freaking love this show so hard.

  9. Fabulous post. BTW, in addition to your very valid reasons for why Carrie is so annoying, the episode in which she refers to herself as Aiden’s ‘Booth Bitch’ has to get a mention. Who the hell even refers to themselves like that? Unbelievable. And then she goes off and cheats on him not long after. Ridiculous.

  10. This is an amazing post and i have been laughing out loud at it. I’m an 18 year old girl who’s recently started an unhealthy addiction to SATC and binged watched the entire 6 seasons in a unhealthy amount of time. I could not agree more about Carrie and why on earth does she conclude every single column with a question?!?! I’m so happy I’ve found this piece but I’m not sure if your blog is still in use but I wanted to say how much I bloody loved this! :))

    • Wow, thank you for commenting Ellie! It has certainly been a long time since I had a notification for this blog so this was a pleasant surprise hahaha. So glad you found it funny, welcome to what will probably be a life long Sex and the City addiction. If you’re interested in being exasperated by Carrie more, I found a great blog written by somebody throughout lockdown – https://carriebradshawistheworst.com/ ! It’s really funny. Stay well!

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