Sex and the City and Issues of Contemporary Feminism

Gabriela McCall-Delgado | June 6, 2008 - 12:06 am

Tags: income, Sex and the City, sexism, women

I went to watch the "Sex and the City" movie and I realized that one of the main issues it dealt with was income.  It is interesting to see the wage gap between two attorneys, Charlotte's husband and Miranda.  Charlotte's husband, Harry, makes enough money so Charlotte doesn't have to to work but Miranda, also an attorney, works and her husband also has to work to support the family in Brooklyn, while Charlotte lives in Manhattan.  The income gap between men and women is 77 cents to every dollar, according to the National Organization for Women's data.  Twenty three cents less for every dollar is not justice.

The movie also presents the challenges that women sometimes face before the law when they are not legally married.  At the beginning of the movie Carrie and her friend go to an auction of a woman whoa had enjoyed great wealth  before her companion left her. Since she was not legally married to her companion when he leaves her and changes the locks to the property she had considered her home she is forced to sell her jewelry in order to survive.

Besides the issue of income the movie also shows the role of women in society. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Miranda is looking for an outfit to wear to Brady's costume party.  She points out that women have only two choices, to be a witch or a sexy kitten.  What does that say about our society?  How did women get marked as either evil or as sex objects?  It is interesting, in my opinion, to analyze how the media feeds into this sexism.  Clear evidence of it is the media coverage of the Hillary Clinton's primary campaign.  

In the end, the movie is about women who seem to have it all, but don't, in large part because they are women.  Sexism is alive and well.