Sex and the City's Roots and Legacy

Sociologist Tracy L. Scott discusses Sex and the City

Tags: consumption/consumerism, emotion/desire, gender, media, culture, feminism, gender stereotype, representation, sexual liberation, subtitles/CC, 00 to 05 mins
Year: 2010
Length: 5:15
Access: YouTube

Summary: Sociologist Tracy L. Scott, from Emory University, explains what effect Sex and the City has had on culture and society. She attempts to answer whether the program had a positive impact in promoting gender equality and whether the show was truly as ground breaking as people believed. She concludes that while the show initially explored sexual liberation among women, it gradually moved toward a traditional story about women being preoccupied with romantic relationships. In this sense, the show resembled other programs of the 1970s and did not necessarily challenge gender stereotypes. A good point is made about the way this show promotes a particular kind of consumerism among women. This clip would work well in a class that seeks to introduce the concept of gender stereotypes and the way they are reinforced in popular media, particularly in shows which claim to be modern and progressive.

Submitted By: Lester Andrist

---