With all 6 seasons of ‘Sex and the City’ coming to Netflix on April 1st, it was not gen-x, who were raised as this show was airing, that appeared to be the most excited. The show received a whopping 2.5 million views in its first week, the same number of viewers as certain new shows. It may surprise you to hear that most excitement came from millennials and gen-z. ‘Sex and the City,’ which originally aired on HBO between 1998 and 2004, has reached icon status, and is nowhere near becoming irrelevant amongst the younger generations, despite ending over 20 years ago. All over Tik Tok and Instagram you can see young women lip syncing to viral audios of the characters and girls analysing the style of the characters and providing tips on how to dress like a ‘Charlotte’ or a ‘Carrie.’ Twitter is a prime location for discussions regarding plot points from the show, where the discourse remains active. But why has this show’s popularity remained so strong over time, with no signs of fading?
Let’s start with the obvious, the show’s intriguing and salacious plot points. Even the show’s title is instantly attention grabbing, initially shocking the viewer with its shameless upfront nature. Many other show’s titles would be coy regarding their risqué content, concerned about causing controversy. Not this show. This show lets you know one of its main themes from the outset. This bold strategy has proven successful in drawing in viewers, still working effectively by piqueing their curiousity to this day. The show’s plot points are dramatic and enticing while remaining lighthearted, with the younger generations wishing to be part of the discourse. Should Carrie end up with Big? Who was the best boyfriend in the show? These are the types of questions that lure in viewers who simply want to know what everyone is talking about and not be left out in the cold.
They say fashion trends always come back around. This is certainly true for ‘Sex and the City.’ The outfits in this show remain as on-trend now as they did in the late 90s. It is often that the outfits of the girls go viral on social media, getting posted on many high profile fashion accounts, with many coveting their signature looks. Each character has their own signature style, which reflects each of their personalities in a unique way. This gives the audience a diverse choice to project their own style onto. The influential nature of the style of this show is reflected by how many young women, as previously mentioned, spend their time on social media attempting to capture each of the girl’s style. Carrie’s original iconic newspaper Dior by Galliano dress is even being sold for 250,000 euros. Many are still trying to capture the show’s most famous looks, speculating how each of the girls would dress in this day and age. This current style gives the characters an aspirational impression, with young women watching attempting to be more like them.
Finally, the premise of this show in the late 90s was to showcase the dating dilemmas faced by the modern woman. The success of this show hugely amounted to women finding the characters and the situations that they go through relatable. This has not changed for gen z and millennials. The situations that the characters endure remain relatable to this day despite societal changes. Although advanced technology has made these situations slightly different, many women still find comfort in watching a show where the characters go through similar situations as them. Having four main characters with different personality types also gives young women the opportunity to decide whom they most relate to, with discussions regarding whether you are a ‘Samantha’ or a ‘Miranda’ remaining a large part of online discourse about the show. Even if some of their decisions are questionable, young women still use this show as a guide for how best to navigate modern dating, attempting to replicate the character’s successes and learn from their mistakes.
