Wednesday, May 28, 2008

More "Sex and the City"

Last night in Manhattan hundreds of young women lined up around the block to see the first screening of the feature film version of the great HBO series: Sex and the City.

It was almost as though their lives depended on whether or not Carrie married Mr. Big. I do not mean that to be as glib as it sounds, but, to this outsider, it seems as though young women believe that this movie will provide the answers that they have been looking for.

An answer to the question posed by Lori Gottlieb in The Atlantic: Should you "settle for Mr. Good Enough?" Or else, an answer to the question that I have heard numerous times: Is there a price tag on the SATC lifestyle?

The women who have asked this latter question were not thinking of the cost of all those shoes, but the potential cost to one's future prospects for happiness.

These are the right questions. But why does anyone think that a feature film will provide the answers? Worse yet, why do so many young women choose Carrie and Co. as role models? What does it mean when so many people emulate fictional characters?

However entertaining they are, these characters are not real. If you decide to emulate them, don't be surprised if you find yourself wondering why you don't have a life.

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