What Sex and the City taught me about love, life, and money
March 27, 2008 by wellheeled
I am so, so excited about the movie that’s coming out in May. Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda - you ladies have been missed! (By the way, I love the photo below - head-to-toe black is always NYC chic, but don’t they look gorgeous in color?)
It’d be hard to pin down my favorite moments… but I’ll try! And all those hours of watching SATC in my dorm room was not a complete waste of time, as I’ve garnered quite a few nuggets of wisdom from the show.
My favorite moments & lessons:
- When Carrie realizes that she’s spent $40,000 on shoes but could not secure a loan on her own to buy out her share of the co-op after she breaks up with Aidan.
Personal finance lesson for the gals - don’t be the Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe! Manolos can’t fund a retirement.
- When Carrie tells off Big at the top of her stairs right before she leaves for Paris to meet Aleksandr Petrovsky.
Love lesson for the boys - don’t take her for granted and don’t play stupid games! One day a famous Russian artist just might come and sweep her away to Europe.
- When Charlotte tearily tells Harry that she loves him at the Jewish get-together. She’s okay with not getting married (and for Charlotte - that’s REALLY love when she’s willing to take marriage off the table, even temporarily) as long as they get back together. And Harry says no. And you see Charlotte’s face fall. And then he gets on one knee…
Love-life-lesson: Trust in God’s plan and have patience. And when it happens, it’ll be amazing no matter what.
- When Samantha gave up her hair appointment to Miranda and offered to babysit Brady.
Friend lesson: The best present isn’t about money.
- When Trey shows up at the last minute to Charlotte’s Town & Country photo-shoot.
Money-life lesson: Money can’t buy you love (unless you define love to be really nice Park Avenue classic 6, in which case, money DOES buy you love!).
What were your favorite SATC moments & lessons?
Mine was definitely that $40,000 one….. But I do think that a lot of the financial situations and “solutions” like Charlotte giving her the engagement ring for a down payment or the fact that they all find “White Knights” are WAY unrealistic, and should kind of be a lesson to young women out there, to NOT expect it.
That being said.. *heart* SATC
And the last three about Harry and Charlotte, Sam and Miranda and Trey and Charlotte tugged at my heart strings
God, I loved that show. You defined some pretty awesome moments! I also love when Carrie makes a pie in Aidan’s Cabin.
I don’t know if I have a favorite moment…but I just really liked the friendship between the women. How they were always there for each other. I also liked the flashbacks….
Oh my gosh!!! You summed up the best parts…I LOVE that show!
I think you got most of my favorites, really. A couple of my other favorites:
-When Samantha ditches Smith for Richard at the “Hottest 30 under 30″ party…yet Smith still waits for her to make sure she makes it home safe.
I’m not as good with relaying the lessons, but I just loved that moment!! It was Samantha’s turning point…and Smith is so dreamy!
-When Miranda thinks that Robert (that was his name, right?) broke Steve’s tv when he’s moving in. Then Steve goes by his apartment to “deal with him” but he’s [ahem] busy.
Lesson: Not sure, but I loved how Steve covered it up for Miranda, spared her ego, and told her “I don’t think he’ll be bothering us again.” He’s so sweet! lol.
And Carrie baking a pie in the woods…priceless!
I love (and by love I mean hate) when Miranda’s trying to buy an apartment and everybody keeps asking about her husband/father, as though a single female could never buy an apartment all by herself.
It ticked me off at first when i bought my condo - all the docs really do ask that stuff and make you repeat “single, female, never married” everywhere. Then I realized that info was going into all the databases where it would be recorded that YET ANOTHER single female has bought her own residence. Yeah! It’s fun to watch that stat shoot up every year (which it has been so far this decade).
There are SO many great moments in that show though, and so many interesting feminist/financial modern dilemmas they address. Like when Carrie ends up being paid by the French architect after a 1 night stand, and all the ladies sit around ordering room service (on him) discussing what it means and how offended she should be. And the title of the episode “Are we sluts?” So fascinating, that show.
Also, I am now totally into both Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle now, even though they’re both copy-cat shows (not to mention hugely similar to each other).
Of course, I think it’s impact has been disminished by all the hoopla, but one of my favorite moments was Berger’s “He’s Just Not That Into You” speech. I rewatched that episode not too long ago and it’s so true, right down to Miranda wanting to “spread the news” to other women and the other women ignoring her because they want to believe their delusions.
Ditto Meg. Best/Most infuriating moment ever, and a lesson to all the women out there trying to make it on their own: There will be doubters. You will prove them wrong.
Oh and also, Miranda and Steve trying to do their wedding their way instead of the traditional way. I’ve never felt like a traditional wedding was for me, and I am most like Miranda on the show, so that was just awesome. Plus her speech to the store attendant (”No white! Nothing that says virgin! I have a child– the jig is up!!”
just made me laugh and laugh.
OMG I am so gald you wrote about SATC…I am super excited about the movie coming out. I splurged my first year on the job and bought the ENTIRE series on e-bay! (I don’t regret the decision at all - I got it half-price!)
There are so many favorite moments. I love when Carrie stands up for herself to a guy, whether it’s Big or the Russian in the last episode. Ohh and I’ll always remember when Miranda tried to be a lesbian - just so she could make partner at her firm…and she was hiding being pregnant at her firm…that show didn’t make law firms look very “with it.”
I loved how Smith waited for Samantha - at that “30 under 30″ party, and during the very last episode. If she messes that up in the movie I’ll scream! I know that all the women get their “white knight” at the end of the show, and I do hope that by the end of the movie they still have that white knight - but I realize that it’s unrealistic. At least the show always pumps the “friends first and forever” theme. I appreciate that.
Money-wise…that Carrie shoe-loan episode is a stand-out, as is the one where Charlotte gets “free” shoes for letting that guy touch her feet! Blech! Sometimes, a shoe just isn’t worth it.
I can hardly watch the episode about Carrie’s finances! When Miranda says, “Oh, did you finally open that IRA?” and Carrie says no, I start to hyperventilate at the thought of a 34 year old single woman with NO retirement savings!
The episode where Mr Big gets married to Natasha (soul-less stick figure, anyone remember?) and Carrie is invited to the engagement party but only turns up in front of the hotel once it’s over. Mr Big walks over to her and she quotes a line from The Way we Were and walks off accompanied by a voice-over that says something along the lines of “Some girls are meant to run free”…
Beautiful moment.
As a guy my memory of the show was always thinking that Charlotte was by far the hottest and frankly in another league from the others. Of course that has nothing to do with personal finance or female bonding but thought you might like a male perspective.
Maybe it was carried over from her days as a sultry vixen on Melrose Place…
My favorite moment was when Charlotte went to Trey’s mom and said she’s worth a million before signing that pre-nup. She asked and spoke up … so important.
Kristen - yes, I remember Natasha. She was gorgeous (but c’mon! Big + Carrie is obviously the way to go).
sfordinary girl - good point! that’s another SATC lesson… always negotiate for what you’re worth!
HAHA, the $40,000 on shoes moment was hilarious because Carrie didn’t realize she spent $40k. She was like, 200 pairs of shoes, that’s what? $4000? And then Miranda said, it’s $40,000 CARRIE!! You could have paid for the downpayment. I laughed so hard at that.
I can’t wait for the movie - so many good moments. I love Samantha she is so delightfully outrageous.
My favorite moment is when Charlotte leaves her house to go to Brady’s 1st Birthday Party after having her miscarriage. She looked like Aubrey Hepburn in the pink strapless dress.
Or…when Charlotte brings Miranda flowers even though she disagreed with her getting an abortion. When Miranda says she didn’t go through with it, Charlotte starts to cry and says they are going to be aunts.
Adorable.
I’ve found many people, regardless of gender or marital/childbearing status, can relate to the “A Woman’s Right to Shoes” episode in Season 6, where Carrie’s shoes are stolen at the baby shower and she realizes how much money she’s spent on gifts for others that she may never receive for herself.
I cant wait for the movie!
I love the episode where Berger breaks up with Carrie via a post it note and they get busted smoking dope in the street.
OMG! I just watched the episode where she was trying to find the money for down payment last night. I was going to write about it when I get a chance to watch the full episode.
I wish I was lucky enough to have friends with money (or a big honking ring) to help me with down payment
1. Miranda last episode caring for Steve’s mom. It really hit home the reality we may be caring for our families later in our lives. And her housekeeper says “You know what it means to love.”
2. Charlotte tells Harry her bottom line about not having children, and he says we’ll adopt. She says it’s not yours. He replies “Ugh, what can you do???” Truly shows some people don’t need to give bith to have children.
3. Carries stolen shoes. Getting married and having kids are choices. And it’s not wrong to not do either.
Hey, love all your memories of SATC, i actually love all the girls ans cannot wait for the film!!
My fave episode is when Cariie is in the fashion shoot as one of the ‘real’ people. I love the outfits and when she has to pick herself up-just because that is what life is all about- picking yourself up when things go wrong.
Also, ’shes fashion roadkill!!’ has to be one of THE funniest lines!!
All of players of this movie look sweet.I havent seen it but I will watch it.(surely)
My faves are:
The episode where they go to the wedding of the character played by Nathan Lane, and Charlotte and Harry dance together and you realize that she really likes him…that whole episode is very sweet.
The one where Smith cuts his hair all off cause Samantha shaved her head after she started losing her hair to chemo. SO sweet.
Another one I love is when Miranda’s mother dies and the girls all show up and as she’s walking out of the church she sees Steve and Aiden came too….that part always makes me cry.
One more! The episode where Carrie meets up with her old fling, played by David Duchovny, and it turns out he lives in a mental institute.
OH I love this show…counting the days till the movie!
My fav episode is when Samantha’s hair starts falling out and she starts to shave it. Its the night of Smith’s big premier, and she told him she couldnt go. He walks in, see’s her hair in the sink, and proceeds to shave his head which is his “thing”. That night she goes to the premier as Lil Kim, looking absolutely gorgeous in her bright pinki wig. Thats love!
Yea Ive never quite fancied the show but a group of girlfriends are getting dressed up to go, I cant take it! LOL!
Maybe ill get the DVD..
My favorite moment:
Smith is at a filming across the country. He had a spring arrangement delivered to Samantha that was barely in bloom and as she was in recovery from chemotherapy. Later, Smith comes all the way back to NYC early to say that he loves Samantha, who responds appropriately with, “You have meant more to me than any man I’ve ever known.”
Come on! Heart breaker! She’s had as many men (+ an occasional woman) as Carrie had individual shoes.
Lesson: Quantity does NOT compare to quality, and sometimes it takes us to be at our worst to realize what is in our best interest.
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Man!!! can there be anything better on earth than SATC????
i love you girls!! i am dying to see the movie!! i heard that miranda looks over the top!!!
Well, I am going to have to pick one of the moments you listed not because I have not seen every episode, some a few times, but because I have a horrible, horrible memory and I cant remember any other ones.
Mine would definetely be when Samantha gave up her hair appointment for Miranda… that really was a lot for Samantha to do!!!
Anyways, Im glad I have stumbled upon someone who loves Sex and the City as much as I do.
Love,
Melanie
Well, my favorite moment is at the beginning of Sex and the City. Carries bag fall down and a good-looking man help her to get all her stuff, who lay on the floor. This is the first meeting between Carry and Mr. Big!!!! It is a special moment, because everybody kwnos what happened with them!
Lena
“Sex & the City” for me is summed up in this greatest moment of the whole series: when Charlotte bumps into Miranda on the street just after she finds out she has that very slim chance of ever getting pregnant, and even though she tells Miranda not to follow her home, Miranda does anyway. I cry like a baby everytime I see that scene because it really defines what a true friendship is all about.