Sex and the City

The show regularly depicts characters engaging in sexual acts, often with partial nudity or strong implications. For example, Samantha Jones's character is defined by her sexually liberal lifestyle, with numerous storylines involving casual sexual encounters, including a scene in Season 4 where she is intimate with Maria during their lesbian relationship. The main characters engage in frequent and explicit conversations about their sex lives, sexual partners, and preferences, such as their candid discussions about sex during brunch, including Carrie and her friends discussing the idea of having sex 'like men' in Season 1. Dialogue often contains sexually explicit language, such as Samantha's quote, 'F— me badly once, shame on you. F— me badly twice, shame on me.'

Strong language is a consistent feature of the dialogue. For example, Mr. Big uses the phrase 'Abso—f—ing—lutely' in a conversation, reflecting the common use of explicit expletives. The characters' conversations often contain explicit and casual profanity, such as the frequent use of the F-word, integrating strong language into the show's realistic portrayal of adult urban life and interactions.

The characters frequently consume alcoholic beverages, most notably Cosmopolitan cocktails, during social gatherings, brunches, and dates, presenting drinking as an integral and sophisticated part of their New York lifestyle. Carrie Bradshaw is a prominent smoker for much of the series, and her struggles with nicotine addiction are depicted. In the series finale, her smoking habit returns, with her boyfriend telling her, 'I like the smoking. It's very sexy,' which contributes to a glamorized portrayal of tobacco use.