Is Sex and the City right for your family?

This review covers common concerns — screen for what YOUR family cares about.

Sex and the City

TV

Sex and the City is an American romantic comedy-drama television series that aired on HBO from 1998 to 2004, based on Candace Bushnell's book and newspaper column. The series follows the lives of four strong, independent women – Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda – as they navigate the complexities of love, sex, career, and friendship in New York City. Through their candid conversations and personal experiences, the show explores various facets of modern womanhood, relationships, and societal expectations. The series is renowned for its explicit and mature themes, making it suitable for an adult audience. It delves deeply into sexual relationships, features frequent strong language, and portrays significant alcohol and tobacco use. While celebrated for its groundbreaking portrayal of female sexuality and independence at the time, the content includes discussions and depictions that are highly suggestive and sometimes graphic. Therefore, parental guidance is advised, and the show is not recommended for younger viewers due to its adult-oriented nature and frank exploration of mature topics.

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Concerns

LGBTQ & Gender Identity

High

The original 'Sex and the City' TV series featured recurring gay characters and explored lesbian and bisexual relationships, which was progressive for its time. However, it also contained problematic and stereotypical portrayals, including biphobic dialogue and derogatory language towards transgender individuals, particularly in earlier seasons. Later spin-offs have attempted to address these criticisms by introducing more diverse and nuanced LGBTQ+ representation.

Carrie Bradshaw expresses biphobic sentiments in Season 3, Episode 4 ('Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl') when dating a bisexual man named Sean, questioning the existence of bisexuality and famously stating, 'I'm not even sure bisexuality exists. I think it's just a layover on the way to gay town.' Samantha Jones uses a derogatory slur ('tranny') in Season 3, Episode 18 ('Cock a Doodle Do!') during a confrontation with transgender sex workers outside her apartment, a scene widely criticized for its transphobic language and 'othering' portrayal. Samantha also engages in a lesbian relationship with artist Maria in Season 4, which is depicted with Maria as 'hyper-emotional, clingy, and aggressive.'

Romance and Sexual Content

High

Romance and sexual content are central and pervasive themes in 'Sex and the City,' driving much of the plot and character development. The series features frequent explicit discussions about sex, numerous depictions of sexual activity (often implied or with partial nudity), and a frank exploration of various sexual acts, preferences, and relationships.

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.'

Profanity

High

Profanity is frequent and strong throughout 'Sex and the City.' Characters regularly use expletives, including the F-word, in both casual conversations and moments of heightened emotion, contributing to the show's adult tone.

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.

Substance Use

High

Substance use is frequent and often glamorized in 'Sex and the City,' particularly alcohol consumption and smoking. The main characters regularly consume alcoholic beverages as part of their social lives, and smoking is a notable habit for one of the protagonists, sometimes depicted in a positive light.

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.

Disrespect & Rebellion

High

Disrespect and rebellion are central themes in 'Sex and the City,' as the main characters often challenge and defy traditional societal norms and expectations regarding female roles, relationships, and sexuality. Their dialogue frequently includes sarcastic remarks and rebellious attitudes toward conventional lifestyles.

The four central characters, particularly Samantha Jones, consistently display rebellious attitudes and outright defiance of conventional social norms regarding sex, marriage, and female independence. Samantha openly embraces a promiscuous lifestyle and offers blunt, often shocking, commentary on sexual freedom, such as her quote, 'F— me badly once, shame on you. F— me badly twice, shame on me.' The series frequently portrays the women questioning and rejecting traditional relationship structures and societal pressures to marry or conform, often using sarcastic and critical dialogue to express their non-conformist views on love and life in New York City.

Found 5 high-concern themes. Want to set your own sensitivity levels?

Violence

Medium

Physical violence in 'Sex and the City' is infrequent and generally not graphic, often occurring during heightened emotional states. The show is more characterized by emotional confrontations and arguments than physical altercations, though some instances of characters lashing out physically are present.

Carrie Bradshaw physically punches Mr. Big in the face during an intense argument in Season 2, Episode 9 ('Old Dogs, New Dicks'). This act of physical aggression occurs during a moment of high emotional tension between the characters. While not strictly physical violence, an intense and shocking scene occurs in Season 6, Episode 18 ('Splat!') where socialite Lexi Featherston accidentally falls to her death from a penthouse window after a dramatic rant, causing distress and horror to the onlookers.

Scary & Intense Content

Medium

'Sex and the City' is not a horror or suspense series, but it does feature emotionally intense dramatic situations, relationship conflicts, and occasional shocking events. These elements contribute to an adult dramatic tone rather than a frightening one.

The series includes emotionally intense scenes and dramatic confrontations, such as the numerous arguments and tumultuous relationship developments between Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big, which often involve shouting, emotional manipulation, and dramatic breakups, creating significant emotional tension. In Season 6, Episode 18 ('Splat!'), a shocking scene depicts the accidental death of socialite Lexi Featherston, who falls out of a window during a party, which is an intense and sudden event for the characters and viewers.

Anti-Christian Themes

Medium

While not explicitly anti-Christian, 'Sex and the City' largely promotes a secular worldview and often depicts lifestyles, values, and sexual ethics that are contrary to traditional Christian teachings. There are instances of irreverence towards religious figures and a general normalization of behaviors that some Christian parents would find objectionable.

Samantha Jones openly flirts with and attempts to seduce a Catholic priest, Father Jonathan, in the episode 'The Agony and the 'Ecstasy' (Season 2, Episode 8), treating his sacred vows and position with irreverence and as a personal challenge. The series consistently normalizes and celebrates premarital sex, promiscuity, adultery, and cohabitation, along with exploring diverse sexual orientations and gender identities in ways that directly conflict with traditional Christian moral frameworks, which a Christian parent may view as promoting 'anti-biblical morality.'

Witchcraft & Occult

Low

There is no significant presence of witchcraft, sorcery, occult practices, magic rituals, demons, or supernatural elements depicted in 'Sex and the City' TV series. The show focuses on realistic, albeit dramatized, human relationships and urban life.

No specific examples of witchcraft, occult rituals, or supernatural themes were found within the TV series. The narrative remains grounded in contemporary, non-magical reality.

Other Notes

Target Demographic

Adults 18+ due to pervasive strong sexual content, explicit discussions of sex, frequent profanity, glamorized substance use, and mature thematic elements. The TV series carries a TV-MA rating.

Additional Notes

Parents should be aware that while the original series paved the way for discussions on female empowerment and sexuality, some of its early portrayals of LGBTQ+ and other social issues have been criticized for being stereotypical or insensitive by contemporary standards. The themes and language are consistently adult and require mature discernment.

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Is Sex and the City right for your family?

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