I am the opposite of all you've ever known,
I'm everything that I've never been.
I'm the broken glass that can hold no more,
I am hiding in plain sight and hating every second of it.
Showing posts with label Confusion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Confusion. Show all posts
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Culturally Alien
I am a girl.
Well, actually, I'm a woman sadly inching towards middle age. I would like to think that I'm culturally aware and know a few things about pop culture, even if I don't appreciate them. However, there are a few things I distinctly dislike. Ok, so I hate them. Sex and the City is one of those 'cultural' phenomena. It goes beyond not understanding it, because I do understand it. The problem is I hate how condescending, superficial and one-dimensional it is in its portrayal of women. Considering how I passionately I feel about the topic, I figured I couldn't be alone. I was pretty sure at least some of my friends agreed with me completely. I could not have been more wrong.
First of all, I pretty much missed the whole SatC boat when it first sailed by. I would hear all the women at work go on about it every week, talking about one character or another, insisting they are exactly alike and how their last date was exactly like blah blah blah...I figured, I couldn't understand what I didn't watch. Plus, I was a little turned off by a show whose feminism was expressed through sex, shoes and shopping. How is that feminism?
So a couple of weeks ago, when our friends were over, M was teasing me about always having the TV on, and watching everything--including SatC. I corrected him loudly--to which my friends expressed shock--SHOCK--that I was saying I didn't like it. How could I not love SatC? What transpired over the next 30-40 minutes was a discussion of how all of the women in our circle of friends loved the show, who was closest to which character and who had experienced the same thing as...
As I sat there wondering about what I was missing, I knew there was at least one friend who would chuckle and agree with me completely. She is a grounded, funny and intelligent woman whom I have always admired. I'm pretty sure she nods and smiles at my taste in music/art/movies/shows because I can be a little fluffy for her taste. So I sent her an email, beseeching her to save me from this loneliness in a SatC loving world. She (I swear laughed) responded that she actually kind of likes the show.
Here's my problem: The women on this show were so detached from reality, they made women look bad. I mean really, really bad. If a man had written that show, he would be (rightfully) branded a chauvinist pig. Most of the women in my group of friends (regardless of cultural background) have family obligations, real jobs and finite incomes. Our friendships extend beyond watching each other jump from one guy to another, our intellect generally reaches beyond random observations and our gay friends are not bitchier than we are. And I can say without a shadow of a doubt, we're all deeper than your typical cereal bowl. So why does everyone love this show so much? What am I missing?
Oh, and apparently there is a movie related to the show coming out soon. I'll continue to be a social outcast. Great.
Well, actually, I'm a woman sadly inching towards middle age. I would like to think that I'm culturally aware and know a few things about pop culture, even if I don't appreciate them. However, there are a few things I distinctly dislike. Ok, so I hate them. Sex and the City is one of those 'cultural' phenomena. It goes beyond not understanding it, because I do understand it. The problem is I hate how condescending, superficial and one-dimensional it is in its portrayal of women. Considering how I passionately I feel about the topic, I figured I couldn't be alone. I was pretty sure at least some of my friends agreed with me completely. I could not have been more wrong.
First of all, I pretty much missed the whole SatC boat when it first sailed by. I would hear all the women at work go on about it every week, talking about one character or another, insisting they are exactly alike and how their last date was exactly like blah blah blah...I figured, I couldn't understand what I didn't watch. Plus, I was a little turned off by a show whose feminism was expressed through sex, shoes and shopping. How is that feminism?
So a couple of weeks ago, when our friends were over, M was teasing me about always having the TV on, and watching everything--including SatC. I corrected him loudly--to which my friends expressed shock--SHOCK--that I was saying I didn't like it. How could I not love SatC? What transpired over the next 30-40 minutes was a discussion of how all of the women in our circle of friends loved the show, who was closest to which character and who had experienced the same thing as...
As I sat there wondering about what I was missing, I knew there was at least one friend who would chuckle and agree with me completely. She is a grounded, funny and intelligent woman whom I have always admired. I'm pretty sure she nods and smiles at my taste in music/art/movies/shows because I can be a little fluffy for her taste. So I sent her an email, beseeching her to save me from this loneliness in a SatC loving world. She (I swear laughed) responded that she actually kind of likes the show.
Here's my problem: The women on this show were so detached from reality, they made women look bad. I mean really, really bad. If a man had written that show, he would be (rightfully) branded a chauvinist pig. Most of the women in my group of friends (regardless of cultural background) have family obligations, real jobs and finite incomes. Our friendships extend beyond watching each other jump from one guy to another, our intellect generally reaches beyond random observations and our gay friends are not bitchier than we are. And I can say without a shadow of a doubt, we're all deeper than your typical cereal bowl. So why does everyone love this show so much? What am I missing?
Oh, and apparently there is a movie related to the show coming out soon. I'll continue to be a social outcast. Great.
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