Comment: sex and the media

The study showing a link between television shows with sexual content and an increased rate of teenage pregnancies raises the provocative question of responsibility.

How old should a child be before parents relinquish control of what they watch?

Limits

Some would say 16, when a child is also allowed to have sex. If they are theoretically old enough to enter the realm of adult emotion and responsibility, surely watching Sex and the City, a light hearted sitcom about four New York women travelling the rocky single road and having plenty of debauched, Martini drenched fun on the way, won't do any harm.

Make mine a large one

Initially, the characters in SATC represent nothing but positivity and progression for the 21st century woman. Carrie is a successful journalist, writing whatever she pleases in her weekly column. She is financially independent (apart from when her friends have to lend her money for Manolos), has a beautiful apartment and is not afraid of being single.


Think Bridget Jones, but sassier, better dressed and less needy.

Role reversal

Samantha 'leave an hour after climaxing' Jones is a woman in her forties with her own public relations business. She is promiscuous by traditional standards; but SATC somehow makes that OK. She is always portrayed as being totally in control on the gender politics battlefield. She takes men, she leaves them. Her role reversal (the female stud) is delightfully classy and projects a wonderful message to our mothers: 40 and 50 are the new 20 and 30.

Kim Cattrall: 50 is the new 20

But when does sexually liberated become morally irresponsible? SATC did a lot of good work in terms of challenging boundaries and conventions of the 'old' dating game. Now, women can summon men late at night, have multiple partners and finally do something that for many years was disapproved of: have meaningless, pointless fun with absolutely no intention of being 'polite' and monogamous if the relationship isn't good enough. The game is on their terms now.


The 1998 debut of SATC introduced a woman's version of playing the field, complete with Jimmy Choos for every occasion. It was a seductive package, upsetting a lot of applecarts by questioning moral cornerstones that for years had just been accepted.

Jimmy Choos are all the men they could ever need

The trouble with a sitcom like SATC is how influential it soon becomes for young girls identifying parts of their lives with the characters. Carrie and her friends became Carrie and our friends. It is easy to get involved with their breezy, post coital outlook on everything, where a new outfit can solve any problem.


In one episode, Miranda is mortified to discover she is pregnant, and decides (initially) to have an abortion. The other women are nonchalant about this. "I've had one," admits Carrie. "I've had two", Samantha offers.


This is nothing to do with the issue of abortion. What is more worrying is that the women are so casual about their experiences. Perhaps having a termination had little or no effect on their lives. But portraying such a blase attitude towards abortion is risky for a teenage audience. It may be that young viewers then equate abortion as being 'SATC' - a show with cult status tends to 'flag up' topics and portray them one way or another. This episode very much portrayed abortion as something that wasn't a big deal.


I could not be more pro choice. But abortion is not something trivial. I think SATC pushed the boundary a little too far in that instance, non verbally saying that abortion is an easy solution and one that requires little consideration.



By Alexandra McGowan



photographs courtesy of Flickr:

Martini glass, Kim Cattrall, Jimmy Choos