Empowered by Manolos, Bound by Cosmos Femininity and Gender Roles in Darren Star’s Sex and the City

Entertainwork forcet has long been one of the most accessible forms of communication because it appeals to the sense of frolic than any new(prenominal) avenue in the information process. Today, in most parts of the world, merriment has conquered a host of media that whitethorn be appropriated by both producers and consumers, with from each one strength translating specifically to the audience it aims to reach. From impress to broadcast, from film to the internet, mass communication has provided ways and means for audiences of any age to claim the kind of entertainment they preferthereby creating its niche in the prevailing popular culture in any state of progeny or community.Among the forms mentioned, the stellar hi floor of film and the allure of convenient glamour and lifestyle associated with it piddle catapulted it to the meridian of the most influential of all media. Considering most people pass on access to cinema, it is correct to assume that this medium has had its shargon of voice in achieving friendly change, advocacy, politics, and empowerment. And, apart from being instrumental in relaying news and other tralatitious informative content, cinema and its success in entertainment has also become a reliable avenue to communicate these integral issuings through visuals, acting, and choice of format.One of the most celebrated productions in upstart time is the iconic Sex and the City film, released in 2008 and based on the cult television install of the same title. By channelisecasing the formerly undesirable concepts of singlehood among effeminates over thirty, professional success, and the unabashed references to grammatical genderuality and independence, its creator Darren Starr had stumbled upon a void clearly anticipated by women in these situationsand launched a culture that debunked most traditionalist ideologies and announce new mindsets of womens lib and empowerment.II. Power and the Feminine Approach Feminist inquiry was est ablished to offer theories that fondness womens experiences and to articu ripe the relations between the categories of gender and other social categories, including race, ethnicity, class, and sexuality (Littlejohn 2008, p. 49), and this claim is unembellished in the purposive nature of SATC.Individually, the characters of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte possess their unique strengths and focus writer Carrie is the intellectual and introspective Samanthas focus is on her sexual nature lawyer Miranda conveys independence and Charlotte is depicted as the arguably traditional of the group yet is never relegated to being permanently at the mercy of her goal to look a husband. In other sacred scriptures, these women be all portrayed to be substantial and complete on their own, and have already do their decisions on their particular brands of femininity.Once a woman has defined her sense of self, it is calorie-free to understand how power groundwork come logically. Most a udiences of SATC find delight in the witty musings of Carrie, the gloomy yet world concerns of Miranda, the extent to which Charlotte would go to get married, and the sexual adventures of Samantha. In the film, though, each has had her own story finally played out, not necessarily in the ways they planned Miranda is a mother, Samantha is in a committed relationship, and Charlotte is married and has adopted a child. Only Carrie appears to have taken the more expected driveway of continuing her relationship with Mr. Big, a man who had long been the cause of many of her mishaps. But while each of them has realized their traditional roles as pistillates, their background activities still remain indicative of their c arer successes. the like in the TV show, the women of the SATC film still engage in their females-only conversations and gatherings, during which they discuss men, relationships, and sexuality. According to Littlejohn (2008, p. 244), womens groups much are less intere sted outcomes and traditional group tasksless interested in doing and more interested in being, which then justifies the nature of their bond.Among friends, the intravenous feeding women can merely be and not be implicated with what should be among their colleagues, they are more goal-driven and objective. The conversations the SATC females have within their group are, in reality, material that audiences can collect up by, and are almost always philosophical or pragmatic seemly to communicate new thinking. When Miranda discovered that Steve had a sexual affair with another woman, she immediately reported the incident to her girlfriendswho, in turn, expressed acclaim at Mirandas decision to leave Steve.When Carrie announced that she and Mr. Big were getting married, the group actually came up with two opinionsvalidation from Charlotte, and ambivalence from Samantha. These two examples at once present rational ways to come up to these common life circumstances, without resorti ng to the stereo veritable(prenominal) reaction of women approving of marriage or staying in one scorn noteworthy problems. Apart from that, their nonchalant manner in discussing sexuality signals an unconventional pattern not often shown among women in films and other media, only when occurs in womens backchats in real life.The vulnerability exhibited by at least two of the four characters while engaging with men is more about being human than succumbing to societal pressure it has more to do with their personalities than a non-negotiable objective to feel adequate with men in their lives. Again, this goes back to the development of each character in the film, being completely defined and expected for women their age. Of course, it would be harder to prove had they been in their twenties, still searching for themselves in sore York, like Carries assistant Louise. advanced femininity is definitely confirmed in the events, reactions, and portrayals of the SATC girls strong and i ndividual, yet completely aware of their identities and priorities. Compared to younger women, the four characters are each shown carrying the same sense of self one her own, or with her friends. Therefore, the provide of power in the film is attached to the evolved characters of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlottethey know who they are, including their strengths and weaknesses, and are capable of appropriating such when it comes to men, or any other concern. III.Representing the thirties Female With the exception of Samantha, who celebrated her fiftieth birthday in the SATC film, the main characters are in their late thirties. In position, Carrie had probably just turned forty as this was one of the highlights in the filmthe suitableness of a 40-year-old woman to be photographed in a wedding dress. However, this whitethorn be less of an issue compared to the question of the accurate representation of women in this age range. Israel (2002) stated the still-existing stereoty pe of single women, that they are social outcasts odd women who require constant translation (p. 46). If this is the present concept of the public regarding single women, then the issue is not in the misrepresentation but in societys unchanged opinion of female expectations. While the shows creator had indeed chosen to center on the lives of New York women, perchance to highlight the urban culture and wealth of material related to the area, the demographic shown is not farthest from the truth. It may not be correct to assume that all thirty-something females live the kind of lives seen in SATC, but he combined factors of location, career opportunities, and culture all figure in the equation.Much of the TV show and the movie itself is focused on the New York lifefashion, music, night lifeand the defining characteristics of the location that has made it legendary. Opportunities for career and wealth are often associated with gumption and chutzpah, which are part of the psyche of a t ypical New Yorker. This is most evident in Mirandas and Samanthas stories, whose careers as a lawyer and a public relations expert, respectively, are born out of their being in New York.Even Carrie and her sex columns credibility have more to do with being in New York, the citadel of all things forward and modern, than by merely being a smart single woman with enough authority about sex. The aberration, more than being the appropriate representation of single women, is Charlotte her perceived values and sense of taste for tradition appear to be more suited to a less worldly area than Manhattan. Like in the TV series, consumerism and brands form a significant function in the film Carries uncover of wedding dresses identified by designer shows the amount of importance given to labels.But the New York bring in once again provides the perfect excuse, being the center of fashion and home to most luxury brands. Had Carrie been in a small and not-so-cosmopolitan area would have made thi s appear pretentious and unreal, but the established facts of New York, her career as a magazine columnist, and her affinity for fashion make the association with designer labels instead expected and normal. Without the penchant for brands and the access afforded by being in New York, the SATC womens representations of the thirty-something female are not far from accurate.At this age, most women have, or are in the process of establishing their careers, or are obsessing over finding a husband and starting a familyas seen, respectively, in Miranda and Charlotte. tho they had not neglected the other aspects of themselves that would make them achieve their life goals, such as motherhood, office, and friendship these are clearly established in the film, but due to the necessity to adhere to a cohesive storyline, these have been placed conveniently as background material.Still, some traditionalists may dismiss the film as a celebration of consumerism, anti-feminism, and overt sexualit yconcepts that contradict each other when taken as a wholebut it is only because SATC managed to introduce a new breed of independent females who recognize both their strengths and limitations. The characters are complete and wholly developed, creating personalities so real and defined that the more conservative viewer may find them at once curious and controversial.The female audience comprising the age range portrayed by the SATC women leave always find the film liberating, for two possible reasons because they can identify with the trials and tribulations of the four characters or because they can only hope to reach the level of individuality and liberation available to these New York women. Of course, the common pleasure derived by women in either situation may be found within the more shallow elements of meeting men per se and fashionit is still entertainment, after all.But the deeper issues of love, relationship, marriage, friendship, career, life, loss, sadness, joy, and o ther concepts present in the film are universal constructs that affect women, and men as well. However, if one were to stop at the shallow enjoyment of the aesthetic elements provided by the filmsuch as designer fashions, swanky homes, and gorgeous menthen the experience would not be maximized, and would most likely box in the film in the category of triviality and shallowness.Also, manipulation would only be the case if the film depicts a world far from real, with unbelievable characters, and an obvious objective to sell its audience to a life impossible to reach. Carrie and her friends represent all single woman, perhaps not in all aspects, but in the mindset and priorities the issue of singleness at thirty being the key qualifier in the equation. Naturally, their concerns would not be identical to those of a younger or married woman, who would have different realities altogether.An example would be the wildly popular TV show Gossip Girl (2007), which is undoubtedly limited to t he lives of the affluent youth and uses a questionable system of communicating reality through visual pleasure and aspiration. IV. The Politics of Gender Roles in SATC The topics chosen for discussion in the regular lunch, coffee, and shopping dates of the four characters vary at all times, with gender-related issues taking a significant portion.The nature of entertainment provides an effective avenue for these concerns, specially with a smartly-written script and a sense of responsibility to communicate the issues properly. In the movie, the women discuss sex in the presence of Charlottes daughter Lily, and they use the word color to substitute for sexproducing a witty exchange that came off as both sweet and informative yet socially acceptable. Marriage, in Carries case, was construed on the outset as a matter of convenience, in order to share an apartment with Mr.Big, but was really a serious issue that had her debating on her reasons for getting marriedwhether it was out of lo ve or mere practicality. But despite all the carefully-crafted dialogue, the scenes referring to life-changing issues such as Mirandas separation from Steve and Charlottes discovering she is pregnant were treated with utmost subtlety and thought, and would not be out of place in any other traditional text discussing the very same points.What may be left out to some extent is the politics among the characters themselves since female competition is a stringy theme in most womens lives (Barash 2006), it is questionable how the four women have almost no burnish of rivalry or contest, at least in the film. This phenomenon is largely common among groups of women, in particular, and SATC had shown almost secret code about competition even if it could have been appropriated in several points in the story.The only allusion to it would be Mirandas declaration that marriage is not the right choice to make, yet without any reference to her envy of Carrie and Mr. Big. V. terminal The enterta inment culture introduced by the pioneering SATC text redefined the landscape of feminism, empowerment, and the resulting popular culture that has been embraced by audiences the world over. by the use of female characters who were instruments to convey individuality and power, the celebration of women as symbols of strength is done with much success.The fact that they discuss issues once considered taboo for media portrayal is already a feat in the world of feminism and empowerment, albeit relatively against the norms of tradition or the approved style of standard feminists. But the goal of entertainment in SATC does not stop with entertainment itselfthe reality of the thirty-something single woman is enough reason to make it a pronounced voice in educating society about the capabilities of females beyond the label of marital status.