You’ve seen her do everything from getting laid to getting married, but this season, it’s time to see how it all started for “Sex and the City” star Carrie Bradshaw.

This week, “The Carrie Diaries” premiered on the forgotten television network, The CW, reminding us of how unrealistic the “Sex and the City” lifestyle is. The show is a 1980s origins story, as if everyone’s favorite Manolo Blahnik-wearing columnist is actually a superhero.

In the number of trailers leading up to the premiere, we get a glimpse of high school Carrie’s idealistically fabulous life.

Carrie gets a dream internship at department store Century 21, followed by an even dreamier run-in with an Interview Magazine editor. The trendy editor loves her youthful exuberance so much that she takes Carrie out on the town that very night. And while Carrie is living the New York high life, there’s a cute boy in Connecticut waiting to take her to the school dance.

That hasn’t happened to you either?

Although there has been a lot of debate concerning whether “The Carrie Diaries” has properly honored the original “Sex and the City,” it has re-energized the series’ already-powerful brand. The Sex and the City Hotspots Tour is still running, and more importantly, fans of the show are still asking: “Are you a Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte or Miranda?”

I have friends who associate themselves with each of these ladies. I have personally been told I’m a Carrie — I do write this column, but am unfortunately lacking an apartment or closet that’s on par. Although many girls love this question, I found it insulting to be described as a “Carrie” or any character.

Now I’m not insulting the holy bible that is “Sex and the City,” because it’s a truly fun, award-winning show. The problem is that young women shouldn’t need to label themselves as such stereotypical roles in regard to relationships and sex.

You can still be prim and proper like Charlotte while being sexually confident like Samantha. Journalism majors aren’t automatically Carries, as writers can definitely be as cynical about men as Miranda.

This impracticable labeling makes it easy for girls to look forward to the same lavish lifestyles the “Sex and the City” girls live. Unfortunately, New York City living isn’t as simple as the HBO classic boiled it down to.

It’s tough to be a real-life Carrie. Living off of the paycheck of a columnist is not an easy feat, and apartments that fabulous are even harder to pay for. Ms. Bradshaw’s real-life apartment sold for $9.85 million last year, and $9 million the year before. Forget about affording the designer stilettoes and to-die-for closet, too.

Although the life of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda is hard to come by, there’s another HBO show that’s much more relatable, recent Golden Globe winner “Girls.” Instead of deciding if you’re a Marnie or a Hannah, specifically, viewers can connect with each character’s experiences.

Marnie might be uptight and prudish, but she has just as many awkward and unfortunately common moments as Bohemian and impulsive Jessa. You rarely hear someone say “I’m such a Hannah!” but it would be difficult to find someone that doesn’t connect with one of her ill-fated romances or career mishaps.

Just remember, whether you identify with Samantha or Marnie, Shoshanna or Miranda, you’re lucky enough to be in charge of your own life — and not have some 40-year-old guy writing it for you.

 

Ariana Romero is a junior magazine journalism and political science major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at akromero@syr.edu or followed on Twitter @ArianaRomero017. 

Published on January 17, 2013 at 2:10 am