In this essay, I will critically examine the extent to which Sex and the City (1998-2004) influenced public opinion on gender representation. Sex and the City was an award-winning trending television show created by American producer, director and screenwriter Darren Star and produced by cable company HBO. I will take a close look at how the writers portrayed the roles of men and women through the characters in the series and how this had an effect on the target audience of women 21 and over. Media can have a big impact on our lives in many ways; within that, there are gender images depicted with representation that we as an audience are all trying to follow in our own lives. The arguments will examine whether the characters were exploited to a certain extent. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayThe romantic comedy-drama first aired in 1998, it was a series that had four main female characters with ambitions, independence and successful employment. The way they are so open about their sex and love lives "which seems mundane today but was really innovative at the time." (Guru-Murthy, 2010) is powerful. It was something that changed the way women viewed this conversation with their friends. It was suddenly no longer a men's affair but now involved both sexes. Nowadays women talk openly about sex and it's something they should be proud of and not ashamed of, which is exactly what Sex and the City was aiming for in grabbing women's attention. The difficult situations aired in the series made it a “cultural phenomenon because women could identify with the characters” (Sotonoff, 2004). We see the show deal with a lot of difficult female issues, but the characters express their feelings and we see their strength. and power through these moments in order to overcome them. The topics of single motherhood, abortion, homosexuality and cancer are hot topics that many women face. Having a show that talks about these complications allows both female and male audiences to better understand how they can manage or how to speak with confidence about these concerns. It's one of the first modern shows to do this. The influence of Sex and the City can be seen through the “unity between the character and the audience” (InfoRefure). There is a relationship of agreement between the two, both sexes can watch the series with pleasure and say “I experienced that”. It is essential that a program has an influence on the audience, it can make the viewer think or express themselves in a distinctive way. Additionally, Sex and the City made women feel comfortable with themselves and others when talking about sexual encounters. , experiences and men without being judged and/or challenged for useless chatter. “It was the first time you saw an engorged breast on television. I think it's fantastic that women now feel comfortable talking about vibrators. » (Akass, 2004) Mothers around the world were inspired that there is no shame in breastfeeding in public after seeing Miranda, one of the main characters, openly breastfeeding her baby in front of people. . This made women feel more confident in their own skin, which was not how the media portrayed women who had just given birth. Time magazine had a cover of the four main characters of Sex and theCity in 2000 and the headline read "Who Needs a Husband? (Times, 2000) This encompasses the whole view of single life and comforts women by telling them that they don't need a husband alongside them simply because they have reached a certain age Emphasizing the fact that women can be much more powerful and selfish women should focus on their careers and lives rather than being obsessed with finding money; a husband. "Characters in their thirties who are proud to be educated and successful, and most importantly, have achieved this status on their own, allows women everywhere to build relationships. (InfoRefuge)The main characters are repeatedly seen having confidence in how they have succeeded in their careers throughout the series. This only proves to women that the ability to succeed has no limits and does not depend on men, even when men occupy a higher position than their position. The media associates men with accomplishments and achievements and women with housework and children. Even today, women are proving to the media and the world that all these statements are incorrect. Sex and the City gives men and women an example of what a work environment is like. should be like ; equal. In Season 2, Episode 5, Mirada invests in purchasing her own large apartment for herself. She's angry: "I have the money, I have a great job and I still have, is it just you?" (Hobbes, 1999) we then see the rest of the girls continue to tell her that people are "threatened" to lose her job because she is more successful than most men and women. This proves to our audience that people feel more comfortable seeing a man being a dominant gender rather than a woman. Viewers can now see how fake this seems compared to when the show aired and people were just beginning to realize the impact of the show's gender representation. Watching this episode made women wonder why a woman should be asked about her achievements and not men, this becomes an eye-opener for all female viewers. In conclusion, both genders have in one way or another been targeted in a positive way in the series. This has impacted what genders can do, we see the independence of women and the courage of mothers. There is a large audience who will identify with many topics and find answers in the questions they ask. Sex and The City has been seen as a concern with gender stereotypes; Many feminist opinions claim that if people looked into the hidden messages, they would find many gender stereotypical comments. Many say: “…the role of men being the only beings who hold the key to achieving a sense of fulfillment and happiness in a woman's life. » (InfoRefuge) The meaning behind this is that women without male attention or help do not feel complete satisfaction in their lives. For the characters on Sex in the City, the status of "single" is torn apart in many episodes about how to find the "bachelor." marriage material guy,” which personally goes against the independent, strong, leading women they present themselves to be. This hypocritical view from the public can only sow confusion about how women should act. Do they find that special someone and marry them or are they independent and don't care about being single? This brings us to the episode I mentioned before, season 2, episode 5, everyone is so supportive of Miranda buying her own place, then a comment is received from.