Sexism and the City

Good for you Ramin! I think there is sexism in Hollywood and politics and ....I .liked the movie too It's a little long and I would have preferred a cool Black girlfirend (maybe recently divorced) to a sweet personal assistant, but it's a nice movie about women and much better than most other romantic comedies even those that have gotten rave reviews (like "Knocked Up"). I only wish they had used some of my songs instead of some of the stuff they chose. (www.youtube.com/vivwolsk)

To actnes - you're post was very interesting. As for your contention that women become more opennly sexual while watching "Sex and..." and that their men should see it with them to take advantage of that fact kind of proves my point of the motivation of movie watching. As a man, I (and I think most men) watch a movie to be entertained. You, as a woman, espouse men to see this movie so that they can take advantage of a sexed-up girlfriend, NOT because they'll enjoy the movie. This, I believe, proves my earlier point, that men use movies as entertainment, whereas women can use them as a means to help manage their relationship.

Your last sentence and it's two points were even more interesting - that "Watching a movie or show like Sex and the City not only gives us woman power, but if allows us to be more open with our sexuality as well.". Exactly HOW does a movie like that "give you power"? And is this "openess" only during the time just after the movie, before you cool down??

I don't understand the comments below, for example "I agree with many of these posts that say this article's logic doesn't pan out. The author's "evidence" of men's "sexist" reaction is weak." Really? I'd say that men who have said they don't want to see a movie yet were "...voting early and often..." on IMDB "...so that the movie would have a low rating of 3 out of 10 among users before Friday..." show sexism. You don't want to see a movie? Don't. And don't vote on it. I think that men who went out of their way to vote on a movie they wouldn't see and to have such nasty comments about it (without having seen it) shows how bad sexism is in this country.

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The word is not "dude flick" but "dick flick." Dick is a word that is much more comparable to chick, signifying objectification. So dick flick is the term to use when contrasting male oriented movies with female oriented movies that are denigratingly termed chick flicks. And there really should be no objection to using the term in general publications where we have seen the terms ***, whore, and chick used without pause.

As a woman, I look foward to to the "male action" movies just as much if not sometimes more than the men themselves, and when I heard Sex and the City was coming out, I admittitly gathered all my girl friends and we arranged months in advanced to see the movie, just like we did for Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, and just like we will for Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
I myself am ridiculed by most men I know when I voice my dislike for a "male movie," their responce is "You didn't like it because your a girl." Okay, first of all, I'm girl who's top movies include The Rock, and Face Off, grated I also love Love Actually and The Notebook, but can't we like them both?

News for you Men, women's sexual levels are higher when watching a movie like Sex and the City as opposed to a movie like Indiana Jones. So men, get over the fact that Sex and the City does so great. You should take this chance and hook up with your girl after the movie, and if your really feeling fresh go see it with her and whisper in her ear during one of the sex scenes "That could be us later." Watching a movie or show like Sex and the City not only gives us woman power, but if allows us to be more open with our sexuality as well.

I do agree to some extent that there are a large number of men that dislike this movie just because its aligned to the female mindset. However, the reason i dislike this movie, and the shows themselves is because of how sexist they are towards men. If you were to take what you seen on sex and the city and use it to define men, we would all be stupid, unable to care for ourselves, and expendable. Granted i know this comes from the men side as well. But here is the difference. If we objectify women there is public outcry, protests by feminist groups, all kinds of organizations throwing a fit. But when its done to men we are told "hey you are men, deal with it." Thats the part im not too cool with. And honestly here, i have heard there is a full on shot of a penis in this movie and it got an R rating. When was the last time you saw a full on shot of a vagina in any movie that was rated less than NC-17? yeah, never. Double standards piss me off, thats my only beef

I agree with many of these posts that say this article's logic doesn't pan out. The author's "evidence" of men's "sexist" reaction is weak. And garnering bad reviews does not prove sexist intent on the part of the reviewers. The author also cites the relatively low representation of women in position of power in Hollywood. And that is to show .... what?? That the Hollywood movie-making machine iteself if sexist? And the actresses that are mentioned as "not being able to open a movie" - I'd say that statement is wrong on it's face. The REAL issue is audience and product quality. But first, and more important, is the moviegoing audience. The fact is that most adult movies are watched by young, heterosexual couples. And men, being men, are, in general now, more selfish than their female partners. So, they tend to win in their choice of movies to watch. And women, who are more concerened about the state of their relationship than any particular movie, usually go along with their man and watch what the man wants to see. THAT, my friends, is why MOST movies star men, are about men, and address things from a man's point of view. Because we men are more selfish and, therefore, are more concerned with our OWN immediate pleasure (i.e., seeing OUR movie), than women, who are more concerned with keeping their boyfriend \ husband happy. THAT argument, btw, IS "sexist", by it's nature. But it's also correct.

Before "Sex and the City" there was a 1939 movie called "The Women" starring Joan Crawford, (with not a man in sight.) It was during the Depression and a great chick flick. No one said anything about sexism when that movie came out, or did they?

Disliking _Sex and the City_ doesn't make a person sexist, and Setoodeh doesn't claim this at all. What he does point out is that the backlash against this movie was ferocious before it even came out, and even more snide and condescending than pjdinger's comments on this article!
_Sex and the City_ haters, when they do present something that sounds like reasoned criticism, judge the movie according to a double standard. No one goes to see a blockbuster for the realistic characters and situations or the masterful and wholly unpredictable writing. Blockbusters are for fantasy, spectacle, happy endings, and often (as in the case of Indiana Jones and Iron Man) beloved characters as familiar as old friends. Why ask for more from _Sex and the City_ or its audiences?

I am a man and totally agreed with everything you said until you compared Sarah Jessica Parker to Hillary Clinton. That comparison stereotypes strong women. I don't think that a woman in politics from Arkansas would have much at all to talk about with an eccentric woman highly into fashion from NY. It's about the individual. By the way, female leads in movies have a history of not doing well because women do not support them anymore than men. Don't make an argument men are sexist and then end your article doing exactly that, it's hippocritical. "Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Ghandi By the way, I saw the movie with my wife and it was good, only looked at my watch one time!

This "news" article reminds me of that U-tube video where that flakey guy is screaming and crying at the camera telling the world to leave Britney Spears alone. I can feel the tears and anger that are coming from Ramin Setoodeh as wrote this article. "Why can't you just leave Carrie and the girls alone!" -sob-sniff-cry-snob-sniff-cry.
I am just guessing that if I don't like Britney Spears music, and I don't like Hillary Clinton as a candidate that makes me a sexist?
It is a chick movie about chick stuff; of course guys aren't going to like it, that doesn't make them sexist.

Certainly there are many critics of "Sex and the City" who are driven by sexism, knowingly and otherwise. That said, this article's position is intellectually indefensible, since it takes the motivation held by some and carelessly (as well as unconvincingly) attributes it to all. What's worse, it attempts to intimidate those who have legitimate criticisms of "Sex and the City" into silence by threatening them with a disparaging mischaracterization should they happen to express the "wrong" point-of-view. Blending a noble cause like feminism with the unsavory attributes of McCarthyism works to no one's advantage.

Lizzy have you not seen the amount of ire directed at Senator Obama by women at the same time. Your selective obersvation is a little pathetic.

No offense, but did anyone not see the, "If you don't like 'Sex and the City' you're a sexist pig argument coming from a mile away?" I did.

Let's compare "Sex and the City's" reception by critics to "300's." Both of these movies played almost exclusivley to female and male demographics respectively and both of them were received very poorly by critics.

Using Indiana Jones as an example in the article was pretty silly anyway since its primary audience over its opening weekend was families. Families include women. Women saw Indiana Jones. I hope you're starting to catch on to my point here.