How to Make Sex and the City 2 NOT Suck
Last year, I was one of thousands of ladies who were standing in line to see the much awaited and anticipated film adaptation to the beloved show, Sex and the City. Yes, I may be a hardcore horror aficionada, but I have been following the (mis)adventures of Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha since I was fourteen years old. (You do the math!) As shameful as this is going to be to admit, the beginning did sent chills up my spine and I was happy to see everybody onscreen once again. (Even though I developed an obsession of wearing belts on everything I wear afterwards.) I also found it sadistically funny to watch the men in the audience wince while watching scenes of unshaven pubic hair sprouting out of bathing suits, lingering shots of a very endowed penis, and a closet fashion show montage followed by what sounded like the screams of crying banshees.
Although, once the essential novelty wore off, I found myself not enjoying the movie as I once thought I would. It wasn’t the same anymore. The messages were all wrong. All of a sudden I noticed that the movie was promoting the fantasy of women being able to hook up with their emotionally unstable and commitment phobic dream men and as long they wear brand names to the convenience store and not gain even a pound in their stomachs, that they could live in this fantasyland where they could have perfectly constructed and rent-control lives that only an overly flamboyant homosexual man could dream up. This was NOT the Sex and the City I had grown to love….this was a teen version of the show full of the most blatant and expensive product placements I have ever seen onscreen.
That’s not to say there were no good parts in the film, (many men would disagree with that statement) but there was definitely room for improvement. This time round, I hope the sequel caters more to the true fans of the show and I have constructed a list on how to do so.
Make Mr. Big Look his AGE
Even though Mr. Big has always been one of the older characters on the show, his sex appeal never got old. For the sequel, I would like to see the natural grey streaks of hair that gave Mr. Big his charm, rather than see him look unnaturally younger with dyed jet black eyebrows with hair to match and orange skin. Let’s face it… Carrie would never end up with someone who “mystic tanned.”
Stop Tailoring to the TBS crowd
There are two types of SATC fans. There are the viewers that watched the show uncut and uncensored (the way it was INTENDED to be shown.) Then there were the people that watched the butchered regular cable re-runs. Although seeing 10 minutes chopped out of every episode, hearing poor dubbings over curse words and being witness to digitally placed beige bra and panties covering a nude Samantha can be “amusing” in its PG rated way, the show lost its sexy charm when it became available on commercial television.
Unfortunately the show’s popularity grew when it aired on regular cable and the movie tailored mostly to that crowd. The characters were severely tamed down…(even Samantha) and it lost some of its “funky spunk” that the true fans have grown to love. Yes, I understand that the ladies have matured over the years, but the humorous vulgarity the ladies frequently displayed should not have died. The word ‘f*ck’ was a regular noun and verb on the show and it wasn’t just used as an occasional and colorful adjective here or there to make the surprised tweens blush like it was used in the movie. I hope to see the R rating used to its full advantage in the sequel.
Bring on the “Entourage”
I don’t know if I’m the only person who has thought about this, but I always thought that HBO’s Sex and the City and Entourage would have crossed over at one point. Entourage is the male’s answer to Sex and the City and just like Kevin Smith’s ViewAskew Universe, I pictured both shows’ characters co-existing in the same world. Even subtle nods like an Aquaman billboard in Times Square or seeing Ari mock Lloyd for having Carrie Bradshaw’s collection of articles entitled ‘Sex and the City’ on his desk would have sufficed for me.
However, with the SATC sequel coming out and majority of the boys from Entourage residing in New York for Vincent Chase’s new Scorsese movie, wouldn’t it be interesting to see the ladies go out on a night on the town at Johnny Drama’s new bar? Charlotte would be starstruck and gush over Vincent Chase, Carrie would be giving Eric love advice on how to get back with his unrequited love Sloane, Turtle would be getting a pestimistic Miranda high, and a newly single Samantha would have a hilarious and kinky tryst with Johnny Drama. (Face it…he needs to get laid!) This could be a brilliant marketing campaign to get men to willingly go see the SATC sequel and could lead to some pretty big guest spots on future seasons of Entourage. (Imagine the ratings!) Am I the only one who thinks this would be a good idea?
No Kids For Big and Carrie
Since Big and Carrie got hitched, it’s only expected that fanatics would want to see them have kids in the sequel and I think that would be a terrible idea. I’m already pretty vocal about how Carrie and Big should have never gotten married in the first place and if they have kids, it would only be to please the fans rather than on focusing what’s best for these characters. It is just NOT the natural progression for Big and Carrie and plus they are reaching the point where it may be too old for them to consider starting a family so late in life. I’m not saying that it’s improbable…but it is very unlikely considering the characters’ personalities. This storyline will most likely happen, so I guess I should stop my bitching.
Give the Men More to do
I know the main attraction of the movie is the four ladies, but as a devoted viewer of the show, nothing got me more excited week after week to see which love interest would making a guest appearance on the latest episode. Unfortunately in the movie , the men may as well have had the word ‘Prada’ tattooed on their foreheads for they were all reduced to being paraded as mere accessories to the female leads. Even poor Stanford was as a disposable as a pair of hot pink Converse sneakers in the film. Regardless of what any woman says, the men are just as crucial to the plot as the ladies are. (How else would Chris Noth get a seven figure deal to reprise the role of Mr. Big again?) Considering you will have men being dragged against their will for the sequel , why not give them some characters they could relate to for a change?
If you MUST Kill off Samantha…Please do so with Class
In 2004, even people who hadn’t watched the show knew about Samantha’s battle with breast cancer in the last half of season six. It was a shaky period for most SATC fans, because no one was sure if lovable and improper Samantha was going to make it to the series finale. Fortunately, her cancer went into remission, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Ms. Jones’ cancer will pop back up for the sequel. I say this because there is NO possible way I see Kim Cattrall signing on for a THIRD SATC film considering her ongoing public feud with castmate Sarah Jessica Parker and because the cancer storyline in SATC was full of Kim Cattrall’s strongest performances. It would be a bittersweet and tragic goodbye, (and would give a perfect excuse to end the franchise) but please for the love of god, if you must kill off the most likeable character on the show, please don’t go the “Dawson’s Creek series finale” route. That would seriously piss fans off.
More Cameo Appearances
Besides seeing the loyal nanny Magda and Vogue editor Enid make brief appearances in the SATC film, the movie lacked any real surprising cameos. (That is if you don’t count the designer dresses.) Bringing back familiar faces would definitely up the drama and the thrills and it could also tie up some loose ends. Could you imagine Carrie running into her ex boyfriend Berger after he dumped her on a post it 5 years ago at a book party or seeing Carrie and Big bump into Big’s jilted ex Natasha in the Hamptons? How about giving Stanford an actual storyline by bringing back his cabaret dancing ex boyfriend, Marcus (btw…when did they even break up?) who would make trouble for Stanford and former rival Anthony’s current relationship. How about bringing back the flamboyant lounge singer Bobby Fine or SKIPPER! Whatever happened to Skipper? Hmm….I need to get out more.
Give Charlotte a Proper Storyline
I know it was Charlotte’s time to be happy which meant little room for any drama in the film for her, but it seemed like Charlotte’s only purposes in last summer’s big screen adaptation was to sh*t her pants, be pregnant, curse Big and make unintentionally funny faces. She had the least screen time of the ladies and the character definitely warranted more. I hope for the sequel they give Mrs.York-Goldenblatt far more to do than tote her annoyingly cute baby, Lily everywhere she goes. Give her postpartum depression, make her walk in on Lily and Brady playing doctor…Jesus, just give her something to do!
Take Them out of the City!
The city of Manhattan is an integral character itself in the SATC universe, unfortunately because of the show’s massive popularity over the years, having the movie being filmed in Manhattan made it too easy for spoilers to be revealed. Seriously, pivotal storylines were online faster than Perez Hilton could doodle sperm coming out of John Mayer’s mouth. There were only so many times the general public could believe a “wacky dream sequence” was being filmed and it affected the film’s buzz. Even the extras seemed starstruck which made certain exterior scenes very distracting. The only parts of the film that were still a surprise for me were the scenes in Mexico. (which I thoroughly enjoyed.) Take the girls out of the city…if even it’s just the Hamptons. 
More Sex…less Fashion
I am a HUGE SATC fan, but what I’m not is a huge fashionista. Now although I appreciated the fashion choices shown week after week, I was more happy that the show focused more on the relationship issues the girls were dealing with, rather than simply what they were wearing. The movie however decided to make the esthetics of the show more in the foreground and the sexual conquests and conflicts unfortunately took a backseat. As much as I like sitting through unnecessarily long fashion show montages with the “soulful” sounds of Ciara in the background, I’d rather be swooning over Smith Jerrod’s sex tricks over Vivienne Westwood wedding gowns anyday.
Make it SHORTER!
When I dragged a guy to see the film with me last year, I couldn’t help but wonder: ‘Was being forced to watch a 2 and a half hour Michael Bay movie with transforming robots really deserving of this punishment?’ Let’s make the film a little shorter this time round…no lingering montages, no long sappy Irish songs, no more contrived moping.
So that’s just a FEW things I would like to see in the new film…I believe Michael Patrick King and Co. and can make the sequel a critical success as well as a box office success this time round. Please leave comments below or fire me an email atswhitney1984@gmail.com if you have any more suggestions. Now if you excuse me, I suddenly have the urge to drink a Cosmopolitan. (Well…really a scotch…but I’m just trying to keep to the theme. )
Loved this article.
I think my sister would agree, but she also liked the first film.
I would have to say, I pretty much disagree with your entire analysis of the film.
Having been a person who fell in love with the show on TBS, I have only recently had the chance to see the original versions from HBO on DVD. I wanted to see the footage I had missed, but I had no idea just how ‘mature’ this show was originally!
I much preferred the PG version. I HATE the fact that the F word is used extremely commonly, I think it’s offensive and vulgar and detracts from the lead characters. I am also not comfortable with the nudity and graphic sex scenes in the original series. The reason I am watching the DVDs now, are because I knew I had missed a lot of footage crucial to the plot and I am at least picking up what I had missed on TBS.
I loved the movie. Absolutely loved it. I could have done without the graphic sex scene with Miranda and Steve, with full frontal nudity as I am not used to that sort of content. But I thought it was an excellent movie, just the way it was. The art production was gorgeous, the music was wonderful (especially the Irish montage for New Year’s Eve-that blew me away it was so beautiful and perfect for that portion of the movie!)
SJP brought a real depth and maturity to her role, and that brought most of the emotion that was missing in the series which was more light-hearted. We finally got to see some real growth in Carrie, and I loved how her character matured so beautifully on screen.
Big WAS older in the movie, one reason I liked it so much. They did let him ‘age gracefully’, and his character was pleasingly settled down and content with his relationship with Carrie for a change. I loved the contrast of Carrie being the ‘younger woman’ as he called her that endearingly, showing that he had clearly matured and learned to appreciate her. It was refreshing to see him as a more down-to-earth, older male rather than the former dashing sex object Don Juan. I thought his aging was noticeable compared to the series.
I think Charlotte’s story line was fine, as they needed something stable and consistent to balance out the rest of the story arcs. It was so gratifying to see her finally at peace, and happy after an entire lifetime (since the age of 15) of continually looking for love and being disappointed.
I thought the incident in Steve and Miranda’s marriage made sense as a new story arc, since there wasn’t much else they could do with that situation. Thankfully they brought them back together at the end, although part of me was uncomfortable that she went back to a relationship where her spouse had committed adultery. I’ve always thought Miranda’s character was too insecure, and tended to ‘settle’ despite everything she had going for her. But it was better than seeing Miranda become even MORE cynical and bitter, angry. She always seemed to have so much anger and resentment throughout the story, like she had to prove who she was to the world.
I never really thought Miranda and Steve were all that compatible, considering the difference in their backgrounds. She is highly educated, very refined (except for her awful use of profanity and sex references in the show), cultured, sophisticated, highly successful professional partner at a law firm. So it always felt to me like she was ‘settling’ a bit with Steve, who was almost her complete opposite being working class, blue collar, immature, unsophisticated, flaky at times (dumping her for no reason), and sloppy. I would have preferred to have seen her end up with someone on her own level, but in the long run I am glad they reconciled their marriage in the movie because it’s nice to see a marriage work these days and it was the happy ending.
Samantha, well I was just surprised she actually committed to a guy enough to move out to the West Coast, live with him and run his career as his manager. That didn’t sound like Samantha. Her entire life was built around being a single, carefree girl in NYC with all the excitement and stimulating events there. So it didn’t surprise me when she came back to NYC, as that seemed the only logical way to resolve her story line and leave it open for the next movie. I was glad that happened, although I did like Smith. He was just too young and immature for her, and she needed her independence back as she wasn’t happy with him. So although her character took an interesting major turn in the movie, I was glad they brought her back as ‘Samantha’. But it was really great that she at least was faithful to Smith as long as she was with him, which is a huge difference from the old Samantha. Having seen her on DVD now, I don’t like her character so much as it was originally because she is SO crass with graphic sex talk, profanity, etc. She lacks normal, considerate boundaries especially in public which can be really offensive to some people.
Speaking of which…I don’t normally rent R-rated movies, but I really wanted to see this movie because I loved the show so much on cable. But being used to the TBS version, I was really glad in retrospect that they didn’t make the movie more R than it was.
VERY relieved they cut back on the language. I REALLY hate profanity, and one thing I detest about the original versions is the constant use of the F word. EVERYONE uses it, and that is just not realistic. People with decent values don’t talk like that, and people with good backgrounds don’t go around offending people by using profanity constantly. That really bothers me in the HBO series that these women (and all their male friends apparently) constantly use profanity. Even Charlotte at times, it’s so inconsiderate to people who are offended by so much of it. So I was very glad the movie didn’t go there as much as the series, as it would have ruined it for me. Using the F word constantly is just offensive and vulgar in normal society, and women of this calibre shouldn’t be doing that. Especially women with such good taste.
I think it was smart they made the movie more to normal standards than to HBO. HBO is unusually graphic and profane, and they knew in order to attract a more mainstream audience they would have to tone it down somewhat. I couldn’t have watched it if every sentence had the F word in it, it’s so vulgar. Thank goodness they had the good sense to clean the movie up a bit! Other than a few nude scenes, it wasn’t too bad which I liked because it left the focus on the more important story lines and relationships involved. Most people don’t live in a world where they and all their friends talk about sex graphically and openly in public and otherwise, and use profanity constantly. Not people who move in decent circles. So the movie was far more realistic to me.
Of course it was gratifying that Carrie and Big ended up married after all. It would have been too heartbreaking and hard on the audience not to finally have that resolution. And pushing it to a second movie wouldn’t have worked.
But it also made me wonder how Carrie, who had come so far and matured so gracefully, had more confidence, beauty, and success, would just forgive this guy in 2 seconds for leaving her at her own wedding. She spent months getting over the trauma, and then the minute she sees Big they are back together again and next thing you know they are getting married. Although it’s the only real movie ending that would have worked, realistically it wasn’t very plausible. If a guy is that flaky and indecisive about his own wedding after putting Carrie through multiple ended relationships, is he really worth marrying? That’s Hollywood for you. But I do believe they were truly meant to be together, as they had a special kinship. I just think it would have made more sense for them to get back together and start over more slowly, so they could address the problems that caused him to betray their own wedding.
I had no problem enjoying the movie without letting fashion get in the way. It’s arm candy, the movie was beautifully produced with amazing art direction. That is part of who these girls are, NYC Fashionistas. I never gave it much thought except it was fun seeing the nice outfits. But I don’t feel it lowered the quality of the movie at all, I was so involved in the story line it really didn’t matter much either way. If anything, the physical aspect of the clothing, etc. just enhanced the art production. It would have been really weird to suddenly have these 4 women famous for wearing designer labels for 6 years, suddenly wearing thrift store sweats. There has always been that sort of ‘superficial’ quality about them being obsessed with fashion and accessories, but it seems to work because their characters also show so much more other times.
Again, I much preferred the movie being more benign and not as vulgar as the original series was. That had too much sex, too much graphic content and profanity for my taste. I would have hated the movie to match that, especially as it was designed for a much broader audience than just those people who get off watching porn movies.
Thank goodness they chose to cater to an audience with taste, rather than vulgar perverts who just want to hear the F word and see people having sex. They made the right decision, and allowed a much broader audience to be able to enjoy the movie without being made too uncomfortable.
The original SATC was a very irreverent show, and I am glad I became familiar with it on TBS before seeing the original episodes, because I liked it much better in PG format. It wasn’t as disturbing to me, as I am not comfortable with extreme profanity and graphic sex. It was mostly gratuitous as far as I was concerned, as it wasn’t usually necessary to enhance the story lines. More for shock value and characterizations, that unfortunately made them less appealing to me.
I got really tired of hearing Carrie say the S word constantly, it made her seem so much lower class than her character was. (Although I was never clear if she went to college or not, or how she became such a successful writer in a competitive city like NYC. I know Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda all went to college and in Miranda’s case graduate (law) school.
As for ‘killing off Sam’; I have heard nothing at all about that, and I sincerely hope they don’t go that route! That would be horrible, after she got through it the first time. Samantha needs a chance to redeem herself in the world, learn to really love herself and develop self-esteem instead of her pseudo ‘I am fabulous, I don’t care what anyone thinks and I throw men away like trash because I can’ facade.
That never worked for me, because it obviously covered up an extremely insecure person inside. Samantha never had the self-worth to NOT have sex with any guy that came alone, and in a sense they were using her as much as she was using them. That isn’t healthy, and I was glad the movie changed her character to a monogamous, more normal Sam. But she still needs a chance to really come into her own, and find a healthy self-love that would lead to a healthy real-world love relationship. She deserves the same stability, peace and happiness that Charlotte has. But I’m not sure if Sam can ever learn to love herself enough to achieve that. I hope that changes in the second movie.
I doubt they would be cruel enough to bring her cancer back, that would just be too negative for the audience to handle. Although I LOVED the Dawson’s Creek finale, and thought it was extremely well done (Dawson’s Creek was my favorite show and for awhile I had all 6 seasons on DVD I loved it so much!). It was very sad to see Jen die, but I don’t think that made it a bad finale. I think it centered all the characters, and acted like a catalyst for them to find their way in life and grow up. In short, Jen’s death forced them to confront their fears and move on into healthier areas of their own lives. She even brought Joey and Pacey together in the end, and finally resolved that long lasting love triangle.
But I don’t think they need that in SATC. Charlotte and Harry are happy and fine, Miranda and Steve have reconciled, and Carrie and Big finally tied the knot. Their lives are all fairly settled, except Samantha. So I doubt instead of bringing something negative into her story line such as cancer, they would instead bring something positive in such as finally the right relationship and possible marriage.
They probably feel that SATC viewers wouldn’t be satisfied until all 4 girls were settled down and happy in their relationships, since that was much of the focus of the series. It would be cruel at this point to bring Samantha’s cancer back, and I sincerely hope they wouldn’t. She’s too full of life, and hasn’t had a chance to really find herself and find true happiness yet.
Bringing some familiar characters back is a good idea in terms of continuity, but not to overdo it. We don’t need a cameo parade, that would detract from the central story lines. Some of us have discussed a former love interest of Carrie showing up again to distract her from her marriage, such as Berger or even Aiden.
I suspect they will have something bring a hiccup into her marriage, and then resolve it at the end again; that is basic writing 101. Conflict makes the best drama. But they intentionally wanted the movie to be DIFFERENT from the series, not an exact replica. They discussed that on the movie commentary. This is 4 years later, and so much has changed. They didn’t want it to be just another SATC 2 1/2 hour episode, so they intentionally tried not to have too many similarities.
As for NYC–it would be really hard in terms of continuity to NOT keep the city as the central location in the second movie. But they should have other locations as well, perhaps a honeymoon or trip that Carrie and Big are on for his work. Or Miranda and Steve having recommitted, decide to start over somewhere else where they can really raise a family in a less urban environment and without such a high cost of living. Or perhaps Charlotte and Harry go on a romantic second honeymoon, I would have liked to have seen more of his character in the movie. I love that guy he is so perfect for Charlotte!
And she is so much more comfortable, and herself around him than she was around Trey. She was just a timid, insecure cardboard cutout wife around Trey. But their (Charlotte & Harry’s) marriage needs to stay stable. Maybe Samantha decides to liven things up by taking an impulsive vacation by herself to Hawaii or something, and meets Mr. Right. Some locations would be interesting, but I still think the central aspect of the movie needs to stay in NYC. After all, it is called Sex And The City!
I LOVED the movie. I am glad they didn’t make it more R than it was, as not being used to the HBO versions it was a little intense for me. But at least they limited the sex scenes, and got rid of a lot of that awful profanity that ruined the original series for me. Hearing sophisticated smart women with good taste saying obscene words all the time was such a contradiction in terms, and unrealistic compared to real life. And the fact that all their friends did it too, and none of them seemed to have a problem with it really bothered me. I wouldn’t put up with someone talking like that around me! In fact, I wouldn’t be comfortable associating with people like that. It surprised me that these women would.
Whatever the next movie is, I’m sure it will be as great as the first. Maybe even more so, since 3 out of 4 girls have permanent relationships now and they can focus on Samantha which should provide an interesting story arc. I am curious how they intend to mess with Carrie and Big (they always do, their relationship has always been the central focus of the show and movie). And how they will bring them back together again.
And I hope they don’t emulate the HBO series, but keep it more crowd friendly without the ‘irreverent’ vulgar content. The movie was so beautiful, and so emotional; that would have ruined it. They need to cater to a broad audience, and ALL people who enjoy the show, not just those who for some reason are titillated by a lot of profanity and graphic sex scenes. The rest of us prefer a decent story line and resolved relationships. I also hope they continue the high quality art production from the first movie, it was really spectacular.
Most of all–more emotion. Bring it on!!
filmcritic#5 Reply:
May 7th, 2009 at 8:22 am
Hey, TheCFiles:
You sound like a stupid Republican cunt. Get your tubes tied.
TheCFiles Reply:
May 7th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Filmcritic#5;
I suggest you grow up, get some class and stop being abusive towards intelligent people who have better values and perceptions that you do.
What a mouth! Your parents would be ashamed.
filmcritic#5 Reply:
May 8th, 2009 at 8:47 am
You sound fat too. I bet you’re a porker.
Eat those emotions fatty. There are always cats when no man can get at ya.
TheCFiles Reply:
May 9th, 2009 at 3:14 am
Right, because everyone knows that having good values means a person has to be ‘fat’.
You make some valid points about the first movie and I agree with what you suggest to make the second one better. But I have to say that despite all the ‘problems’ with the first movie, it’s still a hell of an entertaining ride. I saw it like 3 times at the theater and since buying the blu-ray still watch it. I think if you listen to Michael Patrick King’s movie commentary and get what he was trying to achieve, it’s still totally in the spirit of the original series. And I fully trust him do do a great job with the second movie. SATC was his vision and he understands the characters more than anyone.
TheCFiles Reply:
May 7th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Very well said.
@TheCFiles,
Wow girl…you wrote a hell of a lot and although I agree with you on Carrie showing growth in her character, I don’t agree with most of what you said either. I’m glad that you found entertainment value in the slaughtered versions…but SATC was originally intended as the filthy version you are appalled by. I don’t know who you are hanging out with, but majority of ppl could relate to that show BECAUSE of the openness of the conversations about the sex…they were Relatable..hence why the show become so popular.
It’s cool that you liked the show in the wholesome kind of way…but contrary to what you may believe,you don’t have to run in indecent circles and be a whore to like the show in the original format…
Glad for the feedback nonetheless.
TheCFiles Reply:
May 8th, 2009 at 12:43 am
I didn’t use the ‘w’ word, I detest that word.
I was simply making the point that most decent people I know would not be comfortable with so much profanity and nudity. Why do you think they made the movie more palatable? Because they realized the HBO series only catered to a specific part of the population, and they wanted a broader viewing audience.
I honestly do feel the vulgarity, profanity and graphic sex ruins the original series. Not the additional story lines, but there are ways to portray those without using gratuitous profanity and nudity. It’s very uncomfortable to see women characters who are sophisticated, intelligent, formally educated (for the most part), professionally successful and savvy about current events and trends to contradict all of that with vulgar profanity. It cheapens their characters, and makes them appear more ‘trashy’. That’s why I loved the TBS version so much, because it didn’t cause an uncomfortable conflict for me to watch. My only regret was the editing they did that left out significant portions of the overall plot.
I guess it has to do with how you were raised, your values and background. It’s common sense though most of the time, that that sort of profanity and vulgarity is not considered in good taste. Even the show’s commentary admitted it was irreverent, and irreverent implies that they go beyond the boundaries of good taste intentionally in order to provide something of the opposite.
TheCFiles Reply:
May 8th, 2009 at 12:46 am
PS: “the people I hang out with’ are just normal, everyday people who are of good calibre, have good values, and know the difference between what is good taste and what isn’t. If MOST people relate to filthy TV, than society has a definite problem. Fortunately most of the people I know would not relate to that at all. It’s almost on the level of a porn movie at times.
Matt Champagne Reply:
May 9th, 2009 at 11:32 am
What is the ‘w’ word?
Daniel Herrera Reply:
May 9th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
im still waiting for an answer to what the ‘w’ word is myself. been f5′n the comments for awhile now..still no definition.
Serena Whitney Reply:
May 9th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
I believe the controversial ‘W’ word TheCFiles is referring to is ‘whore.’
Matt Reply:
May 9th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
The word whore is in the bible. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t qualfy as a dirty word, any more than the word “fornicator” or “murderer”. Just because a word describes a “bad” practice doesn’t necessarily make it a bad word.
TheCFiles Reply:
May 8th, 2009 at 4:27 am
I disagree with the statement ‘that a majority of the people could relate to the show because of the openness about sex’ (nudity, graphic sex, profanity, etc.)
The fact that this show aired originally on HBO, which is a very specific network that allows content like that, and is only available as an expensive premium channel clearly shows that the content was not written for the ‘majority of viewers’.
TBS is a standard network on basic cable, which has a considerably larger amount of viewers due to its accessibility. When they brought SATC down to TBS, they had to edit and change the adult content considerably, because they knew it was inappropriate for such a larger viewing audience. Proving, that the Majority of Americans who watch a standard cable network like TBS versus a specialized, ‘adult content’ network like HBO would not be comfortable with the increased adult content.
When they brought the show to TBS, they knew they were reaching a much broader audience in which the R-rated material would not be appropriate, which definitely reflects the fact that the majority of people who watch cable have different values. The fact that they had to tone down the show so much for a larger viewing audience, just shows that ‘the majority’ of people wouldn’t be comfortable with it in original form. TBS reflects mainstream America, so there you go.
TheCFiles Reply:
May 9th, 2009 at 3:19 am
Another interesting point brought up in the Season 3 commentary for the episode when Trey and Charlotte get married:
Michael Patrick King mentioned that they looked for a very dark church to use as an offset for all the white and pastels in the wedding. He then explained that ‘very few churches in Manhattan would work with the show’. They had to see the script, approve of it etc., and he was surprised that the church they ended up filming in decided that the scene wasn’t too bad to be filmed there. Apparently most of the churches refused to be used to film SATC.
Pretty obvious point he is making there. If so many churches and so many people in the community have a problem with the values on the show, they obviously don’t reflect the moral majority.
@CFiles,
You made your point but as you can see…you are in the minority with this one. It’s great that you have such high morals….but if you keep forcing them on other ppl…you’re just going to keep receiving negative feedback.
TheCFiles Reply:
May 9th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Which would then show the true character of people leaving negative feedback for normal and decent viewpoints….
Interesting point.
Not ‘forcing’ anything on anyone, just making some honest points.
BTW-My morals are abnormally high, they are just normal for most people with good backgrounds.
So much hostility for making valid points??
Oh and since you said ‘I made my points’, obviously I am not in the minority. Quite the opposite. Not everyone craves nasty TV content. If for some reason you feel threatened by that fact, it isn’t my responsibility.
TheCFiles Reply:
May 9th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
I meant to type ‘my morals are NOT abnormally high’ which they aren’t. They are just rational and common sense oriented.
Serena Whitney Reply:
May 9th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
lol…I don’t feel threatened by that fact. I never felt threatened or threatened you with negative feedback..I’m just pointing out the FACT that your comments are coming across as being ignorant and majority of the people reading it…(all our vulgar reader fanbase that come from BAD backgrounds mind you) are more than eager to point that out.
Oh btw…is the expression “gang-banged” a wholesome term? Because I just heard it used in an SATC rerun right now on the CW…if so your theory is flawed.
TheCFiles Reply:
May 10th, 2009 at 12:51 am
“”I’m just pointing out the FACT that your comments are coming across as being ignorant and majority of the people reading it”"
Oh really? Sounds threatened and defensive to me-the claws are coming out!
That is not true. My comments are not ‘ignorant’ and frankly, you are showing a rather ignorant ugly character yourself by continually fighting someone for no reason. Just because you have trashy values doesn’t make other people ‘ignorant’. It just makes you irrational.
I am a UCSD graduate, with a BA in Writing and two minors in Music and Communications. I actually do know what I am talking about, especially when it comes to writing and marketing, etc. I am hardly ‘ignorant’ and I think you are just defensive because you know that what I am saying really does make sense.
The fact that you are this hostile and abusive over nothing, just shows that you don’t know what you are talking about. Maybe it makes you feel ‘important’ to write an ‘article’, but it was hardly stellar journalism. I wouldn’t have been this honest, except for the fact that you are now just plain obnoxious and making up lies about a stranger. You have no clue how things really work in the world.
Good luck with that attitude in the real world. The only other people I have seen respond here are fairly ignorant themselves, not even knowing that the “w” word is, indeed considered quite offensive. Common knowledge among most people. If you care to base your irrational perspectives on people like that, feel free! I prefer the real world that is more rational.
Anyway, I have made several excellent points here and proud of my contributions. Just because the author of the original ‘article’ is a ***** doesn’t change that. She just needs to grow up, get a life and learn what is good taste and what isn’t. In other words, get some real values. Not white trash ones.
I really don’t have time to keep explaining myself, since you obviously don’t get it. I am done-and good luck! Apparently you know so much more than ALL the talented, experienced and educated people who put the movie together. You are special! And yet, I haven’t seen your movie come out and be a huge success yet….
Taking the high road here—IGNORE
TheCFiles Reply:
May 9th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
PS: I am NOT in the minority, obviously as TBS and the movie have a far broader viewing audience than a premium channel like HBO known for adult content.
And I really don’t appreciate being ‘threatened’ with negative feedback, simply because I have the decency not to be a pervert that gets off on nudity, juicy sex, and a huge amount of profanity (most notably the constant use of the ‘F’ word which is NOT acceptable in mainstream society). The people who do enjoy that are the ones in the minority! They do not reflect the majority of TV viewers at all.
You can protest all you want, it doesn’t make you right. It just reflects your own values. If you are going to write an article, at least make it more objective and not so biased from the viewpoint of someone who obviously enjoys vulgar content in TV programming, and expects the rest of us to put up with it in movies.
Donny Broussard Reply:
May 11th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
The film found it’s audience on HBO and the TBS picked up the series and ran the reruns. I’m sure it did broaden the shows audience, but I’d have to disagree with TheCFiles that her morals are normal for people from good backgrounds. I find that insulting. I’d like to think that I come from a good background. My family raised me to care for people, to get a good education, to love my fellow man, and to enjoy filthy cable television shows, so I find that comment insulting. If you don’t like the nudity then don’t watch it, if you don’t dig the profanity, don’t watch it. I’m sure you can find all of the TBS episodes on late night marathons. Just because people enjoy their television with a little filth doesn’t mean they come from bad backgrounds, it just means they think for themselves and have made different decisions than someone that doesn’t enjoy nudity and profanity on television.
With that said, filmcritic#5 if you ever call someone fat or a cunt on our comment section again you’ll be banned from being able to comment here. We want everyone to enjoy our comments section, and we love it when people get into healthy discussions like the long one Serena and TheCFiles got into, but we don’t want any personal attacks.
Barbara Cooper Reply:
July 13th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
7-13-10
Hi;
I tried the ‘Contact Us’ link for this web site, but it isn’t working. It just takes your personal information and there is no place to write a message.
So trying here. I am wondering, if there is any way you could please delete all of my posts on this page? I used the name: TheCFiles
This was quite some time ago, and I am in the process of deleting older forum posts and info, etc. for privacy reasons and to reduce my cyber footprint online.
I believe my only posts are for this article, and I was never really comfortable with the negative responses. So I would really appreciate it, if you could please delete all (every single one) of my ‘TheCFiles’ posts from this page, and this site. I am pretty sure they are all on this article page. Is there a way to do that from your end?
Thanks so much. If there is someone else I should contact about this, please let me know. But I can’t find any other links. I even tried contacting Gravatar.Com, but they can’t do anything about this site.
Barbara Cooper (TheCFiles)
Email: TheCFiles@Cox.Net
I’m sure everybody is hearing The Psycho score in the background after reading CFiles’ comments….
I think the best way to make SEX PART DEUX not suck is to simply not make it.
Abstinence is the best form of birth control, fools!
Abstinence isn’t the best form of birth control. An asexual outlook is the best form of birth control. No repression!
That CFiles user should start posting again.. I’ll take them down a notch or two..