Sex and Lisbon city.
I haven’t stumbled upon a theme to talk about like I usually do. I think it’s the unstructured quality to being on summer holidays
I’ve been off for over a month now. Got to kill all those brain cells from exams by watching day time TV, looking after the house, doing chores, that type of thing. Long walks. Very self indulgent.
I went to Lisbon with my mom for a week. What a city, very different to here. But as I arrived, in the surreal haze of waking up in your own bed and getting to a European city by lunch time, I noticed something; you probably get the most accurate view of the country in the taxi ride from the airport to your hotel. There you see the tall high rise apartments and giant ware houses and tile suppliers and the like. Then you get to the bubble. The tourist bubble. Which is great too I’m not complaining at all. I like the bubble!
Lisbon is a beautiful place. They have monuments everywhere, huge statues or modern art. We went on one of those open top tour buses, where you listen to head phones and learn some history of your surroundings. They have so many monuments it’s hard to remember why they erected each one... “We erected this monument because...well, it was a Tuesday. Monument erecting day. You know how it is”
The people were very friendly (and no I’m not being paid to write this by the Lisbon tourist board)
We came across several people who thought Ireland was part of the UK! So once we set them straight we got many a congratulations on being a republic. Which was odd. But nice.
The best thing about holidays is coming back. You get to see your own house with a sparkly newness.
That’s what I’ve been doing lately. So now I’m going to rant.
Sex and the city is the most shameful thing ever. Don’t get me wrong, I watch it, of course. But I watch it as the unrealistic dribble that it is. The notion that four well educated women have nothing to talk about but men is actually unravelling the tread of equality!
Three of them define themselves by their relationships with men and the only one who doesn’t is because she has the emotional intelligence of a hair brush. Samantha would be the “strongest” female, merely because she’s the manliest. She has casual sex and has literally no interest in developing a relationship. There are, believe it or not, well rounded women who aren’t jumping in and out peoples beds who talk about other things than sex.
Carrie- the main character- is the most self involved wench. (Who looks like a foot-but that’s beside the point But, having said all this she is a well written character. She’s self centre, difficult, victimises herself- I know lots of people like that (hell I probably am a person like that). She cheats on her lovers then makes herself out to be the victim, treats them terribly, she short with her friends most of the time. But people are flawed, so I guess it’s realistic. The thing I don’t get is she’s meant to be our heroine. Sarah Jessica parker was on Jonathon Ross and was shocked when he said Carrie is annoying character. She said that she thought Carrie was a very kind, independent person.
Hello?!? (Sorry that was very 90s) Independent?! The woman buys $40.000 worth of shoes and has to get her friend to buy her apartment for her (which by the way you never hear of her paying charlotte back again...she goes back to buying shoes)
That brings me on to my next point- what a bloody horrible time to male! I’m so sorry guys. I’m all for equality and “girl power” (trying to avoid the F word...feminism) but jeez it seems to be the age of the spoilt bitch. Carrie- our “independent” heroine in the movie moves into Bigs giant apartment and gets a closet the size of my living/dining room and we’re all meant to be happy for her?
Men have to let women be completely independent while at the same time still being men, but not belittling, but they seem to – according to sex and the city anyway- still need to pick up the cheques, be men’s men- have a high powered job but do the dishes, not be a sissy yet forgive cheating, respect a woman who sleeps with you the minute you meet them- and also you should be able to fly.
I know ideal relationships rarely- if ever- exist but they never even ventured the idea of a partnership- that two people could share their lives without this big power play. They reference “wearing the pants in the relationship”- who has the power- who wears the pants- who has the penis-i.e.; the man is power, and even if you are the woman in charge it’s because you act like a man.
It’s not fair to want everything provided for you but also be considered independent.
HBO claims that 93,000 girls from ages 12-17 watch the show with the permission of their parents. Girls are currently being brought up with the idea that you can live and not work, be demanding and yet void of personality as long as you’re pretty, and men in the end, will be the definition to the success of your life. (In the end of the series Carrie gets with big, Miranda and Steve are together, charlotte’s with her husband and even SaMANtha has a love)
These young girls look to Carrie has their idol! That is frightening! God help us, everyone.
