Sex and the City, the movie, continues the stories of Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbes, Charlotte York, and Samantha Jones. Carrie is a journalist who's expertise is love and relationships. She is about to marry, finally, her boyfriend of ten years, "Big". Big gets cold feet as wedding plans escalate. Carrie is a minor New York celebrity and events get more and more fabulous as the big day approaches. Big leaves her at the altar. Carrie's three friends help her cope, as they deal with their own personal family and relationship dramas (a growing family, an end to a long term relationship, and an affair) unfold. Ultimately, Carrie and Big end up together; Miranda stays with her cheating husband; Samantha finds happiness with herself; and Charlotte welcomes a new baby girl. The true story, though, is the relationships these four women have each other.
With a title like "Sex and the City," sex is to be expected. Not only are there sex scenes (eight total), but there are also conversations about sex, scenes that imply sex, and clothing that suggests sex or sexiness. Not once is any type of protection mentioned nor are the responsibilities or risks of sex discussed. However, one of the leading ladies, Miranda, does get pregnant before she marries (this happened on the TV series but is briefly highlighted in the opening scene of the movie). None of the women, or men, are forced into unwanted sex. They all choose to participate or, in some cases, not to participate.
The most heavily used form of sexual suggestiveness in this movie is definitely the clothing: lingerie, plunging necklines, short dresses, etc. Even the bridesmaids dresses are sexy and fashion forward.
However, it's not just the clothes but the way the women act (with confidence) and how they present themselves. A good example of this, is a scene in which Carrie (and in this extended version, her friends) try on her old clothes to decide which to take or toss for her big move -- each scene is provocative and involves dances and "vamping". (click below to see).
Then, there are the scenes with no clothes. Not including the actual sex scenes, there are 10 scenes that feature nudity.
As far as the sex scenes, there are eight (with another four that suggest sex has just happened or is about to happen). Some are brief but others are quite graphic.
There are seven additional scenes that feature alternative sex (male on male, a threesome, and a dog with a pillow/other object). The less explicit scenes are those where couples are just kissing. There are 11 scenes like this (some were just couples on the street while others were the main characters).
Finally, there is a lot of talk about sex. 15 scenes in all. One couple discusses their lack of sex, which led the husband to cheat; others brag about the sexual experiences; and still others discuss their lack of sex. There are seven scenes with sexual innuendos. The most notable is a scene where sex is compared to coloring (click below to see).
The f-word is also used throughout the movie, eight times, although not always in reference to the act of sex.
Conclusion:
While mediated sexual content is a growing trend, I do not think that everyone should be able to access such films. There is a rating system in place (SATC is rated R) however, I do not think that everyone truly pays attention to this system. I think that a lot of girls model themselves after the roles in the movie (Who's "the Carrie"? "the Samantha"? of the group?) and although I'm sure not all are trying to portray themselves as sexily, I'm sure a lot of them look to the movie (or perhaps more to the show) for romance and relationship advice because, bottom line, that's what the show is really about - love and friendship.
If we were to follow cultivation theory, someone might think of the normal reality as sleeping with everyone and anyone and not being ashamed or worried about the consequences. It's called a "Walk of Shame" for a reason. However, these aspects of the sexual experience are not covered in this movie, or, for the majority, any other movie where women and men have multiple partners.
Also, desensitzation theory would suggest that the more we see such content, the less worried we would be about the responsibility and risk. We might also be less concerned with cheating or with sex in general. It could just become something everyone is doing with no reason at all except that that's what they thought everyone else was doing.
I think that only people who understand the true difference between a movie relationship or sexual experience should be allowed access to these types of movies. While there is no forcing or commanding nature to the scenes, there is also no consequence. That lack of consequence is perhaps the most unsettling concept - people should be aware of the risks of unprotected sex, one night stands, and having multiple partners.
