When the blockbuster box office returns for the big screen version of Sex and the City rolled in last week, show biz pundits everywhere were shocked -- shocked! -- at how well this filmic feast of fashion, femininity and fabulousness fared. The way some (mostly male, presumably straight) pompously pontificated about this "surprise hit", you would think that women -- and the gay men who love watching them -- never went to the movies.What has been shocking is how sophomorically sexist -- and, by extension, homophobic -- some of these anti-Sex rants have been; that any male who went to see this movie "just had to be gay" or was dragged to it, kicking and screaming, by their silly female significant other. The message presented, repeatedly, was that even laying your man eyes upon the screen was a threat to your manhood at its very core, as if doing so it would suck out all the testosterone in your body at the very least, castrate you right there in your seat at worst.
Well, (and I know I'm basically preaching to the choir here, but bear with me) here's a newsflash for you boys: men, both gay and straight and everywhere in-between, can enjoy the escapist escapades of Miss Bradshaw and friends and, get this, have for years now. Being a fan of Sex and the City, the television series and the motion picture, doesn't make one any less of a man, no more so then, say, digging Dirty Harry or Die Hard makes one less of a woman. To say so otherwise is bullshit macho posturing, plain and simple.
In other words, fellas: (said in my best Samantha Jones purr) get over yourselves; it's just Sex.
4 comments:
Well said! I completely agree with you. I am a huge fan of SATC and I still can't understand why some men feel like this. My dad is a straight guy who has been married to my mom for over 19 years, and he likes the show. I think it was because he gave it a chance and didn't automatically assume it was shit or made him less of a man.
i can't understand why straight men would deny themselves the pleasure of watching four very attractive women without upsetting their "significant other"! even if only for that they should be able to enjoy this film
Amen. Though I never really got into SATC, I watched many eps with and without my wife present. I never really liked Carrie's 'tude and her fashion choices, but the show was well written and they had some really fun escapades. Plus, I got to see Samantha and Charlotte so it was never a total wash.
"pleasure of watching four very attractive women"
MJ, your argument lost steam right there. Mildly attractive? Cute? Decent looking? All more apt phrases than "very attractive." But that's neither here nor there, and your point is taken.
I'm a straight man, and I've never understood how and why wathcing women on screen (or listening and/or looking and female musical artists) translated to being gay. If anything, wouldn't it be the other way around?
I didn't have interest in seeing SATC, but I saw many an episode during its TV run, and yes, it was voluntary. But I stopped watching towards the latter part of the show and the thought of a 2 hour version was just unappealing.
Great post, Kirby.
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