In a recent interview on the podcast “Call Her Daddy,” actress Sarah Jessica Parker discussed the significant cultural influence of her iconic role in the television series “Sex and the City,” which first aired 27 years ago. Parker, alongside co-stars Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis, portrayed characters that not only entertained audiences but empowered women and changed societal norms surrounding femininity and friendship.
Related Parker was engaging and demonstrative in expressing her ideas throughout this 73-minute interview. She specifically focused on how the work liberated the way women travel through public space within New York City. She noticed a very marked difference in how women behaved at restaurants. This newfound confidence was a direct product of the show.
About a year after the show premiered, I began to see what it was doing to New York City. That’s how Parker described it. To her, the evidence was undeniable. “You’d see groups of women all of a sudden at tables leaning into each other, not leaning in… which, I can’t stand [that phrase].” This change exposed a cultural underbelly. Women enjoyed the complete freedom to voice their opinions in any realm, from the political sphere to the personal.
This show didn’t just set New York on fire, it sent shockwaves across the world. Savvy businesspeople, cultural critics, and even those who never tuned in can tell you the cultural impact and legacy of “Sex and the City.” As Parker looked back on the stories that these women shared with her, stories about finding liberation within the characters represented in the show, she started to understand.
Women who’ve done this work have come to me over the years, telling their stories. They’ll add with a wistful smile that, “I was free to be me.” She shared. That sentiment goes to show the series’ permanent mark on most of our lives. It’s not just history that makes it instrumental in today’s debates over the role of gender in transportation policy.
The theatrical production featured a cast of 80 performers, who criss-crossed New York City’s crowded streets. Their outsized recreations often caused panic among drivers and excitement among passersby who saw their acts. This intoxicating mix of haute couture, sisterhood, and New York minute lifestyle has made “Sex and the City” a cultural landmark.
Now younger generations are learning about the show from its sequel series, “And Just Like That.” While they do, discussions of its impact keep the discourse alive. The wonderful portrayal of female friendship and independence is still inspiring and relevant, both in the past and today.
