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At 20 years old, Sex & The City would be halfway through university. In other words, it's done a lot of growing up. Or rather, we have. Anyone who goes back to watch the show, as many currently are in celebration of its birthday on Wednesday, can see that there are some things about the HBO classic that, well, aren't that classic at all. The fashion, for instance. Low-rise, bootcut jeans have (thank God) not followed us to 2018, and Carrie Bradshaw's whole career has been transformed thanks to blogging and social media. But there are some bigger aspects of the show that stand out even more, especially in light of the fact that the show was considered so progressive for its time.
For the all revolutionary ways the show portrayed sex, gender, and sexuality, it harboured an equal number of regressive attitudes and stereotypes that are downright offensive to watch now. Does that mean we can't enjoy it? Certainly not, as long as we recognise its shortcomings.
It also opens up another question. As Carrie would say, I couldn't help but wonder: will the shows we consider progressive today be equally as dated and cringeworthy in 2038? Will I look back at the clothes on Girls and The Bold Type and laugh out loud? What thinkpieces will Broad City inspire 20 years later?
Ahead are five scenes from Sex And The City that have not aged well — from the technologically embarrassing to the straight-up offensive.
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