My understanding of sexuality and gender came with maturity that was heavily influenced by my unconventional family dynamic, movies, and magazines. As a child, I did not explicitly give any thought to gender and sexuality. I simply understood that some people were girls and some were boys and as far as sexual identification, I didn’t really categorize who liked who. I was an interesting child. I had two gay uncles and my best friend from preschool, Gina, told me she was a boy the first day I met her. I didn’t really care about these things until I became older and was able to see that maybe the way I raised was not the norm or maybe it was the fact that I had been in a Catholic school since kindergarten. Although I was raised to have an indifferent opinion, most of my thoughts were shaped by what I was reading, watching, and observing around me.
When I think about gender or sexuality the first thing that comes to mind is the TV show, Sex and the City, during the early years around seasons 1 or 2. I started watching the show on the WB after school in the fifth grade. I was addicted to the wayward Carrie Bradshaw and her band of loyal companions. The show, although hilarious and quirky, actually tackles some very big issues like sexuality, femininity, friendships, and relationships. Looking back now, I realize what an impact this show had on my opinions about society and interactions between genders.
I was always envious of the way Carrie seemed to attract the most interesting people; she was so striking and smart that people just flocked to her. Carrie became my idol and her advice was held above all. I adopted her progressive thinking and trendy styles as my own. I assumed to be liked as a female you had to fashionable, smart, and open-minded. Along with Carrie’s fabulousness came her insecurity and doubt. She was very critical of her body image and the way others viewed her. She often relied on her fri
ends’ opinions of her especially Stanford, her stylish gay friend. This created a very odd image to femininity. She also created a very unusual sexual guide. She slept with many people, had harmful relationships, and had difficulty committing.
When I think about gender or sexuality the first thing that comes to mind is the TV show, Sex and the City, during the early years around seasons 1 or 2. I started watching the show on the WB after school in the fifth grade. I was addicted to the wayward Carrie Bradshaw and her band of loyal companions. The show, although hilarious and quirky, actually tackles some very big issues like sexuality, femininity, friendships, and relationships. Looking back now, I realize what an impact this show had on my opinions about society and interactions between genders.I was always envious of the way Carrie seemed to attract the most interesting people; she was so striking and smart that people just flocked to her. Carrie became my idol and her advice was held above all. I adopted her progressive thinking and trendy styles as my own. I assumed to be liked as a female you had to fashionable, smart, and open-minded. Along with Carrie’s fabulousness came her insecurity and doubt. She was very critical of her body image and the way others viewed her. She often relied on her fri
ends’ opinions of her especially Stanford, her stylish gay friend. This created a very odd image to femininity. She also created a very unusual sexual guide. She slept with many people, had harmful relationships, and had difficulty committing. While I still believe Carrie is fabulous, she skews healthy perceptions of a woman. Maybe she is just an exaggerated figure created to contrast those more conservative females that were hesitant to accept the future in blurred gender lines and sexuality.
I've never watched this show, but I can definitely see how it could have some kind of influence with gender roles and sexuality. It seems to touch on a whole lot of different things.
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