Sex & the City Posing the Difficult Life Questions
Who would have thought that a television show like sex and the city would have people buzzing about the relevance of the long-standing traditions of love, marriage, and children? While some are clamoring that women are becoming less involved with their work and have no longer settled for a simplistic approach to the work-life balance, others are saying it is much more complicated than that. Since the 1950's women's participation in the work force has steadily increased allowing for high profile women to become the poster child for the entire gender. A little more than half of the CEO's of major corporations are women, well above the tradition of the past. Glass ceilings are being shattered across the board.
Being born in a world where the woman rules has not always been and acceptable term, but today, television shows like sex and the city have helped to unmask the struggles these women have faced on their journey. In the television show the women all struggle with problems such as having children and being single, being married and wanting out, or just being seen as a jezebel. One of the most surprising themes is around marriage, or a lack of respect for it. Sex and the City have allowed society to reinvestigate the ideas surrounding traditional marriage roles and whether or not they matter. In fact, only 38% of the people today believe that marriage is even relevant.
Television used to show the woman hanging around depressed because she could not find a man to come and sweep her off her feet and marry her; today that is not the case. Sex and the City have changed that to become more of "œif he comes, he comes, no big deal". Marriage is on the ropes and there are few advocates telling anyone that it matters in society whether or not successful women come back around to marriage and children. The role of men is also in question. Are men still the power behind marriage? When examined, it is found that now about 45% of the women in serious relationships are asking their mates to get married, and that is done on a whim not with any pressure tactics. If women desire marriage, then they might initiate, if not they don't.
What is happening here is that marriage is no longer a validation for women. Sex and the City have allowed women to see the reality and the validity of who they are and the women enjoy it. Statistics show that most women agree, about 65% with even the sexually exhaustive character who has no real desire for settling. Women are now more likely to agree with that character's idea of having fun with no strings attached. Even the married women in the show are less satisfied with marriage most of the times leaving more to be said about marriage. It is simply becoming outmoded in most people's minds. Marriage is becoming less of a common idea that people wrap their arms around and embrace.