I’m sure most of you will be aware that Sex and The City 2 was released on Friday (28th May). I was one of the thousands of women who went to see it. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am no Sex and the City fanatic. I only ever watched a few episodes sporadically when there was nothing on TV at night (and would more often than not, change it to Road Wars half-way through.) Having said that, I always liked the series; it was witty and captured the essence of Western, modern women.
I noticed that the popularity of the series grew ten-fold with the success of the first Sex and the City movie and, as is often the case with a media craze (Twilight etc), I was naturally in opposition to it all, even though I quite enjoyed the first movie. So when my friend asked me to go with her to see the sequel, I was initially hesitant. But I decided to go, even if it was only to re-confirm my dislike for the growing cult of SATC, and so I could express exactly what I disliked about it in the next SATC showdown, with reference to the film.
The whole experience was uncomfortable from the start, the Cineworld on Broad Street was packed full of women who had dressed up for the occasion. The older women donned cocktail dresses, shawls and heels and the younger women tried their best to imitate Carrie’s individual, fashionista style. As is often the case with Carrie herself, many of them got it wrong. It was quite cringe-worthy to see the lengths some of them had gone to but I could understand that for that night, they were women of glamour and extravagance.
I sat down with an open mind, I was willing to be proven wrong, and my friend was waiting to give me the: “I told you it wasn’t that bad” look. Oh how wrong we were! The film was a complete train-wreck.
The plot was as arid as the Abu Dhabian desert they trekked across; occasionally they stumbled across an oasis and the film salvaged some dignity- namely the kiss between Carrie and Aidan and the confessions of motherhood between Charlotte and Miranda. They were snap-shots of real life among a series of unrealistic scenes.
But, for most of the film, comedy was of the bawdy variety, more suited to a Carry On film than the biting wit of the SATC series everyone knew and loved. The bra-less nanny, the camp butler and Samantha’s “Lawrence of my loins” joke (which received a chorus of raucous laughter) would not be out of place in the low-budget, slapstick, film-series.
For me, this wasn’t the most shocking part of my viewing experience- let’s face it, SATC has always teetered on that border-line! The anti-Muslim sentiment of the film, however, made me very uncomfortable. What started off as a seemingly unashamed advert for Abu Dhabi and its luxuries, sharply turned into harsh criticism and blatant disrespect of Islamic conservatism and practices.
One scene in particular was what I can only describe as: horrific. Menopausal Samantha, freshly released from the police station for crimes of indecency (having sex on the beach), drops her bag in a busy market, and condoms fall out. She then proceeds to wave them in the faces of offended Muslim men and proclaim: “Yes, I love sex!”, whilst making overt sexual gestures. I was stunned. But what shocked me most was the round of applause and salutations it received from the crowd around me!
The inappropriate act has been described as ‘anti-Muslim’ and ‘racist’, and it was sadly confused with an act of modern feminism. Part of me also wondered whether the reaction from the audience was fuelled by anti-Terrorist sentiment. One reviewer remarked that: “It was the woman’s equivalent of a football match. It didn’t matter that their team was playing badly”
I just sincerely hope that the women who watched this film never carry themselves as their glamorous idols did whilst in Abu Dhabi; the case of Charlotte Lewis- jailed for a kiss on the cheek in Dubai- is a lesson in how serious the consequences may be. I know that, personally, I would prefer to cover up and abide by the customs of the country I am visiting, than cause them offense by trying to prove a point. It might also be a case of taking yourself too seriously..who knows?
I was glad to find I was not alone in my views though, Billy O'Reilly commented that: "If these four women were in Pakistan, they would be beheaded. So I guess it is anti-Muslim. The way they behave, these women, they'd last like 35 seconds in a Muslim country. Their heads -- complete with lipstick, pierced ears and eyeshadow -- would be on stakes." I think it's hard not to agree with him and I guess it was the hyperbole of the situations that made the whole thing a bit ridiculous.
Wajahat Ali also poignantly added that the movie: "is cinematic Viagra for Western cultural imperialists who still ignorantly and inaccurately paint the entire Middle East (and Iran) as a Shangri La in desperate need of liberation from ignorant, backward natives. ... It's hard to overstate the offensiveness of the fabulous four's exquisitely tone-deaf trip to Abu Dhabi."
Its a shame that the legacy of SATC- once celebrated for its empowering nature- has been reduced to portraying the Western world of women as worshippers at the altar of Consumerism, Capitalism and Hedonism.
And don’t even get me started on Liza Minnelli’s redition of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”!
Much Love, Virgo Blogger x
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