If there is a TV show that has influenced women near and far, that is Sex and the City. Not only in terms of dating, but also in fashion, careers, lifestyle and friendship.
The influence of Sex and the City has been so astonishing that in 2009 The Guardian named Carrie Bradshaw as an icon of the decade, claiming that she "did as much to shift the culture around certain women's issues as real-life female groundbreakers."
This fabulous TV show is based on a ground-breaking book with the same titled written by Candace Bushnell.
What makes this such an interesting book is that it is based on real facts and real women. Indeed, Sex and the City is a collection of essays by Candace Bushnell based on her and her friends' lifestyles. Like the TV show hinted, the "Sex and the City" book is an anthology of columns that Bushnell began writing in 1994 for The New York Observer. Another interesting fact is that Candace Bushnell was a regular at 1970s New York dish fleshpot Studio 54.
The book "Sex and the City" may have been first published back in 1997 but its words live on as well as its characters. Indeed, many women refer to themselves as being a Samantha, a Miranda, a Charlotte or a Carrie.
Some women travel to New York to follow take the "Sex and the City" tour and visit all the places where the filming took place. Some others immerse themselves in the characters and get a Cosmopolitan cocktail when they go out.
But that's only the start. Many people learnt about shoes by watching the shoes. That explains how expensive shoes like Manolos became know by everyone. Most women took fashion tips from these wonderful characters, who dressed according to their personality.
To honor this amazing story, here are some quotes from its characters:
"The fact is, sometimes it's really hard to walk in a single woman's shoes. That's why we need really special ones now and then to make the walk a little more fun" - Carrie
"The Universe may not always play fair but it least it's got a hell sense of humor."
"Oh my God! Do you know what these are? Manolo Blahnik Mary James! I thought these were an urban shoe myth!"
"I'm not sure bisexuality exists. I think it's just a layover on the way to Gay Town."
"When I first moved to New York and I was totally broke, sometimes I would buy Vogue instead of Dinner. I felt it fed me more."
"Beauty is fleeting, but a rent-controlled apartment overlooking the park is forever."
"I'm looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't-live-without-each-other love."
And one last quote that should influence women far and wide: "Being single used to mean that nobody wanter you. Now it means you're pretty sexy and you're taking your time deciding how you want your life to be and who you want to spend it with."
