by can- » Wed Nov 13, 2013 3:50 pm
'It's not a bag, its a Birkin!'
both of these shows are dear to my heart. I love SatC because its a nonstop vision of NYC in the late 90s and early 00's, it's an accurate depiction of how the city looked and dressed. Girls because it seems so true to my generation, to those just out of college and trying to define themselves. and the popular culture of those who grew up in the SatC era doesn't really apply anymore/ the gap isn't as exaggerated as the gap between our generation and the baby boomers, but there is still a very confused generation of young people who got out of higher education without some defined STEM career track. "now what?"
where do these two shows collide? does Girls do in 2012 what SatC did in 98? is girls a pure and simple spiritual successor? is Girls a critique of SatC? does either show advance a socially progressive viewpoint, or do we just really love rich white girls?
SatC is a vision of the early to mid 90s- four 30y.o. women living it large in NYC. in 2013, the idea that carrie bradshaw could afford a west village brownstone on the paycheck of a sex columnist is ridiculous. in fact the idea that anyone with an education and willpower can 'make it' (in Sex's terms): fancy boozy brunches, weekly trips to Barney's, etc-- doesn't feel accessible anymore. there is a (toxic but pervasive) notion that someone has to "sell out" at some point to make it in the New World where wealth and knowledge are controlled by large corporations who manipulate first world politics and exploit third world labor and resources.
do trips to Barney's mean we've 'made it" anymore? the relationships in Girls are much less scripted, much more human than those in Sex (with the caveat of course, that i have much more shared experience with the writers and actors of Girls than Sex). with wealth inaccessible, are strong interpersonal relationships the new commodity? isn't in great that in 2013 we don't have to be fabulous anymore?
is Carrie a stronger character than Hannah? Hannah gets a lot of flak for being selfish and spoiled, but I see strength in her honestly w/r/t her insecurities and personal failings.
Is girls just another white girl fantasy adjusted for modern times? despite everything I have said and believe about my generation being slighted by our parents, these are still first world problems. the worst thing that could happen to a character in Girls is that they fail out of NYC as a young 20 something.
just some things i have been thinking about.