“We Should All Be Mirandas”

Sex and the City has always been one of my favorite shows. I grew up as a fan watching with my Mom and looked up to these “glamorous” women as role models. I simply wanted to be Carrie Bradshaw when I grew up. I saw them sipping their cosmos, chatting about the issues in their lives (mostly concerning the current guy in their life). As time went on, I found myself being able to understand more of the central issues- as well as why my mom made me cover my eyes or ears whenever Samantha was featured. Today this show is still a favorite, but one thing has changed. I no longer want to be anything like Carrie Bradshaw. Carrie is the main character and is meant to be seen as the quirky yet beautiful women you want to be best friends with.

It took me reading the book “We Should All Be Mirandas”, to fully understand the large flaw in her character. She ALWAYS needed a man to be chasing after, breaking up with, or dramatically falling for. She is hardly single during the show and being boy-crazy is one of her main personality traits. The book points out this flaw and also brings to light as to why one of the least favorite characters, Miranda should be the woman we all aspire to be. Miranda has shown throughout the story her independence as well as her professional drive. While being a successful lawyer, she is able to also be a nurturing mother. She chased her dream and then met a great guy. One scene specifically, she is being talked down to at work because of her gender. She responds to this by speaking up and telling the powerful men at the table that their behavior is unacceptable. Growing up, I was drawn to Carrie’s cute clothes, but now, I am inspired by Miranda’s resilience.

I related the argument brought forward in this book to our recent class reading, “The Treatment of Bibi Haldar”. In this passage, Bibi is told endlessly that she needs a man to “cure” her. She is taught she is unable to be complete by herself. Although less far-fetched- Carrie Bradshaw is a more glamorous version of Bibi. She is not complete without a man and looks for happiness in a relationship. Carrie is an example of the modern day Bibi. Many young women are unhappy with themselves and search for approval in a partner. While it is not a doctor telling us that we will stop having seizures if we find a man, we are still being told that a woman needs a man to be happy- even on shows I have been watching my whole life.