The Myth vs. The Man

Everyone has those few television programs that they can watch over and over again.

Mine include: Friends, How I Met Your Mother, Desperate Housewives, and I'm sure I could think of a few more.

I am currently involved in a close and personal relationship with the four main characters from Sex and the City, as I binge watch my way (for the second or third time) through the 6 seasons.

I don't put a lot of stock in the life lessons that Carrie Bradshaw attempts to convey through her newspaper column that goes by the same name as the series.  The show has elements of sexism, misogyny, classism, and ageism.  In addition, it often shows both women and men in a really terrible light and it paints a very unrealistic view of life in New York City (since when can a writer of a weekly column about sex and romantic relationships afford 100+ pairs of Manolo Blahniks and a studio apartment on the Upper East Side?).

That being said, I am pretty easily sucked into the exciting lives of the four fabulous 30-something friends that drink cosmopolitans, go out to brunch, and complain about their various dating escapades and sexcapades.

I will also give credit where credit is due.

Sure, the show is full of terrible stereotypes.  But stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason -- they happen.  And, for better or for worse, they will probably continue to happen.

I don't necessarily agree with a popular TV show perpetuating these stereotypes for six seasons, but I digress.

Carrie Bradshaw is the somewhat air-headed and scatter-brained protagonist in the show and over the course of the 6 seasons, she blindly plows her way through a series of relationships.

(WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW)

A pretty common, however trivial, debate when it comes to the show --

Aidan Shaw vs. Mr. Big.

Aidan -- the husky, furniture designer/builder, with a house in the country and a heart of gold.

Mr. Big -- the typical arrogant asshole that we all kind of love to hate.

I was always an Aidan fan.

I loved the whole "business in the city, heart in the country", ruggedly handsome, dog-owning, non-smoking vibe.

And he really loved Carrie.  He even gave her another chance after she cheated on him with a married Mr. Big!

He was so totally my type.

I mean what's not to love?

But this time around, I, like Carrie, gave Mr. Big yet another chance.

And I think I may finally understand.

Mr. Big, with all of his commitment issues and his betrayals of trust, is only human.

He made some mistakes.

But ultimately he was able to pull his head out of his ass in time to track down Carrie in Paris to tell her that she was "the one".  And that's what really counts, right?

It just took him a little longer to realize than it took the rest of us.

No matter how good someone is on paper or whether they are "so totally your type", if you don't have the zsa zsa zu (refer to season 5, episode 8), then they're not "the one".

Tell me I'm wrong.

Katie Cawley channelling a little Carrie Bradshaw for a change.

I have been watching too much SATC.