"Sex and the City" empowered a new generation. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the moments, scenes, and plot points from “Sex and the City” that are all about that fem-powerment!
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00:00 getting married to myself. Oh, and I'm registered at Manolo Blahnik.
00:06 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the moments, scenes, and
00:11 plot points from Sex and the City that are all about that femme powerment.
00:14 Don't laugh at me, but maybe we could be each other's soulmates.
00:19 We are not, however, including any moments from the movies or the 2021 revival sequel.
00:25 Number 20. Shutting down Miranda's body shamers. In the season 5 episode, Carrie convinces
00:31 her friends to celebrate Charlotte's 30-fo birthday in style. They end up going to Atlantic
00:35 City, but it's not exactly the gal's getaway Carrie probably had in mind. When she tries
00:47 to get a group photo at the casino, two men unkindly tell Miranda to shove off the blackjack
00:52 table. The others do not miss a beat, confronting the pair and making it abundantly clear that
00:57 this kind of body shaming will not be tolerated. Miranda is also reminded that although her
01:02 body might look a little different than what she's used to, it supported her through pregnancy.
01:17 Let's just say the ladies make sure that the shamers learn their lesson loud and clear.
01:30 Number 19. Carrie has a friend in Miranda. The series is called Sex and the City, so
01:35 as the title suggests, the ladies are likely to spend a great deal of time talking about
01:40 their physical relationships. But did someone forget to give Miranda that memo? We can totally
01:54 appreciate that she wants at least some of their conversations to pass the Bechdel test.
01:59 And we'd probably scream into the abyss listening to Carrie ruminate over Big for the umpteenth
02:03 time too. But at the end of the day, Miranda is
02:09 still there when Carrie needs her. There's arguably nothing more empowering than being
02:14 supported by loved ones during difficult times. And sometimes, we all need reminding that
02:19 the healing process can't be rushed.
02:28 Number 18. Friendship comes first. The ladies celebrate their unified singledom with a night
02:33 of drinking and dancing. When Charlotte struggles to get behind this cause of celebration, Samantha
02:38 offers her some pretty sound advice. Sure, being with someone can be great, and we can
02:43 all dream of being in loving and nurturing relationships. But the most important relationship
02:58 one can have is with themselves, which, as we'll soon see, is a recurring theme throughout
03:03 the series. Anyway, when a man approaches Sam, asking her to dance, she politely turns
03:08 him down. This is a girls' night after all. Miranda might be surprised, but we weren't.
03:13 Samantha doesn't exactly strike us as the type who would ditch her soulmates for a man.
03:21 Number 17. Samantha celebrates body positivity. Most of us can probably relate to looking
03:26 in a mirror and picking apart what about our physical appearance we'd most like to change.
03:31 So next time you find yourself being your harshest critic, we'd like you to remember
03:35 Ms. Samantha Jones. She is a body-positive queen and a role model to all of us. In this
03:53 episode, she shows appreciation for her body by posing for photos in her birthday suit.
04:03 Her friends are somewhat critical at first, but Samantha is confident enough in her own
04:08 skin not to be shaken. We're not suggesting booking any intimate photo shoots if that's
04:12 not your thing. But we can all learn to love our bodies and what they do for us a little
04:27 more.
04:28 Number 16. Miranda learns to cope with rejection. The truth can be hard, but it can also set
04:34 you free, as Miranda learns in this episode. She tells her friends about her date, and
04:47 while they're all optimistic and encouraging, Carrie's boyfriend Berger offers another
04:51 perspective. The ladies are horrified by his blunt honesty. Well, except for Miranda. She
05:05 actually finds it refreshing and learns to embrace the harsh reality that sometimes,
05:09 that other person simply isn't into you. With that in mind, she approaches the dating
05:14 scene with a whole new perspective. Fun fact! This episode reportedly inspired series writers
05:25 Greg Barron and Liz Tuchilo to write the self-help book "He's Just Not That Into You," which
05:30 was later turned into a movie.
05:40 Number 15. When Carrie tears up Big's check. This episode is one that many point to when
05:45 itemizing Carrie's flaws. After she ends things with Aiden, she needs to find the money for
05:50 a down payment or risk losing her home. She soon discovers that because she spent so much
06:06 money on shoes, she's not a viable candidate for a loan. She brings her financial woes
06:11 to Big, who offers her the money without a second thought. Miranda and Samantha also
06:15 offer support, but Carrie turns them down. Yes, expecting your friends to bail you out
06:20 is extremely entitled, and we have to side with Charlotte here. That aside, Carrie did
06:38 try to own her mistakes and didn't rely on a man to save the day.
06:46 Number 14. Miranda won't apologize for her lifestyle. In season 3, Miranda hires a housekeeper
06:52 who tries to clean up a lot more than just her home. Magda is a more conservative woman
07:06 who believes that all women should know how to make pies. Does she think that's the quickest
07:10 way to a man's heart? Her idea of a bedside goodie drawer is also vastly different from
07:24 Miranda's, but Miranda refuses to be judged for her choices. She tells Magda that how
07:29 she chooses to live and enjoy her life is none of her business, and if that's going
07:32 to be a problem, there's an obvious solution. Magda finds a weirdly sweet way to let Miranda
07:47 know that she has been heard.
07:50 Number 13. Samantha, the unapologetic feminist. For a series about sex and relationships,
07:56 some of these characters could be pretty narrow-minded about the subject, but not Samantha Jones.
08:04 She celebrates female sexuality and sensuality in all its glory, and never apologizes for
08:10 putting her pleasure first. She's open-minded, takes ownership of her body, and encourages
08:15 others to think more freely. Package that together, and it's hardly surprising that
08:21 she has such a fulfilling intimate life. She also taught us that nothing is more vital
08:26 than self-love, and no, not just the physical kind, and how important it is to nourish that
08:31 relationship. You are the one constant in your life, so why not put your happiness and
08:36 satisfaction first?
08:42 Number 12. A baby shower stirs up many emotions. Sex and the City's stance on motherhood
08:47 is quite progressive for its time. Take this season one episode, where the ladies attend
08:52 a baby shower and contemplate their own maternal instincts. We're shown a plethora of attitudes
09:05 towards parenthood, but at no point does one feel more legitimate than another. Sure, you
09:10 can be one of those people whose lives are transformed by having children. Or you can
09:14 be like Samantha and celebrate your childless life. Both are perfectly acceptable. We also
09:26 love that despite her lack of interest in babies, Samantha is there for Charlotte when
09:30 Lainey steals her baby name. We all need a friend like Samantha in our corner.
09:48 Number 11. Carrie's parting message. We had spent six seasons navigating life and
09:54 love with Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha, and Miranda, and now things were coming to a close.
09:59 Carrie was back with Big, the ladies had reunited in Manhattan, and they had served some final
10:04 iconic looks. Now, all we needed were some empowering parting words to hold onto between
10:09 rewatches. And luckily, the writers had the perfect message to send fans on their way.
10:22 Carrie reflects on the journey she's been on and the lessons it taught her. But the
10:26 main takeaway is that the most crucial relationship in your life is the one you have with yourself.
10:31 Finding someone who shares that love is an added bonus.
10:42 Number 10. When Carrie turns down Aidan's proposal. In one of the most poignant scenes
10:47 in the show's history, Carrie is in a white dress and Aidan is in a rented tux, and he
10:52 suggests they just get married right then. Carrie has already displayed some trepidation
11:08 about their upcoming nuptials, and in this moment she has to put her foot down and tell
11:13 him that she just isn't ready right now. Many fans disagreed with her decision, considering
11:30 how well Aidan treated her, and especially due to the fact that he took her back despite
11:35 her infidelity. But in the end, no woman should do something she's not comfortable with,
11:40 to avoid losing someone.
11:46 Number 9. When Charlotte chooses her choice. What this moment boils down to is a woman's
11:59 right to choose. Whether that means working towards becoming a partner at a law firm or
12:03 quitting your job and pursuing interior design as a hobby. Miranda calls Charlotte out on
12:15 what she deems to be a flaky life decision, but in the end, they both realize that there's
12:20 no one right path that works for everyone. On top of that, this episode also features
12:32 a storyline about one of Samantha's partners asking her to do a little personal grooming,
12:37 and her refusing to comply unless he does the same.
12:48 Number 8. When Miranda proposes to Steve. Sometimes it's the simplest things that can
12:59 be the most inspiring. When Steve and Miranda finally get together for good after spending
13:04 years apart, Miranda decides to ask Steve to marry her in a moment that's both unexpected
13:09 and beautiful. Despite how far we've come, marriage proposals are still something that's
13:15 more frequently considered the man's responsibility, and seeing it go down another way is refreshing.
13:23 The fact that Miranda isn't what you'd call a hopeless romantic makes this gesture
13:27 all the sweeter.
13:36 Number 7. When Charlotte takes control of her reproductive future. Charlotte is a woman
13:48 who knows what she wants, to meet the man of her dreams and to have a child. She thinks
13:57 she has the guy, but unfortunately, the baby doesn't come quite so easily. Through all
14:02 their fertility troubles, Charlotte often feels alone since Trey is clearly not on her
14:07 wavelength when it comes to the importance of starting a family. In the end, she realizes
14:20 that he doesn't care about having a baby nearly as much as she does, and for that she
14:24 knows she has to look somewhere else for her happily ever after.
14:38 Number 6. Miranda deserves to celebrate success. In a world where gender roles continuously
14:44 evolve, it sometimes takes some people a little longer to catch up than others. For instance,
14:56 when Miranda and her friends discuss her and Steve's vastly different salaries. On the
15:01 one hand, Miranda doesn't want money to be an issue in the relationship. But on the other
15:05 hand, why should she devalue her success? After all, no one expects a man to feel bad
15:19 about out-earning a woman. Carrie faces a similar issue when she dates Berger. Like
15:24 her, he's a writer, but he's intimidated by and even jealous of her success. Still,
15:29 Carrie has no intention of downplaying her achievements to soothe his bruised ego.
15:41 Number 5. When Carrie marries herself. In the season 6 episode "A Woman's Right
15:46 to Shoes", Carrie's invited to a baby shower at a friend's house, where the hostess
15:50 asks that everyone remove their shoes before crossing the threshold. At the end of the
15:59 night however, a pair of Carrie's Manolo Blahniks are missing. Her friend doesn't
16:03 seem too concerned, but eventually offers to replace them until balking at the price.
16:13 Carrie realizes though that between engagement gifts, wedding gifts, baby showers and children's
16:17 birthdays, she has easily spent that much and more on this very same friend. Ultimately,
16:32 she registers for a wedding for herself, and puts that single pair of shoes on the registry
16:38 to make her point.
16:52 Number 4. When Samantha fought workplace sexism. In this season 4 episode, Samantha tackles
16:58 an issue that women face in industries worldwide - sexual discrimination in the workplace.
17:08 Sam is trying to nab a position, working with successful hotelier Richard Wright, but it
17:17 seems that he just doesn't want to work with a woman. She clearly outlines the issue
17:22 that many women are faced with - show your sensitive side and be deemed too emotional,
17:26 or put your foot down and be called cold, or worse. Turns out Wright had no issues working
17:43 with a woman - it was the fact that Sam had slept with his architect he didn't like.
17:48 Regardless of the why, Ms. Jones stands up for herself and gets the job she deserves.
17:54 Number 3. When Miranda and Samantha buy their own apartments. Though the show has been criticized
18:03 for showing women being financially irresponsible and frivolous, some of the more empowering
18:07 moments are more easily forgotten. In season 2 and season 3 respectively, Miranda and Samantha
18:22 buy their own apartments. And in Miranda's case at least, the fact that she's a single
18:27 woman making such a major purchase without a husband or father helping her out is made
18:32 into an issue. For Samantha, she's forced to move because of drama with her neighbors,
18:45 who are shaming her for the sex she has.
18:49 Number 2. When Miranda is faced with a tough question. In 2001 when this episode first
19:01 aired, dealing with abortion on prime time television was still somewhat unheard of.
19:05 So when Miranda finds out that she's pregnant and makes the decision to end the pregnancy,
19:10 it was a notable storyline. Her storyline is juxtaposed with Charlotte's, who is struggling
19:15 with infertility. But the real twist comes when in the end, Miranda makes the unexpected
19:29 choice to carry out the pregnancy. Throughout the episode, Carrie and Samantha share their
19:37 own stories of having abortions, which works to destigmatize the act and show that it really
19:42 is a woman's right to choose.
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20:07 Number 1. When the girls choose each other as soulmates. One of the show's saddest episodes
20:20 features Carrie trying to celebrate her 35th birthday, but encountering problems when it
20:24 seems that all of her friends have stood her up when she's left at the restaurant alone.
20:31 She finds herself questioning her happiness being single, and how days like this make
20:44 her wonder if she needs a man in her life. With her trademark eternal optimism, Charlotte
20:49 chimes in with a suggestion that ultimately leads the rest of the series. She proposes
20:59 that they be each other's soulmates and just let men be in their lives for fun. Embracing
21:07 the importance of female friendships is one of the most subtle feminist acts in the whole
21:12 series. Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo,
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