Why Teen Girls Love 'Sex And The City'

I remember interviewing a teen girl for Totally Wired who told me her favorite show was "Sex and The City" — I'm sure my eyebrows went up just a little at the time. But when you think about it, "Sex and The City" is like Cosmopolitan for teen girls who may also still be reading Seventeen (or not). It's "watching up" instead of "reading up." As a thirtysomething who was mostly single and living in a city during SATC's run on HBO, I found the show refreshing. Even if my own living situation (um roommate) and closet (filled with Macy's items from the juniors department) was far removed from the opulent single gal about Manhattan lifestyles on the show, I loved hearing women talking openly and frankly about sex. They may have gotten around more than most female urbanites (some even said they were more like gay men sharing their exploits than actual single women), but what I found novel was seeing women with sexual agency, who felt like sex was something women had a right to enjoy. In a way it was like the opposite of many Cosmo articles on "how to please your man" — it was like, women deserve pleasure, too.

With the movie coming out, and SATC coming to iTunes, I think even more teenagers will be downloading the show. Even embattled tween star Miley Cyrus recently admitted she loved the show, and then pulled back to clarify that she was referring to the cleaned up version. Do I think SATC is appropriate for teen girls, especially on the younger end? No. But I think it offers a double dose of frank conversation about sex (which, hello, hormonal teens are thinking about all the time) and fashion — luxury brands galore as well as Carrie's bold fashion statements. Sarah Jessica Parker may have launched her low-end line at Steve & Barry's as a tribute to her own humble beginnings, but it certainly made it affordable for her teen fans.

Most of what teen girls hear about sex is either "the talk" from mortified parents, "the class" from an abstinence-only educator or befuddled gym coach focusing on mechanics, or the onslaught of sexual imagery in the media, which typically objectifies women. On SATC, they hear and see women as sexual agents who enjoy sex and candidly talk about details never before discussed on television. If there is something to take away from teen girls' affection for this show, it's the need for more frank and holistic talk about sex and sexuality - going beyond the birds and the bees to ongoing discussions that are both informative and positive/empowering when it comes to girls as sexual beings.

Sort of related:

Evidently reading (and watching) up is having a huge impact on tween girls as consumers. As reported by Cynopsis:

Tween girls 8-12 are spending some $500 million annually on beauty products according to the NPD Group's newest report, Insight Into the Youth Beauty Market, which in addition to tweens looks at a broader spectrum of youth consumers 8-24 years old. In the survey tween girls report first using beauty products at 10 years old. Who is paying for the beauty products? Four out of 10 tween gals say they use their allowance to make their purchases, while about six in ten say their parent/guardian pays for their products. What are tween girls buying? Well, about 60% of the tween girls report they use fragrances/body sprays, with five out of 10 girls having used skincare products, while makeup came in third. Not shocking to those of us who were once tween girls, lip gloss is one of the most popular products they use. However, different from what I recall of my tweendom, the NPD report finds that today's tween girls use at least 30 different beauty product categories, which includes firming cellulite cream. The report finds that tween girls favorite fragrance brands include: Bath and Body Works; Britney Spears; Britney Spears: Curious; Victoria Secrets; and ck: One.

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