When it first aired in the late '90s, Sex and the City was one of the seminal series of the era, with a progressive platform built on the refreshing depiction of women's sexual liberation. Following the romantic lives of four single women in New York City, it showed an authenticity about their activities that hadn't been revealed in any series before, and it's endured in the decades since as a launching pad for similar candor.
But for all its celebrating of the honest exploration of women's sexuality, it featured several alarming instances where its female characters were castigated for their liberated attitudes towards sex and its role in their lives. While many fans think much of the slut-shaming was directed at Samantha Jones, other women on the show were also judged for their sex-positive lifestyles.
Laney After Her Baby Shower
The slut-shaming began in the first season after Carrie and the girls went to Laney's baby shower, and the experience made them take stock of their lives and all the ways they hadn't panned out the way they wanted. Little did they know that their former party-hopping friend had been doing the same from her suburban home.
When Laney showed up out of nowhere in the city to party with Carrie and her friends, they felt the need to remind her that she wasn't a party girl anymore, but a married and very pregnant mom to be. While it was necessary to prevent her from doing something she'd regret, it was a pretty lousy way to accomplish the task, and their remarks barely contained their contempt.
Lexi Before Falling Off The Balcony
One of Carrie's old friends from when she first moved to the Big Apple, Lexi Featherston came back into her life in the show's last season. Carrie ended up at the same party as Lexi, and the two tried to catch up on old times, only to realize that they had very little in common anymore. Lexi was stuck in the past, including one where New Yorkers could still smoke indoors, only to take a devastating tumble off the balcony.
As though her untimely demise wasn't bad enough, Carrie had spent the moments before her fall lambasting her for her promiscuous party days of yore, even though she'd done nothing to deserve it.
When Magda Found Miranda's Vibrator
Samantha unapologetically purchasing a vibrator wasn't the only time one of the girls had to stand up for their right to self-satisfaction. When Magda found Miranda's vibrator in her nightstand drawer, she felt that she was engaging in lewd acts that were preventing her from being married and having children.
Rather than talk to Miranda, Magda simply stole her sex toy and replaced it with the statue of the Virgin Mary. Not to be chastised, Miranda famously quipped back, "I drink coffee and have sex and buy pies and enjoy battery-operated devices. If you can't deal with that, I will find another housekeeper who can."
When It Was Implied Carrie Was A Sex Worker
After spending the night with a charming Frenchman, Carrie believed that there was a meaningful future ahead of them, only to discover $1,000 on the nightstand accompanied by an explanation that her would-be beau thought she was a sex worker.
He just assumed this, of course, due to her being American and sleeping with him shortly after they met. Though there's nothing inherently wrong with being paid for sexual services rendered, much less taking enjoyment from them, the thought hurt Carrie because of his implication.
When Charlotte Was Called A Wh**e
Charlotte was determined to find her knight in shining armor somewhere in New York City, but in order to get to him she had to date a lot of knaves. One such suitor had a habit of calling her a wh*re whenever they were in the throes of passion.
Naturally, this greatly upset Park Avenue princess Charlotte, who detested being referred to in a way that made her feel cheap, tawdry, and disposable. Ultimately she couldn't be with a man who had to degrade her to get off.
When Aidan Tried To Make Carrie Jealous
After Carrie cheated on him with Big, Aidan was heartbroken, and even though he eventually took her back, the trust in their relationship was irreversibly broken. He took every opportunity to remind Carrie of the hurt she had caused, and made sure she felt his pain even as they were both trying to move on.
He even tried to make her jealous by flirting with a bartender in front of her, but when it didn't work he tried mocking her about her affair with Big, and making her feel dirty so that he didn't feel worse about himself.
When Charlotte Got Crabs
When the girls escaped to the Hamptons for a long weekend, Charlotte had a romantic liaison with a twenty-something man which resulted in her getting crabs. Not only was she embarrassed about contracting an STD, but also being forced to tell him her real age.
Being completely immature and inexperienced, her lover didn't support her during the process of getting relief for her health issues, instead choosing to slut-shame her and make her feel pathetic for trying to court men his age.
When Miranda Got Chlamydia
Miranda's chlamydia diagnosis proved that even high-powered women with successful jobs and love lives could still be naïve when it came to their sexual health. It was bad enough she had to tell her boyfriend Steve, but worse when she had to call all the men she dated and slept with to inform them they could have it or have given it to her.
As Miranda made her way down the list of sexual partners she'd had throughout her life, she was forced to tally her total, which in turn made her upset about her personal number. One ex slut-shamed her for sleeping around so much, as though it was the only way she could have possibly contracted the STD (and certainly not from him).
When Samantha Kicked Party Crashers Out Of Richard's Beach House
In Season 5, Samantha whisked the girls to Richard's beach house in the Hamptons because in her mind, letting her throw a huge party which he wasn't invited to was the least he could do to make up for his infidelity. Unfortunately for her, some of his former partygoers showed up at the house to join the girls.
Samantha doesn't take kindly to the crashers, who appeared to be two women in their early twenties wearing nothing more than string bikinis. Samantha criticizes them for their chest augmentation and hyper-sexualized appearance before throwing them out.
When Samantha Implied Trans People Were Dirty
It's no shock that in the early '00s even Sex and the City didn't know what to make of "pre-op transsexuals," much less how to have a character like Samantha Jones interact with them gracefully. She told Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda that their taboo sexual activities were the "dirtiest things" she'd ever heard of.
Everyone has different sexual parameters, but Samantha shouldn't imply transwomen are cheap and tawdry. Carrie and Miranda also make some ugly remarks as well, proving that they're not always as sexually liberated as the show portrays.