It’s been more than two decades since Sex and the City first debuted on HBO, meaning the landscape of television has greatly changed since then. Carrie Bradshaw is the main character of the series, and will be taking on the same role in the revival, And Just Like That…
Unfortunately for Carrie, her character has had so much analysis in retrospect that many aspects don’t do her favors with today’s fanbase. Everything from her relationship with Mr. Big to her friendships and other romances has had big flaws uncovered, and the revival will need to develop her character better to overcome these glaring issues.
Her Unrepentant Attitude Toward Infidelity
After her breakup with Big, Carrie was at a place where she could do right by her new love interest in Aidan. However, she became somewhat a low-key Sex and the City villain instead, when she initiated an affair with Big while still seeing Aidan.
Moreover, she didn’t show much guilt, even keeping the truth from Aidan until Charlotte and Trey’s wedding day. In today’s climate, fans expect characters to be responsible for their decisions and accept their part in hurting someone. Due to this, Carrie doesn’t come across as the protagonist in any way because of her unrepentant attitude, and this is usually pointed out as one of her worst attributes.
Her Tendency To Be Self-Centered
Mr. Big claimed Carrie had the knack for getting “Carried Away,” referencing her largely self-centered attitude. In all fairness, Carrie didn’t actively do this, as it is just part of her personality to consider herself the center of everything.
Still, it doesn’t come across nearly as charming as it once did, especially on repeated viewings of Sex and the City. It’s been pointed out that Carrie, being a full-grown adult, was at an age where she should have had the maturity to understand that not all was about her.
Her Constant Need For Approval
Carrie isn’t the kind of person to get something go no matter how many times she’s told otherwise. This was seen when she forced Mr. Big to tell her she was the one for him, along with her overreaction at receiving criticism on her book.
Considering this aspect led to some of the worst Sex and the City breakups, Carrie’s need for approval now seems rather petty. Fans, these days, appreciate female characters who are confident in their own skin and don’t crave anyone else’s opinion. To this end, Carrie’s character hasn’t stood the test of time where her constant seeking of validation.
Her Unrealistic Standards For Romance
Quite a lot of Carrie’s feelings in romance come down to her own issue of wanting too much out of a relationship. While this ultimately brought a lot of romantic scenes in Sex and the City, it’s not realistic for a person to set such standards.
This was seen in the second movie where she expected Big to treat her as if she were still a new bride, despite him being very comfortable in their marriage. Over the years, the perception of romance has become one of compromise and understanding, but Carrie didn’t do too much of this, as she expected to be showered with affection all the time.
Her Excessive Spending On Fashion
Carrie is still seen as a fashion icon, having donned apparel from the best brands worldwide. However, the excessive spending she did for this is generally seen as a character flaw these days, especially since it fails to make Carrie relatable to viewers.
With the digital age also offering contemporary fans an easier way to learn about the newest couture, Carrie isn’t the source for this as she was back when Sex and the City was first on-air. And while addiction to shopping is most certainly still relevant and a thing today, Carrie's constant spending on fashion is largely seen as irresponsible instead of becoming.
Her Inaction Regarding Her Spending Problems
Carrie’s shopping addiction became a plot point in the series, such as when her credit cards were maxed out and she had very little savings to go with her bad credit rating. It was funny at the time, but it hasn’t aged all that well, as Carrie looks very childish in retrospect.
After all, she didn’t do much to overcome this issue, as she claimed she would rather buy Vogue instead of dinner. Her inaction in this aspect comes across as Carrie failing to address her problems and looking for easy fixes out of her predicament instead, as seen later when she has to ask Charlotte for a loan.
Her Superficial Obsession With Shoes
By Carrie’s own admission, her obsession with shoes was a “substance abuse problem” and she took it too far. On one occasion, she wanted to be reimbursed for losing her shoes after having to take them off before entering her friend’s place, although many fans agree this was a valid point.
Considering Miranda’s claim that Carrie spent $40,000 on shoes alone, Carrie seems less of a fashion icon in this regard and far more of a couture addict. Watching the series today and witnessing Carrie being so obsessed with shoes just doesn’t make her seem anything other than superficial to some.
Her Pursuit Of Drama In Her Relationships
The problematic nature of Carrie’s relationships was due to her own liking toward being challenged. Most of the secrets in Sex and the City she kept were unnecessary but she still did so since, perhaps, it gave her a sense of excitement. In fact, the deterioration of her relationship with Aidan was, in part, due to the fact that he was too easygoing and didn’t stress her out like Big did.
The reason this hasn’t aged well comes down to some viewers figuring out that Carrie’s life was often made difficult by her own doing. Rather than have legitimate hurdles in romance, she tended to create them herself, and rewatching the series today exposes this quite a lot.
The Lack Of Realism Behind Her Affluent Lifestyle
Viewers since the days Sex and the City was on-air have taken to questioning believability in fiction, no matter what the genre might be. In the case of the show, Carrie’s lifestyle has become a talking point over how unrealistic it is.
After all, before her book release, she was a freelance writer and her earning had to be moderate at best. This places the entire character in a glaring plot hole that’s difficult to overlook, mainly because a large part of her personality is based on her spending money.
Her Tendency To Overlook Her Friends' Problems In Favor Of Her Own
Tying into Carrie’s self-centered personality was her tendency to overlook the problems of others. This was most glaring in Sex and the City 2, where she made the rather menial issue of the lack of spice in her marriage the focal point over legitimate problems, like Miranda’s misogynistic boss and Charlotte’s fears of her husband having an affair with the nanny.
With criticism doled out to similar shows like Girls, in recent times, over selfish protagonists, Carrie also comes out looking worse for wear. It also makes her seem like the character is all about hogging the spotlight in what is supposed to be an ensemble show. Fans can only hope that the revival series works to resolve this.