Sex and the City is 20 years old – here’s what we learnt from the show

Sex and the City 20 years

by Kayleigh Dray |
Updated on

Can you believe Sex and the City is 20 years old?

We can't either.

Then again, looking back at some of the stuff that went on with the fab four - Samantha Jones, Charlotte York, Carrie Bradshaw and Miranda Hobbs - it is pretty dated and potentially problematic in 2018.

But it WAS undeniably groundbreaking for its time - confident, successful, smart women talking frankly about their sex lives and prioritising their long-lasting friendships over guys.

We learnt a lot about friendships and relationships (oh, and brunch) from these seriously sassy New Yorkers, so let's take a look at the top lessons we took away from SATC.

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The top 10 lessons we learned from watching Sex And The City

Miranda Hobbs1 of 11
CREDIT: HBO

1. NEVER send a man to do a BFF's job

To this day, fans cannot believe that Carrie sent her then-boyfriend Aidan Shaw to help best pal Miranda after she had an accident (while naked, bar a towel) in the bathroom. Thankfully, Aidan was an absolute sweetheart in this particular situation. It was one of Carrie's least cool moments, but it taught everyone not to send a boyfriend on a best friend's errand - no matter how busy you are.

Samantha Jones2 of 11
CREDIT: HBO

2. Love yo'self more

It looked like sizzling hot Smith Jerrod was the 'the one' for Samantha, but then we all remembered that Samantha Jones was NEVER going to settle down. She followed her wild heart and broke things off with Smith, proving that sometimes you just need to listen to your gut and look after yourself #YouDoYouHun

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CREDIT: HBO

3. Love can come in unexpected forms

Charlotte didn't understand her attraction to her divorce lawyer, Harry Goldenblatt. He was the complete opposite of everything she usually went for, which probably made him the PERFECT man (take note, Katie Price). In the end, she realised what an absolute hun he was and married him and his hairy back.

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CREDIT: HBO

4. Fall, then get back up

Is there anything more mortifying than the moment when Heidi Klum steps over Carrie after she's toppled over on the catwalk? We think not. But Carrie just got straight back up, got out there and did her thing to the sound of Cheryl Lynn's Got To Be Real. Take inspiration, ladies.

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5. Working mums are superheroes

Miranda Hobbes BOSSED it as a single mum to Brady and full-time lawyer (admittedly, she was in the privileged position of earning the big bucks and having lovely Steve Brady in her life). Not only did Miranda do two jobs, but in her role as a lawyer she constantly - and successfully - battled against men trying to belittle her. Go Miranda!

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CREDIT: HBO

6. Don't be single shamed

One thing the show did REALLY well was address the issues single people over 30 faced (and still do) in modern society. Remember the time when Carrie left a voicemail to her friend, who had single shamed her, inviting her to the wedding that Carrie was having with herself?

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CREDIT: HBO

7. Just be more Samantha in general, really

Samantha literally could not give a flying fig about what other people think about her straight-talking attitude and desire to have LOTS of sex. In times of self-doubt, just ask yourself 'WWSJD?' (that's What Would Samantha Jones Do?).

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CREDIT: HBO

8. NEVER DUMP SOMEONE BY POST-IT

The original 'ghosting' took place when Jack Berger left Carrie a Post-It with the message: "I'm sorry, I can't, Don't hate me." Eugh, Burger (who also couldn't handle Carrie's success) was the WORST. Let's just all agree never to do this to anybody, ever.

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CREDIT: HBO

9. Trust that your friends won't judge

When Carrie revealed to Samantha that she was continuing an affair with Big, she asked: "Don't you want to judge me, just a little bit?". Samantha gave the CLASSIEST reply: "Not my style." If Samantha doesn't judge, neither do we.

Carrie Bradshaw Miranda Hobbes10 of 11
CREDIT: HBO

10. Friends are our greatest loves

When Miranda had to walk her mother's funeral procession on her own, Carrie ran up, took her hand and gave her the support she needed. It's a poignant (and totes emotional) reminder that good friends will always be there in times of need.

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CREDIT: HBO

11. BONUS LESSON: Enjoy cosmopolitans

Responsibly, of course. It was the cocktail of choice for this fab four and remains our go-to tipple when meeting up with the girls. Cheers to SATC, and everything it's taught us.

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