I want to start off by saying that I genuinely do LOVE Carrie Bradshaw. She's not just a character in a TV show, she's an institution. The fictional girl-about-town had a sack full of witty puns and an incredible wardrobe to boot. Some may even say CB was the original fashion blogger – she was doing 'outfit of the day' posts long before Instagram queens did – and can you imagine how many followers she would have on social media today? Seen as Sex and the City's main protagonist – the 30-something queen of the singletons documented her romantic escapades in her weekly column in the The New York Star - and was the ultimate IT girl. From her unrequited love of heels, "I have this little substance abuse problem…expensive footwear," to her allegiance to designer labels – "Here, swear on Chanel." And not to mention her heroic one-liners that became beacons of hope to single women everywhere - "Maybe some women aren’t meant to be tamed. Maybe they need to run free until they find someone just as wild to run with them" - Carrie was the chick-lit equivalent of Shakespeare. I for one often felt a strong affinity with the character – I too was single for what seemed like an eternity – I'm also a journalist who just loves going for brunch and what's more, a self-confessed fashion addict who has far too many shoes. But I have to confess – since getting that little bit older, I've kind of come to the conclusion that Carrie Bradshaw was actually really, really selfish.
The character of Carrie Bradshaw divides opinions
Think about it. Yes, she's funny, scatty and forgetful – all the best people are. But after a while, these traits get kind of annoying. Starting off with little instances – she's always late. "Ten minutes late, that's the charm, with me." Nope, it's just annoying. Who could forget when her friend Susan Sharon gave her a cashmere sweater for her birthday – and she openly asks if she could return it as she "could really use the cash." Or, when Miranda needs her help as she had a painful sprained neck – stuck naked on her bathroom floor - so she sends Aiden over (we will get to him later) to sort her out. And - when she runs into her rich friend Amalita in Dolce & Gabbana, she actually lets her buy a pair of $600 high heels for her. Yes really.
Samantha, Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte were the ultimate girl gang
Then there's the stuff that makes her a bit of a frenemy. When Miranda rings Carrie – perplexed she is ruining her life by not being able to say 'I love you' to her hot doctor boyfriend Robert, Miss Bradshaw cuts her off, saying: "The only thing you are going to ruin is your night and mine." Miaow!
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And, who didn't shout at the TV screen when she demanded to know why Charlotte didn't lend her an entire flat deposit? And then further accepted the $30,000 from the sale her engagement ring. Carrie, if you stopped frivolously spending your money on shoes, you may be able to buy yourself a place.
And then, of course, there's the fact she let Aiden go. Aiden – the handsome furniture designer with the biggest heart – is the kind of man that single girls can only dream of. He proposed to Carrie, even after she cheated on him with Mr. Big , heck, he even brought her a brand new Apple Mac when he laptop blew up- and she still treated him like dirt. What about when he invited her to a dreamy weekend at the log cabin? She stomped and moaned about it, and even got really weird and distant when he wanted to introduce her to his parents. Huh?!
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She also ignored girl code like it's going out of fashion. One – when Alexander Petrovsky is too busy to say hello to her besties, she lets her friends leave the apartment even though they are hurt – with no apology. And two - after bumping into Big's ex-wife Natasha in a swanky restaurant, she shouts: "I can't believe there is someone in New York who could hate me that much!" after Natasha is frosty with her. Err hello! You had an affair with her husband! Good grief.
Carrie Bradshaw is indeed a style icon
And of course, there's Mr. Big. Look, we get it. We have all experienced that man who messes us around, won't commit and genuinely is bad for us. But Mr. Big – wow. The refusal to commit, the refusal to let her even have a spare shelf at his apartment and of course, JILTING her at the alter? You would have thought she would learn after time – but no, she kept running back for more. What happened to girl power C?
Ok, ok, Carrie is taking a bit of verbal battering here. Let's not forget she could be lovely, kind and heart-warming and no one can ever say she didn't value her friendships – Big only confirms this in the final season: "You three are the loves of her lives," he rightly announced. But, that being said – her incredible wardrobe is far more appealing than her attitude.
