HBO's "And Just Like That..." a microcosm of why our culture is at a breaking point.

[WarGamer]

My wife and I have watched "Sex And the City" for many years. Seen every episode multiple times. My wife adores the first movie so much she's watched it DOZENS of times. She'd probably tell you that Big leaving Carrie at the altar was the most tragic moment in cinematic history!!

Sex and the City is a classic story of empowered independent women in the greatest city on the planet.

You have the bold and cocky New Yorker writing a relationship column... a powerful PR Exec with a strong, unashamed libido, a hard working attorney with a heart and a NYC debutante dealing with life's challenges of marriage, motherhood and professional success.



Fast forward a decade to "And Just Like That..."

The new series is a mess. It's like the writers/producers/director took EVERY complaint about the series for the last 2 decades and wrote story lines to apologize/compensate/make up for past transgressions.

What were previously strong independent women now come across as weak, unsure and pathetic... struggling to "fit into" the new "woke" world.

It's poorly done... Miranda Hobbs is illustrated falling all over herself "fangirling" over her new Black Professor but then committing faux pas after faux pas breaking all the "no-nos" like "White Knighting" and a dreadfully long scene where Miranda babbles on about the Professor's braids.

The series is horrible.

Oh and yeah they killed off Mr. Big. Too much toxic masculinity, I guess...



How does this translate to culture and politics today? Because nominally moderate and progressive people are feeling pressured to accept change that's coming at them hard and fast.

But it's more than just requesting acceptance... it seems as though some are not satisfied with mere acceptance and desire "forced celebration" of change...

In some circles, color blindness and acceptance aren't enough any more...



And Just Like That... the Right is on the march again.



Note: Instead of hitting the alert button... let's discuss it!

[Ninga]

1. Watched first three. I just am letting it unfold. I like it more than not.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. One - I was always Team Samantha

I would watch it with an eye on something else until she had lines. So - it automatically turned me off.

Two - I tried. I really tried with the re-boot - but I think - just for me -

It's "out of touch with the real world and real world problems" story lines were what made SATC fun. Like these women just had fabulous clothes and first world problems and it was an escape. Now it's cringe inducing.

On that same note - my husband and love love love Harlem. We met when I was 36 and he was 40 - and their 'lives' resonate for the Calabrese Immigrant who fell in love with Black Girl Magic.


For those who don't want to discuss - and for whom SATC was never relatable - try Harlem on Amazon. Those women are FUN and amazing!

[demmiblue]

3. I can't say that I am surprised by some of the things you wrote.

[Kaleva]

4. And I watch vids on YouTube on how to grow cukes on a trellis.

[Croney]

5. I had never watched a full episode of the old show,

but I decided to watch the first new one to see who was killed off. I cringed at the braids scene; such a caricature of a fumbling stuttering older woman in a new setting.

It was mildly entertaining but I won't pay to watch (the first was free).

[cinematicdiversions]

6. The second sex in the city movie was an actual

Hate crime.

I can't imagine this is worse than that was.

[gldstwmn]

7. The reboot is terrible and cursed it seems.

They took a strong character, who was smart as a whip and turned her into a confused, out of touch alcoholic. What kind of message is that for aging women?
I haven't watched enough to figure out if I still love Charlotte and Carrie. I heard they sent Stanford off to Tokyo. What a mess!

[Sympthsical]

9. To be fair, Standford's actor died

Willie Garson, of cancer. So they had to write him out somehow.

[gldstwmn]

11. That's what I'm saying. They sent him to Tokyo?

That was the best they could come up with?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

8. Who wants a forced celebration of change? What does that look like?

[UncleTomsEvilBrother]

10. I am...

...loving it. While the first iteration barely had diversity, we can now see the diversity while the most diverse city in the world is the backdrop. It seems that the original thread starter showed up with the "half-a-generation-too-old" dog whistle words. Do people still say, "woke" and "toxic masculinity" anymore?

It seems like people are wanting "AJLT" to be like the original when it's not. While the first series was cutting edge introducing us to the lives of four female friends, this version skips over the introduction and deals with loss, and change, and disenfranchisement thirty years later.

Nothing is more symbolic than when, in the original series, "Carrie" could walk the streets in New York in a long mesh tutu and revel in herself while now, when she does the same thing, she receives an uncomfortable stare from a fellow customer in the convenience store.

"AJLT" does not focus on the pandemic, the Black Lives Matter Movement, or the coup attempt launched upon the United states on January 6, last year. Not only is the term "woke" laughable because its usage is archaic in nature, but the series barely touches "wokeness" in its weakest sense. LOL!

[gldstwmn]

13. The show was never a sociopolitical statement. It was escapist fun.

[dixiechiken1]

12. "The series is horrible."

Couldn't agree more. Mr Dixie & I used to watch SATC all the time. Like you & your wife, we've seen every episode multiple times.

We sat down to watch "And Just Like That..." and didn't even make it through the first episode before turning it off. The acting was horrible and completely overdone. IMO, they've now tarnished what was once a groundbreaking and fun series. They should've left it alone, but nooooooo...

As far as "nominally moderate and progressive people... feeling pressured to accept change that's coming at them hard and fast," the only constant IS change. Change is hard. It challenges us. But like it or not, accept it or not, it's coming. And as soon as we get settled in, it'll change again.

I don't like "forced celebration" of anything, actually. I think if someone feels like celebrating, they should do so. And if they don't, they shouldn't. I'm of the opinion that most of us here have seen more change in our lifetimes than any generation before us, be it technological, social, or what have you. Most of it - of the social ilk, anyway - has been a long time coming. And we have a lot further to go.

Personally? I appreciate color blindness and acceptance. These are good things that effect change, in and of themselves. There are a lot of people incapable of either. They are the problem. We are the solution.

[Sympthsical]

14. It's a fantastic show! I'll not hear a bad word about it

If you enjoy cringing so hard you're sinking into the couch, this show is absolutely for you.

Miranda, a highly successful attorney in New York City in her late 50s has never spoken with an adult black person. You know, like most people her age and in her field.

Steve is like 80 now. Carrie is . . . self-absorbed? Gay men are only good for looking at hot guys on their phones. It's just what we do.

The only idiocy I believe is Charlotte. She seems the clueless socialite type.

The original is a little before my time. I can't speak to it. But this thing is a total train wreck, and I am here for all of it.

[maryellen99]

18. Miranda was in an interracial relationship in Season 6

He was played by Blair Underwood.

[WarGamer]

21. According to my wife... AKA Most handsome man on Earth.

[MiniMe]

15. I don't even know when it is on

So I almost never get to watch it. Had some confusion on if I had HBO Max or not. Found out I do. So when is it on?

[ecstatic]

16. Thanks for the spoilers!

I know, I know. It's my fault for reading.

[displacedtexan]

17. I don't even know where to start with this reboot.

Each episode, every character says the same thing in the same way about how out of touch they feel. It's as if they've been comatose the last 20 years and just now feel the need to catch up with the world around them.
Maybe that's the point, though. Kids, families, & careers do dominate our middle years. But damn. Does Carrie's Bi comedian/podcast partner not have anything else to talk about? Does Charlotte still think she's 32 and a half years old? The whiny baby talk is getting old. This show frustrates me to no end.
But here's the deal with me: I can't NOT watch it every week.

[madinmaryland]

19. I've never watched either show and have no intention of watching them. Is this lounge material?

[WarGamer]

20. If it is... an Admin can move it, right?

[BlackSkimmer]

22. Lol, never watched the original.

Could not care less. I do find the kerfluffle about it to be hilarious.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

23. "Note: Instead of hitting the alert button... let's discuss it!"

Hope things are going okay for you, WarGamer!

[WarGamer]

24. the response has been a little scary...

But I love reading the opinion of others...