Emily Nussbaum’s “Difficult Women”

A critical take on "Sex and the City," from the archive.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   View in browser | Update your preferences     On Television Difficult Women How "Sex and the City" lost its good name. By Emily Nussbaum The writer and cultural critic Emily Nussbaum offers provocative and discerning takes on the arts. Since 2011, Nussbaum has contributed more than two hundred and forty pieces to The New Yorker, on subjects such as the pioneering, complicated career of the comedienne Joan Rivers, the work of the elusive songwriter Fiona Apple, and how television has responded to the #MeToo movement. As the magazine's television critic for nearly a decade, she crafted reviews of depth and piercing acuity, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism five years ago. In 2013, Nussbaum published "Difficult Women," an insightful analysis of the HBO megahit "Sex and the City," which the network's streaming platform is resurrecting this week as a new series, "And Just Like That," starring many of the same actors. Nussbaum writes about how the subtle radicalism of the original show normalized singlehood, centering women who didn't quite "have it all." Earlier television shows that focussed on single women tended to spotlight characters who represented easily identifiable types. "In contrast, Carrie and her friends—Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte—were odder birds by far, jagged, aggressive, and sometimes frightening figures, like a makeup mirror lit up in neon. They were simultaneously real and abstract, emotionally complex and philosophically stylized," Nussbaum observes. "Women identified with them—'I'm a Carrie!'—but then became furious when they showed flaws. And, with the exception of Charlotte (Kristin Davis), men didn't find them likable." Nussbaum is interested in the rugged edges where performance meets Zeitgeist. She writes with uncommon acumen about the ways in which television and other art forms reveal the ever-shifting contours of our culture. In doing so, she uncovers fresh, distinct layers within a well-trod medium—exposing them to vibrant glimpses of daylight. Her reviews are more than simply artistic interpretations; they skillfully elucidate the social and cultural constructs that spur our collective imagination. And I couldn't help but wonder: Were Nussbaum's keen insights innately driven or did she—oh, you get the gist.    —Erin Overbey, archive editor More from the Archive     Letter from Hollywood "Black-ish" Transforms the Family Sitcom From 2016: How Kenya Barris created a brazenly direct comedy about race and class. By Emily Nussbaum     On Television How Joan Rivers Got That Way From 2015: The comic succeeded in a man's world partly by reinforcing its harsh guidelines. By Emily Nussbaum You're receiving this e-mail because you signed up for the New Yorker Classics newsletter. Was this e-mail forwarded to you? Sign up.   Unsubscribe | Manage your e-mail preferences | Send newsletter feedback | View our privacy policy    The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products and services that are purchased through links in our newsletters as part of our affiliate partnerships with retailers.    Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.