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Johannesburg - Can you believe it’s been 18 years since Sex and the City (SATC) first launched?
While searching for love may be a quest that’s relevant in any era, a lot’s changed since 1998. The first episode of SATC premiered on 6 June 1998. That year, Shania Twain’s You’re still the one and Savage Garden’s Truly Madly Deeply were topping charts while the best-selling phone was the Nokia 6120!
Based on the novel by Candace Bushnell, SATC follows sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw and her three best friends as they attempt to find love in the Big Apple as thirtysomethings, while looking fabulous, having buckets of fun and chasing career goals.
While you can still relate to most things in SATC today, here are five things you’d never see if SATC was filmed in 2016.
1. Smoking in public
Carrie smokes all the time. When first watching the show back in the 90s, it was barely worth commenting about. If shot today, it’s unlikely that Carrie would have smoked at all, let alone in public. In 2003, New York city banned smoking in bars and restuarants and as of 2011 smoking is banned pretty much anywhere in public areas. Although perhaps Carrie would be vaping?
2. Calling people on the landline
Technology reveals the true age of Sex and the City. Everyone has landlines, answering machines and they regularly use payphones. In South Africa, Telkom has less than 45 000 payphones left and virtually everyone has a smartphone, or at least access to one. If shot today, Carrie and friends would be glued to their screens, WhatsApping, Snapchatting and stalking each other on Facebook.
3. Carrie making a salary as a newspaper columnist
Lol! Imagine earning enough money as a newspaper journalist to sustain a lifestyle in New York City. If set today, chances are Carrie would be a fashion blogger earning her keep by promoting products like Kim Kardashian, who reportedly charges US$10 000 a Tweet to advertise brands.
4. Samantha picking up men in bars
Let’s be honest. If SATC was shot in 2016, there’s no way Samantha would be hitting on men in bars. She’d be trawling Tinder daily for no-strings-attached hookups. Likewise, Charlotte is far more likely to have met her perfect match with an online dating profile. Speaking of which, check out Candace Bushnell’s take on top tips for dating on Tinder here. And yes, she is on Tinder.
5. Shopping for things IRL
Carrie famously said, “Shopping is my cardio,” when asked why she doesn’t shop online. There’s simply no way that she wouldn’t be cashing in on Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales online in 2016. Especially as her writer income would definitely not keep her shoe cupboard stocked with Manolo Blahniks!
Watch all six seasons of Sex and The City now by signing-up for ShowMax internet TV and get a seven-day free trial.
