Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Genre Watch: New "Sex And The City" Shows
This article in Slate Magazine compares two Sex and the City counterparts, Lipstick Jungle and Cashmere Mafia. Both shows contain the now formulaic "post feminism" characters who are beautiful with enviable job titles and in relationships with attractive men. The author, Troy Patterson, points out the conspicuous icons of high culture, including "hourlong Blackberry ads", casual mentions of upscale Manhattan restaurants, and the display of haute couture. Patterson believes that Cashmere Mafia is the best Sex and the City offspring because of its consistent use of humor from sitcom veteran Brooke Shields and unique blend of "Ugly Betty's flair for color and a Desperate Housewive's air of camp". Patterson also notices a divergence from the characteristic plot involvement of female relationships. Clearly, certain elements of Sex and the City cycle are emphasized in Cashmere Mafia while others are not. An example of this for Lipstick Jungle is Patterson's assertion that this show is shot with darker cinematography and features a gruffier Mr. Big than Sex and the City. However, Patterson concludes that these Sex and the City offshoots follows the cylical pattern of "magazine parties, [incompetent] husbands, and tempting male [hearthrobs]".
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3 comments:
Imade, try to provide a link for your story so it's easier to access. On another point, the story is a good genre watch item, but don't hesitate to go outside film/tv either. For example, the Amy Winehouse at the Grammy's piece had great genre language and I'd love to hear your insight on all the genre hybrid language. That link is http://www.slate.com/id/2184209
So, this prompted my 3-hour long abc.com viewing session of Cashmere Mafia. I read Lipstick Jungle (it was a long plane ride) and saw that pilot as well. I have to admit-- I love 'em. I definitely agree that Lipstick Jungle is a bit darker (note the sassy yet peppy, Desperate Housewives-like anthem that repeatedly plays as the women walk away in Mafia), but I think this adds a more humanistic touch to the show. It's great to see the battle between full-time mother and full-time exec; sex; and some corporate issues addressed half-way maturely in an entertaining primetime TV show. I know others will disagree, and there is room for improvement with both shows, but I'll continue watching.
I can't say I'm running to watch these shows even if the strike has wiped out much other TV. But I won't discount them, just because I'm a guy.
What I wonder is whether the hype and buzz surrounding Sex & The City can ever really be recaptured. It's one of HBO's iconic breakout hits. Obviously, it had great appeal to female audiences, as it featured high-powered, but very authentic women having genuine and often graphic discussions.
However, I feel like one of the primary sources of the show's success was its presence on HBO, where there are no boundaries. The salacious nature of the dialogue and the maturity of the content, made the show unique. The work that went into censoring the show for syndication had to have been extreme, and from what I've heard the modified episodes are severely lacking when they air on basic cable.
Will audiences go for a SATC clone/spinoff without its sharper incisive edge? Without the saltier content, isn't the show basically a version of "Friends," where the group is all female, slightly older, and in a higher tax bracket? We'll see how they fare. If they fail, there's always the Sex and the City movie.
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