Reading Sex and the City

by Kim Akass (Editor), Janet McCabe (Editor)

Overview

HBO's hit series "Sex and the City" has a huge international fanbase and has picked up major awards. This critical celebration of the life and times of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha looks at the series as a new departure for TV comedy drama. It discusses its position in an increasingly complex television landscape and pioneers innovative approaches to the study of contemporary television culture. The book explores among many other issues female fandom and fan culture; fashion and fashion jourbanalism; male archetypes and the search for Mr Right; third wave feminism; sex and the single girl and indeed sex and the citizen. The book includes a full episode guide, reports from the "Sex and the City" Manhattan tour and a map of "Sex and the City" New York.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781850434238
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	12/31/2003
Series:	Reading Contemporary Television
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.46(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Janet McCabe is Lecturer in Film Studies at Trinity College, Dublin Kim Akass is a writer and editor; she is, with Janet McCabe, Series Editor of Tauris' Reading Contemporary Television Series and is on the Editorial Board of the Critical Studies in Television jourbanal. She is co-editor, with Janet McCabe, of Reading 'Sex and the City', Reading 'Six Feet Under', 'Reading 'The L Word', Reading 'Desperate Housewives'and Quality TV all published by I.B. Tauris.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements * List of Contributors * Foreword * Introduction * Regular Cast List and the Perfect Cosmopolitan * Sex, Sexuality and Relationships * What's the Harm in Believing?: Mr. Perfect/Mr. Big: Sex and the City's Commitment Dilemma—Joanna di Mattia * The Museum of Unnatural History: Male Freaks and Sex and the City—David Greven * Sexuality in the City—Mandy Merck * Socio-Sexual Identities and the Single Girl * Orgasms and Empowerment: Sex and the City and Third-Wave Feminism—Astrid Henry * Can There Be Sex without Politics?: Sex and the Single Girl—Ashley Nelson * Sex and the Citizen in Sex and the City's New York—Susan Zieger * Fashion and Cultural Identities * Fashion is the Fifth Character: Fashion Costume and Character in Sex and the City—Stella Bruzzi and Pamela Church-Gibson * Sex and the City: A Fashion Editor's Dream?—Anna König * 'My Manolos, My Self': Manolo Blahnik, Shoes and Desire—Sarah Niblock * Narrative, Genre and Intertexuality * Neurotic in New York: The Woody Allen Touches in Sex and the City—Tom Grochowski * Sex, Confession and Witness—Jonathan Bignell * Ms. Parker and the Vicious Circle: Female Narrative and Humor in Sex and the City—Kim Akass and Janet McCabe * Fandom, Flânerie and Desiring Identity * In Love with Sarah Jessica Parker: Celebrating Female Fandom and Friendship in Sex and the City—Deborah Jermyn * Flânerie, Sex and the City and Touring around Manhattan, (Including Map or Location Guide) * Through a Glass, Malarkey—Lucia Rahilly * Outsiders in the City—Ashley Nelson * Carried away in Manhattan—Kim Akass and Janet McCabe * Coulda, Shoulda, Prada: Shopping for Satori and Strappy Sandals in Sex and the City—Mark W. Bundy * Map of Sex and the City Manhattan * Episode Guide * Film and TV Guide * Bibliography * Index