Mcg stereotyp, old clich: How n a anchise created and beloved by gay men be so bad at portrayg them?
Contents:
- WILLIE GARSON, CARRIE'S GAY BTIE ON SEX AND THE CY, HAS DIED
- WHEN SEX AND THE CY RETURNS, WILL IT FALLY GET QUEER PEOPLE RIGHT?THE CLASSIC EDY HAS A TERRIBLE TRACK RERD ON QUEER ISSU, PECIALLY FOR A SHOW WRTEN BY WOMEN AND GAY MEN.BY CASSIE DA COSTAJANUARY 13, 2021FROM GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEON SUNDAY, HBO MAX NFIRMED THAT A SEX AND THE CY REBOOT LLED AND JT LIKE THAT… IS OFFICIALLY THE WORKS—AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT SPIRED FERVENT SPECULATN AMONG FANS AND CRICS. (NOT LEAST BEE THE SHOW IS, TRAGILLY, DOWN ONE LEAD: KIM CATTRALL’S SAMANTHA.) THE ORIGAL SERI WAS FAMOLY NDID, AND OFTEN CLEVER, AS FOLLOWED FOUR IENDS—SAMANTHA, SARAH JSI PARKER’S CARRIE, CYNTHIA NIXON’S MIRANDA, AND KRIST DAVIS’S CHARLOTTE—SNAPPILY DISCSG THE TAILS OF THEIR SEX LIV, DATG PREFERENC, AND PERSONAL ASPIRATNS. BUT S QUIPPY, CY-GIRL TONE HAS AGED UNEVENLY. THOUGH THAT APPROACH WAS WELL-SUED TO A STORY ABOUT PROUDLY IMPERFECT WOMEN, THE SHOW ALSO ED AS A CHEAP EXCE TO CENTER A VERY SPECIFIC VIEWPOT: STRAIGHT WHE AFFLUENCE, AS WRTEN BY STRAIGHT WHE WOMEN AND GAY WHE MEN.FOR THOSE WHO STILL WATCH THE ORIGAL SERI WHENEVER THEY’VE GOT FIVE HOURS TO WASTE AWAY ON THE UCH, ’S NOT HARD TO ACKNOWLEDGE S WRONGHEADNS WHILE ENJOYG S TENACY AND EXTREME WATCHABILY. MUCH LIKE S SCENDANT GIRLS, SATC DRILLED TO EVEN THE MOST SHARPLY CRIL LENNIALS THAT MAY BE ELS TO TRY TO UNTANGLE THOSE CHARACTERISTICS—AND ANYWAY, ’S ALL JT TELEVISN, RIGHT? WHO DON’T ENJOY AN ELEVATED MS?NEWS OF A REBOOT, THOUGH, V TO RENSIR THE SHOW’S TONE AND IAS—AND OFTEN, SEX AND THE CY’S JIB TOOK THE FORM OF HOMOPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA. THROUGHOUT THE URSE OF THE SERI, SAMANTHA GLEEFULLY ED A TRANSPHOBIC SLUR A DIG AGAST SEX WORKERS; CARRIE DOUBTED THE VALIDY OF BISEXUAL MEN; MORE THAN ONE EPISO, LBIANS WERE PORTRAYED AS EXCLIVELY WHE, RICH, AND POWER-HUNGRY. STANFORD (WILLIE GARSON), CARRIE’S TOKEN GAY MALE IEND, WAS MORE OF AN ACCSORY THAN A PERSON; THE SEND SEX AND THE CY MOVIE, HE END UP MARRYG THE ANCHISE’S ONLY OTHER GAY MALE REGULAR, EVEN THOUGH HIS FUTURE HBAND ONCE CHASTISED HIS IEND CHARLOTTE FOR ASSUMG HE’D EVEN BE TERTED STANFORD. (“WHY, BEE HE’S GAY AND I’M GAY?” MAR CANTONE’S ANTHONY ASKED SEASON FOUR. “CHARLOTTE, LET ME CLEAR SOMETHG UP FOR YOU…I ULD DO A LOT BETTER.”)EVEN WHEN SAMANTHA, THE MOST SEXUALLY ADVENTURO OF THE BUNCH, DATED A WOMAN (PLAYED BY THE BELOVED BRAZILIAN ACTOR SôNIA BRAGA), SEX AND THE CY FUMBLED. THE SHOW ED LBIANISM AS A NARRATIVE VICE, PATG AS A STRATEGY BORN OUT OF DATG FATIGUE; THE POSSIBILY THAT SAMANTHA WAS LEGIMATELY CUR OR BISEXUAL WAS NEVER EXPLORED. HER IENDS’ SLY, SELF-CENTERED MENTARY ABOUT HER NEW RELATNSHIP—THAT SAMANTHA WAS SIMPLY A PHASE, THAT SHE WAS DOG THIS FOR ATTENTN—WAS AMED NOT AS GOSSIP, BUT SIGHT.TO THOSE OUTSI OF QUEER MUNI, SUCH A READG MAY E AS A SURPRISE; HOW ULD SEX AND THE CY GET GAY PEOPLE SO WRONG? HOW ULD S OPENLY GAY WRERS—PRIMARILY CREATOR DARREN STAR AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MICHAEL PATRICK KG—SORELY MISREPRENT A GROUP THEY’RE A PART OF?BUT ’S OLD NEWS TO NOTE THAT (UALLY UPPER-CLASS) WHE GAY MEN HAVE A SERVED REPUTATN FOR TAKG NSERVATIVE AND EVEN BIGOTED POSNS ABOUT THEIR TRANS, BLACK, LBIAN, OR FAT BRETHREN, ACTG AS IF A MIX OF SELF-HATRED AND DISDA OF THE OTHER IS A CHARMG PERSONALY TRA. ACRDGLY, SEX AND THE CY’S MOST REACTNARY PERSPECTIV ARE NEVER PORTRAYED AS A SOURCE OF SHAME FOR THE CHARACTERS OR THEIR ACQUATANC; THEY’RE ALWAYS MEANT AS LIGHT ENTERTAMENT. SIARLY, STRAIGHT WHE WOMEN—LIKE THE BULK OF SEX AND THE CY’S WRERS—N OFTEN ACT AS ACPLIC AND AVATARS FOR THIS EXCLN. IN MANY WAYS, SEX AND THE CY ED THE MUCH-STEREOTYPED DYNAMIC OF IENDSHIP BETWEEN STRAIGHT WHE WOMEN AND GAY MEN TO PROP UP SELF-ASSUREDLY IGNORANT WORLDVIEWS.IT’S THIS AGE-OLD MIX OF GAY PATRIARCHY AND WHE SUPREMACY THAT ADDS A LAYER OF TREPIDATN TO ANYONE ANTICIPATG HBO’S LIMED-SERI REVIVAL OF THE SHOW. STAR, NOW HELMG THE POPULARLY HATE-WATCHED EY PARIS, IS OUT, WHILE KG, WHO WROTE AND DIRECTED SATC’S CRILLY MALIGNED BUT LUCRATIVE FILM SEQUELS, IS . STAR AND KG WORKED ALONGSI EACH OTHER FOR YEARS ON THE ORIGAL SERI; THE TERIM, KG PRODUCED THE CBS S 2 BROKE GIRLS, WHICH RECEIVED CRICISM FOR BLATANT RACISM. THE SKILL WILL TAKE TO ISSUE A REBOOT THAT IS SELF-AWARE WHOUT BEG SELF-NSC REQUIR MORE THAN EXPERIENCE OR SELF-HELP REVELATNS—IMAGATN IS SENTIAL.BUT AND JT LIKE THAT… WILL BE A H CREATN, EXISTG FIRMLY THE PRENT—A PRENT WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE, CYNTHIA NIXON IS NOW MARRIED TO A WOMAN AND THE MOTHER TO A TRANS CHILD. IT’S UNLIKELY THAT SHE, AT LEAST, WOULD SIGN ONTO AND JT LIKE THAT… IF S SCRIPTS WERE AS VALIER ABOUT QUEER ISSU AS THE ORIGAL SERI SO OFTEN WAS. COULD A REPRISAL FORCE KG TO EXAME HOW HIS CHARACTERS’ FLAWS WERE OFTEN ROOTED AN ANTI-QUEER MENTALY? OR WILL THE NEW SERI SIMPLY PAPER OVER THE SHOW’S HISTORY BY MAKG CARRIE, MIRANDA, AND CHARLOTTE PARAGONS OF MIDLIFE EMOTNAL AND MORAL GROWTH? PERHAPS, THE END, OUR FAN FICTN ABOUT A LBIAN NEW YORK ERNOR MIRANDA HOBB ULD E TO UN—AS AN DIENCE-PANRG PLOT THAT ATON FOR SEX AND THE CY’S PAST SS.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— INSI BRIDGERTON’S SEXY, MORN MAKEOVER OF THE REGENCY PERD DRAMA— BORAT’S MARIA BAKALOVA HAD A SWEET RNN WH JEANISE JON— TA FEY AND ROBERT CARLOCK WRTLE CLUMSILY WH POLICS MR. MAYOR— BLAZG BLON BOMBSHELL: BARBARA PAYTON’S BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS— BRYAN CRANSTON DANC WH THE DEVIL YOUR HONOR— MEET BRIDGERTON’S DREAMBOAT DE, REGé-JEAN PAGE— STEPHEN COLBERT ANSWERS THE PROT QUTNNAIRE— FROM THE ARCHIVE: SAN SIMEON’S CHILD— NOT A SUBSCRIBER? JO VANY FAIR TO RECEIVE FULL ACCS TO AND THE PLETE ONLE ARCHIVE NOW.MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYIS THIS THE BEGNG OF THE END OF THE WRERS STRIKE?BY NATALIE JARVEYCASSIE DA COSTA
- IS UNUPLED THE GAY SEX AND THE CY?
- BILLY EICHNER PRAIS ‘SEX AND THE CY’ FOR ‘MORE AUTHENTIC’ AND ‘RADIL’ PORTRAYALS OF GAY MEN
- NETFLIX’S UNUPLED: GAY SEX, THE CYDARREN STAR’S NEW SERI HARKENS BACK TO A CLASSIC, WH A NEW SP. BY RICHARD LAWSONJULY 27, 2022SARAH SHATZ/NETFLIXSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVELAST YEAR’S AND JT LIKE THAT SHIFTED THE GAZE OF THE WATERSHED SERI SEX AND THE CY EVER SO SLIGHTLY. THE ORIGAL GANG WAS OLR; ONE WAS MISSG; AND SOME NEW IENDS HAD ARRIVED TO PLITE THE PARTY. WHILE SEX AND THE CY CREATOR DARREN STAR WASN’T VOLVED WH AND JT LIKE THAT, HE PERHAPS WANTED TO DO SOME RIFFG OF HIS OWN, AS EVINCED BY THE NEW NETFLIX SERI UNUPLED (JULY 29). IT’S A SHOW THAT NCERNS THE SAME FASCATNS AS STAR’S LANDMARK SERI—NEW YORK CY, ROMANCE, REER—ONLY OM A GAY PERSPECTIVE.EXPLICLY, DIRECTLY GAY, THAT IS. SATC AND AND JT LIKE THAT, WHILE MOSTLY ABOUT STRAIGHT WOMEN, ARE VERY MUCH FILTERED THROUGH A GAY LENS, THOUGH THE GAY CHARACTERS—CHIEFLY, NEBBISHY STANFORD AND HARPG ANTHONY—ARE OFTEN MERE PLOT FUNCTNARI. NOT SO ON UNUPLED, WHICH PUTS A GAY MAN, FORTY-SOMETHG MICHAEL (NEIL PATRICK HARRIS), ONT AND CENTER. STAR, WH -CREATOR JEFEY RICHMAN, BORROWS SATC’S EPISODIC DATG FORMAT AND ROLLS UP WH THE AGG ANXIETY OF AND JT LIKE THAT, ALL THE GASSY MIDDLE-YEARS JOK ABOUT THE SWIFT ENCROACHMENT OF TECHNOLOGY AND NEW SEXUAL, SOCIAL, AND POLIL NORMS. BUT UNUPLED DO SO LIGHTLY, WH A FLICK OF THE WRIST AND A SLOSH OF CHAMPAGNE. UNUPLED IS TOPIL S REFERENC, BUT A FLTERED, RNY WAY, MUCH LIKE STAR’S OTHER NETFLIX SERI, EY PARIS. THOSE SEEKG A MORN VERSN OF NEW YORK CY SELF WILL BE UNSATISFIED. THIS IS STILL A TELEVISN MANHATTAN THAT TURNS S NOSE UP AT BROOKLYN, THAT IS ALLERGIC TO THE SUBWAY, THAT HOLDS DOWNTOWN AS A PLACE FOR HIP RTRANTS AND GALLERI BUT NOT SUABLE FOR SOPHISTITED LIVG. MICHAEL IS A HIGH-END REAL TATE AGENT, SO THE SHOW SPENDS A LOT OF TIME TALKG ABOUT PROPERTY AND NEIGHBORHOODS A WAY THAT IS HERMETILLY REMOVED OM THE REALI OF TODAY. (FOR ALL BUT A PREC, TERRIBLE FEW NEW YORKERS, ANYWAY.) THERE IS, Y, A PERVERSE PLEASURE TO UNUPLED’S BLHE DULGENCE, THE GUILTY THRILL OF SPENDG TIME A WORLD WHICH MONEY IS BOTH NO OBJECT AND THE ONLY OBJECT. THIS DO PROVE GRATG AS THE SERI WEARS ON, THOUGH. WHERE UNUPLED SEEKS NOVATN IS S ROMANTIC ENTANGLEMENTS, DLY SOCLOGIL AND, OFTENTIM, SEXUALLY ANK. JT BEFORE A SURPRISE 50TH BIRTHDAY FOR MICHAEL’S PARTNER OF 17 YEARS, COL (TUC WATKS), THE BIRTHDAY BOY TELLS MICHAEL THAT HE’S LEAVG THE RELATNSHIP. THIS SENDS MICHAEL TO A TAILSP—AND ONTO APPS LIKE GRDR, WHERE HE NONTS A GAY DATG WORLD VASTLY DIFFERENT OM THE ONE HE KNEW BEFORE HE SETTLED FOR HIS LONG DOMTIC SPELL WH COL. THEIRS WASN’T AN OPEN RELATNSHIP, WHICH PUTS MICHAEL AT A DISTANCE OM A LOT OF GAY MEN A OR SO HIS JUNR. THE ADVENT OF PREP HAS HELPED CREATE A SEXUAL LANDSPE UTTERLY FOREIGN TO MICHAEL, THOUGH HE IS AT LEAST FAIAR WH MANY ENDURG HANGUPS OF HIS PARTICULAR I: THE TENSNS OF TOP AND BOTTOM, BEAR AND TWK, DADDY AND, WELL, NOT DADDY. WHILE THE DISURSE UNUPLED IS WELL TROD ALREADY, IS AT LEAST SOMETHG DIFFERENT TO SEE THOSE NVERSATNS PLAY OUT A ROM TV SERI ABOUT MIDDLE-AGE. AS MICHAEL MEETS A HOST OF MEN ON HIS JOURNEY TOWARD HEALG (PRETTY MUCH A NEW GUY PER EPISO, LIKE THE OLD SATC DAYS!), HIS SIKICK IENDS UNRGO THEIR OWN MISADVENTUR. HIMBO WEATHERMAN BILLY (EMERSON BROOKS) SPENDS HIS TIME BED-HOPPG AND DATG DOWN ON THE AGE SLE. THE SHOW TEAS HIM FOR THAT, BUT MOSTLY AVOIDS OUTRIGHT SHAMG; HIS CHOIC ARE AMED MUCH THE SAME WAY THAT SAMANTHA JON’S WERE. MAYBE BILLY IS PHG TE LOVE AWAY WH ALL HIS EMOTNLS NOODLG, BUT ALSO, WHO R? STANLEY (BROOKS ASHMANSKAS) IS, AS HIS NAME WOULD SUGGT, MORE OF A SQUARE, A LONELY ART ALER WHO’S EVER SELF-PRETG ABOUT HIS AGE, HIS LOOKS, HIS FAILED ATTEMPTS AT FDG A MATE. AGA, THOUGH, UNUPLED IS REFUL WH S RITURE. OR MAYBE ’S JT ASHMANSKAS, WHO LENDS THOUGHTFUL SHADG TO EVEN THE GROANIT, MOST PATHETIC OF L.HARRIS, FOR HIS PART, IS BT WHEN THGS GET A LTLE SER: WHEN MICHAEL AND COL BICKER THE FALLOUT OF THEIR BREAKUP, OR WHEN MICHAEL HAS SOME SAD EPIPHANY ABOUT THE SUDN SHAPE OF HIS LIFE. HIS BROAR EDY IS STIFF—HARRIS IS NOT THE LIGHTT OF PRENC, SO HE HAS TROUBLE WH THE SHOW’S ZANIER, GOOFIER MATERIAL. ESPECIALLY NTRAST TO TISHA CAMPBELL, WHO PLAYS MICHAEL’S BS PARTNER, SUZANNE. CAMPBELL IS A DYNAMIC PERFORMER OWED A B MORE THAN SHE GETS HERE, THOUGH THE SHOW DO EVENTUALLY GIVE HER A SHRED OF A STANDALONE PLOT. SHE ALSO HAS A FEW JNTY SCEN WH MARCIA GAY HARN, WHO PLAYS (ON OLD-PRO TOPILOT) A SNOBBY ZILLNAIRE DIVORCéE LOOKG TO REPAIR HER LIFE JT AS MICHAEL IS. FOR ALL OF S CLUNK AND CREAK, UNUPLED IS AN AGREEABLE WATCH. IT’S DARG ENOUGH A FEW PLAC TO FEEL WORTHY OF S ERA, WHILE PROVIDG THE EASY, BRA-ANG, TRAPPED--AMBER ENJOYMENT THAT HAS BEE A HALLMARK OF STAR’S WORK. (IT SHOULD BE SAID, THOUGH, THAT SEX AND THE CY WAS, AT S PEAK, ACTUALLY QUE STIMULATG.) IN THE STTERED MOMENTS WHEN UNUPLED’S SLAPDASH TOPILY AND HOARY STEREOTYP GIVE WAY TO A JAG OF GENUELY SHARP WRG, THE SERI SWELLS TO F S PEDIGREE. THE SHOW ISN’T SEX AND THE CY, BUT NOTHG WILL EVER BE.WE’D PROBABLY DO WELL TO TAKE HEED OF UNUPLED’S MSAGE, THEN. TO STOP ALL OUR ELS PG FOR AN OLD LOVE WE N NEVER GET BACK. AND TO ENGAGE SOME HALFHEARTED FLIRTATN WH SOMETHG NEW AND—MAYBE, JT MAYBE—GOOD ENOUGH FOR NOW.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYIS THIS THE BEGNG OF THE END OF THE WRERS STRIKE?BY NATALIE JARVEYRICHARD LAWSON
- WHY "SEX AND THE CY" IS BAD FOR THE GAYS
- IS SEX AND THE CY GAY?
- WHO WAS THE WORST MAN ON SEX AND THE CY?VANY FAIR STAFFERS MAKE THE SE FOR 10 DIFFERENT TERRIBLE BOYIENDS (AND BOY IENDS)—OM BIG TO TREY TO, Y, AIDAN.BY HILLARY BIS, YOHANA DTA, SONIA SARAIYA, KATEY RICH, JOY PRS, CHRIS MURPHY, SAVANNAH WALSH, RICHARD LAWSON, K. AT COLLS, AND LRA BRADLEYJUNE 6, 2023PHOTOS OM GETTY IMAG AND SHUTTERSTOCK. SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETHIS HEADLE PROMPTS AN OBV QUTN: WERE THERE ANY GOOD MEN ON SEX AND THE CY? THE ANSWER, BY THE WAY, IS Y: STEVE WAS GOOD. HARRY WAS GOOD. THE DU CARRIE MET BY A FOUNTA SEASON TWO SEEMED NICE. THE LIST, HOWEVER, BASILLY ENDS THERE, WHICH IS WHY WE’VE CID TO MEMORATE THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF HBO’S SIGNATURE ROMANTIC EDY—AND THE UPG SEND SEASON OF THE SEQUEL SERI AND JT LIKE THAT…, G TO MAX ON JUNE 22—BY BATG WHICH DISAPPOTG BE MA CRGE THE MOST. WE’LL START WH THE MAN WHO, OBJECTIVELY, WAS PROBABLY THE BIGGT JERK OF ALL. (PUNS!)FROM GETTY IMAG.MR. BIG (CHRIS NOTH)BIG IS A LIE. THAT’S THE FUNDAMENTAL PREMISE OF HIS CHARACTER; HE’S FANTASY MORE THAN FACT, A LLECTN OF ASSUMED MASCULE POS THAT DO NOT ADD UP TO A HERENT HUMAN BEG. BIG IS THE LONGT-NNG ROMANTIC TERT SEX AND THE CY, BEE HE’S SIGNED TO BE THE PERFECT TERRIBLE CHOICE FOR CARRIE—ENTICG, ADDICTIVE, BUT ULTIMATELY BAD FOR HER. AND Y, BIG SUCKS—HE LEADS HER ON, DUMPS HER TERRIBLY, MARRI SOMEONE ELSE, DRAWS HER TO AN AFFAIR WHEN SHE’S HAPPILY UPLED WH AIDAN, ENURAG HER TO PICK UP SMOKG AGA, AND THROUGHOUT THE SERI CHIS HER FOR NOT BEG MORE ACQUICENT TO HIS FEELGS WHILE GENTLY TRAMPLG ALL OVER HERS. THAT NOTH PLAYS THIS FANCIALLY AND SEXUALLY ENTLED MAN SO WELL DISTRACTS OM THE FACT THAT HE’S NOT A CASANOVA, BUT A PARASE. AND JT LIKE THAT DID A FAVOR BY KILLG HIM VIA PELOTON THE VERY FIRST EPISO. —SONIA SARAIYASKIPPER JOHNSTON (BEN WEBER)YEARS BEFORE THE TERM “NICE GUY” BEME ONLE SHORTHAND FOR A MAN WHO EXPECTS HIS ACTS OF BASIC HUMAN CENCY TO BE REWARD WH SEX, THERE WAS SKIPPER, ONE OF ONLY TWO LOVE TERTS TO APPEAR THE FIRST EPISO OF SEX AND THE CY AND LATER SHOW UP AGA (THE OTHER, OF URSE, IS MR. BIG). HE SPENT ALL OF HIS SCREEN TIME BEMOANG THE FACT THAT HE WAS TOO NICE TO GET WOMEN; WHEN HE DID DATE ONE, WAS MIRANDA, THE CHARACTER MOST LIKELY TO SEE THROUGH HIS BULLSH. HE WAS PERHAPS THE MOST REALISTIC MALE CHARACTER TO APPEAR ON THE SHOW, POORLY DRSED WH AN UN-GLAMORO JOB—BUT IF SEX AND THE CY GAVE BON POTS FOR REALISM, BERGER WOULDN’T BE ON THIS LIST, EHER. SKIPPER WAS PHASED OUT BY THE END OF SEASON TWO, WHEN HE REAPPEARED TO LICK HIS WOUNDS OVER BEG DUMPED ONE LAST TIME. COULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED TO A NICER GUY. —KATEY RICHMOST POPULAROUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLFLORENCE PUGH SAYS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN “APOLOGIZED” FOR HER SMALL OPPENHEIMER ROLEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONHBO/DARREN STAR PRODUCTNS/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK.ALEKSANDR PETROVSKY (MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV)IT WAS OBV OM THE MOMENT ALEKSANDR PETROVSKY APPEARED THAT HE WAS SO GOOD, HE ULD ONLY BE SEX AND THE CY’S WORST MAN OF ALL. A WORLD-FAMO ARTIST WH SOULFUL SLAVIC EY, AN ENDLS SUPPLY OF VIAR, AND AN ENORMO MANHATTAN LOFT, PETROVSKY SWOOPED ON CARRIE LIKE A CTOM-BUILT ROMANTIC FANTASY. HE WHIPPED UP FANCY DNERS, BOUGHT HER SIGNER GOWNS, AND TOOK CARRIE RIDG A HORSE-DRAWN SLEIGH THE SNOW. (IN A PARTICULARLY NEW YORK SP ON PERFECTN, HE ALSO PROVED HIS MANLY PROWS BY SLAYG A MOE HER APARTMENT WH A YG PAN.) BUT ANYONE ULD SEE THAT PETROVSKY WANTED TO LOCK CARRIE A GILD GE (A GEO ONE SIGNED BY THE BT BLACKSMH PARIS, BUT STILL) AND THROW AWAY THE KEY. ONLY A DU THIS NARCISSISTIC ULD MAKE BIG LOOK LIKE A GOOD CHOICE. —JOY PRSCEMATIC COLLECTN/ALAMY.JACK BERGER (RON LIVGSTON)UGH. UGH! BERGER. THE HUMOR WRER WAS PERHAPS CARRIE’S MOST MEMORABLY AWFUL BREAKUP, BUT HIS CRIM AGAST HUMANY STARTED WELL BEFORE THE POST- AFFAIR. THERE WAS THE OBNOX SHARPER IMAGE SOUND MACHE, LEFT OVER OM HIS PREV EX, LREN. THEN ME THE GREAT SCNCHIE BATTLE OF 2003, WHICH BEGAN WHEN CARRIE DARED TO GENTLY TEASE HER BE ABOUT A SGLE SENTENCE HIS NEW NOVEL; NO MATTER HOW SHE PRAISED THE RT OF THE BOOK, WASN’T ENOUGH TO STOP BERGER OM SHUTTG DOWN AND LICKG HIS WOUNDS THAT SUFFERABLY BTER, BERGER-Y WAY. THEN CARRIE’S OWN BOOK BEGAN TO TAKE OFF JT AS BERGER’S PUBLISHER DROPPED HIM, PROMPTG A NEW PARA OF SECURI. CARRIE, UNAWARE THAT BERGER’S REER HAD H A ROADBLOCK, BOUGHT HIM A PRADA SHIRT—AND HE REPAID HER BY MAKG HER FEAR FOR HER LIFE ON A CRAZED MOTORCYCLE RI, BEE APPARENTLY PROFSNAL SUCCS IS A MAJOR TURNOFF TO HIM. THEIR WILD RI WAS FOLLOWED BY EMOTNAL UNAVAILABILY, ANOTHER RENCILIATN, AND FALLY—JT WHEN CARRIE THOUGHT THEY’D WORKED THROUGH THEIR ISSU!—THE FAMO POST- NOTE, LEFT THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AS BERGER SNUCK OUT LIKE THE WARD HE ALWAYS WAS. “I’M SORRY. I N’T. DON’T HATE ME.” OH, BERGER. YOU LEFT NO CHOICE. —LRA BRADLEYMOST POPULAROUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLFLORENCE PUGH SAYS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN “APOLOGIZED” FOR HER SMALL OPPENHEIMER ROLEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONHBO/DARREN STAR PRODUCTNS/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK.TREY MACDOUGAL (KYLE MACLACHLAN)“YOU ARE THE MAN WHO GAVE ME A RDBOARD BABY,” CHARLOTTE SHRIEKS AFTER RECEIVG A PARTICULARLY SENSIVE GAG GIFT OM HER SEXUALLY AND—LET’S FACE —EMOTNALLY IMPOTENT FIRST HBAND, TREY MACDOUGAL. THE ILL-ADVISED CUTOUT—WHICH HE GAVE TO CHARLOTTE WHEN THEY WERE STGGLG TO NCEIVE A CHILD—WAS THE FAL ATH KNELL FOR A RELATNSHIP THAT WAS AD UPON “I DO.” ON PAPER, THE PARK AVENUE RDLOGIST WH A MEGAWATT SE OFFERED CHARLOTTE EXACTLY THE WASPY, WEDD BLISS SHE HAD LONG BEEN CRAVG. BUT TREY WOUND UP BEG AN IMPRSNABLE BOY DRSED GROWN-UP CLOTHG, SWAYED WH A SGLE ARM GRAB TO PROPOSG (NEVER FET HIS FLIPPANT, EQUENT REA OF “ALRIGHTY”), OBSSED WH SATISFYG EVERY WHIM OF HIS BTAL, DUCK-WORSHIPPG MOTHER, BUNNY (FRANC STERNHAGEN). AFTER ALL THE ANGUISH HE ED, TREY’S LD, BLUE-BLOOD HEART ULDN’T EVEN FACE CHARLOTTE DURG THEIR DIVORCE; STEAD, HE PLOYED BUNNY TO DO HIS BIDDG. AND IF THAT DIDN’T NVCE YOU OF TREY’S DISHONOR, I LEAVE YOU WH ONE CHILLG WORD: VAPORUB. —SAVANNAH WALSHCRAIG BLANKENHORN/HBO/DARREN STAR PRODS/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK.AIDAN SHAW (JOHN CORBETT)“BUT HE’S SO NICE!” “HE’S SO HANDY!” “HE HAS A DOG!” I HAVE HEARD YOUR PRO-AIDAN ARGUMENTS, AND THEY WILL NOT MOVE ME. AIDAN SHAW IS BULLSH AND WILL REMA BULLSH, FOR AS LONG AS HIS FIVE ALMOST-EMPTY ODORANTS GATHER DT ON A BATHROOM SHELF. (SO, FOREVER.) DECEPTIVELY GENTLE AIDAN SNTERS TO CARRIE’S LIFE OFFERG EASY, UNPLITED TIMACY. BUT BEFORE LONG, BE CLEAR THAT HIS AFFECTN WH STRGS: QU SMOKG. DON’T GO OUT SO MUCH. SPEND WEEKENDS AT MY UN-AIR-NDNED DELIVERANCE SHACK. DON’T CHEAT ON ME WH YOUR MARRIED EX-BOYIEND. RUL, L, L! HE DON’T LOVE CARRIE; HE LOV THE FRANKEN-CARRIE HE HOP TO MOLD HER TO, SOMEONE JT AS DULL AND RNY AS HE IS. AND EVEN IF CARRIE IS NO PRIZE HERSELF, SHE SERV A MAN WHOSE AWFULNS PLEMENTS HER OWN, RATHER THAN CLASHG WH . I SHUDR TO THK WHAT HAVOC HE AND HIS DOPEY-ASS VOICE WILL WREAK WHEN AND JT LIKE THAT RETURNS FOR S SEND SEASON. —HILLARY BISVGHN WYSEL (JT THEROUX)THEROUX’S SEND APPEARANCE ON THE SHOW FDS HIM PLAYG VGHN, A WRER LOVE TERT FOR CARRIE WHO SEEMS GOOD, WELL, ON PAPER. HE’S HANDSOME; HE’S A SUCCSFUL, RPECTED NOVELIST; AND HE HAS A GREAT FAY, WHO TAKE TO CARRIE STANTLY. SHE QUICKLY FORMS A BOND WH VGHN’S MOTHER, A ANK HUMAN-SEXUALY AMIC (A GREAT, EARTHY TURN BY VALERIE HARPER) WHO REALLY GETS CARRIE’S WORK A WAY FEW OTHERS DO. BUT AS IS SO OFTEN THE SE ON THIS SHOW, VGHN EVENTUALLY REVEALS A CRIL FLT, ONE ALLUD TO BY THE EPISO’S TLE, “SHORTGS.” WHEN CARRIE GENTLY NONTS VGHN ABOUT HIS QUICK-TO-FISH BEDROOM PERFORMANCE, VGHN EAKS OUT, REVEALG THE PETULANT, AGILE EGO THAT N LURK EVEN THE SUPPOSEDLY MOST ENLIGHTENED OF MEN. A CRANKY, BABYISH JERK, VGHN STS CARRIE A RELATNSHIP WH AN OLR MENTOR/MOTHER FIGURE WHO ULD HAVE DONE WONRFUL THGS FOR HER. IN SENCE, HE NIED CARRIE HER MAGDA. —RICHARD LAWSONMOST POPULAROUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLFLORENCE PUGH SAYS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN “APOLOGIZED” FOR HER SMALL OPPENHEIMER ROLEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONHBO/DARREN STAR PRODUCTNS/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK.RICHARD WRIGHT (JAM REMAR)THIS MAN HAD THE DACY TO LIFT HIS SWEATY FACE OM BETWIXT ANOTHER WOMAN’S THIGHS AND TELL SAMANTHA, “IT’S JT SEX.” OPEN AND SHUT SE, RIGHT? OR SHOULD I NTUE NNG DOWN HIS LNDRY LIST OF DIRTBAG EXCELLENCE? LET’S START WH THE FACT THAT EVERY RECURRG BOYIEND ON SEX AND THE CY GOT A CHARMG TRODUCTN. BUT RICHARD WRIGHT WAS TRODUCED SEASON FOUR AS A SLICK HOTEL MAGNATE TERVIEWG SAMANTHA FOR A POTENTIAL PUBLICY GIG, THEN REJECTG HER BY SAYG WOMEN ARE “SO . . . EMOTNAL.” THEN HE MAK HER CRY! HE IS THE HUMAN EMBODIMENT OF THE DOUBLE STANDARD, ALL OF SAMANTHA’S WORST QUALI BOTTLED UP A RASPY VILLA. NOT ONLY IS HIS ARC ENRAGG, BUT HE ALSO RURFAC SEASON SIX TO RAIL SAM’S RELATNSHIP WH ABSOLUT HUNK™ SMH JERROD. IN RETROSPECT, ’S EASY TO SEE WHY RICHARD WEARS THE SAME DAMN OUTF EVERY SGLE EPISO—BEE SOME FOOLS NEVER CHANGE. —YOHANA DTAPICTORIAL PRS LTD/ALAMY.SETH (JON BON JOVI)THIS IS GOG TO SEEM PETTY, BEE SETH ONLY SHOWS UP ONCE AND HAS LS THAN A HANDFUL OF SCEN. BUT THAT BREVY IS HALF THE JURY—AND HIS APPEARANCE PERFECTLY ENPSULAT THE PROBLEM WH MOST OF THE MEN ON THIS SHOW. CONTEXT: ’S LATE SEASON TWO. CARRIE HAS JT BROKEN UP WH BIG, AND IS—PREDICTABLY—BEG A LTLE SUFFERABLE ABOUT . SO HER AR IENDS ALL SUGGT SHE SEEK OUT THERAPY, AND HER THERAPIST’S WAG ROOM, SHE MEETS SETH: ANOTHER PATIENT, WHOSE SHAMPOO-MERCIAL MANE IS ANKLY IRRISTIBLE. HE CHOOS—KEYWORD: CHOOS—TO FLIRT WH HER. THEY GO OUT TO DNER. THEY E BACK TO CARRIE’S PLACE. THEY . . . PLAY TWISTER? AND AFTER SEX, CARRIE MAK THE MISTAKE OF ASKG HIM WHY HE’S THERAPY. THE ANSWER, OF URSE, IS THAT HE’S HORRIBLE TO WOMEN: HE SLEEPS WH THEM ONCE AND LOS TERT. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS OBV: CARRIE STOPS GOG TO THERAPY. SHE WALKS AWAY FEELG LIKE HER PROBLEM IS THAT SHE CHOOS THE WRONG MEN—RATHER THAN THAT SHE’D BEEN LIBERATELY LED ON BY SOMEONE WHO HAD NO TENTN OF SEEG HER AGA. IT’S A PERFECT LTLE REMR THAT, FOR HER (LOVABLE) FOLLY, CARRIE IS OFTEN A VICTIM OF BAD TENTNS. SHE’S OPENHEARTED, SCERE, GENUELY LOVE WH LOVE. BUT THE MEN OF NEW YORK? NOT SO MUCH. —K. AT COLLSMOST POPULAROUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLFLORENCE PUGH SAYS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN “APOLOGIZED” FOR HER SMALL OPPENHEIMER ROLEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONCHARL SYK/SHUTTERSTOCK.ANTHONY MARANTO (MAR CANTONE)I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THKG: HOW ULD ANTHONY, THE LOUDMOUTH EVENT PLANNER AND GAY BT IEND OF CHARLOTTE, RANK AMONG ONE OF THE WORST MEN ON SEX AND THE CY? AREN’T THERE A PLETHORA OF TERRIBLE (TERRIBLE!) OTHER MEN TO CHOOSE OM? BUT HEAR ME OUT. ANTHONY’S FUNNY, FOR SURE. LOYAL? TO A FLT. BUT HE’S ALSO MEAN-SPIRED AND CREDIBLY SHALLOW. LT WE FET, HE SPENT SEASON AFTER SEASON REJECTG AND LY NEGGG ONE OF THE VERY BT MEN ON SEX AND THE CY, STANFORD BLATCH—PLAYED BY THE LATE, GREAT WILLIE GARSON—BEE ANTHONY WASN’T ATTRACTED TO HIM. THE THG ABOUT ANTHONY IS THAT HE’S AN CREDIBLY ACCURATE PICTN OF HOW VAPID AND SHALLOW (SOME) GAY MEN N BE. BUT JT BEE HE HOLDS A MIRROR UP TO SOCIETY DON’T MEAN WE HAVE TO LIKE THE WAY LOOKS! AND WHILE ANTHONY HIMSELF N’T BE BLAMED FOR THE MAJOR MISSTEPS OF THE SEX AND THE CY MOVI, HE WAS DIRECTLY VOLVED ONE OF THEIR BIGGT TRANSGRSNS: ANTHONY AND STANFORD RANDOMLY AND HEAD-SCRATCHGLY WDG UP TOGETHER. (THANK GOODNS STANFORD DIVORCED HIS ASS AND MOVED TO TOKYO AND JT LIKE THAT…) AT THE END OF THE DAY, ’S NO SURPRISE ANTHONY’S BT FEMALE IEND IS ALSO THE WORST OF THE INIC FOURSOME. (SORRY, BUT ’S TE.) —CHRIS MURPHY15 OF CARRIE BRADSHAW’S BT OUTFS1 / 15CHEVRONCHEVRONSEASON 1HILLARY BIS
WILLIE GARSON, CARRIE'S GAY BTIE ON SEX AND THE CY, HAS DIED
The classic edy has a terrible track rerd on queer issu, pecially for a show wrten by women and gay men. * gay man on sex and the city *
Willie Garson, the actor known for playg Carrie Bradshaw's gay bt iend, Stanford Blatch, on Sex and the Cy, has died at age died "after a short illns, " People reports. His character, a talent agent, was always well-drsed and ready wh a wty was straight but stayed the closet about his sexualy durg the n of the show, sayg he didn't want to offend gay people. In a Page Six terview last year, he referred to "people playg gay characters jumpg up and down screamg that they're not gay, like that would somehow be a bad thg if they were.
Though that approach was well-sued to a story about proudly imperfect women, the show also ed as a cheap exce to center a very specific viewpot: straight whe affluence, as wrten by straight whe women and gay whe those who still watch the origal seri whenever they’ve got five hours to waste away on the uch, ’s not hard to acknowledge s wrongheadns while enjoyg s tenacy and extreme watchabily.
News of a reboot, though, v to rensir the show’s tone and ias—and often, Sex and the Cy’s jib took the form of homophobia and transphobia. Stanford (Willie Garson), Carrie’s token gay male iend, was more of an accsory than a person; the send Sex and the Cy movie, he end up marryg the anchise’s only other gay male regular, even though his future hband once chastised his iend Charlotte for assumg he’d even be terted Stanford. (“Why, bee he’s gay and I’m gay?
WHEN SEX AND THE CY RETURNS, WILL IT FALLY GET QUEER PEOPLE RIGHT?THE CLASSIC EDY HAS A TERRIBLE TRACK RERD ON QUEER ISSU, PECIALLY FOR A SHOW WRTEN BY WOMEN AND GAY MEN.BY CASSIE DA COSTAJANUARY 13, 2021FROM GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEON SUNDAY, HBO MAX NFIRMED THAT A SEX AND THE CY REBOOT LLED AND JT LIKE THAT… IS OFFICIALLY THE WORKS—AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT SPIRED FERVENT SPECULATN AMONG FANS AND CRICS. (NOT LEAST BEE THE SHOW IS, TRAGILLY, DOWN ONE LEAD: KIM CATTRALL’S SAMANTHA.) THE ORIGAL SERI WAS FAMOLY NDID, AND OFTEN CLEVER, AS FOLLOWED FOUR IENDS—SAMANTHA, SARAH JSI PARKER’S CARRIE, CYNTHIA NIXON’S MIRANDA, AND KRIST DAVIS’S CHARLOTTE—SNAPPILY DISCSG THE TAILS OF THEIR SEX LIV, DATG PREFERENC, AND PERSONAL ASPIRATNS. BUT S QUIPPY, CY-GIRL TONE HAS AGED UNEVENLY. THOUGH THAT APPROACH WAS WELL-SUED TO A STORY ABOUT PROUDLY IMPERFECT WOMEN, THE SHOW ALSO ED AS A CHEAP EXCE TO CENTER A VERY SPECIFIC VIEWPOT: STRAIGHT WHE AFFLUENCE, AS WRTEN BY STRAIGHT WHE WOMEN AND GAY WHE MEN.FOR THOSE WHO STILL WATCH THE ORIGAL SERI WHENEVER THEY’VE GOT FIVE HOURS TO WASTE AWAY ON THE UCH, ’S NOT HARD TO ACKNOWLEDGE S WRONGHEADNS WHILE ENJOYG S TENACY AND EXTREME WATCHABILY. MUCH LIKE S SCENDANT GIRLS, SATC DRILLED TO EVEN THE MOST SHARPLY CRIL LENNIALS THAT MAY BE ELS TO TRY TO UNTANGLE THOSE CHARACTERISTICS—AND ANYWAY, ’S ALL JT TELEVISN, RIGHT? WHO DON’T ENJOY AN ELEVATED MS?NEWS OF A REBOOT, THOUGH, V TO RENSIR THE SHOW’S TONE AND IAS—AND OFTEN, SEX AND THE CY’S JIB TOOK THE FORM OF HOMOPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA. THROUGHOUT THE URSE OF THE SERI, SAMANTHA GLEEFULLY ED A TRANSPHOBIC SLUR A DIG AGAST SEX WORKERS; CARRIE DOUBTED THE VALIDY OF BISEXUAL MEN; MORE THAN ONE EPISO, LBIANS WERE PORTRAYED AS EXCLIVELY WHE, RICH, AND POWER-HUNGRY. STANFORD (WILLIE GARSON), CARRIE’S TOKEN GAY MALE IEND, WAS MORE OF AN ACCSORY THAN A PERSON; THE SEND SEX AND THE CY MOVIE, HE END UP MARRYG THE ANCHISE’S ONLY OTHER GAY MALE REGULAR, EVEN THOUGH HIS FUTURE HBAND ONCE CHASTISED HIS IEND CHARLOTTE FOR ASSUMG HE’D EVEN BE TERTED STANFORD. (“WHY, BEE HE’S GAY AND I’M GAY?” MAR CANTONE’S ANTHONY ASKED SEASON FOUR. “CHARLOTTE, LET ME CLEAR SOMETHG UP FOR YOU…I ULD DO A LOT BETTER.”)EVEN WHEN SAMANTHA, THE MOST SEXUALLY ADVENTURO OF THE BUNCH, DATED A WOMAN (PLAYED BY THE BELOVED BRAZILIAN ACTOR SôNIA BRAGA), SEX AND THE CY FUMBLED. THE SHOW ED LBIANISM AS A NARRATIVE VICE, PATG AS A STRATEGY BORN OUT OF DATG FATIGUE; THE POSSIBILY THAT SAMANTHA WAS LEGIMATELY CUR OR BISEXUAL WAS NEVER EXPLORED. HER IENDS’ SLY, SELF-CENTERED MENTARY ABOUT HER NEW RELATNSHIP—THAT SAMANTHA WAS SIMPLY A PHASE, THAT SHE WAS DOG THIS FOR ATTENTN—WAS AMED NOT AS GOSSIP, BUT SIGHT.TO THOSE OUTSI OF QUEER MUNI, SUCH A READG MAY E AS A SURPRISE; HOW ULD SEX AND THE CY GET GAY PEOPLE SO WRONG? HOW ULD S OPENLY GAY WRERS—PRIMARILY CREATOR DARREN STAR AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MICHAEL PATRICK KG—SORELY MISREPRENT A GROUP THEY’RE A PART OF?BUT ’S OLD NEWS TO NOTE THAT (UALLY UPPER-CLASS) WHE GAY MEN HAVE A SERVED REPUTATN FOR TAKG NSERVATIVE AND EVEN BIGOTED POSNS ABOUT THEIR TRANS, BLACK, LBIAN, OR FAT BRETHREN, ACTG AS IF A MIX OF SELF-HATRED AND DISDA OF THE OTHER IS A CHARMG PERSONALY TRA. ACRDGLY, SEX AND THE CY’S MOST REACTNARY PERSPECTIV ARE NEVER PORTRAYED AS A SOURCE OF SHAME FOR THE CHARACTERS OR THEIR ACQUATANC; THEY’RE ALWAYS MEANT AS LIGHT ENTERTAMENT. SIARLY, STRAIGHT WHE WOMEN—LIKE THE BULK OF SEX AND THE CY’S WRERS—N OFTEN ACT AS ACPLIC AND AVATARS FOR THIS EXCLN. IN MANY WAYS, SEX AND THE CY ED THE MUCH-STEREOTYPED DYNAMIC OF IENDSHIP BETWEEN STRAIGHT WHE WOMEN AND GAY MEN TO PROP UP SELF-ASSUREDLY IGNORANT WORLDVIEWS.IT’S THIS AGE-OLD MIX OF GAY PATRIARCHY AND WHE SUPREMACY THAT ADDS A LAYER OF TREPIDATN TO ANYONE ANTICIPATG HBO’S LIMED-SERI REVIVAL OF THE SHOW. STAR, NOW HELMG THE POPULARLY HATE-WATCHED EY PARIS, IS OUT, WHILE KG, WHO WROTE AND DIRECTED SATC’S CRILLY MALIGNED BUT LUCRATIVE FILM SEQUELS, IS . STAR AND KG WORKED ALONGSI EACH OTHER FOR YEARS ON THE ORIGAL SERI; THE TERIM, KG PRODUCED THE CBS S 2 BROKE GIRLS, WHICH RECEIVED CRICISM FOR BLATANT RACISM. THE SKILL WILL TAKE TO ISSUE A REBOOT THAT IS SELF-AWARE WHOUT BEG SELF-NSC REQUIR MORE THAN EXPERIENCE OR SELF-HELP REVELATNS—IMAGATN IS SENTIAL.BUT AND JT LIKE THAT… WILL BE A H CREATN, EXISTG FIRMLY THE PRENT—A PRENT WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE, CYNTHIA NIXON IS NOW MARRIED TO A WOMAN AND THE MOTHER TO A TRANS CHILD. IT’S UNLIKELY THAT SHE, AT LEAST, WOULD SIGN ONTO AND JT LIKE THAT… IF S SCRIPTS WERE AS VALIER ABOUT QUEER ISSU AS THE ORIGAL SERI SO OFTEN WAS. COULD A REPRISAL FORCE KG TO EXAME HOW HIS CHARACTERS’ FLAWS WERE OFTEN ROOTED AN ANTI-QUEER MENTALY? OR WILL THE NEW SERI SIMPLY PAPER OVER THE SHOW’S HISTORY BY MAKG CARRIE, MIRANDA, AND CHARLOTTE PARAGONS OF MIDLIFE EMOTNAL AND MORAL GROWTH? PERHAPS, THE END, OUR FAN FICTN ABOUT A LBIAN NEW YORK ERNOR MIRANDA HOBB ULD E TO UN—AS AN DIENCE-PANRG PLOT THAT ATON FOR SEX AND THE CY’S PAST SS.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— INSI BRIDGERTON’S SEXY, MORN MAKEOVER OF THE REGENCY PERD DRAMA— BORAT’S MARIA BAKALOVA HAD A SWEET RNN WH JEANISE JON— TA FEY AND ROBERT CARLOCK WRTLE CLUMSILY WH POLICS MR. MAYOR— BLAZG BLON BOMBSHELL: BARBARA PAYTON’S BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS— BRYAN CRANSTON DANC WH THE DEVIL YOUR HONOR— MEET BRIDGERTON’S DREAMBOAT DE, REGé-JEAN PAGE— STEPHEN COLBERT ANSWERS THE PROT QUTNNAIRE— FROM THE ARCHIVE: SAN SIMEON’S CHILD— NOT A SUBSCRIBER? JO VANY FAIR TO RECEIVE FULL ACCS TO AND THE PLETE ONLE ARCHIVE NOW.MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYIS THIS THE BEGNG OF THE END OF THE WRERS STRIKE?BY NATALIE JARVEYCASSIE DA COSTA
Billy Eichner praised "Sex and the Cy" durg s 25th anniversary for reprentg gay men onscreen. * gay man on sex and the city *
Her iends’ sly, self-centered mentary about her new relatnship—that Samantha was simply a phase, that she was dog this for attentn—was amed not as gossip, but those outsi of queer muni, such a readg may e as a surprise; how uld Sex and the Cy get gay people so wrong? How uld s openly gay wrers—primarily creator Darren Star and executive producer Michael Patrick Kg—sorely misreprent a group they’re a part of? But ’s old news to note that (ually upper-class) whe gay men have a served reputatn for takg nservative and even bigoted posns about their trans, Black, lbian, or fat brethren, actg as if a mix of self-hatred and disda of the Other is a charmg personaly tra.
In many ways, Sex and the Cy ed the much-stereotyped dynamic of iendship between straight whe women and gay men to prop up self-assuredly ignorant ’s this age-old mix of gay patriarchy and whe supremacy that adds a layer of trepidatn to anyone anticipatg HBO’s limed-seri revival of the show. You uld ll a midlife crisis for the both of them; Col sudnly feels stuck his fortable life, while Michael mt now reckon wh beg newly sgle a cy where the petive gay datg scene favors the young, f, and trendy. Specifilly, mak them a lot gayer.
IS UNUPLED THE GAY SEX AND THE CY?
It’s how they eventually meet Claire (Marcia Gay Harn), a wealthy—and licly uptight—hoewife who cis to sell her lavish apartment uptown after her hband leav her.
BILLY EICHNER PRAIS ‘SEX AND THE CY’ FOR ‘MORE AUTHENTIC’ AND ‘RADIL’ PORTRAYALS OF GAY MEN
There’s the feisty gay twk at work, Tyler, who is nstant petn wh Michael over listgs; Billy and Stanley also only seem to exist to serve Michael’s storyl, often lackg the pth and charm that the SATC gals had.
NETFLIX’S UNUPLED: GAY SEX, THE CYDARREN STAR’S NEW SERI HARKENS BACK TO A CLASSIC, WH A NEW SP. BY RICHARD LAWSONJULY 27, 2022SARAH SHATZ/NETFLIXSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVELAST YEAR’S AND JT LIKE THAT SHIFTED THE GAZE OF THE WATERSHED SERI SEX AND THE CY EVER SO SLIGHTLY. THE ORIGAL GANG WAS OLR; ONE WAS MISSG; AND SOME NEW IENDS HAD ARRIVED TO PLITE THE PARTY. WHILE SEX AND THE CY CREATOR DARREN STAR WASN’T VOLVED WH AND JT LIKE THAT, HE PERHAPS WANTED TO DO SOME RIFFG OF HIS OWN, AS EVINCED BY THE NEW NETFLIX SERI UNUPLED (JULY 29). IT’S A SHOW THAT NCERNS THE SAME FASCATNS AS STAR’S LANDMARK SERI—NEW YORK CY, ROMANCE, REER—ONLY OM A GAY PERSPECTIVE.EXPLICLY, DIRECTLY GAY, THAT IS. SATC AND AND JT LIKE THAT, WHILE MOSTLY ABOUT STRAIGHT WOMEN, ARE VERY MUCH FILTERED THROUGH A GAY LENS, THOUGH THE GAY CHARACTERS—CHIEFLY, NEBBISHY STANFORD AND HARPG ANTHONY—ARE OFTEN MERE PLOT FUNCTNARI. NOT SO ON UNUPLED, WHICH PUTS A GAY MAN, FORTY-SOMETHG MICHAEL (NEIL PATRICK HARRIS), ONT AND CENTER. STAR, WH -CREATOR JEFEY RICHMAN, BORROWS SATC’S EPISODIC DATG FORMAT AND ROLLS UP WH THE AGG ANXIETY OF AND JT LIKE THAT, ALL THE GASSY MIDDLE-YEARS JOK ABOUT THE SWIFT ENCROACHMENT OF TECHNOLOGY AND NEW SEXUAL, SOCIAL, AND POLIL NORMS. BUT UNUPLED DO SO LIGHTLY, WH A FLICK OF THE WRIST AND A SLOSH OF CHAMPAGNE. UNUPLED IS TOPIL S REFERENC, BUT A FLTERED, RNY WAY, MUCH LIKE STAR’S OTHER NETFLIX SERI, EY PARIS. THOSE SEEKG A MORN VERSN OF NEW YORK CY SELF WILL BE UNSATISFIED. THIS IS STILL A TELEVISN MANHATTAN THAT TURNS S NOSE UP AT BROOKLYN, THAT IS ALLERGIC TO THE SUBWAY, THAT HOLDS DOWNTOWN AS A PLACE FOR HIP RTRANTS AND GALLERI BUT NOT SUABLE FOR SOPHISTITED LIVG. MICHAEL IS A HIGH-END REAL TATE AGENT, SO THE SHOW SPENDS A LOT OF TIME TALKG ABOUT PROPERTY AND NEIGHBORHOODS A WAY THAT IS HERMETILLY REMOVED OM THE REALI OF TODAY. (FOR ALL BUT A PREC, TERRIBLE FEW NEW YORKERS, ANYWAY.) THERE IS, Y, A PERVERSE PLEASURE TO UNUPLED’S BLHE DULGENCE, THE GUILTY THRILL OF SPENDG TIME A WORLD WHICH MONEY IS BOTH NO OBJECT AND THE ONLY OBJECT. THIS DO PROVE GRATG AS THE SERI WEARS ON, THOUGH. WHERE UNUPLED SEEKS NOVATN IS S ROMANTIC ENTANGLEMENTS, DLY SOCLOGIL AND, OFTENTIM, SEXUALLY ANK. JT BEFORE A SURPRISE 50TH BIRTHDAY FOR MICHAEL’S PARTNER OF 17 YEARS, COL (TUC WATKS), THE BIRTHDAY BOY TELLS MICHAEL THAT HE’S LEAVG THE RELATNSHIP. THIS SENDS MICHAEL TO A TAILSP—AND ONTO APPS LIKE GRDR, WHERE HE NONTS A GAY DATG WORLD VASTLY DIFFERENT OM THE ONE HE KNEW BEFORE HE SETTLED FOR HIS LONG DOMTIC SPELL WH COL. THEIRS WASN’T AN OPEN RELATNSHIP, WHICH PUTS MICHAEL AT A DISTANCE OM A LOT OF GAY MEN A OR SO HIS JUNR. THE ADVENT OF PREP HAS HELPED CREATE A SEXUAL LANDSPE UTTERLY FOREIGN TO MICHAEL, THOUGH HE IS AT LEAST FAIAR WH MANY ENDURG HANGUPS OF HIS PARTICULAR I: THE TENSNS OF TOP AND BOTTOM, BEAR AND TWK, DADDY AND, WELL, NOT DADDY. WHILE THE DISURSE UNUPLED IS WELL TROD ALREADY, IS AT LEAST SOMETHG DIFFERENT TO SEE THOSE NVERSATNS PLAY OUT A ROM TV SERI ABOUT MIDDLE-AGE. AS MICHAEL MEETS A HOST OF MEN ON HIS JOURNEY TOWARD HEALG (PRETTY MUCH A NEW GUY PER EPISO, LIKE THE OLD SATC DAYS!), HIS SIKICK IENDS UNRGO THEIR OWN MISADVENTUR. HIMBO WEATHERMAN BILLY (EMERSON BROOKS) SPENDS HIS TIME BED-HOPPG AND DATG DOWN ON THE AGE SLE. THE SHOW TEAS HIM FOR THAT, BUT MOSTLY AVOIDS OUTRIGHT SHAMG; HIS CHOIC ARE AMED MUCH THE SAME WAY THAT SAMANTHA JON’S WERE. MAYBE BILLY IS PHG TE LOVE AWAY WH ALL HIS EMOTNLS NOODLG, BUT ALSO, WHO R? STANLEY (BROOKS ASHMANSKAS) IS, AS HIS NAME WOULD SUGGT, MORE OF A SQUARE, A LONELY ART ALER WHO’S EVER SELF-PRETG ABOUT HIS AGE, HIS LOOKS, HIS FAILED ATTEMPTS AT FDG A MATE. AGA, THOUGH, UNUPLED IS REFUL WH S RITURE. OR MAYBE ’S JT ASHMANSKAS, WHO LENDS THOUGHTFUL SHADG TO EVEN THE GROANIT, MOST PATHETIC OF L.HARRIS, FOR HIS PART, IS BT WHEN THGS GET A LTLE SER: WHEN MICHAEL AND COL BICKER THE FALLOUT OF THEIR BREAKUP, OR WHEN MICHAEL HAS SOME SAD EPIPHANY ABOUT THE SUDN SHAPE OF HIS LIFE. HIS BROAR EDY IS STIFF—HARRIS IS NOT THE LIGHTT OF PRENC, SO HE HAS TROUBLE WH THE SHOW’S ZANIER, GOOFIER MATERIAL. ESPECIALLY NTRAST TO TISHA CAMPBELL, WHO PLAYS MICHAEL’S BS PARTNER, SUZANNE. CAMPBELL IS A DYNAMIC PERFORMER OWED A B MORE THAN SHE GETS HERE, THOUGH THE SHOW DO EVENTUALLY GIVE HER A SHRED OF A STANDALONE PLOT. SHE ALSO HAS A FEW JNTY SCEN WH MARCIA GAY HARN, WHO PLAYS (ON OLD-PRO TOPILOT) A SNOBBY ZILLNAIRE DIVORCéE LOOKG TO REPAIR HER LIFE JT AS MICHAEL IS. FOR ALL OF S CLUNK AND CREAK, UNUPLED IS AN AGREEABLE WATCH. IT’S DARG ENOUGH A FEW PLAC TO FEEL WORTHY OF S ERA, WHILE PROVIDG THE EASY, BRA-ANG, TRAPPED--AMBER ENJOYMENT THAT HAS BEE A HALLMARK OF STAR’S WORK. (IT SHOULD BE SAID, THOUGH, THAT SEX AND THE CY WAS, AT S PEAK, ACTUALLY QUE STIMULATG.) IN THE STTERED MOMENTS WHEN UNUPLED’S SLAPDASH TOPILY AND HOARY STEREOTYP GIVE WAY TO A JAG OF GENUELY SHARP WRG, THE SERI SWELLS TO F S PEDIGREE. THE SHOW ISN’T SEX AND THE CY, BUT NOTHG WILL EVER BE.WE’D PROBABLY DO WELL TO TAKE HEED OF UNUPLED’S MSAGE, THEN. TO STOP ALL OUR ELS PG FOR AN OLD LOVE WE N NEVER GET BACK. AND TO ENGAGE SOME HALFHEARTED FLIRTATN WH SOMETHG NEW AND—MAYBE, JT MAYBE—GOOD ENOUGH FOR NOW.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYIS THIS THE BEGNG OF THE END OF THE WRERS STRIKE?BY NATALIE JARVEYRICHARD LAWSON
But what Unupled do succeed at is makg a mastream edy show totally gay, whout beg forcibly “woke” or chey. One of thg that fans have noticed is the teractns Cynthia Nixon's character Miranda is havg wh some new st members, and jt how gay those teractns one scene, appears that Miranda is havg a one-on-one dner wh Che Diaz, the queer and nonbary podster and standup edian played by Out100 ver star Sara Ramirez. They have fely ma Miranda gay.
Grey, gay and fabulo! 1636741465Maybe Che is takg Miranda to her first gay bar? "However, we know that Ramirez's character will be queer and nonbary, and the scene wh their character and Miranda is keepg our gay hop Jt Like That premier December 9 on HBO Max.
WHY "SEX AND THE CY" IS BAD FOR THE GAYS
Lewis fished a two-year stt on the ABC televisn drama Brothers & Sisters, where he played a closeted gay man -- and engaged some groundbreakg (for work TV) make-out ssns wh -star Matthew Rhys -- 2009. To mark the 25th anniversary of the “SATC” premiere, Eichner spoke wh People magaze about the impact of seeg real gay bars onscreen the New York Cy-based HBO seri.
“My girliends and my gay iends were the exact right people to be pulled by ‘Sex and the Cy, '” Eichner said. It was one of the only shows that created what, at that time, felt like a more thentic — not perfectly thentic — look at gay men and our relatnships wh women.
IS SEX AND THE CY GAY?
It was reprentg women and gay men, to a lser gree, but to much more of a gree than existed TV and films at the time. Eichner relled one of his earlit “SATC” memori of seeg Stanford (Willie Garson) gog to a gay bar his unrwear. “You did not see many shows at that pot that had scen at gay bars, let alone wh guys standg their unrwear for Unrwear Night.
The fact that Stanford was gog to gay bars felt so radil and really pulled me , ” Eichner said. “I immediately knew, bee I’d been there several tim, was shot at an actual gay bar Chelsea New York lled Barracuda, which is still there. This is before textg, but I remember llg my iends — both my girliends and my gay iends — and sayg, ‘You guys have to watch this show.
It’s a show that ncerns the same fascatns as Star’s landmark seri—New York Cy, romance, reer—only om a gay perspective. Explicly, directly gay, that is.
WHO WAS THE WORST MAN ON SEX AND THE CY?VANY FAIR STAFFERS MAKE THE SE FOR 10 DIFFERENT TERRIBLE BOYIENDS (AND BOY IENDS)—OM BIG TO TREY TO, Y, AIDAN.BY HILLARY BIS, YOHANA DTA, SONIA SARAIYA, KATEY RICH, JOY PRS, CHRIS MURPHY, SAVANNAH WALSH, RICHARD LAWSON, K. AT COLLS, AND LRA BRADLEYJUNE 6, 2023PHOTOS OM GETTY IMAG AND SHUTTERSTOCK. SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETHIS HEADLE PROMPTS AN OBV QUTN: WERE THERE ANY GOOD MEN ON SEX AND THE CY? THE ANSWER, BY THE WAY, IS Y: STEVE WAS GOOD. HARRY WAS GOOD. THE DU CARRIE MET BY A FOUNTA SEASON TWO SEEMED NICE. THE LIST, HOWEVER, BASILLY ENDS THERE, WHICH IS WHY WE’VE CID TO MEMORATE THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF HBO’S SIGNATURE ROMANTIC EDY—AND THE UPG SEND SEASON OF THE SEQUEL SERI AND JT LIKE THAT…, G TO MAX ON JUNE 22—BY BATG WHICH DISAPPOTG BE MA CRGE THE MOST. WE’LL START WH THE MAN WHO, OBJECTIVELY, WAS PROBABLY THE BIGGT JERK OF ALL. (PUNS!)FROM GETTY IMAG.MR. BIG (CHRIS NOTH)BIG IS A LIE. THAT’S THE FUNDAMENTAL PREMISE OF HIS CHARACTER; HE’S FANTASY MORE THAN FACT, A LLECTN OF ASSUMED MASCULE POS THAT DO NOT ADD UP TO A HERENT HUMAN BEG. BIG IS THE LONGT-NNG ROMANTIC TERT SEX AND THE CY, BEE HE’S SIGNED TO BE THE PERFECT TERRIBLE CHOICE FOR CARRIE—ENTICG, ADDICTIVE, BUT ULTIMATELY BAD FOR HER. AND Y, BIG SUCKS—HE LEADS HER ON, DUMPS HER TERRIBLY, MARRI SOMEONE ELSE, DRAWS HER TO AN AFFAIR WHEN SHE’S HAPPILY UPLED WH AIDAN, ENURAG HER TO PICK UP SMOKG AGA, AND THROUGHOUT THE SERI CHIS HER FOR NOT BEG MORE ACQUICENT TO HIS FEELGS WHILE GENTLY TRAMPLG ALL OVER HERS. THAT NOTH PLAYS THIS FANCIALLY AND SEXUALLY ENTLED MAN SO WELL DISTRACTS OM THE FACT THAT HE’S NOT A CASANOVA, BUT A PARASE. AND JT LIKE THAT DID A FAVOR BY KILLG HIM VIA PELOTON THE VERY FIRST EPISO. —SONIA SARAIYASKIPPER JOHNSTON (BEN WEBER)YEARS BEFORE THE TERM “NICE GUY” BEME ONLE SHORTHAND FOR A MAN WHO EXPECTS HIS ACTS OF BASIC HUMAN CENCY TO BE REWARD WH SEX, THERE WAS SKIPPER, ONE OF ONLY TWO LOVE TERTS TO APPEAR THE FIRST EPISO OF SEX AND THE CY AND LATER SHOW UP AGA (THE OTHER, OF URSE, IS MR. BIG). HE SPENT ALL OF HIS SCREEN TIME BEMOANG THE FACT THAT HE WAS TOO NICE TO GET WOMEN; WHEN HE DID DATE ONE, WAS MIRANDA, THE CHARACTER MOST LIKELY TO SEE THROUGH HIS BULLSH. HE WAS PERHAPS THE MOST REALISTIC MALE CHARACTER TO APPEAR ON THE SHOW, POORLY DRSED WH AN UN-GLAMORO JOB—BUT IF SEX AND THE CY GAVE BON POTS FOR REALISM, BERGER WOULDN’T BE ON THIS LIST, EHER. SKIPPER WAS PHASED OUT BY THE END OF SEASON TWO, WHEN HE REAPPEARED TO LICK HIS WOUNDS OVER BEG DUMPED ONE LAST TIME. COULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED TO A NICER GUY. —KATEY RICHMOST POPULAROUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLFLORENCE PUGH SAYS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN “APOLOGIZED” FOR HER SMALL OPPENHEIMER ROLEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONHBO/DARREN STAR PRODUCTNS/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK.ALEKSANDR PETROVSKY (MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV)IT WAS OBV OM THE MOMENT ALEKSANDR PETROVSKY APPEARED THAT HE WAS SO GOOD, HE ULD ONLY BE SEX AND THE CY’S WORST MAN OF ALL. A WORLD-FAMO ARTIST WH SOULFUL SLAVIC EY, AN ENDLS SUPPLY OF VIAR, AND AN ENORMO MANHATTAN LOFT, PETROVSKY SWOOPED ON CARRIE LIKE A CTOM-BUILT ROMANTIC FANTASY. HE WHIPPED UP FANCY DNERS, BOUGHT HER SIGNER GOWNS, AND TOOK CARRIE RIDG A HORSE-DRAWN SLEIGH THE SNOW. (IN A PARTICULARLY NEW YORK SP ON PERFECTN, HE ALSO PROVED HIS MANLY PROWS BY SLAYG A MOE HER APARTMENT WH A YG PAN.) BUT ANYONE ULD SEE THAT PETROVSKY WANTED TO LOCK CARRIE A GILD GE (A GEO ONE SIGNED BY THE BT BLACKSMH PARIS, BUT STILL) AND THROW AWAY THE KEY. ONLY A DU THIS NARCISSISTIC ULD MAKE BIG LOOK LIKE A GOOD CHOICE. —JOY PRSCEMATIC COLLECTN/ALAMY.JACK BERGER (RON LIVGSTON)UGH. UGH! BERGER. THE HUMOR WRER WAS PERHAPS CARRIE’S MOST MEMORABLY AWFUL BREAKUP, BUT HIS CRIM AGAST HUMANY STARTED WELL BEFORE THE POST- AFFAIR. THERE WAS THE OBNOX SHARPER IMAGE SOUND MACHE, LEFT OVER OM HIS PREV EX, LREN. THEN ME THE GREAT SCNCHIE BATTLE OF 2003, WHICH BEGAN WHEN CARRIE DARED TO GENTLY TEASE HER BE ABOUT A SGLE SENTENCE HIS NEW NOVEL; NO MATTER HOW SHE PRAISED THE RT OF THE BOOK, WASN’T ENOUGH TO STOP BERGER OM SHUTTG DOWN AND LICKG HIS WOUNDS THAT SUFFERABLY BTER, BERGER-Y WAY. THEN CARRIE’S OWN BOOK BEGAN TO TAKE OFF JT AS BERGER’S PUBLISHER DROPPED HIM, PROMPTG A NEW PARA OF SECURI. CARRIE, UNAWARE THAT BERGER’S REER HAD H A ROADBLOCK, BOUGHT HIM A PRADA SHIRT—AND HE REPAID HER BY MAKG HER FEAR FOR HER LIFE ON A CRAZED MOTORCYCLE RI, BEE APPARENTLY PROFSNAL SUCCS IS A MAJOR TURNOFF TO HIM. THEIR WILD RI WAS FOLLOWED BY EMOTNAL UNAVAILABILY, ANOTHER RENCILIATN, AND FALLY—JT WHEN CARRIE THOUGHT THEY’D WORKED THROUGH THEIR ISSU!—THE FAMO POST- NOTE, LEFT THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AS BERGER SNUCK OUT LIKE THE WARD HE ALWAYS WAS. “I’M SORRY. I N’T. DON’T HATE ME.” OH, BERGER. YOU LEFT NO CHOICE. —LRA BRADLEYMOST POPULAROUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLFLORENCE PUGH SAYS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN “APOLOGIZED” FOR HER SMALL OPPENHEIMER ROLEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONHBO/DARREN STAR PRODUCTNS/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK.TREY MACDOUGAL (KYLE MACLACHLAN)“YOU ARE THE MAN WHO GAVE ME A RDBOARD BABY,” CHARLOTTE SHRIEKS AFTER RECEIVG A PARTICULARLY SENSIVE GAG GIFT OM HER SEXUALLY AND—LET’S FACE —EMOTNALLY IMPOTENT FIRST HBAND, TREY MACDOUGAL. THE ILL-ADVISED CUTOUT—WHICH HE GAVE TO CHARLOTTE WHEN THEY WERE STGGLG TO NCEIVE A CHILD—WAS THE FAL ATH KNELL FOR A RELATNSHIP THAT WAS AD UPON “I DO.” ON PAPER, THE PARK AVENUE RDLOGIST WH A MEGAWATT SE OFFERED CHARLOTTE EXACTLY THE WASPY, WEDD BLISS SHE HAD LONG BEEN CRAVG. BUT TREY WOUND UP BEG AN IMPRSNABLE BOY DRSED GROWN-UP CLOTHG, SWAYED WH A SGLE ARM GRAB TO PROPOSG (NEVER FET HIS FLIPPANT, EQUENT REA OF “ALRIGHTY”), OBSSED WH SATISFYG EVERY WHIM OF HIS BTAL, DUCK-WORSHIPPG MOTHER, BUNNY (FRANC STERNHAGEN). AFTER ALL THE ANGUISH HE ED, TREY’S LD, BLUE-BLOOD HEART ULDN’T EVEN FACE CHARLOTTE DURG THEIR DIVORCE; STEAD, HE PLOYED BUNNY TO DO HIS BIDDG. AND IF THAT DIDN’T NVCE YOU OF TREY’S DISHONOR, I LEAVE YOU WH ONE CHILLG WORD: VAPORUB. —SAVANNAH WALSHCRAIG BLANKENHORN/HBO/DARREN STAR PRODS/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK.AIDAN SHAW (JOHN CORBETT)“BUT HE’S SO NICE!” “HE’S SO HANDY!” “HE HAS A DOG!” I HAVE HEARD YOUR PRO-AIDAN ARGUMENTS, AND THEY WILL NOT MOVE ME. AIDAN SHAW IS BULLSH AND WILL REMA BULLSH, FOR AS LONG AS HIS FIVE ALMOST-EMPTY ODORANTS GATHER DT ON A BATHROOM SHELF. (SO, FOREVER.) DECEPTIVELY GENTLE AIDAN SNTERS TO CARRIE’S LIFE OFFERG EASY, UNPLITED TIMACY. BUT BEFORE LONG, BE CLEAR THAT HIS AFFECTN WH STRGS: QU SMOKG. DON’T GO OUT SO MUCH. SPEND WEEKENDS AT MY UN-AIR-NDNED DELIVERANCE SHACK. DON’T CHEAT ON ME WH YOUR MARRIED EX-BOYIEND. RUL, L, L! HE DON’T LOVE CARRIE; HE LOV THE FRANKEN-CARRIE HE HOP TO MOLD HER TO, SOMEONE JT AS DULL AND RNY AS HE IS. AND EVEN IF CARRIE IS NO PRIZE HERSELF, SHE SERV A MAN WHOSE AWFULNS PLEMENTS HER OWN, RATHER THAN CLASHG WH . I SHUDR TO THK WHAT HAVOC HE AND HIS DOPEY-ASS VOICE WILL WREAK WHEN AND JT LIKE THAT RETURNS FOR S SEND SEASON. —HILLARY BISVGHN WYSEL (JT THEROUX)THEROUX’S SEND APPEARANCE ON THE SHOW FDS HIM PLAYG VGHN, A WRER LOVE TERT FOR CARRIE WHO SEEMS GOOD, WELL, ON PAPER. HE’S HANDSOME; HE’S A SUCCSFUL, RPECTED NOVELIST; AND HE HAS A GREAT FAY, WHO TAKE TO CARRIE STANTLY. SHE QUICKLY FORMS A BOND WH VGHN’S MOTHER, A ANK HUMAN-SEXUALY AMIC (A GREAT, EARTHY TURN BY VALERIE HARPER) WHO REALLY GETS CARRIE’S WORK A WAY FEW OTHERS DO. BUT AS IS SO OFTEN THE SE ON THIS SHOW, VGHN EVENTUALLY REVEALS A CRIL FLT, ONE ALLUD TO BY THE EPISO’S TLE, “SHORTGS.” WHEN CARRIE GENTLY NONTS VGHN ABOUT HIS QUICK-TO-FISH BEDROOM PERFORMANCE, VGHN EAKS OUT, REVEALG THE PETULANT, AGILE EGO THAT N LURK EVEN THE SUPPOSEDLY MOST ENLIGHTENED OF MEN. A CRANKY, BABYISH JERK, VGHN STS CARRIE A RELATNSHIP WH AN OLR MENTOR/MOTHER FIGURE WHO ULD HAVE DONE WONRFUL THGS FOR HER. IN SENCE, HE NIED CARRIE HER MAGDA. —RICHARD LAWSONMOST POPULAROUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLFLORENCE PUGH SAYS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN “APOLOGIZED” FOR HER SMALL OPPENHEIMER ROLEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONHBO/DARREN STAR PRODUCTNS/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK.RICHARD WRIGHT (JAM REMAR)THIS MAN HAD THE DACY TO LIFT HIS SWEATY FACE OM BETWIXT ANOTHER WOMAN’S THIGHS AND TELL SAMANTHA, “IT’S JT SEX.” OPEN AND SHUT SE, RIGHT? OR SHOULD I NTUE NNG DOWN HIS LNDRY LIST OF DIRTBAG EXCELLENCE? LET’S START WH THE FACT THAT EVERY RECURRG BOYIEND ON SEX AND THE CY GOT A CHARMG TRODUCTN. BUT RICHARD WRIGHT WAS TRODUCED SEASON FOUR AS A SLICK HOTEL MAGNATE TERVIEWG SAMANTHA FOR A POTENTIAL PUBLICY GIG, THEN REJECTG HER BY SAYG WOMEN ARE “SO . . . EMOTNAL.” THEN HE MAK HER CRY! HE IS THE HUMAN EMBODIMENT OF THE DOUBLE STANDARD, ALL OF SAMANTHA’S WORST QUALI BOTTLED UP A RASPY VILLA. NOT ONLY IS HIS ARC ENRAGG, BUT HE ALSO RURFAC SEASON SIX TO RAIL SAM’S RELATNSHIP WH ABSOLUT HUNK™ SMH JERROD. IN RETROSPECT, ’S EASY TO SEE WHY RICHARD WEARS THE SAME DAMN OUTF EVERY SGLE EPISO—BEE SOME FOOLS NEVER CHANGE. —YOHANA DTAPICTORIAL PRS LTD/ALAMY.SETH (JON BON JOVI)THIS IS GOG TO SEEM PETTY, BEE SETH ONLY SHOWS UP ONCE AND HAS LS THAN A HANDFUL OF SCEN. BUT THAT BREVY IS HALF THE JURY—AND HIS APPEARANCE PERFECTLY ENPSULAT THE PROBLEM WH MOST OF THE MEN ON THIS SHOW. CONTEXT: ’S LATE SEASON TWO. CARRIE HAS JT BROKEN UP WH BIG, AND IS—PREDICTABLY—BEG A LTLE SUFFERABLE ABOUT . SO HER AR IENDS ALL SUGGT SHE SEEK OUT THERAPY, AND HER THERAPIST’S WAG ROOM, SHE MEETS SETH: ANOTHER PATIENT, WHOSE SHAMPOO-MERCIAL MANE IS ANKLY IRRISTIBLE. HE CHOOS—KEYWORD: CHOOS—TO FLIRT WH HER. THEY GO OUT TO DNER. THEY E BACK TO CARRIE’S PLACE. THEY . . . PLAY TWISTER? AND AFTER SEX, CARRIE MAK THE MISTAKE OF ASKG HIM WHY HE’S THERAPY. THE ANSWER, OF URSE, IS THAT HE’S HORRIBLE TO WOMEN: HE SLEEPS WH THEM ONCE AND LOS TERT. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS OBV: CARRIE STOPS GOG TO THERAPY. SHE WALKS AWAY FEELG LIKE HER PROBLEM IS THAT SHE CHOOS THE WRONG MEN—RATHER THAN THAT SHE’D BEEN LIBERATELY LED ON BY SOMEONE WHO HAD NO TENTN OF SEEG HER AGA. IT’S A PERFECT LTLE REMR THAT, FOR HER (LOVABLE) FOLLY, CARRIE IS OFTEN A VICTIM OF BAD TENTNS. SHE’S OPENHEARTED, SCERE, GENUELY LOVE WH LOVE. BUT THE MEN OF NEW YORK? NOT SO MUCH. —K. AT COLLSMOST POPULAROUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLFLORENCE PUGH SAYS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN “APOLOGIZED” FOR HER SMALL OPPENHEIMER ROLEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONCHARL SYK/SHUTTERSTOCK.ANTHONY MARANTO (MAR CANTONE)I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THKG: HOW ULD ANTHONY, THE LOUDMOUTH EVENT PLANNER AND GAY BT IEND OF CHARLOTTE, RANK AMONG ONE OF THE WORST MEN ON SEX AND THE CY? AREN’T THERE A PLETHORA OF TERRIBLE (TERRIBLE!) OTHER MEN TO CHOOSE OM? BUT HEAR ME OUT. ANTHONY’S FUNNY, FOR SURE. LOYAL? TO A FLT. BUT HE’S ALSO MEAN-SPIRED AND CREDIBLY SHALLOW. LT WE FET, HE SPENT SEASON AFTER SEASON REJECTG AND LY NEGGG ONE OF THE VERY BT MEN ON SEX AND THE CY, STANFORD BLATCH—PLAYED BY THE LATE, GREAT WILLIE GARSON—BEE ANTHONY WASN’T ATTRACTED TO HIM. THE THG ABOUT ANTHONY IS THAT HE’S AN CREDIBLY ACCURATE PICTN OF HOW VAPID AND SHALLOW (SOME) GAY MEN N BE. BUT JT BEE HE HOLDS A MIRROR UP TO SOCIETY DON’T MEAN WE HAVE TO LIKE THE WAY LOOKS! AND WHILE ANTHONY HIMSELF N’T BE BLAMED FOR THE MAJOR MISSTEPS OF THE SEX AND THE CY MOVI, HE WAS DIRECTLY VOLVED ONE OF THEIR BIGGT TRANSGRSNS: ANTHONY AND STANFORD RANDOMLY AND HEAD-SCRATCHGLY WDG UP TOGETHER. (THANK GOODNS STANFORD DIVORCED HIS ASS AND MOVED TO TOKYO AND JT LIKE THAT…) AT THE END OF THE DAY, ’S NO SURPRISE ANTHONY’S BT FEMALE IEND IS ALSO THE WORST OF THE INIC FOURSOME. (SORRY, BUT ’S TE.) —CHRIS MURPHY15 OF CARRIE BRADSHAW’S BT OUTFS1 / 15CHEVRONCHEVRONSEASON 1HILLARY BIS
SatC and And Jt Like That, while mostly about straight women, are very much filtered through a gay lens, though the gay characters—chiefly, nebbishy Stanford and harpg Anthony—are often mere plot functnari.
Not so on Unupled, which puts a gay man, forty-somethg Michael (Neil Patrick Harris), ont and center.
This sends Michael to a tailsp—and onto apps like Grdr, where he nonts a gay datg world vastly different om the one he knew before he settled for his long domtic spell wh Col.