When Sex and the City turned 20 years old in June, fans and pop culture commentators celebrated its groundbreaking portrayal of four strong, confident and (mostly) sex-positive women while discussing the ways in which the iconic show now feels dated.
In 2018, it's impossible not to be disappointed by the series' glaring lack of diversity – especially considering it's set in New York, one of the world's most multicultural cities.
"It was a show that was simultaneously progressive and regressive, where people of colour were either stereotypes or punchlines," Refinery29's Hunter Harris wrote as the show's 20th anniversary approached.
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Sex and the City's overwhelming whiteness hasn't escaped the attention of star Sarah Jessica Parker, who acknowledged this week that the show now looks "tone-deaf".
"You couldn't make it today because of the lack of diversity on screen," the Carrie Bradshaw actress told The Hollywood Reporter at the Deauville Film Festival in France. "I personally think it would feel bizarre."
However, during the same interview, Parker appeared to respond tentatively to the idea of remaking the show with a new, more diverse cast.
"I don't know that you could do it with a different cast. I think that's radical and interesting, but you can't pretend it's the same," she said.
"It wouldn't be a reboot as I understand it," she continued. "If you came back and did six episodes, you'd have to acknowledge the city is not hospitable to those same ideas. You'd look like you were generationally removed from reality, but it would be certainly interesting to see four diverse women experiencing NYC their way. It would be interesting and very worthwhile exploring, but it couldn't be the same."
In 2018, Sex and the City also feels problematic because of its transphobic language and birasure, something which the brilliant Woke Charlotte meme has tackled head-on.
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