Breaking Taboos with "Sex and the City"

Television is still a significant force of popular culture, however continues to represent even the “modern” woman in a rather superficial and biased manner, both regarding her professional development and her intimate life. Failing to capture the countless shifts towards a more empowered view on women’s work achievements and expression of sexuality, such conservative female portrayal continues to reinforce dated understandings on the matter. The TV show “Sex and the City” has been recognized world-widely for its daring representation of the modern woman, in terms of placing women in power over men and thus challenging the stereotypical Television content. The TV series is perceived by many as an expression of a nontraditional woman that is financially independent and sexually empowered. “Sex and the City” quickly managed to become widely successful, whereby raising post-feministic discussions on women’s societal roles. Given the societal importance of shifting gender roles, an examination of the impact that “Sex and the City” has had on the perceptions and personal feelings of the modern woman was conducted. As the TV show was launched in a time of changing gender roles, a retrospective study design aimed to capture the exact effects that it had on its viewers. Cultivation Theory was incorporated as a base for understanding the impact that repeated exposure to TV content can have on the audiences. Attitudes Towards Women, Hyperfemininity and Gender Empowerment Scales were used as main measurements. The data was gathered using a quantitative empirical method, in the form of an online survey, whereby the final sample consisted of 361 participants of various demographic backgrounds, as well as with diverse viewing experience with the TV show. The results indicated that being exposed to “Sex and the City” increased women’s egalitarian views, as well as their personal sense of empowerment. Additional implications were made, concerning demographic descriptions of the respondents. These were further discussed within the limitation section.