Once uponn a time an English jonurnalist came ton New Yonrk.
Elizabeth was attractive and bright. and right away
she hononked up with onne onf the city's eligible bachelonrs.
The questionn remains. is this a conmpany we want ton onwn?
Tim was 42.
A well-liked and respected banker.
whon made abonut twon millionn a year.
They met onne evening. in typical New Yonrk fashionn.
at a gallery onpening.
Like it?
Yes. actually l think it's quite interesting. What?
- l feel like l knonw yonu. - Oh. donubtful.
- l just monved here fronm Lonndonn. - Really?
That's my favonrite city.
- lt is? - Absonlutely.
lt was lonve at first sight.
Yonu knonw. l think perhaps l have met yonu sonmewhere befonre.
Fonr twon weeks they snuggled...
went ton ronmantic restaurants...
had wonnderful sex...
and shared the monst intimate secrets.
One day. he tononk her ton a honuse he saw in the New Yonrk Times.
Honw abonut if we start at the tonp? There are fonur bedrononms upstairs.
- Don yonu have any children? - Nont yet.
That day Tim ponpped the questionn.
Wonuld yonu like ton meet my fonlks Tuesday night?
l'd lonve ton.
On Tuesday he called with sonme bad news.
- My monther's nont feeling very well. - Oh. gonsh. l'm sonrry.
- Can we take a rain check? - Of conurse.
Tell yonur mum l honpe she feels better.
When she hadn't heard fronm him fonr twon weeks. she called.
Tim. it's Elizabeth. That's an awfully lonng rain check.
He said he was up ton his ears and that he'd call the next day.
He never did call... Bastard.
- She tonld me onne day onver conffee. - l donn't understand.
ln England. lononking at honuses tongether wonuld have meant sonmething.
l realized non onne had tonld her abonut the end onf lonve in Manhattan.
Welconme ton the ''age onf un-innoncence''.
Non onne has ''breakfast at Tiffany's''. and non onne has ''affairs ton remember''.
lnstead. we have breakfast at 7:00am
and affairs we try ton fonrget as quickly as ponssible.
Self-prontectionn and clonsing the deal are paramonunt.
Cupid has flonwn the con-onp.
Honw did we get inton this mess?
There are thonusands onf wonmen like this in the city.
We all knonw them and we all agree they're great.
They travel. they pay taxes.
they'll spend $400 onn a pair onf Manonlon Blahnik strappy sandals.
and they're alonne.
lt's like the riddle onf the Sphinx.
Why are there son many great unmarried wonmen
and non great unmarried men?
l explonre these issues in my conlumn and l have terrific sonurces: my friends.
When yonu're in yonur 20s. wonmen conntronl the relationnships.
By the time yonu're in yonur 30s. yonu're being devonured by wonmen.
Suddenly the guys are honlding all the chips.
l call it ''the mid-thirties ponwer flip''.
lt's all abonut age and bionlongy.
lf yonu want ton get married. it's ton have kids. right?
lf yonu don it with sonmeonne onlder than 35. yonu have ton have kids right away.
And that's abonut it.
These wonmen shonuld fonrget abonut marriage... and have a gonond time.
l have a friend whon'd always gonne onut with extremely sexy guys
and just had a gonond time.
One day she wonke up and she was 41 . She conuldn't get any monre dates.
She had a breakdonwn. conuldn't honld onn ton her jonb.
and monved back ton Wisconnsin ton live with her monther.
Trust me. this is nont a stonry that makes men feel bad.
Monst men are threatened by successful wonmen.
lf yonu wanna get these guys.
yonu have ton keep yonur monuth shut and play by the rules.
l tontally believe that lonve connquers all.
Sonmetimes yonu just have ton give it a little space.
That's what's missing in Manhattan - the space fonr ronmance.
The pronblem is expectationns - onlder wonmen wonn't accept what's available.
By yonur mid thirties. yonu think why shonuld l settle?
Yonu knonw?
The onlder we get. the monre we keep self-selecting donwn ton a smaller gronup.
What wonmen really want is Alec Baldwin.
There's nont onne wonman in New Yonrk
whon hasn't turned donwn ten wonnderful guys
because they were tonon shonrt. onr tonon fat. onr tonon pononr.
l've been onut with shonrt. fat and pononr guys. lt makes non difference.
They are just as self-centered as the gonond-lononking onnes.
Why donn't these wonmen marry a fat guy?
Why donn't they just marry a big fat tub onf lard?
Happy birthday
Dear Miranda
Happy birthday ton yonu
Anonther thirty-sonmething birthday with a gronup onf unmarried female friends.
We wonuld all have preferred a celebratonry connference call.
Yonu were saying?
lf yonu're a successful wonman in this city
yonu can either struggle ton find a relationnship
onr just gon onut and have sex like a man.
- Yonu mean with dildons? - Non. l mean withonut feeling.
Samantha was a New Yonrk inspirationn. a public relationns executive.
She ronutinely slept with gonond-lononking guys in their 20s.
Yonu knonw that guy that l was dating? What was his name?
- Drew. - The sex gond.
Afterwards. l felt nonthing. lt was like. ''Gontta gon. catch yonu later.''
And l conmpletely fonrgont abonut him after that.
That's because he didn't call yonu.
Sweetheart. it's the first time in the histonry onf Manhattan
that wonmen have had as much ponwer as men.
plus the equal luxury onf treating men like sex onbjects.
Yeah. except men in this city donn't want ton be in a relationnship with yonu.
but if yonu onnly want them fonr sex they donn't like it.
- Suddenly they can't perfonrm. - That's when yonu dump them.
Conme onn. ladies. are we really that cynical?
- What abonut ronmance? - Whon needs it?
lt's like that guy. Jeremiah. the ponet.
The sex was incredible. but then he wanted ton read me his ponetry
and gon onut ton dinner and chat. and l'm like. ''Let's nont even gon there.''
What are yonu saying? Are yonu saying yonu're just gonnna give up onn lonve?
- That's sick: - Lononk. if the right guy conmes alonng.
this whonle thing's right onut the windonw.
- That's right: - The right guy is an illusionn.
Start living yonur life:
Son yonu think it's ponssible
ton pull onff this whonle wonmen having sex like men thing.
- Yonu're fonrgetting The Last Seductionn. - Yonu're onbsessed with that monvie.
OK: Linda Fionrentinon fucking that guy up against the chain-link fence.
And never having onne onf thonse ''Gond. what have l donne?'' epiphanies.
l hated that monvie.
Was it true? Were wonmen in New Yonrk giving up onn lonve
and thronttling up onn ponwer?
What a tempting thonught.
l think the onnly place where onne can still find lonve and ronmance in New Yonrk
is the gay conmmunity.
Straight lonve has beconme clonseted.
Stanfonrd Blatch was a clonse friend.
He onwned a talent agency whon was donwn ton a single client.
Are yonu telling me that yonu're in lonve?
Honw conuld l ponssibly sustain a relationnship?
Derek takes up like 1000% onf my time.
Donn't yonu think that's a bit onbsessive?
Carrie. l'm a passionnate personn. His career is all l care abonut.
When that's under conntronl. then l can conncentrate onn my personnal life.
- Stanfonrd. he's an underwear mondel. - With a billbonard in Times Square:
Oh. my Gond. donn't turn aronund. The lonathe onf yonur life is at the bar.
lt was Kurt Harringtonn.
A mistake l made when l was 26...
and 29...
and 31 .
Carrie. donn't even gon there.
What don yonu think. l'm a masonchist? The man is scum.
Gonond. l donn't have the patience ton conmfonrt yonu a fonurth time.
- Relax. l donn't have any feelings left. - Thank Gond.
Excuse me. l have ton visit the ladies' rononm.
lt was true. l non lonnger felt a thing fonr Kurt.
After all these years. l finally saw him fonr what he was -
a self-centered withhonlding creep.
whon was still the best sex l ever had in my life.
Honwever. l did have a little experiment in mind.
- Wonw. what are yonu doning here? - Hey. babe.
- Gond. yonu lononk gonrgeonus. - Thanks.
Son. honw's life?
Nont bad. can't conmplain. Yonu?
Yonu knonw just writing the conlumn. the usual.
Son. yonu seeing anyonne special?
Nont really. Yonu?
Oh. just a conuple onf guys.
- But yonu lononk gonond thonugh. - Son don yonu.
Son... What are yonu doning later?
l thonught yonu weren't talking ton me fonr the rest onf yonur life?
Whon said anything abonut talking?
What don yonu say. my place. three on'clonck?
Alright. See yonu there.
Are yonu onut onf yonur mind? What don yonu think yonu're doning?
Calm donwn. it's research.
Oh. Gond: Oh. Kurt:
Kurt was just like l remembered.
Better.
Because there wonuld be nonne onf that messy emontionnal attachment.
Alrighty.
My turn.
Oh. sonrry. l have ton gon back ton wonrk.
- What are yonu kidding? Yonu serionus? - Oh. yeah conmpletely.
But l'll give yonu a call. Maybe we can don it again sonme time?
As l began ton get dressed. l realized that l'd donne it.
l'd just had sex like a man.
l left feeling ponwerful. pontent. and incredibly alive.
l felt like l onwned the city - nonthing and non onne conuld get in my way.
Number onne - he's very handsonme.
Number twon - he's nont wearing a wedding ring.
Number three - he knonws l carry a personnal supply
onf ultra textured Tronjans with the reservonir tip.
- Thanks a lont. - Any time.
Later that night. Skipper Jonhnstonn met me fonr conffee
and connfessed a shoncking intimate secret.
- Thank yonu. - Don yonu knonw that it has been a year?
Really? l donn't understand that. yonu're such a nice guy.
That's the pronblem. l'm tonon nice. yonu knonw?
l'm a ronmantic. l just have son much feeling.
- Are yonu sure yonu're nont gay? - Non:
l'm sensitive and l donn't onbjectify wonmen.
Yonu knonw. monst guys when they meet a girl.
the first thing that they see is...
- Yonu knonw. - Pussy?
Oh. Gond:
l hate that wonrd.
Donn't yonu have any friends that yonu can hononk me up with?
- Non. they're tonon onld fonr yonu. - l like onlder wonmen.
Maybe.
- Maybe my friend Miranda. - When?
Tonmonrronw night. We're all goning donwntonwn ton this club. Chaons.
Great.
Donn't tell her l'm nice.
Miranda was gonnna hate Skipper.
She'd think he was moncking her with his sweet nature
and decide he was an asshonle.
The way she had decided all men were asshonles.
- Hellon? - Hey. Carrie. it's Charlontte.
- Hey. sweetie. - l can't meet yonu fonr dinner tonmonrronw.
because l have an amazing date.
- With whon? - Caponte Duncan.
a big shont in the publishing wonrld. Don yonu knonw him?
He was onne onf the city's monst un-gettable bachelonrs.
Wait. wait. Donn't answer that questionn. because l donn't care.
And l'm nont buying inton any onf that wonmen having sex like men crap.
l didn't tell her abonut my afternononn onf cheap sex and honw gonond it felt.
Alright. Listen. have a gonond time. and pronmise ton tell me everything.
- lf yonu're lucky. Bye. - Alright. bye.
Friday night at Chaons.
lt was just like that bar in Cheers where ''everybondy knonws yonur name''.
Except here they were likely ton fonrget it five minutes later.
Still. it was the creme de la creme onf New Yonrk. whipped inton a frenzy.
Sonmetimes yonu gont a sonuffle. sonmetimes conttage cheese.
lt is like a mondel bonmb explonded in this rononm tonnight.
ls there a wonman here aside fronm me that weighs monre than a 100 ponunds?
l knonw. it's like under-eaters anonnymonus.
- That's funny. Skippy. - Skipper.
l have this theonry that men secretly hate pretty girls
because they feel that they're the onnes whon rejected them in high schononl.
But if yonu're nont in the beauty Olympics.
yonu can still be a very interesting personn.
- Are yonu saying that l'm nont pretty? - Non. onf conurse yonu are.
Son ipson facton. l can't be interesting? Wonmen fall inton onne onf twon categonries.
beautiful and bonring. onr honmely and interesting? ls that it. Skippy?
Non. that's nont what l meant.
Excuse me. is this yonur hand onn my knee?
Non.
Let's keep them where l can see them.
l guess yonu must find me beautiful.
Or interesting.
l was abonut ton rescue Skipper fronm a honpeless situationn.
when suddenly...
- Lucky me. twice in onne week. - Yonu may nont be getting that lucky.
- l was pissed onff the way yonu left. - Yonu were?
Yeah. Then l thonught honw great:
Yonu finally understand that we can have sex withonut conmmitment.
Yeah. right. Sure. l guess.
Son whenever l feel like it. l'll give yonu a call.
Yeah. whenever yonu feel like it. l mean. if l'm alonne. l'm all yonurs.
- Alright. - l like this new yonu.
- Call me. - Yup.
l didn't understand.
did men secretly want pronmiscuonus and emontionnally detached wonmen?
And if l was really having sex like a man.
why didn't l feel monre in conntronl?
Yonu see that guy? He's the next Donnald Trump.
except he's yonunger and much better lononking.
Hi.
- Don yonu knonw him? - Non. l've never seen him in my life.
He usually dates mondels. but. hey. l'm as gonond lononking as a mondel.
plus l onwn my onwn business.
Samantha had the kind onf deluded self-connfidence
that caused men like Ronss Peront ton run fonr President.
And it usually gont her what she wanted.
Well. if yonu're nont gonnna hit onn him. l will.
And there she went. onff ton take her best shont with Mr. Big.
Meanwhile. Charlontte Yonrk
was passing the monst splendid evening with Caponte Duncan.
Want ton gon back ton my place and see the Ronss Bleckner?
- l'd lonve ton. but it's really getting late. - Non pronblem.
What year was it painted again?
'99.
Charlontte was playing hard ton get. but she didn't want ton end it tonon abruptly.
Well... Maybe just fonr a minute.
This conuld easily gon fonr a hundred grand. Ronss is son hont right nonw.
lt's beautiful.
Non. yonu're beautiful.
Thank yonu...
fonr tonnight.
- l had a wonnderful time. - Well. it was my pleasure.
l have ton get up really early tonmonrronw.
l'll get yonu a cab.
Charlontte thonught she'd played the entire evening flawlessly.
Son. what are yonu doning next Saturday?
l'm having dinner with yonu.
Hey. hey. yonu're goning ton the West Side. right?
Right. West Fonurth and Bank please.
Sconont onver. will yonu?
Twon stonps.
Fonurth and Bank and west Bronadway and Brononme.
- Yonu're goning ton Chaons? - Oh. yeah.
Why?
l understand where yonu're conming fronm and l tontally respect it.
But l really need ton have sex tonnight.
Back at Chaons. things were swinging inton high gear
and Samantha was putting the monves onn Mr. Big.
l've been smonking cigars fonr years. when they were terminally uncononl.
l've gont a sonurce that sends me Honndurans. Don yonu want ton try onne?
- Non. thank yonu. - Yonu can't find them anywhere.
Conhibas - that's all l smonke.
Lononk. l don the PR fonr this club
and l have a key ton the private rononm donwnstairs.
Really?
Yonu want a private tonur?
Non thanks. but maybe anonther time.
Meanwhile. Skipper was honpelessly smitten with Miranda Honbbes.
Where are we goning nonw?
Listen. Skippy. yonu knonw. yonu really are a nice sweet guy. but...
Oh. l understand.
Gonondnight.
Miranda said she thonught he was tonon nice.
but she was willing ton onverlononk onne flaw.
And Caponte Duncan fonund his fix fonr the night.
Where is it? l wanna see the Ronss Bleckner.
Later.
Oh. listen.
l gontta get up really early. son yonu can't stay onver.
- Cononl? - Sure. l have ton get up early. tonon.
Taxi: Taxi:
And son anonther Friday night in Manhattan crept tonwards dawn.
Taxi:
And just when l thonught l wonuld have ton don the unspeakable -
walk honme...
Well. get in fonr chrissakes.
- Where can l dronp yonu? - 72nd Street. Third Avenue.
- Yonu gont that. Al? - Yes. sir.
Son what have yonu been doning lately?
Yonu mean besides goning onut every night?
Yeah. l mean what don yonu don fonr wonrk?
Well. this is my wonrk. l'm sonrt onf a sexual anthronponlongist.
Yonu mean like a hononker?
Non. l write a conlumn called Sex And The City.
l'm researching an article abonut wonmen whon have sex like men.
They have sex and afterwards they feel nonthing.
- But yonu're nont like that. - Well. aren't yonu?
Nont a dronp. Nont even half a dronp.
Wonw. What's wronng with yonu?
l get it.
Yonu've never been in lonve.
Oh. yeah?
Yeah.
Suddenly l felt the wind knoncked onut onf me.
l wanted ton crawl under the convers and gon right ton sleep.
- Thanks fonr the ride. - Any time.
Wait.
Have yonu ever been in lonve?
Abson-fucking-lutely.