Cosmos and Cheesecake

The conversation that inspired me to start this blog was about the similarities and parallels between Golden Girls and Sex and the City.  My verdict on the topic is that the Golden Girls are just older.  I think that is because the theme of both shows is something that transcends age and I don’t mean sex I mean having best friends you can count on no matter what.  The concept of close female friendship is nothing new but shows give us a condensed version.  Each set of four girls spends so much time together and their lives are so intertwined that they allow us to examine the friendships in greater detail then other relationships.  The different personalities of the characters compliment and contrast each other. On the surface you would not expect someone like Charlotte to be friends with someone like Samantha but it works. A similar example is although Sophia is not very nice to Rose she still thinks of all three girls as her daughters.  Of course the most obvious similarity between the shows is the amount of time each set of friends spends talking about men, boyfriends and sex. The Sex and the City girls can be more explicit then the Golden Girls (go HBO) but the concept of the conversation is still the same.  It’s also somewhat liberating for women to openly discuss taboo topics in a way that is more often associated with men in a locker room bragging about their conquests.  The girls talk about sex but they also talk about love, marriage their dreams for the future and the mistakes of their pasts.  Talking about sex and men is the catalyst for talking about everything else it may seem shallow but their friendships all go deeper then that. They are always there for each other in times of crisis health scares, funerals for relatives or even just a bad hair day. 

The character parallels also help both shows reach a wider audience the different types of girls mean the different women watching can all have someone to identify with. Everyone I mentioned this topic to immediately said Samantha and Blanche are the same and that is of course the most obvious. I was thinking when they said Samantha was turning 50 in the movie at what age does she become Blanche.  They do both fill the role of the stereotypical slut but they do it while still remaining likable and sympathetic characters.  Just because they sleep around does not mean they don’t have feelings they just express them in a different way from some of their other friends. 

I also think that the next character mach up is Carrie and Dorothy this is less obvious but they are both the academic of the group with Carrie being a writer and Dorothy a teacher.  They are also considered the main character at least by me. There’s probably no argument that Sex and the City is told from Carrie’s point of view but I also think Dorothy is the one who keeps the group together just by being there. Despite their flaws they are both the most grounded in reality and the first to question their friends’ choices to make sure they don’t get hurt. At the same time when it comes to their own lives they are less observant and tend to stay in relationships because they don’t think they can do any better. 

 Next I give you Miranda and Sophia I paired them up because they seem the most cynical and jaded. They are quick to make a comment or joke about a situation.  They are also more cautious and don’t want to take risks that could cause emotional pain.  They are tough and can hold a grudge and take care of themselves and their friends.  Obviously there are generation gaps which make it hard to compare Sophia to the Sex and the City girls who are all in the same age demographic but except in instances where she talks about Dorothy’s childhood she interacts with the rest of the group on an equal level. 

Since there are only two girls left everyone is probably thinking that Charlotte is not as dumb as Rose however they do both share other qualities.  They both have an innocence and naiveté that makes them vulnerable. They are also the sweetest and most forgiving of their respective groups.  They take on the nurturing maternal role trying to take care of everyone else before themselves.  They also have the highest expectations for relationships and see the good in everyone and everything around them. 

            These shows give us two groups of women in two different age groups (taking place in different decades and cities) but also show us the universal bond of talking to you girlfriends while eating or drinking working out your problems over a cheesecake and sharing good news over cosmos its all about being there for your best friends.