I was recently watching the new CNN series about "The Nineties," which started with a two-hour episode about 1990s TV shows. One of the shows they featured was "Sex & the City."
Somehow, I never became a regular SATC-watcher -- even though many of my friends raved about it and told me I should watch it, and I still, somehow, got to know who all the characters were and some of the plot lines. I did see a couple of episodes in reruns years later (no doubt censored).
Then, on the screen, they showed the date SATC debuted: June 6, 1998.
Well, that explained it.
The debut of "Sex & the City" coincided with my roller coaster pregnancy with Katie & its aftermath. In early June 1998, I did the triple screen blood test, followed by an ultrasound -- both of which indicated some abnormalities, and led to genetic counselling, amniocentesis and the shadow of a potential termination looming over us, all before the end of the month.
Clearly, I had other stuff on my mind at the time, and while perhaps I could have used something frivolous as a distraction, SATC somehow never quite struck a chord with me, and I never got into the habit of watching it.
I guess there's always Netflix... ;)
Did you ever watch "Sex & the City"? Did loss &/or infertility interfere with your enjoyment of any TV shows that everyone else was watching & loved?
I did watch it (though I don't recall watching it regularly). It was probably on around when I was ttcing, and going through ectopic losses. I quite liked the way they dealt with Charlotte's infertility in the TV series. So I was pretty disgusted in the movie when she had a "miraculous" natural conception (post-adoption) and baby. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteThe evening I was at the hospital to get the injection to end/treat my first ectopic pregnancy Mr Bean was playing on the TV in the waiting room. Not that I was ever a huge fan of Mr Bean, but for years they replayed Mr Bean every Christmas, and for years I couldn't bear the thought of it.
They used to show the Mr. Bean Christmas special every year on Air Canada when we were flying home to visit my family for Christmas (in the days when everyone watched the same movie/show & you didn't have a choice). Try as I might, I couldn't help but crack up every time he got that stupid gigantic turkey stuck on his head!!
DeleteI've never seen an episode of Sex in the City. Admittedly it debuted during the summer between my junior and senior years of high school so I was probably a bit young for the target demographic. The next year I went off to college and had better things to do. :)
ReplyDeleteIn the midst of infertility, one of my (then) favorite shows, NCIS had a story line about one of the characters (Jimmy, Ducky's assistant) and his wife pursing adoption, and in a plot twist at the end of one episode he found out that his wife was pregnant. I was like "nope" and haven't watched the show since. Which is sad because I really liked that show.
I did watch SATC, a bit later, because Eastern Europe. But still. It was nice to see something else, a series that showed women in charge of their lives, more or less. With fun and sad parts, just like in real life. I did not really identify with any of the characters, because I have never been like anyone on that show. But it was fun to watch.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte had some TTC problems, didn't she? I forgot. I might be wrong, but didn't she adopt? Anyway.
I stopped liking the character Lane in Gilmore girls after she got pregnant with twins after her first time ever. I mean, seriously ��. That story line was very poorly done.
I can't remember something else.
Yes I did like SATC... I loved the last two (longer-length) episodes before it finished, where Miranda takes in Steve's mum (very moving), and Carrie goes to Paris with that horrible little man. I had them on my DVR for a while and watched them once or twice like a stand-alone film. They were far superior to the crappy movies that followed, SATC1 & 2. I too was outraged, disgusted and appalled when Charlotte had a stupid miracle pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteThe characters and some plotlines were certainly cliched (especially Samantha) and it was sometimes annoying, but there was something compelling about it. It was easy to watch. Carrie was just coolness, really. Compared to some of the sentimental, family-centred slush that comes out now, like This Is Us, it was great. I haven't seen Girls so can't compare to that, but it seemed fresh and bold at the time.
I have always loved watching Sex & the City. I think I have seen all episodes at least three times in the last 17 years.
ReplyDeleteNope, never watched it either. Sis gave the first season years ago and they are on VHS, lol. - Mimi
ReplyDeleteI felt like I knew where this post was going before I read the whole thing, especially when you mentioned the timing of SATC. It's practically impossible to "unknowingly" these situations, no matter how random the associations may seem to others.
ReplyDeleteThe show that for me now I can't partake in is "This Is Us". Everyone is flipping out about it, but there's a plot that involves a couple having triplets, one of them dying and then they adopt another child right from the hospital (because yeah THAT happens in real life). I don't appreciate the perpetuation of adoption myth coupled with how "real" everyone says this show is. Maybe it would be tolerable in the context of the show, but I'm not willing to find out.
I haven't been able to watch that one either, even those several of my loss mom friends love it & say it's well done & (relatively) realistic (at least in terms of the emotions around pregnancy loss & adoption)(yeah, adopting another baby immediately after one of your triplets (!!) has died... so true to life, right?). The previews before it debuted showed a pregnant mother & then the dr telling the teary dad "You have two healthy babies who need you" or something like that, so right away, I knew that someone (mom? another baby?) had died and I just couldn't bring myself to watch.
DeleteOh, man...that would totally make SATC not a priority. I wasn't an avid watcher, I saw an episode here or there (my favorite one I remembered was the "funky spunk" one) and then I heard that Charlotte had infertility issues and I decided I wasn't going to go back and watch them on NEtflix or whatever. Grey's Anatomy was ruined for me when Meredith started doing fertility treatments. I watched it RELIGIOUSLY and loved it through the hospital shooting season finale, and then Meredith had her miscarriage and they started shooting up gonadotropins and I was OUT. I also never started This Is Us. I saw a clip on Lori's blog and it made me cry for about 30 minutes, even though it was a 15 minute clip, maybe. Too close, and even though I know the adoption storyline was just one of many, seeing everyone so sad every week "OMG! Sad face! This Is Us, WHYYYY" all over facebook was like, huh, I'm sad already. Don't need to introduce that on purpose. Sorry, this one got me thinking on all that stuff, huge comment.
ReplyDeleteI missed the Gulf War. My daughter was born and died January 5th, 1991 and by the time I was noticing life again, the war had come and gone. I've always felt bad about that.
ReplyDeleteJill A.
I loved SATC but I started watching it later, not when originally aired. After our third failed IVF round I stopped watching "Call the midwife" as it was too hard.
ReplyDelete