Games People Play By: Faryn Wegler

Throughout our weekly viewings of Sex and the City, we have noticed that a major recurring theme is the preoccupation women have with men. The episode Games People Play clearly illustrates this theme, as Carrie is obsessed with talking about Big after their break up. Her friends convince her to see a therapist to deal with her emotions. There are several questionable themes in this episode that need to be analyzed more critically by the audience:

1.) Is Female Friendship Really “Enough” for These Women?

The entire series of Sex and the City is supposedly based on the idea of  “friendship,” and how all the women really need are each other. At the beginning of the episode, Carrie even states, “the best part of not being in a relationship is you have plenty of time to catch up with your friends.” Ironically, all Carrie can talk about is her ex, and she immediately finds a “rebound” guy at her therapists’ office to sleep with. The episode implies that no matter how many close female friends a woman has, girlfriends can never replace the companionship of a man. Thus, none of these women will ever be truly happy without a man in their lives.

2.) Playing Games with Men

The idea of men and women manipulating one another through strategic moves is central to this episode. Carrie’s column this week asks the question, “do you have to play games to make a relationship work?” The ladies all have opposing feminist or anti-feminist viewpoints when it comes to the “games people play:”

Carrie: Carrie is dismayed after hearing her therapist say she is a “game player” and begins to question how power is really divided in a relationship. She asks herself, “We spent our childhoods playing games…were relationships just a chess match?” Carrie represents the struggles modern day women have in attacking the “wrong” type of guy.

Miranda: According to Miranda, “Relationships are not about games, they are about honest mature communication!” Carrie points out the fact that Miranda has been playing a game of “peekaboo” with her neighbour, in which they expose body parts to each other. Miranda’s conservative view on relationship is contradicted by her actions.

Charlotte: After Carrie says that her therapist labeled her a “game player,” Charlotte responds, “you have to be that the only way to deal with men…If you know what your doing you can totally control the situation.” Charlotte fully believes that relationships are like a chess match, in that carefully controlled actions can put one player “ahead” of the other. She believes that a woman’s power can only be gained by following certain rules that can work to her advantage.

Samantha: Samantha tells the other ladies “The only way you can control a man is in bed…if we perpetually gave men blow jobs we can rule the world.” Although her sexual freedom and outspokenness may be considered a form of feminism, Samantha’s character is regressive in her belief that a women’s sexuality can be used to manipulate men.