Sarah Jessica Parker Calls Out Double Standards Regarding Sex & The City

Sarah Jessica Parker doesn’t think Carrie Bradshaw deserves so much backlash. In a new interview with HuffPost UK, the actor called out societal double standards regarding how male and female TV characters are perceived by viewers, specifically in relation to her iconic Sex and the City character.

Across both SATC and its reboot, And Just Like That..., the third season of which is currently airing on HBO Max, Carrie has been criticized for everything from her wardrobe to her bad choices, like having an affair with future husband Mr. Big (Chris Noth) while dating Aidan (John Corbett).

When asked about the constant backlash Carrie garners, Parker admitted that she wasn’t quite up-to-date on what fans were mad about now, and said she wanted to keep it that way. “I don’t know about the controversy – I don’t want to know about the controversy,” she responded, jokingly putting her fingers in her ears.

Parker conceded that Carrie has “made mistakes” and has “not been mature in love,” acknowledging that “smart people make bad decisions sometimes.” But she was quick to defend her character’s honor. “I think, fundamentally, Carrie is an extraordinarily decent and good person — an extremely devoted friend, she’s generous of spirit and time, in all she has to offer,” she said.

Carrie’s Double Standard

Parker was most interested in the double standards that she navigates on SATC and AJLT, pointing out how male TV characters have done much worse than Carrie (see: Joe Goldberg on You), but haven’t received a fraction of the same criticism.

“It’s always interesting to me that [Carrie is] so condemned, but a male lead on a show can be a murderer, and people love him,” she said. “If a woman has an affair, or behaves poorly, or spends money foolishly […] there’s a kind of punitive response to it.”

Nonetheless, Parker appreciates how passionate viewers become about SATC, even when it sparks negativity. “I ultimately think that all those feelings are pretty fantastic,” she said. “That kind of connection and those kinds of strong feelings, both positive and negative, are pretty wonderful. People are kind of captive in those moments to something, and I think that’s perfectly fine.”