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The Brian Lehrer Show

First She Takes Manhattan

Kay Hymowitz, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and contributing editor of City Journal, says young single women like the Sex and the City character Carrie Bradshaw represent a worldwide "New Girl Order."

Read “The New Girl Order” in City Journal


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[1]
Posted by: TM
October 26, 2007 - 11:14AM
Brooklyn

This comment was removed in accordance with our guidelines. Please be civil and respectful with what you post.

[2]
Posted by: Laurie
October 26, 2007 - 11:14AM
NY NY

Please call them Young WOMEN - "New Girl Order" makes the women and the issue sound childish!!!

[3]
Posted by: Rosie
October 26, 2007 - 11:15AM
Brooklyn, NY

The New Girl Order is nothing new. In 1994, when I was 24 years-old, I was a slave to fashion and aspirational, affluent culture as well, and as time progressed through my 20's, I racked up close to $15,000 worth of debt. I know several young women today, who do the exact same thing that I did; make impulse purchases of $100 jeans, and later can't pay their bills. This is NOT something to celebrate.

I would argue that young women DO NOT have "discretionary" income; most entry level jobs, especially in NYC, pay in the high 20's, low 30's - in publishing, the arts, design, entertainment, etc. These girls are racking up huge amounts of debt to emulate a lifestyle that, in the past, they would not have achieved until well in their 40's.

I am 38 years-old now, and about to get married for the first time, and now do now allow myself to be swayed by the pressure to buy fashionable things. I would like to, but paying my bills on time, and putting money into my business, is far more important. As a female New Yorker, Sex in the City is absolutely not my lifestyle.

[4]
Posted by: atomine
October 26, 2007 - 11:16AM
bococa

My wife loved the show, but women did "satc" really represent women of today? I felt it just represented a very myopic view of the urban working woman..I mean how many women of color were on that show that was supposed to represent nyc?

Sorry but that show represented primarily white enclaves in manhattan...

[5]
Posted by: Anna
October 26, 2007 - 11:19AM
New York

I am not surprised that a senior fellow at

Manhattan Institute to function on the level Ms.

Hymowitz functions.

I can assure ms. Hymowitz that women in Warsaw were elegant more before Americanization, and women in Krakow were reading fashion magazine long before Ms. Hymowitz's visit. Yes, they were reading mostly French magazine, and Polish women have been know in Europe for their style. I am pretty sure that now when the Poles realize the meaning of Americanization, Polish women will go back to their wonderful style.

Once again, I am not surprised that in the country were Bush is President, Ms. Hymowitz with hers "money be made" is a fellow.

[6]
Posted by: Anna
October 26, 2007 - 11:24AM
New York

Correction:

I am surprised that a senior fellow ... functions ..

I am impressed by the discovery that women get married later (yes, sarcasm). It's a pity that there is no Nobel in BS. Ms Hymowitz clearly deserves one.

[7]
Posted by: b
October 26, 2007 - 11:28AM
nyc

i am 32 and a professional

this whole concept is alot of fun when you are young and having fun - but once you realize that you have spent most of your fertile years studying and having various relationships instead of building a family it is kind of sad

don't you see the problems with promoting this lifestyle - spending money at bars and on designer clothes instead of working towards something more substantial

in reality it is very difficult to have it all

to be a wife and mother and a career woman too - sometimes we have to make choices and i think the fairytale notion that you can do it all has been an incredible diservice to women of my age all over the united states

[8]
Posted by: chestine
October 26, 2007 - 12:04PM
NY

i always thought the outfits were about mating rituals - i don't think clear headed women tend to live like satc - can carrie b was teh queen of co-dependence and needed therapy really badly!!!

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