Sarah Jessica Parker And The ‘Sex And The City’ Cast Slam 'Misogynist Chatter' And Ageism

Nov 24, 2022

Sarah Jessica Parker is a beautiful woman inside and out. She is incredibly talented and is most known for her work as an actress. One of her most famous and critically acclaimed roles came from her time starring as Carrie Bradshaw on the TV series “Sex and the City” from 1998 until 2004. The character has since been recognized as one of the greatest female characters in television.

The show was a huge success and to this day, continues to have a strong following, so much so that a new spin-off series was released in 2021, with Parker reprising her beloved role. While many fans were overjoyed with the news and enjoyed the show “And Just Like That...,” not everyone was as positive about it. 

Several trolls took to the internet to share their distaste for Parker’s casting and pointed out just how much she has aged since the original show aired. The actress had been in her 30s during “Sex and the City” and was 56 years old when “And Just Like That...,” aired.

However, Parker was not about to put up with the backlash and criticism sitting down. In November 2021, she spoke bluntly about the realities of aging in the public eye and being a working actress at any age. She also called out just how unfair and misogynistic people were acting toward her for just doing what everyone does: age. Read on to find out more about how Parker feels about the comments and what she plans on doing career-wise in the future.

Parker is a well-known and well-loved celebrity in the world of acting. She has portrayed a wide variety of characters, but it’s safe to say that most people recognize her for her role as Carrie Bradshaw in “Sex and the City.” Parker later reprised her role and portrayed the character again in the films based on the HBO television series titled “Sex and the City” in 2008 and “Sex and the City 2” in 2010.

The beautiful actress has won several awards throughout her career, including two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globes Awards and three Screen Actors Guild Awards just for her role in “Sex and the City.” Her famous co-stars, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon, also received several awards and nominations for their respective roles.

Parker has also shown off her talents on the Broadway stage and in several movies in various genres. Her personal life has been equally fulfilling, as she has been married to actor Matthew Broderick since 1997, and the pair have three children together. The family currently lives in New York City.

Speaking with Vogue in November 2021, Parker talked about what life was like being a working parent and how fortunate she was. “How can I even complain when I know what’s going on in this country, and how it’s failed working parents,” she said. “I don’t have any tips and tricks, except that I’m incredibly fortunate that I have childcare and a partner, because so many mothers who work two and three jobs do not.”

Parker also opened up about the trolling she has been witnessing online in recent months regarding her position in “And Just Like That….” She, alongside Davis and Nixon, stars in the revival. Although many fans were excited about the series and Parker reprising her iconic role, several people went to the internet to shame the star for her age.

“There’s so much misogynist chatter in response to us that would never. Happen. About. A. Man,” she said. Parker talked about how hypocritical it was for people to shame her and other actresses for having gray hair but to not shame men in the industry for having the same appearance. Parker also pointed out how people were braver on social media and shamed her no matter what, whether she had too many flaws or not enough of them.

“‘Gray hair gray hair gray hair. Does she have gray hair?’ I’m sitting with Andy Cohen and he has a full head of gray hair, and he’s exquisite. Why is it okay for him?” Parker questioned. “I don’t know what to tell you people! Especially on social media. Everyone has something to say. ‘She has too many wrinkles, she doesn’t have enough wrinkles.’”

The actress continued:

“It almost feels as if people don’t want us to be perfectly OK with where we are, as if they almost enjoy us being pained by who we are today, whether we choose to age naturally and not look perfect, or whether you do something if that makes you feel better. I know what I look like. I have no choice. What am I going to do about it? Stop aging? Disappear?”

Parker’s costar Nixon, who plays lawyer Miranda on “Sex and the City,” also opened up in the Vogue interview about the issue of age prior to the release of “And Just Like That…,” saying the producers went about things the right way.

“I like that we’re not trying to youthify the show. We’re not including, like, a 21-year-old niece,” she said. She gave a further explanation to Vogue about how age is just a number when prompted for a response to viewers who felt like her character had changed entirely. “(Miranda) gives up her very lucrative corporate job and goes back to try and make something more of her life. As Miranda says: We’re not old, we’re 55. I mean, you’re certainly closer to the end than to the beginning. But if you’re not happy with where you are, you still have a lot of time to make a change.”

She was joined by a chorus of agreement, including from the show’s writer and producer Michael Patrick King. King said when they announced the reboot, “there were a lot of positive reactions, but one b****y response online was people sharing pictures of the Golden Girls. And I was like, ‘Wow, so it’s either you’re 35, or you’re retired and living in Florida. There’s a missing chapter here,’” King said. Another writer on the show, Samantha Irby, echoed his sentiments, saying “I think it’s revolutionary to do a show about middle-aged women, with their aging lady bodies.”

Unfortunately, Parker and the rest of the cast are hardly the first women to have experienced ageism and sexism in Hollywood.

In May 2017, Jamie Denbo of "Orange is the New Black" fame told fans on Twitter that she had been turned down for a role as a 57-year-old man's wife. Denbo was 43 at the time.

“I was just informed that at the age of 43, I am TOO OLD to play the wife of a 57 year old.” Denbo wrote.

“This is a FIRST marriage, btw,” she added. “Not a re-wife. Which would make a little more sense.”

In a Vanity Fair story about the incident, the magazine mentioned other actresses who have spoken out about the industry's toxic combination of misogyny and ageism.

“It’s ridiculous ... So annoying ... We all watched James Bond as he got more and more geriatric, and his girlfriends got younger and younger. It’s so annoying," the award-winning actress Helen Mirren told the magazine.

Meryl Streep, another Hollywood legend, fought back by establishing a screenwriting lab for women over 40.

These women aren't letting sexist trolls get in their way, however, and are using their voices to create awareness that people, particularly women, should be celebrated for aging, not crucified for it.

Parker's "And Just Like That…” was released on HBO Max on Dec. 9, 2021.

Since its early December debut, the show has received mixed reviews in the press. "‘And Just Like That,’ It All Went Wrong," The New York Times' headline read.

However, some "Sex and the City" die-hards are no doubt happy that HBO has breathed new life into the show, and given that re-boots are quite popular nowadays, the show is bound to find its audience. 

What do you think about Sarah Jessica Parker’s response to people’s misogynistic and ageist sentiments toward her? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to any “Sex and the City” fan you know!