And Just Like That... Carrie Bradshaw is Political

As an aspiring writer who wants to live in New York City one day, Carrie Bradshaw has been a character that I have always looked up to. Her bold yet chic style, her fearlessness in her writing, her love of Manolos and cosmos, Carrie is the epitome of everything I want to be in my twenties. However, there was one aspect in which she lost all of my respect, and no it’s not the fact that she cheated on Aidan Shaw with Big.

Admittedly though, I only begrudgingly forgave her for that, but no, Carrie lost my respect when she said, “Politics had always seemed as relevant to me as a new Erica Jong novel.” It is then, in season 3 episode 2 of Sex and the City, that her ignorance shines straight through all the glamour and allure of her character. Carrie, a woman of 34-years-old, was so indifferent towards politics that she was not even registered to vote, which was also revealed in the episode. How could she not care that same-sex marriage was not federally legal in the United States when her best friend was Stanford Blatch? Or that some women did not have access to safe, legal abortions when she herself had needed one in her twenties? As a character who was so outspoken, it never made any sense to me that Carrie did not want her voice to be heard politically through her vote.

It seems though in 2022, Carrie Bradshaw has finally found her political voice. A recent picture from the set of And Just Like That…, the Sex and the City reboot, shows the ever fashionable Carrie on the streets of Manhattan sporting her take on fall fashion. However, what’s most notable about her look is not the playful purple plaid overcoat, the Pierre Cardin crossbody bag or the bright blue knee-high boots. Rather, it is her Bloomsbury tote bag covered in pieces of neon pink duct tape, each of which features the names of Democrats running for Senate or Gubernatorial seats in the upcoming Midterm elections. The Democrats highlighted include Ohio’s Timothy Ryan, Nevada’s Catherine Cortez Masto, Florida’s Val Demmings, Texas’s Beto O’Rourke, Colorado’s Michael Bennet and Illinois’ Lauren Underwood. Obviously, in the post-Roe v. Wade era, Carrie has come to realize the relevance of politics to her life.

Carrie’s “Jackie O” look, Source: Vanity Fair

In a time when elections are closer and more contentious than ever, Carrie’s bag serves as a reminder to all young women that their political opinion matters. After over a hundred years with women’s right to vote, politics is not just a man’s game, and it is as important as ever that women use their voice. So, on November 8th, do as Carrie would—throw on a your best Jackie O inspired outfit and head to the polls.

Graphics by Mary Renfroe