Spoiler alert! The following post contains plot details from Season 2, Episode 2 of “Sex and the City” reboot “And Just Like That…” Stop reading now if you aren’t up to date and don’t want to know.
I couldn’t help but wonder: Why did “And Just Like That…” pass up the opportunity to debunk a common misconception about women’s health?
The third episode of Season 2 of the “Sex and the City” reboot drops tomorrow, but something has been nagging me since last week’s episode. There’s an ongoing plot about Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) being uncomfortable with reading an ad for a vaginal odor product on her podcast, aptly titled “Sex and the City.”
“I hope you’re happy,” Carrie’s producer Chloe (Ali Stroker) says to Bradshaw and her podcast producer. “You two wouldn’t talk about her vagina and now everyone’s out of work. Every show is over… Word of advice, Carrie: Next job, don’t be so precious about your (vagina).”
The questionability of one podcast ad being the catalyst for an entire media company shutting down is another conversation. As is the out-of-character nature of Carrie Bradshaw, a name in pop culture synonymous with talking about sexual and often taboo subjects, drawing the line at listeners hearing her say “vagina.” (I’ve been a reporter on USA TODAY’s Wellness team for just a few months and have already lost track of how many times I’ve said “vagina” in work meetings or interviews without batting an eye.)
But where “And Just Like That…” really misses the mark is that as a sex and relationships writer, Carrie could have taken issue with promoting a vaginal wellness product that promises to improve odor − a legitimate issue in the health and wellness space right now, where companies are promoting products that at best, claim to fix issues medical experts say shouldn’t be issues in the first place, and at worst can actually be detrimental to vaginal health.
The internet has been “very dangerous for sexual health misinformation,” says OB/GYN and women’s health specialist Dr. Sameena Rahman, noting that influencers often go viral for sharing anecdotal experiences that their viewers try to replicate despite a lack of research to confirm safety and effectiveness. The same can be said for podcasters sharing ads for brands, often reading copy or at least key points written by the brand’s advertising team as though it’s their own opinion about the product.
Need proof?Kourtney Kardashian is selling gummies for vaginal health. Experts are rolling their eyes.
“Sexual health and women’s health in particular is dangerous for misinformation as it is often seen as unique niche for influencers to make money,” Rahman adds. “Please see someone trained, licensed or certified in this area. Credentials and experience matters.”
Instead of looking for ways to “fix” the smell of your vagina, experts say reframing the way people think and talk about vaginal odor and taste is important.
Kourtney Kardashian’s line of Lemme Purr gummy vitamins or “Kitty” cocktails on TikTok and other products promising to change the smell and taste of vaginas perpetuate ideas that medical experts argue against: that vaginas need to be “fixed.”
Products like these perpetuate “this patriarchal idea that the vagina needs to smell like flowers or smell like fruit to be appealing to somebody else,” New York-based OB-GYN Dr. Mare Mbaye previously told USA TODAY. “You don’t see this happening with penises. We’re not trying to make penises smell a certain way.”
For as groundbreaking as “Sex and the City” was in talking about sex on TV in the ’90s, the reboot could have been just as groundbreaking now by starting a real conversation about this; Carrie could have easily taken issue with the ad because of the problematic message a product like this sends, but instead her character was squeamish about talking about vaginas on-air. What year are we in?
Like many things about the widely panned reboot, this felt like a misstep and a missed opportunity for the once-trailblazing series, which has now struggled to add any helpful or meaningful commentary on the issues it chooses to bring up.
And just like that, I finished watching yet another episode of this reboot wishing Samantha Jones was here already to bring some much-needed “Sex and the City”-style candor back to the show.
More:TikTok says these tips will boost your sex life. They likely won’t − here’s what to do instead.
