Sex and The City

There hasn't been a more sexist TV show/film than Sex and The City in the last decade. This deeply upsets me. No, it is not sexist towards men, it's sexist towards women. And believe me, I am all for admitting and cherishing the difference between men and women. I do think we have essential differences that make us behave, react, think in absolutely distinct ways. Our interest in each other is mostly caused by this variation between the two sexes. Consciously or unconsciously, we are fascinated by each other because we are different; to the point that it becomes a curiosity which must be researched and studied. This research and study translates itself into flirting, love and sex. This is wonderful. I believe the two studying each other (or whatever you want to call it) is actually progressive, beautiful and even. The odds are fair.

Sex and The City preaches the opposite. It says women are beings who spend all their time drinking cocktails, talking about men, buying shoes and that's pretty much it. It dumbs down the female to a few almost material equations. The problem gets worse; on top of the picture it paints, it also says that is cool. It lies to the female and says 'if you are like this, it's ok and if you are not like this, you should be; go out and buy some pink heels and everything will be fine, these are your essentials'. In other words, it advocates and confirms that this material, dumb and pseudo-sexual way is the female way.

I think you get what I am saying.

There is, of course, a third and most important layer to the problem. Many women, including some of my very close friends watch the show. Some actually like it, some like it ironically; pretending they only watch it for fun which is all good until it is not good. Ironic appreciation is worse than actual appreciation, it fuels the show's idea further and enlarges its platform for 'proving' itself right. These women who are otherwise intelligent, feminist and progressive get themselves caught in the show's web. It becomes a secret fetish but unfortunately it is not as good as chocolate. :)

I am personally shocked to find so many intelligent females to be engulfed by this nonsense; people who are otherwise ready at all times to fight for women's rights, equality and a fair environment where we can continue the exciting exploration between the two sexes that I mentioned above.

Come on, ladies. Your interest in Sex and The City is making us men look smarter, and believe me; we are not.

Amsterdam - bittergarnituur, maatjesharing

I never thought travel essays made any sense as they are written by the person traveling almost for the same person. I did this, I did that and then the girl in the traditional outfit brought me a rose with my tea, etc, etc. I only have a few notes about Amsterdam, the rest remains for you to find out. And since I have already left and am in Zagreb now, I will still write it in the present tense, that should make it more genuine.

I am staying at a former jail. My room feels like I should be guilty and I feel guilty. In fact, I am guilty. Thank you for this opportunity to confess, retreat and rehabilitate. Shared institutional bathrooms remind me of my boarding school days and that's good. I liked boarding school. I liked it a lot. I spent 7 years there. Most of western Europe has merged into the same notion of the western European cosmopolis and no that's not because of the EU. It has become hard to distinguish between Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona and so on; not in the way they or their people are or look, just in the daily routine of things; the coffee, the trains, the so-called global intellectualism which bores me to death. I miss when you could sit at a cafe in Barcelona and not feel like you are sitting at a cafe in Paris and vice versa. I guess this sort of strict difference is brought upon by war. War always brings us back to what we believe we rightfully own or have invented. If there was a war between the Dutch and the French, the French cafe cup might very well disappear from the Amsterdam cafes and get replaced by the Dutch goblet in a matter of days?

Two more little notes and I will leave you alone:

a) The main difference between America and the rest of the world is renting vs. owning one's life. In Europe and the Middle East, for instance, one rents his life from the history and the tradition that owns it. In America, one buys, makes and owns one's life. More on this later..

b) I have discovered why prostitution is legal and over-marketed in the Netherlands; the local girls do not wear skirts. They really don't. Don't ask me why.

Bye.