Sex and the City

by Terri Butler, Pittsburgh Single’s Guide Examiner

Every woman in America remembers the Sex and the City episode where Beger, Carrie’s boyfriend at the time, breaks up with her on a post-it note. We’ve all been there and some of you may even be thinking, “Well, at least he had the decency to leave a note.” As technology advances the break-up seems to get less and less personal. I mean, what’s the difference between a text message and a post-it note, really? Well, let the record show that I have never “let someone go” with anything less than a phone call (in person being the preference). For those who do not share my decency, you should be prepared for what could follow –the psycho card.

The psycho card, by my definition, is the reaction of the dumpee. This reaction may be justified or unjustified based on the circumstances surrounding the break-up. If you recall, in the Sex and the City episode that follows, Carrie swears that she will refrain from giving Berger the satisfaction of an angry message, but winds up leaving one AFTER badmouthing him to some of his friends at a club. Based on the severity of his offense, he got off easy in my opinion.

Determining when and how to pull the psycho card is very subjective and most of your friends will advise against it, but you know (maybe even from past experience) that if they were in your situation, they wouldn’t take their own advice because it is hard for anyone to maintain composure when dignity and/or pride has been compromised. Pulling the psycho card may compromise it even further, but it’s a small price to pay for the sweet release of anger.

I’ve heard many “psycho card” stories; from both men and women. My favorites, ranked in order, are below.

4. Routinely driving past the ex’s house to catch a glimpse or force a run-in: Old school stalkarazzi at its best.

3. Showing up unannounced at the ex’s demanding the return of an insignificant belonging: A passive aggressive way of saying, “sleep with one eye open”.

2. Mailing a relationship keepsake box equipped with old show tickets, articles of clothing/lingerie, pictures, etc.: Anything sent regular mail escalates the creepy factor.

1. Shattering the windshield of the ex’s car: Sounds a bit passé after the release of Carrie Underwood’s hit song, Before He Cheats, but this act was groundbreaking for its ime. Definitely a step up from keying the car.

I don’t think I’ve pulled my psycho card, yet. I mean, sure I’ve drunk dialed and sent “closure” e-mails, but that’s par for the course. I think even my ex-fiancé would attest to the fact that he got off pretty easy. I never defamed him to family, mutual friends or even the wedding vendors as I cancelled their services. I always maintained my poise and composure, but as I get older (and wiser) people who mean less and offend me almost as much are shortening my fuse. Maybe the doctor (refer to my previous article, It’s not a booty call if poetry is shared) should feel the fury of my psycho card. Perhaps I will e-mail him a link to this article or send him a copy of the Fatal Attraction DVD with a note saying “For your viewing pleasure while you rest”. As you can see, I haven’t given it much thought.

Andrew Rusli

It’s snappy. It’s emotional. It sheds some light on the mysterious male mind. It delves into the dating scene of the late ’20s and early ’30s. And it has nine protagonists.
“He’s Just Not That Into You” is “Crash” (2004) meets “Sex and the City” (2008). It delivers the goods in a funny and moving romantic comedy, revolving around nine (again, nine) characters, each in the midst of romantic turmoil. A star-studded cast, including the likes of Ben Affleck, Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson and Drew Barrymore, portrays unhappy souls living in and around Baltimore, most of whom paired into couples. There are loose connections between all of the characters, but, unfortunately, not in any witty or satisfying way

Comparisons can certainly be drawn to “Love Actually” (2003). The audience follows several serious couples and a few seriously single people as their relationships and personal lives fall apart over the course of the movie. In the end, some of these relationships are rekindled and some of these characters find new love. But, surprisingly for a romantic comedy, not everyone winds up with a happy ending.

Ginnifer Goodwin plays the lead among leads as Gigi, a hopelessly romantic young woman with somehow-endearing, stalker-like qualities. Drew Barrymore holds the least amount of screen time and importance as Mary, a single magazine editor.

Adapted from former “Sex and the City” story editor Liz Tuccillo and Greg Behrendt’s best-selling self-help book for women of the same name, the movie is unsurprisingly filled with advice about men for single girls. There are tips for single guys, too, but fewer of them. This guidance can be drawn not only from dialogue between characters, but from interesting and unexpected cuts to tiny confessional vignettes that act similarly to chapter markers. In these peculiar moments, short quotes such as “if she’s not sleeping with you…” are taken from the film and displayed as text, followed by comedic, direct-to-the-audience commentary by bitter and presumably single characters who are unrelated to the plot of the film and never appear again. These are similar to moments in numerous “Sex and the City” episodes and in “When Harry Met Sally” (1989).

“He’s Just Not That Into You” is funny, bordering on really funny, especially if one is surrounded by the contagious laughter of giggling females. Men in the audience will laugh as well, perhaps in spite of their supposedly predisposed disdain for chick flicks. But the film has its flaws. Its biggest downside is that there are simply too many characters to be portrayed with equal complexity. Many of them and their relationships are severely underdeveloped. Drew Barrymore’s character, for example, seems only to serve as a vehicle for social commentary as she laments the digital age and its negative impact on romance. With Facebook.com, Myspace.com and e-mail readily available, when do we ever meet people face to face anymore?

Many of the men’s relationships are poorly crafted. The friendships between Affleck and Bradley Cooper’s characters and between those of Kevin Connolly and Justin Long are superficial and barely given any screen time

But these faults can be forgiven, as the film is funny and manages to tell the stories of so many characters.

Perhaps even more than on its humor, the film relies on outstanding and emotionally evocative performances by Aniston, Affleck and most of all by Connelly, who far and away provides the finest performance as a 30-something wife struggling to keep her marriage together in the midst of her husband’s infidelity. She undergoes the most emotional drama, at times taking the film out of the romantic comedy genre and into something more serious.

“He’s Just Not That Into You” is a solid rom-com and an enjoyable watch. And guys: Don’t take a date to see it if you’re not that into her… it could get awkward.

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker hinted that a sequel to her blockbuster Sex and the City film is on the cards as she arrived at the Oscars.

The 43-year-old dazzled fans as she arrived on the red carpet at the Academy Awards ceremony wearing a strapless, ivory gown.

When asked about the likelihood of a sequel to last year’s film adaptation of the popular television series, she said: “It looks very promising.”

However, Parker, who attended the Hollywood event with her husband Matthew Broderick, said she was unaware of the plot for the forthcoming romantic comedy.

She added: “I do not know anything yet, not one single thing.”

Also on the red carpet was Sir David Frost, whose interview with disgraced former US president Richard Nixon provided the basis for the film Frost/Nixon, which was nominated for five Oscars.

The 69-year-old British journalist said he had still not yet grown accustomed to seeing himself played by Michael Sheen on screen.

He said: “It’s quite odd to see him (Sheen) up there on film or stage. It’s a bit like an out-of-body experience.

“He was brilliant because he didn’t do an impersonation – he took the character and added to it.”

Speaking on the red carpet, Sheen said he would be sitting next to Sir David as the winners were read out.

He joked: “I’m going to be sitting next to him at the awards – I can’t get rid of him.”