Why is Carrie Bradshaw so popular with Gen Z?

Carrie Bradshaw: Our author explains why she is a fan of the series character.

Maybe it's the upcoming third season of "And Just Like That..." or maybe it's simply the nostalgic feeling we're all feeling right now, but my TikTok feed is full of Carrie Bradshaw videos. Her voice constantly blares from my phone speakers; her looks sneak onto my wish lists. The 30-something Vogue columnist, who repeatedly falls for emotionally unavailable men and sooner or later turns every conversation back on herself, has become an absolute icon for Gen Z. "She's just so real," I recently read in a comment under a clip in which Carrie—very dramatically—says, "We're so over... We need a new word for over."

But that wasn't always the case. When "Sex and the City" first aired in 1998, the series was celebrated for its pointed '90s take on dating and gender roles, as well as its witty dialogue. But the longer the series ran, the more its protagonist began to grate on viewers. "For years, she was lovable, rewatchable fun," wrote Hannah Verdier for the Guardian. "Until Carrie really started to get on my nerves. While the later seasons had a lot of good things... many couldn't help but wonder if Bradshaw wasn't just too exhausting for television."

I was too young to have seen "Sex and the City" the first time around, but I vividly remember Carrie being my mother and her friends' least favorite character—and they weren't the only ones. Carrie wasn't as carefree and sexually open as Samantha, nor as forthright as Miranda, nor as lovable as Charlotte. For a sex columnist, she was surprisingly prudish, often judgmental, and barely aware of what was going on outside her own little world and "problems." Resentment toward Carrie was pretty widespread for a while. There's even an entire blog called "Carrie Bradshaw is the Worst" dedicated solely to why—surprise— Carrie Bradshaw is the worst.

This is why Gen Z is so fond of Carrie Bradshaw today

The new generation of viewers doesn't seem particularly bothered by Carrie's numerous flaws (and she definitely has them). On the contrary – for Gen Z, it's precisely these mistakes and neuroses that make her real . "Anyone who hates Carrie just doesn't get her," wrote one person, while another commented under a clip of Carrie lighting cigarettes, "No one gets her like I do." And yet another: "I'm Samantha in my next life. In this one, I'm Carrie." Her comeback in the public eye is reminiscent of Hannah Horvath or even Marnie Michaels from Lena Dunham's "Girls" – although, let's face it, Carrie is just way cooler.

Many Gen X girls and Millennials grew up believing that women should be as "chill" as possible. The kind who isn't "too much," who doesn't care what the guy does, and who isn't insecure. But I wonder—or at least hope—that this "chill girl" myth simply doesn't hold much appeal for subsequent generations. Gen Z adores artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Lana Del Rey, and Gracie Abrams—all musical anti-chill girls; so it's no wonder they also celebrate Carrie. Plus, her designer pieces from the '90s and '00s are currently hitting a nerve.

Sarah Jessica Parker herself has always been an outspoken Carrie defender—just like her new fans. "Her friendships were complicated, and she failed often—like all of us," she told HBO on the occasion of the series' 20th anniversary. "You fail in love, with friends, and with yourself. We were never afraid to show Carrie's weaknesses—and they were shown often and honestly. Sometimes she was harshly judged for them, but I was always happy to tell those stories—because that's what humanized her and created a real connection with people."

This article originally appeared on Vogue.com .

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