Urban Thought Collective

A recent Los Angeles Times article stated hilariously that it’s easier to find $2-a-gallon gas then a straight man eager to see the big-screen version of “Sex and the City”” Well, my lack of enthusiasm over the film, which opens everywhere this Friday, May 30, has nothing to do with my gender or my orientation.

It has everything to do with the fact that the show – and especially Sarah Jessica Parker’s immature, self-pitying character, Carrie – became really annoying to me toward the end of its run. The only reason I’m somewhat interested in this movie is the fact that Jennifer Hudson is in it. But then, I think about why she’s in it and I get annoyed all over again.

The shot-callers behind “Sex” hope that the Oscar-winning Dreamgirls star will attract younger viewers and people of color, improving the movie’s uncertain chances at the box office. Parker, who also executive produced the film, said this about the hiring of Hudson: “First of all, we needed to have a 20-year-old in this movie, we really have to remember that there is a significant audience now that are very, very young…and African-American women and women of color have been a big part of our audience for a long time (and) we really haven’t been responsible to them.”

Was that intended to be a compliment? It seems like they went looking for a black actress for purely mercenary reasons. Like, we didn’t look for y’all when we were rocking the ratings on HBO, but now that we’re going into the uncharted territory of movies we want you to help us be successful.

“Sex and the City” was on HBO for six seasons, and complaints about the show’s lack color were continuous. So, I can’t get excited by Sarah Jessica Parker’s 11th hour admission that “Sex” was never “responsible” to us. Nor can I get worked up about another white production trying to hedge its bets by hiring a black performer in a sidekick role.

Thanks for listening. I’m Cameron Turner and that’s my two cents.

THINK! IT AIN’T ILLEGAL…YET!

Cameron Turner is a Los Angeles-area native whose editorials, entertainment news features and audio documentaries have appeared on national radio networks, online and in print for over 20 years.