Charlotte could be the most and least open-minded "Sex and the City" character. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the times Charlotte embraced new experiences and times she could be unjustly narrow-minded and critical.
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00:00 "Maybe we could be each other's soulmates."
00:02 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the times Charlotte embraced new experiences
00:08 and times she could be unjustly narrow-minded and critical.
00:12 While we love her sex-positive attitude in 'And Just Like That,'
00:15 we'll only be focusing on the original 'Sex and the City' television series today.
00:20 "It is important that you take care of your own needs."
00:24 "Stop, stop, stop."
00:26 Number 5 - Open-minded, posing for some intimate art
00:30 Charlotte is a beautiful woman, but she tends to be the least body-confident of the group.
00:35 "Charlotte, sweetie, you have a beautiful figure."
00:40 "Really?"
00:40 "Yes."
00:41 "Then why was that woman in the steam room looking at me like my thighs were too big?"
00:45 That probably has something to do with her conservative upbringing.
00:49 However, then she meets artist Neville Morgan.
00:52 His bold celebration of the human form really shakes up her beliefs and makes her see the power of feeling free in her own skin.
00:58 "The source of all life and pleasure and beauty."
01:04 So despite her usual discomfort, Charlotte decides to take a leap and lets him paint her.
01:09 A bold move for someone who doesn't even feel comfortable disrobing at the spa or examining her own anatomy.
01:15 Seeing her confidently let go of her preconceptions for the sake of art is nothing short of extraordinary.
01:21 "Is this right?"
01:22 "No."
01:23 "No?"
01:24 "No."
01:25 "What?"
01:26 "I know what you're thinking."
01:29 "Cause it now says good in Santa Ju's, Dr. Angel."
01:33 Number 5 - Really wasn't, treating Harry unfairly
01:37 Charlotte could be somewhat shallow when it came to romance,
01:40 and Harry Goldenblatt was a far cry from the guy she was typically attracted to.
01:44 And boy, does she let him know it.
01:46 Their relationship starts off just physical, but once they're officially dating,
01:50 she tries to change him.
01:52 "There's nothing on my face, nothing in my teeth.
01:55 I'm sure you'll hate my moves on the dance floor, but that is the risk that every man must take."
01:59 Sure, she's willing to make significant life changes to be with him.
02:02 However, she still seems to have it in the back of her mind that she could do better.
02:06 And during one heated Friday night dinner, she tells him as much.
02:10 "Do you know what people out there think when they see us together, do you?"
02:14 "Yeah, I know what people are thinking. I just didn't think you were one of them."
02:19 It's heartbreaking to hear that she doesn't appreciate what a great guy she has
02:22 just because he doesn't look like her dream fairy tale prince.
02:26 "To think I bought a ring."
02:27 "The Mets won that night 5-4, but Charlotte lost everything that mattered to her."
02:38 Number 4 - Open-minded, delving into gender expression
02:42 This episode is infamous for its closed-minded and inaccurate views on sexuality,
02:47 with Charlotte and her friends all playing a part.
02:49 "You're not marrying the guy you're making out with him.
02:52 Enjoy it, don't worry about the labels."
02:54 "You're right, you're right. I'm very into labels. Gay, straight. Pick a side and stay there."
03:00 So it's surprising to see Charlotte embrace the idea of gender fluidity.
03:04 At the start of the episode, her friends gather at her gallery for a Drag King exhibition.
03:09 The artist explains his inspiration for the photos,
03:12 and we don't hear her telling him anything about labels or picking a side.
03:16 "I feel we have dual powers within each of us.
03:19 Men can be very female, and women can be very male. Gender's an illusion.
03:25 Sometimes a very beautiful illusion."
03:28 Later on, she even agrees to pose for him.
03:32 Sure, it takes her a beat to feel comfortable in her new look.
03:35 Still, we appreciate that once again,
03:37 she can set aside old presumptions and open her mind to something new.
03:41 "Rich, you're powerful. You eat guys like me for lunch."
03:46 "How you feeling now?"
03:47 "I think I need a bigger sock."
03:52 When Miranda feels uneasy about the income gap between her and Steve,
04:00 she brings it up for discussion with her friends.
04:03 While Carrie and Samantha think that class and income have little to no relevance
04:07 in the success of a relationship, Charlotte begs to differ.
04:10 "Rich men date not-so-rich women all the time. I mean, come on, look at me and big.
04:16 It's not about money. It's about compatibility."
04:19 "Yeah, but it's normal for the guy to have more money."
04:21 She clings to old-fashioned notions that it's fine for men to out-earn women,
04:26 and that class differences matter as much as compatibility in a relationship.
04:30 Even for the late 90s, she sounds grossly out of touch.
04:34 "You're talking about more than a difference in income.
04:37 You're talking about a difference in background and education.
04:40 This guy is working class."
04:42 "Working class?"
04:43 It's not that she's entirely wrong about the role of class in society.
04:47 However, she seems happy to roll with it instead of pushing for equality.
04:51 "But you're trying to pretend that we live in a classless society. And we don't."
04:55 "Okay, Marie Antoinette, we get the picture."
05:07 When Charlotte and Trey separated,
05:09 no one could fault her for not fighting for this relationship with everything she had.
05:13 "This is me. I'm not a Madonna, and I'm not a whore. I'm your wife."
05:22 Sure, there were arguably more red flags than a beach on a stormy day before their nuptials,
05:27 but they went ahead and tied the knot anyway.
05:30 However, Trey's issues with intimacy aren't fixed by the exchange of wedding rings.
05:34 "We love each other and we're married now.
05:38 Rebecca and Schooner belong together. They need each other, please."
05:44 Charlotte does everything she can to try and improve the situation,
05:47 from indulging his fantasies to attending therapy.
05:50 For someone who tends to be more reserved in the intimacy department,
05:54 she really puts her all into trying to make things work.
05:57 We're glad Trey could appreciate how hard she fought for them, at least for now.
06:01 "One other thing."
06:01 "What?"
06:04 "I married you because I knew I'd never find anyone as wonderful as you to marry."
06:09 Remember when Samantha started dating Maria, an artist she met at Charlotte's gallery?
06:18 Remember how disparaging her friends were about it all? Yeah, no one comes off well here.
06:24 Anyway, when Carrie tells Charlotte and Miranda that Samantha was hurt by their attitudes,
06:28 Charlotte doubles down on her dismissiveness.
06:30 "When she gets here, we have to talk about her relationship.
06:34 She was kind of mad we didn't take it seriously last time."
06:36 "Oh please, she isn't having a relationship, she's just doing this to bug us."
06:40 Then, when Samantha tries to talk about it, Charlotte is the first one to shut her down.
06:45 Repeatedly. We know both women have different views on intimacy,
06:48 but we don't think it was just Samantha's colorful descriptions
06:51 that were making her uncomfortable.
06:53 "Okay, put that away."
06:54 After all, we didn't see her get into a whole tiz
06:57 when Carrie dished on her intense night with a guy earlier.
07:00 "I had the most intense orgasm of my entire life."
07:07 "I did my laundry. Continue."
07:11 Charlotte, who is often seen as the most traditional among her friends,
07:19 has surprised us time and time again with her adventurous side.
07:22 "Charlotte, you are such a turn-on and you have no idea.
07:26 You're giving off this sexual energy all the time.
07:29 A vibe like you got a fire inside of you."
07:32 In fact, we'd say that she's just as likely, if not more so,
07:36 as some of her friends to embrace her sexuality.
07:39 There's the time she goes out with a man known for his unique gifts in making women...purr.
07:44 How about when she pretended to be in her 20s for a fling?
07:46 "What are you, 25 now?"
07:48 "Good morning."
07:51 "No, 27."
07:55 And who could forget the almost threesome?
07:57 She also delves into a spot of self-love.
08:00 Throughout the series, Charlotte has shown an interest in exploring
08:03 all sorts of bedroom activities.
08:05 Yet she's also very clear on her boundaries, which is just as important.
08:09 "Can't you just do it for me?"
08:11 "Would you really want me to do something that I didn't want to do?"
08:14 "You'll get used to it."
08:16 "No, I won't."
08:20 Number 2. Really wasn't.
08:22 Playing by the rules.
08:24 That being said, we can understand why people tend to think of her as the antithesis of Samantha.
08:29 After all, let us remind you how she's first introduced to viewers.
08:33 "Most men are threatened by successful women.
08:36 If you want to get these guys, you have to keep your mouth shut and play by the rules."
08:42 Yeesh, right?
08:45 Indeed, Charlotte was all about the rules.
08:48 If marriage was the prize, Charlotte was playing to win.
08:52 In 1995, authors Ellen Fine and Sherry Schneider released The Rules,
08:56 time-tested secrets for capturing the heart of Mr. Right.
09:00 "Wait a second. I thought you were serious about this guy.
09:03 You can't sleep with him on the first date."
09:05 "Oh God, here she goes again with the rules."
09:07 In the early days, it often felt like Charlotte had studied the text devoutly.
09:13 She didn't just live by the rules,
09:14 she was also on a mission to convert her friends to the gospel of dating decorum.
09:18 "It says that if you really want to get married,
09:21 you shouldn't be spending so much time around dysfunctional single women."
09:25 "Marriage Incorporated.
09:26 How to apply successful business strategies to finding a husband."
09:31 Whatever happened to "I choose my choice," eh, Charlotte?
09:34 Number 1. Open-minded.
09:36 Finding your soulmates.
09:38 In one of the most memorable Sex and the City moments,
09:40 the ladies gather at a coffee shop to celebrate Carrie's birthday.
09:43 "It felt really sad not to have a man in my life who cares about me.
09:49 No special guy to wish me happy birthday."
09:54 It had been a disastrous evening for the birthday girl
09:57 after everyone got held up for various reasons,
10:00 leaving her feeling very alone.
10:02 As she shares this with her friends,
10:04 it's Charlotte who offers the sweetest consolation.
10:06 Given how obsessed she can be with finding her forever partner,
10:10 it's surprising to hear her flip the script on the whole soulmate idea.
10:13 "Maybe we could be each other's soulmates.
10:15 And then we could let men be just these great, nice guys to have fun with."
10:23 She reminds her friends that while men may come and go,
10:26 their bond is unbreakable.
10:28 "Wow. That sounds like a plan."
10:30 It's a moment so heartwarming,
10:34 it's like a warm hug wrapped around your soul.
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10:51 As we mentioned before,
10:58 Charlotte and Samantha are typically considered polar opposites in the love department.
11:02 "Stop it.
11:03 Why do you always have to talk about sex like that?"
11:07 "Because I can."
11:08 "Okay, girl, simmer down. Mommy hasn't had her caffeine yet."
11:12 Charlotte's rulebook often clashes with Sam's make-your-own-rules approach.
11:16 While Sam may raise an eyebrow at Charlotte's choices,
11:20 she's not one to rain on her parade.
11:22 Charlotte, though?
11:23 Well, let's just say her opinion of Samantha's love life is not exactly a secret.
11:26 "Oh my God, you're such a-"
11:28 "A what? What am I, Charlotte?"
11:31 "When are you gonna learn that you can't just sleep with everything that comes along?"
11:34 We've already talked about Maria,
11:36 but what about how mean she was after Samantha and her brother hooked up?
11:40 What about all the times she basically reprimands Samantha for her more free-spirited love life?
11:44 Even Charlotte can't deny that sometimes rules are made to be broken.
11:48 And who taught her that?
11:49 You guessed it, Samantha.
11:51 "Charlotte realized how much they'd all changed since college.
11:54 Her friends had become frenemies,
11:58 and to them she had become...
12:00 Samantha."
12:01 Which Charlotte moment surprised you and which made you cringe?
12:07 Let us know in the comments.
12:09 "What's wrong with you, Charlotte? You're such a-"
12:11 "What? What am I, Sydney?"
12:13 Do you agree with our picks?
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12:22 [outro music]
12:32 [Music]