Chapter 5: Sex and the City: When Is Sexuality Acceptable? Sex and the City: Season 1 Episode 6 - Secret Sex (1998) The Naked Dress. The dress worn by Carrie on her infamous bus spread is the centerpiece for the episode referenced in Not Myself Tonight. The women of SATC talk about how early to sleep with a man, each representing a different ideal. Samantha says first date is acceptable. Miranda says anytime after the first date. Carrie suggests 3 dates. And Charlotte gives a complicated math equation.

Mir: You cannot have true romance without good sex. Sam: Yet you can have good sex with someone you don't even like or respect or remember.

Dichotomy The dichotomy represented in the SATC reference is all about sexual politics: when is it acceptable for a woman to be sexual? Carrie wears her famous Naked Dress as the women discuss when they are "allowed" to sleep with a suitor. They use the age-old philosophy that the clothes make the woman, ie if you wear a dress like that you're asking for it. This episode forces the audience to ask themselves, if they judge a person's sexuality by the clothes they wear and if you can dress provocatively without being promiscuous. The fact that Aguilera burns her SATCesque closet also talks about consumerism, another theme in the video. We are bombarded with images of product placement, beauty and clothing. By burning her clothes Aguilera is squashing her past persona in addition to making a powerful statement about being bound and defined by one's wardrobe. Side note: The Sex and the City and Freedom 90 references are linked, you must read one to fully understand the other. See Chapter 4 for Reinvention.