Candace in the City

The real star of the HBO sitcom Sex and the City began as a columnist. Candace Bushnell began her career as a freelance journalist when she moved to New York City at the age of 19.

New York City is known as “the city that never sleeps.” Bushnell fit right into that category because she quickly picked up the title of “party-goer.” She frequently visited a well-known club in New York City called Studio 54; in which she mentions a lot throughout her columns.

When Bushnell first moved to NYC she sold a children’s story to Simon & Schuster, but it was never published. As any journalist probably experienced throughout their career, Bushnell struggled as a freelance journalist working for various publications for many years. Finally, in 1993, Bushnell started working for the New York Observer where her luck turned around. She created a spunky, sexy, and humorous column that appeared in the paper from 1994 through 1996 called Sex and the City.

The Sex and the City columns were based on Bushnell’s personal dating life and her friend’s dating experiences. In 1997 her columns were published in an anthology also called Sex and the City, and soon became one of the most watched HBO television series under the same name in 1998.

“When I first started writing the column, there were so many women who would come up to me and say: ‘This is me. This is about my life.’ You know, and no one has done it before. And I think that that’s what they’ve done really successfully with the TV series, is they made women feel like it’s about their lives,” Bushnell said.

Sex and the City, either the columns or the sitcom was not just got a good read or a good show to watch; it’s a lifestyle. Bushnell brought out the best in women. She presented empowerment and showed men as just being accessories in women’s lives.

Her columns were based on dating, sex, fashion, and power. The women in Sex and the City wore only designer clothing, lived in the best apartments and disposed of men at any discretion. They had biggest imagination when it came to sex, and any “girl talk” was accepted.

There’s nothing better than reading about real instances that happen in women’s lives. Bushnell wrote many pieces that pertained to sex. Her views on sexual experiences were humorous, but extremely true. Most women would have a hard time talking to anyone about what happens in their sex life, but Bushnell was not afraid to put everything out in the open.

Her funny and enticing columns led Bushnell to success. Sex and the City is one of the most watched HBO series. Sex and the City came to a grand finale in 2004, and became a successful motion picture in 2004.

Bushnell is currently still writing. She has written several books and had one turned into another sitcom called Lipstick Jungle. Lipstick Jungle only had 20 episodes; it was not very successful.

Bushnell’s life as a columnist brought her success and enjoyment. Her columns portrayed the life of women as fun, fashionable, and open.