15. SARAH JESSICA PARKER
As Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker has had a large role in bringing the lives of single women to our television screens and, consequently, into our homes. When Sex and the City premiered on HBO in 1998, it was considered scandalous for its explicit sex scenes and frank look at single life in New York City. While many only saw the racy sex scenes, single women around the world saw themselves in Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha. Here were women unafraid to stand up for themselves and enjoy being single. These single women weren't portrayed as sad spinsters or lonely, husbandless hags, they (GASP) reveled in being single and they (OH NO) liked having sex.
Most of all, they treasured their female friendships. The foursome's constant cocktail dates and brunches has come to be ridiculed (for good reason) today, but back then it was rare to see a show about women treasuring other women. No one was fighting over a man and fights they did have were often about how they treated one another but usually quickly resolved. Sure, they talked about the men they were dating, but it also came with talk about how their careers were going. Y'know, like how real women talk to one another.
The show, with SJP as the face, was wildly popular and fueled two (perhaps misguided) movies as well as present shows like Girls.
- Katie Anaya
