What do we learn about New York and the programmes themselves through the openings of 'The Sopranos' and 'Sex in the City'?

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What do we learn about New York and the programmes themselves through the openings of ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘Sex in the City’?

This essay will focus on a comparison, contrast and review of the opening sequences of ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘The Sopranos’. I will analyse how each scene depicts and represents the city of New York, and how the actual programme itself is portrayed. I will deconstruct and break down each technique used, and how it is symbolic towards the city and series. ‘Sex and the City’, the first programme I will be analysing, follows the daily routine and lifestyle of Carrie Bradshaw; a mid-30s single American woman. The television show focuses on Carrie, her friends, and their sexual and personal relationships and experiences in New York. It is aimed primarily at the young female adult demographic, and therefore it is always shown after the watershed. It would appeal to other audiences, but I believe that it has been produced with that one specific demographic in mind. Normally, the show has to be screened late at night, due to regular extreme language and explicit sexual content. ‘The Sopranos’, the second programme that I studied, follows the exploits of an Italian-American family of gangsters, and their involvement with the criminal underworld of New York. The main character, Tony Soprano, is usually the person that has his life documented by the camera. Stereotypically, ‘The Sopranos’ would appeal to the adult male demographic, as it contains an abundance of profanity and general adult content that would be considered to be unsuitable for viewing by minors. It is for these reasons that ‘The Sopranos’ is permanently shown after the 9pm watershed. Although both of these shows have many direct contrasts between them, they also share many similar representations and methods of encoding through iconic signifiers. The actors chose to represent the roles are both perfect examples of the stereotypical characters they play. For example, ‘Tony Soprano’ (played by James Gandolfini) is the typical gangster. He has the perfect stance and appearance, and uses props to his advantage in signifying ideas to the audience. ‘Carrie Bradshaw’ (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) also does this, but for an entirely different typecast. Even though both of these shows are set in New York, each represents and displays an entirely different atmosphere and ambiance for both districts of the city, evoking very different thoughts and feelings. Both ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘The Sopranos’ also illustrate a completely different variety of life, the former presenting the more glamorous and wealthy side of New York, and the latter demonstrating the industrial and criminal district.  It is this harsh divide in lifestyle and routine that sets the programmes apart, allowing each to explore entirely different philosophies and concepts of the city. Each program has its own distinct style of encoding, with the signified being much more apparent and obvious in ‘The Sopranos’. Although some of the connotations in ‘Sex and the City’ are evident, most require deeper thought and further analysis to full appreciate. Both these shows touch on many controversial and disputed perceptions in their unique way, and this will be considered in this essay.

The opening sequence of ‘Sex and the City’ follows a young, mid-thirties girl and her short journey through the busy and hectic streets of central New York. We see the feminine, unconventional, vivid clothing that she is wearing stand out against the monotonous dark-suited sea of men in the background, as she is crossing a road in the metropolitan city that is New York. As we follow her relaxed walk through the city, we see ‘flashes’ of mainstream New York from her line of vision. These brief images include the Manhattan skyline, the Chrysler and Empire State buildings, and the Brooklyn Bridge. Carrying an abundance of sophisticated shopping bags, the girl continues to walk onwards, looking intermittently at the sky, possibly dreaming of future aspirations and ambitions. The audience is completely unaware of the character’s name for the majority of the opening, until the individual is splashed by dirty puddle water by a bus with her name and picture on the side in advertisement form. The commercial contains the caption, “Carrie Bradshaw knows good sex”, and informs us a great deal about the actual content of the programme.

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The music backing the opening sequence is varied, using multiple tempos and pitches of xylophone tune. The speed of the music increases nearer to the end of the opening, showing an increase in speed of the actual speed of Carrie’s journey. This change of tone and rhythm also demonstrates a diverse change in speed of life, explaining that the daily routine of the main character is erratic, and therefore frequently changes. The music has been composed to appeal to women in general, due to the normally high pitch and the overall ideas that the tune conveys. The music reveals that ...

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