LiveWorld Transcripts

HBO presents

Dr. Ken Rosenberg
"Sex and the City" Shrink Talk

June 7, 2000

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Syrena: I don't want to be rescued, just loved.

Dr. Rosenberg: Sounds like a great idea.

Blueshound: I was in a long term relationship which recently ended. My boyfriend swore he loved me but he cheated. Why do men cheat?

Dr. Rosenberg: Why men do anything can't be summed up, because all men are different, of course. But having said that, many men grow up with the idea that sex is a competitive sport, as though there were some prize for the man with the most conquests. At the same time, relationships are different; some people agree to have monogamous relationships and other couples come to different decisions. Sorry to hear that your boyfriend didn't follow your understanding of the relationship.

MsM: Mr. Big was also very boring, despite his wealth. He never seemed to want to do anything fun, and he was very insensitive to Carrie's feelings.

Dr. Rosenberg: I agree. Carrie could do better. As a psychiatrist, I wonder why we realize that and she didn't?

Misterbug: I have a female coworker always bursting into my office asking me to 'rescue' her from this or that predicament. Often she already has the situation under control. Is she sending me a signal of some sort?

Dr. Rosenberg: I would like to know more.

Dovela: Do you feel too many people rely too much on the sexual aspect of a relationship and not enough on the emotional aspect, and if so, why do you think that is?

Dr. Rosenberg: Clearly in the show, sex is emphasized. But that's a show. The show, although brilliant, I don't think accurately reflects reality. Most people I meet and those patients I treat are far more interested in the emotional aspects of a relationship, although it's nice to have good sex.

Rcrx: That's pretty sad if all you find important in a relationship is that he is rich!

Benz: Do you think that Carrie, like so many of us, has been brainwashed to believe we are not complete without that wedding ring on our finger?

Dr. Rosenberg: It's an interesting point, and I think there's much merit in that point of view.

Carrie: How long will Carrie take to heal from Big?

Dr. Rosenberg: Depends on how quickly a therapist gets written into the show. I imagine that Carrie will always be thinking about Big because of the extent of her pain and longing for him. Hopefully, she'll feel better when she feels loved and valued again. Having watched the last episode, there's hope.

Syrena: As much as she loved Mr. Big, he didn't care about her; she was just property to him.

Dr. Rosenberg: There is evidence in the show that he did care for her in his own way.

Nycdiver: Dr Rosenberg, how would you recommend breaking up with someone who you thought was emotionally unstable?

Dr. Rosenberg: That's exactly the kind of question you should ask your own therapist about. There's no easy answer and no recipe.

Brenda9496: Big was also selfish, though. He was also afraid of commitment.

Dr. Rosenberg: I agree. Big did seem to be very afraid of commitment. I would have loved to know more about his new relationship, because I was confused about how quickly he became committed to someone. My own fantasy about Big is that he needed a woman who was not as threatening or intelligent as Carrie. But, that's sheer speculation.

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