For those of us born and raised in America, it’s impossible to truly understand how the rest of the world sees us. You might hear that we’re “hated,” or “admired,” but who’s taking polls? Each and every person in all the countries of the world has their own feelings about the culture that dominates so much of the worldwide media. Now that the internet’s such an important means of communication, understanding the English language (and American culture) is more important than ever. So what do kids in other countries do to prepare themselves? They watch American T.V. It’s the perfect one-two punch of language and culture, readying them to assimilate into the Land of Opportunity. Or is it?

In an article by Li Yuan in the Wall Street Journal, she examines Chinese attitudes and impressions of the HBO smash hit Sex and the City. Think, for a moment, about the image of American society that this show portrays. Single women, using their sexuality as a strength, powerful even as they rapidly approach middle age – far past the traditional sell-by date. They live in a glamorous world of endless shoes and boy-toys. Yuan interviewed several young Chinese who have watched the show – pirated DVDs, of course, using the much less scandalous title Desire City – and had later moved into New York City to seek their fortunes. (Interviewees remained anonymous, since the show, like sex itself, is a taboo topic in China.)

A twenty-four-year-old female investment banker, who originally avoided the show because of its content, says that it’s an accurate portrayal of life in NYC. While she says it is “absolutely unacceptable” to sleep with “that many men” in China, she knows some Chinese girls who do, and who live extravagant lifestyles like the women on the show. But she has retained her values, and plans to marry before 27 to avoid the “loss of face” that is being single after 30 in China.

“It’s not easy for a very independent-minded woman to find a man,” says a twenty-five-year-old PR professional. But she also recognizes that it’s much easier to be a single woman in America than in China.

Yuan throws in her own two cents at the end, saying that the show made her feel “liberated.” Her small Brooklyn apartment is packed with shoes, and she is happy with the choices she’s made in her independent life. The show taught her to make decisions for her own happiness, not someone else’s.

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