Sex and the City=Rugrats?

Lisa and I are watching Sex and the City last night on DVD, specifically, the episode titled "Frenemies." The prudish Charlotte and sluttish Samantha have a falling out over each other's views on sex. Charlotte runs to her prudish, stuck up sorority sisters for support, and Samantha teams up with an older, outspoken southern spitfire. Charlotte is ostracized by her "sisters" when they're offended by her wanting to discuss her marital problems, while Samantha is scandalized by her new friend's giving a man she'd just met a blow job under a table in a crowded restaurant. Both estranged friends then make amends, with renewed respect and understanding of the other.

About halfway through, I started laughing my fool head off. Not because of any particular jokes, but because I'd seen this exact same episode played out on Rugrats about a week before--minus the nudity and sexual references, of course.

In the episode "Opposites Attract," Chuckie and Tommy have a falling out. Tommy's tired of Chuckie's fears and phobias interrupting all of their adventures, while Chuckie hates it that Tommy's schemes always seem to put them in harm's way. So they find other playmates. Tommy meets a girl (Samantha) who is a total and complete daredevil, convinced there is no injury too severe a bandage can't cure it. Chuckie meets a cowering child (Freddie) terrified of his own shadow. Soon, though, the kindred spirits begin to grate on the estranged friends. Samantha's reckless and dangerous stunts begin to scare even adventure-seeking Tommy, while Chuckie is disgusted by snivelling Freddie's insistence that grass is deadly, flowers are deadly, sunshine is deadly... Thus, both Tommy and Chuckie make amends, with renewed respect and understanding of the other.

The Rugrats episode originally aired in January of 1999 (Cananda) and March of 1999 (U.S.) while the Sex and the City episode bowed in October of 2000. Hmmm... coincidence?

I'm certain the fact that two of today's most popular children's and adult's television shows boast episodes that address similar issues with similar plot structures and dramatic devices says something deep and insightful about our culture and national psyche. But damned if I know what it is.

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