Every Outfit Podcast – Episode 248: On Sex and the City: The Caste System
Date: November 21, 2025
Hosts: Chelsea Fairless & Lauren Garroni
Series Focus: Fashion, pop culture, Sex and the City deep dives
Episode Focus: Re-examining Sex and the City Season 2, Episode 10: "The Caste System"—a bold look at class, taste, and problematic legacy
Main Theme & Purpose
This episode centers around a detailed, irreverent, and occasionally biting rewatch of the Sex and the City episode “The Caste System.” Chelsea and Lauren dissect the episode’s themes of class, taste, and social mobility, while also highlighting its problematic elements through a modern lens. The episode blends classic SATC fashion commentary with political critique and pop culture anecdotes, all in the hosts' signature witty, outspoken style.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Terrifying SJP Wax Figure [00:30–03:12]
- Discovery: Fans alerted the hosts to a life-size Sarah Jessica Parker wax figure being sold by a curiously named New Jersey store, Obnoxious Antiques.
- Reaction: Hosts describe it as "truly terrifying" and agree it doesn’t really look like SJP. They joke about buying the mannequin and updating its outfit for accuracy.
- Notable moment: “If you showed that to me, it wouldn’t be my first three guesses of who that could be.” – Lauren [01:42]
- Logistics: Comedy about cross-country road trips and shipping impracticalities.
Episode Introduction: Sex and the City’s Overlooked Problematic Entry [03:15–04:09]
- Episode Background: Written by Darren Star, described as “much grittier, meaner, as politically incorrect as some Daddy MPK episodes but, if not more so.” – Lauren [03:23]
- Visual Style: Directed by Allison Anders, noted for distinctive visual flourishes.
“The Caste System” as SATC's Problematic Stepchild [03:58–04:09, recurring throughout]
- Many notorious SATC episodes are often cited as problematic; this one is rarely mentioned despite its egregious class and racial overtones. Hosts advocate for it being part of the conversation.
Fashion and Emotional Storylines
Carrie + Big: The Unsaid “I Love You” and the Judith Leiber Duck Bag [04:09–09:25]
- Carrie struggles to express “I love you” to Mr. Big; ends up blurting it out when rejecting an extravagant duck-shaped Judith Leiber handbag.
- “I think she was meaning to lie and say ‘I love the bag,’ but she accidentally said ‘I love you’ because that was on her mind.” – Chelsea [08:50]
- Hosts debate if Carrie would “ironically” love the ugly bag, referencing similar fashionable oddities she later embraces.
- Notable fashion meticulousness: dissection of Carrie’s Dolce & Gabbana corset outfit and Fendi Baguette.
Crimped Hair, 80s Nostalgia, and SATC’s Meme Potential [05:26–06:23]
- Carrie’s crimped hair and 80s callbacks receive affection, with Lauren suggesting a new meme format based on Carrie’s “psychotic energy.”
The Girls’ Brunch—A Cinematic Flashback Flourish [10:12–10:52]
- Praise for Alison Anders’ direction in using flashback within the brunch scene for a “nice cinematic flourish.”
Class, Power, and the Milk Expiry Rule [10:56–11:34]
- Lauren recounts learning from the episode that “if you say I love you to someone, and they don’t say it back, you have about a week before you have to break up” – a social rule absorbed from the show.
Miranda and Steve: Class Tension in Relationships [12:26–16:47, 35:41–38:13, 47:47–50:26]
- Cheap Dates vs. Law Firm Functions: Miranda, a successful lawyer, is newly dating Steve, a bartender. Their unequal incomes make for awkward social situations, particularly around which restaurants are appropriate.
- “This man can take her to a restaurant.” – Lauren [13:02]
- The Gold Corduroy Suit: Steve’s outdated suit becomes a metaphor for class and taste disparity.
- Yuppie Guilt and Taste vs. Class: Hosts discuss whether Miranda and Steve’s differences are about class or just taste, arguing that both matter.
- “I think truly what the issue is is an issue of taste… and that is from their different backgrounds for sure.” – Lauren [20:36]
- Suit Shop Scene [35:41–38:13]: Steve’s inability to easily afford a suit for Miranda’s event leads to embarrassment and a breakup initiated by Steve due to feelings of inadequacy.
- “You want to break up with me over a suit?” – Miranda [48:38]
The Nail Salon Scene: Problematic Class Optics [16:53–20:25]
- Hosts scrutinize a scene with the four white leads getting pedicures by women of color, shot to deliberately underscore issues of privilege and social hierarchy.
- “Four white women are literally lording over these women. I think the way that the scene was shot… is very much on purpose.” – Lauren [17:34]
- Discussion shifts to Charlotte’s open acknowledgment of class divides—a rare explicit mention in the series.
Samantha’s Problematic Storyline: The “Servant” Named Sum [22:00–23:49, 33:04–34:33, 54:08–57:14]
- Samantha dates a wealthy real estate investor with a “servant” named Sum—depicted with every problematic stereotype imaginable.
- "A servant makes it seem like she can't leave." – Chelsea [22:10]
- Sum is coded as Thai but portrayed via a jumble of Asian clichés, accent and all, which the hosts lambast as wildly offensive.
- “Her mannerisms are offensive and sort of more of a jumble of various Asian stereotypes than anything that feels genuinely Thai.” – Chelsea [23:25]
- Pun-laden, racist writing called out: “Samantha realized she wasn't so dim that sum.” [54:24]
“I Couldn’t Help But Wonder”: Are NYC and New Delhi the Same? [23:25–26:06]
- Carrie’s column draws a spurious (and offensive) parallel between NYC’s social climbing and India’s caste system.
- The hosts explain what a caste system really is, and poke fun at Carrie’s (and America’s) myth of class mobility.
- “New York City is literally organized by class…” – Chelsea [25:29]
Charlotte’s Movie Star Interlude [27:57–52:19]
- Charlotte dates movie star Wiley Ford, whose status as “the very highest cast from coast to coast” is discussed and debunked (“Not true at all. Rich, rich people think that movie stars have no money.” – Chelsea [28:16]).
- Wiley Ford asks Charlotte (whom he calls Charlene) to perform a degrading sexual act for his entertainment; this snaps her out of his thrall.
- “See, if this was a French movie, this would be hot. But this guy is just gross.” – Chelsea [51:39]
Carrie at the Upper East Side Party [40:15–47:04]
- Satirical take on Park Avenue society, including socialites and bejeweled Judith Leiber bags.
- Carrie’s outsider status is both played up and undermined; she’s “cast out” to smoke on the terrace.
- Notable line: “I’m not being a bitch. I’m just being myself.” – Carrie [43:30], hosts agree it’s “iconic.”
Problematic Humor and Cancel-able Puns [54:24–55:02]
- The play on Sum’s name is called possibly the show’s “top candidate for retroactive cancellation.”
- “It’s a very well-crafted joke. It’s racist, but it is a classic Carrie Bradshaw pun…” – Chelsea [54:48]
Episode Resolution: Power, Apologies, and Messy Love [57:19–59:58]
- Big finally calls Carrie to say he loves her—reconciling their earlier drama.
- “Again, Mr. Big does nothing wrong in this episode. He’s actually a lovely boyfriend in this episode…” – Chelsea [57:31]
- Carrie’s column purportedly muses that “everything before ‘I love you’ doesn’t count,” referencing her wild night with Jeremiah.
- General consensus: Carrie is at her “messiest and realist,” Miranda and Steve’s class issues go unresolved, and the episode is both iconic and deeply flawed.
Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)
- “If you showed that to me, it wouldn’t be my first three guesses of who that could be.” – Lauren on the wax figure [01:42]
- “This episode never brought up and it really needs to be. Holy shit.” – Lauren on the episode’s neglected problematic status [04:09]
- “I'm not really on her side in this episode in general, although I understand her neuroses have gotten the best of her.” – Chelsea on Carrie [09:57]
- “It's dangerous to tell straight men you love them. First, you give all your power away.” – Samantha [12:16]
- “I want to enjoy my success, not apologize for it. Bravo, honey. Bravo.” – Miranda [18:07]
- “The question has Always been is Steve beneath Miranda. And I don’t think that their backgrounds are that different.” – Lauren [20:36]
- “I'm not being a bitch. I'm just being myself.” – Carrie [43:30], celebrated by both hosts as one of the best lines
- “Samantha realized she wasn’t so dim that sum. Did Carrie write that in her fucking column? Because dim sum is Chinese.” – Lauren [54:24]
- “Big did not one thing wrong in this episode. He’s a perfect boyfriend and Carrie is a woman on the verge.” – Chelsea [62:42]
- “My hottest take: I think Steve and Carrie would have made a great couple.” – Lauren [62:36]
Timestamps to Key Segments
- 00:30 | Wax figure cold open
- 03:15 | Introducing “The Caste System” episode
- 04:09 | Classic problematic SATC episodes vs. this one
- 10:12 | Brunch scene w/ flashback device
- 16:53 | Nail salon class debate
- 20:36 | Class/Taste in Steve & Miranda’s relationship
- 23:25 | Carrie’s “cast(e) system” question
- 35:41 | Suit shopping/cringe credit card moment
- 40:15 | Upper East Side party; “I’m just being myself”
- 43:30 | Smoking on the terrace, social snubs
- 54:24 | “Dim sum” pun and problematic humor
- 57:19 | Big’s “I love you” and episode wrap-up
- 59:58 | Final ratings & exit survey (MVP, fashion, best quote)
Exit Survey & Episode Ratings [59:58–63:00]
- Overall Score: 7.5/10 Manolos (“B” episode – strong but weighed down by dated, problematic writing)
- MVP: Chelsea votes for Carrie (“at her messiest and realist”), Lauren for Charlotte (for sparking class conversation and setting boundaries).
- Best Dressed: Chelsea picks Carrie’s Gaultier dress; Lauren highlights Charlotte’s black leather column dress.
- Hottest Take: Steve and Carrie would have worked as a couple; Big did nothing wrong.
- Biggest Trigger: Use of “servant”; Steve’s pain and shame.
- Iconic Line: “I’m not being a bitch, I’m just being myself.” [43:30]
Conclusion
In their signature style, Chelsea and Lauren blend deep nostalgia, biting critique, and fashion expertise in revisiting “The Caste System”—recognizing its iconic dialogue, signature looks, and so-very-‘90s class politics, while also interrogating its more uncomfortable legacies. Despite plenty of laughs, they argue the episode deserves a place among the most controversial in the Sex and the City canon.
Next Week: A deep-dive VIP episode on Steve and Miranda’s complete relationship arc, from Season 2 through “And Just Like That.”
For listeners:
You’ll come away with fresh style insights, retro outrage, and plenty of quotables—even if you’ve never watched an episode of Sex and the City.
Summary prepared in the style and voice of the Every Outfit hosts, with direct quotes and structured highlights to make the episode accessible for both diehard fans and newcomers.