A home video of gay men playing with giant Barbie dolls

I've just seen Sex and the City 2, and what a waste of $12.50.

I might have known it would be awful, but I couldn't help myself. After all, I am living in New York and whilst a lot younger than Carrie et al, they've been in my life for 12 years and I was curious to find out what happened next, and if she stayed with the decrepit and dull Big.

But this film is truly, truly terrible. It's had some horrendously misogynistic reviews, and it's no worse than the crap Judd Apatow churns out (and his stuff gets lauded - so work that one out), but the missed opportunity to celebrate female friendships and develop the rarely seen on screen lives of middle-aged women really let me down.

Aside from the casual racism, OTT gay stereotyping and vulgar materialism, my personal least favourite scene (and there was a pretty long list) shows Charlotte and Miranda self-pityingly blabbing into some cocktails about how hard motherhood is. Oh yeah - how hard motherhood is when you have no job and a live-in nanny. "How does anyone do it without help?" they burble. At this point I gave up caring. Please, please don't let there be another one. If you want to read more on this topic, check out Bidisha's excellent essay in the Guardian, and this review by Linda West in The Stranger. (p.s the latter was the source of this title post. Neat, eh?)

By the Grace of Vogue

Again, I am late with the news here, but I only recently saw The September Issue - the documentary following the production of - yes - the September issue of Vogue being put together. I loved every single second - and what I loved most of all were the two British women at its heart.

Firstly, the ice-queen/edna from The Incredibles herself, Anna Wintour.

Since watching the film, I've taken in times of crisis to asking myself 'what would Wintour do?' - here is a woman who would never cry at work, never care if someone didn't like her, and would certainly not worry a jot about being seen as cold or uncaring - as long as the job got done. I am just sad she chooses to wear so much fur. It's unappealing. However, I don't doubt she could catch, slaughter and skin the animal herself, so she probably isn't scared of the animal rights brigade.

The other star of the show is Grace Coddington, the ex-model who's been the creative pulse of Vogue for 20 years. Anna describes her as a creative genius - and watching her style a fashion shoot at Versailles is breathtaking - she has an incredible feel for every detail. Plus, she is a hilarious woman. I would love have afternoon tea with her, or visit her house in the Hamptons and meet all her cats.

As a Brit in New York myself, I am fascinated by their success - but not surprised. Their Britishness makes them seem more assertive and decisive somehow, compared with the airy fairy attitude of some of their colleagues. People in New York always say how 'smart' they think Brits are because of the accent. Team that with a no-bullshit attitude and some glowering, and you've got a killer combination ready to dominate fashion publishing.

A friend of mine said she rushed out to buy British Vogue as soon as she had seen The September Issue - only to be bitterly disappointed by its contents. I have to say I think American Vogue has the edge - there are even articles in there with words and everything - real journalism in between the pretty pictures. I love love love fashion and people like Grace Coddington who inhabit it so completely and purely and with a sense of humor inspire me no end.

It had to be you!

I've come to terms with the fact that When Harry Met Sally is one of my favorite films. This has recently been confirmed to me as I've listened several times to an amazing Radio 4 documentary celebrating 20 years since the film's release. It shames me to note that I cried both times JUST LISTENING TO THE DOCUMENTARY not even watching the film itself! Of course, when I watch the film I laugh and cry in equal measure. I had a copy on VHS which (together with Gone With the Wind) got me through 9 months living in one of Britain's most depressing places. I am an unabashed romantic - and also someone who has often questioned whether men and women can be proper friends - and I mean friendships in which there has never been ANY attraction on either side. Now, I think it's possible - but it's a lot rarer then people would have you believe.

Another reason for my renewed love of When Harry Met Sally is it's New York setting. It's never classified as a 'New York' film, but living here now I feel it couldn't have been set anywhere else - especially at the tail end of the 1980s. Harry and Sally relocate from Chicago to the big apple at the start of the film. They are young, upwardly mobile and dead set on independence - a big theme of the era.

An interesting point made by one contributor to the documentary: even though WHMS is so popular, we have seen a degeneration in romantic comedy movies since its release. The film was aimed at both men and women - the wise cracking relationship between the couple appealing to both sexes. Sally's character in particular was complex and real - a world away from the dumb 'anywoman' characters in Judd Apatow pictures for example. Nowadays we are force-fed bland rom-coms starring Amy Adams - and they are exclusively aimed at women. I wish the documentary was still online for you to listen to - but alas no. You'll just have to make do with the film itself.

P.s geeky fan fact alert - When Harry Met Sally was the first time the phrase 'high maintenance' was used to describe someone!