Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Miranda, my hero

"Miranda, God love her, has spent whole minutes of screen time clad in a zip-up maternity bra with veiny, pendulous, milk-filled breasts visibly throbbing. (It was a huge shock when the actress Cynthia Nixon revealed that those breasts were prosthetic. They looked so real!) That scene proved truly shocking to some viewers: breastfeeding, a rare televisual event in itself, is usually conducted beneath immaculate silk shirts obscured by tasteful and strategically placed furnishings. But as Miranda struggled to connect baby with milk, her physical frustration was matched by the fear that she was no longer herself. "I can't follow your thoughts," she wailed to Carrie, who sat horrified in front of her." [An excellent essay on how Miranda, the single mom character on Sex and the City, presents a realistic and somewhat horrifying portrayal of motherhood. - JC]