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Under-Age Girls Present Dilemma For 'Sex And City'

Time Warner's New Line Cinema has a tricky marketing challenge on its hands as the "Sex and the City" movie generates buzz in a group that isn't supposed to see the R-rated flick: girls under 17 years of age. On HBO, the series was known for using bawdy sexuality and frank language, but for the past few years, a sanitized version of the show has been in heavy rotation on Time Warner's TBS network.

A survey by Intelligence Group indicates that "Sex and the City" is one of the most anticipated summer movies for teen girls, right up with "Indiana Jones." They are drawn to the show's nonstop fashion parade, led by its star, who last year launched Bitten Sarah Jessica Parker, a budget clothing line that routinely sells dresses for less than $10 and appeals to teenagers.

New Line says that it's not marketing "Sex and the City" to teens and that advance research shows that less than 5% of the interested audience is under 17. The studio did, however, purchase ad time for "Sex and the City" on TV programs that turned out to have substantial teen audiences, including some in which more than 35% of the viewers are 17 or under, according to Nielsen.

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