In the Season 5 episode "Unoriginal Sin," Carrie is approached by a publisher who wants to turn her columns into a book. This is true to life: Candace Bushnell, a columnist for the New York Observer, wrote a real-life book that inspired the SATC franchise.
Carrie sits down with publishing powerhouses Lily Martin and Courtney Masterson, portrayed by comedy icons Molly Shannon and Amy Sedaris, respectively. The women are very perky and right up Carrie's alley, as they discuss the difficulty of finding a man while sipping cosmopolitans.
The women are thirsty for a Carrie Bradshaw book not only because they will get the opportunity to publish it, but because they are evidently her target audience: desperate single women. The actresses appear in several more episodes throughout seasons 5 and 6 and always bring with them hilarious observations about the world. Shannon famously had a 6-year run on "Saturday Night Live," becoming a cast member in the age of Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Ana Gasteyer, and Rachel Dratch. Sedaris, on the other hand, actually turned down the opportunity to be a cast member. It's safe to say that these ladies definitely know good comedy.
