The Genius is in Repackaging Old Stereotypes

When I learned that Alessandra Stanley’s New York Times article, ‘Wrought in Rhimes’s Image’ was meant to be a flattering profile on Shonda Rhimes, I laughed. Heartily. The racially charged language and code words were so obvious that even the most insensitive readers would raise an eyebrow. Stanley’s motive was to make white Americans feel comfortable by using words like “intimidating,” “volcanic” and “menacing”; stereotypical variations that Black women know too well. Stanley and her colleagues, who were privy to the article’s content prior to its publication in the “newspaper of record”, were blissfully ignorant of the direct subliminal messages. It was more of a hit piece than a complimentary profile. Lost in the subsequent uproar was legitimate criticism of Rhimes’ work. However, Rhimes was brilliant and witty in her response, rendering the talented showrunner nearly untouchable.

While speaking with a friend about the article, I realized that it probably wasn’t meant for readers who looked like me: an accomplished Black woman who embraces her gender, race and every complexity in between.

This brought clarity to an even bigger point. After Scandal’s fall from grace starting with Season 3, critics eagerly anticipated Season 4’s premiere. That season reminded me of the New York Times article; littered with offensive language and images. In one episode, Olivia Pope was presented with a barbecue “Underground Railroad Burger” by a tertiary character who received too much airtime. I could not help but grow more outraged; this time, it was the show’s creator who drew my ire. And then there was that absurd kidnapping plot in which Ms. Pope’s captors attempted to sell her at a modern day slave auction, during Black History Month no less. These writers’ antics would have been right at home in Stanley’s article!

It was a clear unapologetic continuation of alarming language. In one season alone, Ms. Pope had been called a “whore” to her face by the First Lady multiple times, referred to as “the help”, choked twice, threatened at gunpoint by a suitor, videotaped having sex without her consent and slut-shamed; all without appropriate explanation or response. The writers treated these incidents as though they never happened at all.

Olivia Pope’s private life may leave much to be desired, but professionally and intellectually, she represents what many women of color aspire to be. She is flawed, but we love her anyway. Her appearance brought a three dimensional character with whom we could identify and celebrate, as she more closely resembled the women we were raised by and are blessed to call our sisters. At Scandal’s peak we asked ourselves, “What would Olivia Pope do?” We dressed better, walking with an outward fierceness that matched our inner confidence. We were all, to some extent or another, Olivia Pope. Come hell or high water, we were going to make sure she succeeded.

We recruited people to watch. We talked about her as though she were our closest friend. We tweeted and posted on Facebook. We made sure our voices were heard by the sheer force of our support.

But then…

Something strange happened as the ratings began rising; our beloved Olivia Pope was gradually being stripped; not broken down, but stripped. Stripped of her humanity. Stripped of her dignity. Stripped of the qualities that made her the character we fell in love with. There was an unpleasant change afoot, or as my mother said, “They flipped the script.” My question was, “Where has my Olivia Pope gone?” The fierce, intelligent, independent, compassionate fixer with a messy personal life had long ago disappeared and was replaced by a puppet who became whatever the plot needed her to be.

With every utterance of the word “whore”, with every physical blow, with every emotional bruise, and with every very open display of her sex life, our Olivia Pope was slowly disappearing. Once formidable and mighty, she has been reduced to a “Jezebel”, “mammy” and perhaps most egregious of all during a time when No More and Purple Purse are working to bring awareness to violence against women, a voiceless “domestic abuse victim”. To people like Stanley, she is now palatable and “in her place”; reinforcing stereotypes that are inextricably woven into the fabric of Black America.

I await the beginning of the second half of season 5 with a heavy heart. As our Olivia Pope fades into someone increasingly unrecognizable, and as other characters are given unearned, non-sensical moments to shine, I reflect upon the show that used to be great, and the character and actor who sparked a monumental shift toward diversity in the television landscape.

Shonda Rhimes is often called a “genius” and her work “groundbreaking”. Nowadays, I beg to differ. Where her true genius lies is in her ability to repackage the same old stereotypes and make her characters of color acceptable to the “Alessandra Stanleys” of the world.