Challenge #4: The Media

            

Even the promo poster needs a man

            My high school had its first, glorious 3-day weekend since Labor Day this weekend. I celebrated with my favorite introvert activity: Netflix. I watched The West Wing this summer, much to the enjoyment of a few of my classmates (see their blogs here and here), and now I’m watching Scandal, a more recent political thriller. The show is the only show on television to place an African-American woman in the leading role, the fabulous Kerry Washington.

            Washington’s casting and consecutive success in the role of Olivia Pope, Washington DC’s communication ‘fixer,’ and secret mistress of President Fitzgerald Grant, has led to both criticism and praise. Like mentioned above, she’s the only African-American star on TV and is the first African American female star on TV since Teresa Graves in 1974.

            1974?!?

            America went 38 years without an African-American woman heading up her own TV show in primetime. In the words of Seth and Amy, Really!?! When you take into account all the long-running TV shows, but also the many that tank after a season or two, that’s a lot of TV and that speaks volumes about race and gender within our country. It’s something female actresses shouldn’t stand for.  

            That fact alone ensured that Washington created a buzz when the show started, and Scandal has continued to make waves with the topics that it covers: from mocking the constant political drama of Washington (see the multiple sex scandals Pope has to deal with, ranging from a Governor’s cheating wife to allegations of two Supreme Court Justice nominees and even President Grant himself, three times) to predicting a PRISM-like scandal with a government program called ‘Thorngate.’ From dealing with problems like these, it’s received acclaim, but there’s also been some heavy criticism.

            Most of the criticism, unsurprisingly, centers on Pope’s relationship with the President. There’s the race side, which led to an awkward Season 2 Sally Hemings reference, and also the gender card. Pope, for the majority of the show, is cool, calm and collected and acts the part of one of the most powerful women in Washington. However, when it comes to ‘Fitz,’ she’s a mess – always making bad decisions and getting herself and her friends into trouble.

            Why?  Why do smart women on TV always have a male Achilles’ heel? It’s been seen repeatedly, whenever there are strong female roles on TV. There’s even a test, re: the Bechdaltest, to prove just how male-centric women on TV are made to be. You’d be surprised by how many famous shows and movies fail. I hate to throw around the word patriarchy, but this is exactly what even seemingly-feminist shows like Scandal are propagating. I understand the star-crossed, meant-to-be-but-can’t lovers’ plotline, but does Pope really have to make so many mistakes to extend the plotline?

            What I loved about The West Wing was that it was political and didn’t let relationship get in the way of that beauty. CJ Cregg, the show’s leading lady, flirted with a reporter for all seven seasons, but the relationship didn’t blossom until the very end when writers were tying up all lose ends. It allowed Cregg to do her job, the same job as Pope had – White House Communications Director – and come into her own as a successful woman. If Pope had been able to do the same, I can only wonder where the character would be now.

            Even amidst my criticism, I’d highly recommend my readers to watch Scandal, on ABC Thursday nights. Pope, for all her flaws, is still an incredible character and Washington does her justice.

          Cia♀,

          Charlie