Studying historical feminism, there has been an emphasis placed on representation of women within positions of power. This representation shows other women they can do it. However, critics of post-feminism state that women who accept representation as equality are not true feminists. They are post-feminists. I believe representation is part of equality, which is why I think it is amazing the Shonda Rhimes has written three successful television shows with strong African American women as main characters. Shonda’s shows have portrayed the progression of intersectionality and representation in the media. Her first successful show was Grey’s Anatomy, which starts with an African American male as chief of the hospital. We assume she is being progressive placing an African American male in a position of power, but once her fans have accepted a male African American can uphold a position of power she transitions into an African American woman being chief of the hospital and succeeding. Miranda Bailey faces the struggles of being black and a woman throughout the show, especially after she has a heart attack. She says, “we didn’t get to where we are by getting sick” as she talks to Dr. Maggie Pierce pleading with her to allow her to go back to work. Bailey is afraid to admit she had a heart attack because she does not want people to think she cannot handle the job of being chief of a hospital. As Olivia Pope, the lead character in Scandal, is always reminded by her father, Black women must be “twice as good to get half of what they have.” Miranda Bailey graduated at the top of her medical school class, received head resident status, became a fellow, and finally became chief of Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital all while being a woman and black. It is important to have representation, but while her skin color is black she has conformed to the patriarchal society.
After Grey’s Anatomy where Chief Miranda Bailey was not the main character but a powerful adjunct character, Rhimes decided to increase representation by making Olivia Pop, the gladiator of Washington, DC and the main character in Scandal. Olivia has love interest that act as supporting characters and she loses her white hat of goodness within the last seasons of the show, but she continually remains the focus through the final episode. In the final episode, Rhimes does not reveal if Olivia chooses her love interest or not because she can be an independent woman within Washington. She can choose which reflects the post-feminist mindset. Scandal and all of Shonda’s shows embody the ideals of autonomy and sexual liberation through the main female characters. Another post-feminist view depicted in Scandal is the portrayal of a black woman solving all Washington’s problems. The burden of work falls on the one who has the most to gain from equality instead of their being an equivalent share in the workload. The show also represents the lengths to which our country will go, no matter of skin color, to preserve the patriarchy. Rhimes’ shows convey how anyone can survive within the white patriarchy if you work hard enough and conform. Scandal on the surface appears progressive, but the roots of the show are upholding the patriarchy because television was not quite ready to accept the toppling of the patriarchy to bring about true equality. However, as the show progress it begins to point out the flaws within the patriarchal government which could lead to its disarming.
Finally, Rhimes starts to push the intersectionality limits and illustrates the struggles an LBGTQ+, African American Woman, law professor must face. Annalise Keating, the main character in How to Get Away with Murder is Rhimes’ most intersectional character. By placing a character, such as Annalise Keating, on television people can start to see the struggles that women, African American, and LBGTQ+ people face daily. Viola Davis, the actress who plays Annalise Keating had the following to say about her character: “I interpret normalizing diversity, [as] to show people the full spectrum of humanity who we are, our sexuality, our pathology, is like anyone else’s. I am just as sexual, I am just as much of a woman, I dream as much as anyone else. I am as complicated and messy as anyone else in this body. I became a professional actor when I was 23. I’m now 50 years old. I have waited 27 years for a role like Annalise. For someone to have an imagination to just write, not to just write color, not to write age, not to write sex, to just write. I think that is what is catapulting television into the 21st century, because I don’t think it’s happened in the past. There is nothing about Annalise that you can define as just black.” The character of Annalise breaks down societal norms with her openness of sexuality and desire for sexual pleasure. Her removal of her wig and makeup make her vulnerable on television. So often, due to years of oppression, black women on television must be viewed as having it all together all the time because of respectability politics. Television is unable to show the real struggles of women of minorities; therefore, leaving many women feeling inadequate due to their personal insecurities. Annalise shows woman of color and all woman that it is okay to be vulnerable. We cannot do it all like post-feminism calls upon us to do.