The Portrayal of Gender and Race of Olivia Pope
Gender and race have played an important role in American television for decades. Thousands of studies have been conducted exploring the differences between male versus female and Caucasian versus African Americans. Many of these studies have concluded that women and African Americans are underrepresented in the media. “The media presents a distorted version of cultural life in our country,” (Wood,1994). More than two-thirds of the population are white males that are portrayed on television which has created certain stereotypes about our culture. Minorites are even less visible than women (Wood,1994) who are seemingly shown very rarely on screen. Women are more commonly seen in the media as mere sex symbols that care about improving their appearance and taking care of the homes. They take on characteristics that make them dependent on men, passive and less out spoken than males (Green,1994). Contrary to women, African Americans are seen as lazy, uneducated, unlawful and unable to handle authority (Wood,1994). These common stereotypes are continually seen in many of American television shows today. The lead character in Scandal, Olivia Pope breaks away from the common stereotypes the media sets about gender and race.
Olivia Pope is an African American women with much power. She runs her crisis management business of Pope and Associates with dignity and pride by bringing people to justice. She is a strong and authoritative figure that breaks the stereotypical norms American culture sets on women and African Americans. “Metabane and Merritt (1996) found the majority of African American characters were portrayed in positions of little power and significance. These positions were defined as having little consequence or decision-making power in a broader world,”(Metabane, Merrit, 20016). It is easy to see why American culture has these stereotypes based on the media but it’s interesting to watch how Olivia Pope goes against any norms in Scandal.
Pope is the first African American female to be casted in a lead role of a teleivison series since the early 1970’s (Nussbaum,2012). “ I had gotten the role and people started telling me the history-that there has never been a Black woman in the Number One position of a network drama. It’s tremoundous,”said Washington (as cited in Turner,2012). As stated before, since women enroll the stereotype that they are seen as insignificant sex symbols who are dependent on men and seemingly passive in their efforts of communication. Pope not only diminishes this stereotype, she is completely the opposite.
Pope is intelligent, powerful, and a successful fixer that follows her “gut” to help people in need of justice. She embodies what a powerful white male, more commonly known as “white male patriarch” (Feminist Spectator,2012) might look like in a television show. “Typically men are portrayed as active, adventurous, powerful, sexually aggressive, and largely uninvolved in human relationship,”(Wood,1994). Pope personifies these male characteristics when she is figuring out a case, talking to her employees and clients, and participating in an affair with the President. She has control of her business and relationships with other people which weakens the stereotype that women are dependent on other people.
Although race and ethnicity are not seen as a problem or issue between characters, it is still furtively underlined in some scenes. “Pope is never referred to as the ‘first black’ anything and though she attracts powerful white men ( and no black ones) , they would never spit epithets when she rejects them,” (Nussbaum,2012). The topic of race is brought up in back handed comments but never seen to appear to be the main focus of the show. When discussing her relationship with President Grant, Pope openly says that she is starting to feel a little “Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings” about their relationship which relates back to when Thomas Jefferson had an affair with an African American slave. That is really the only part that the differences in race are portrayed as controversial.
Before analyzing this show, “findings suggested that television continues to present career women as lacking ‘competitively achieved’ occupational status of their male counterparts,” (Jefferson,2005). Fortunately, this stereotype is weakened in Scandal. African American female characters are portrayed in ‘highly sexualized and masculine roles rather than occupying spaces of traditional feminity,”(Jefferson,2005). Pope and other women in the show uphold certain expectations that make their daily duties to them seem normal for women.Shonda Rhimes, the producer of the show, may have included all of these powerful women to prove that women can fight for what they believe in and maintain powerful positions in the work place that are equivalent to men.
Scandal gives the audience an acceptance that women and African Americans are equally representing in this television show as compared to men and Caucasisans. Pope has worked hard for where she is today and should be considered a role model for African American women who may be having trouble in the workplace. She encourages women to be strong and independent by taking a stand for herself. Olivia Pope does not allow gender and race to become an sort of complication in Scandal.
Reference Page
Jefferson, S. (2005) Occupational role portrayals of African American women on prime-time television. Scholar Commons.
Hook, M. (30 September 2013). Loving a good scandal: A new look at race, gender and power. Counseling Resource.
Matabane, P., Merritt, B. (1996). African-Americans on Television: Twenty-five Years After Kerner. The Howard Journal of Communications,7, 329-337.
Nussbaum,E. (21 May 2012). Primary Colors: Shona Rhimes’s Scandal and the diversity debate. The New Yorker.
The Feminist Spectator. (24 May 2012). Scandal. The Feminist Spectator. Turner,M. (2012) Chatting with:Kerry Washington. Jet 121(7). 27.
Wood, J. (1994) Gendered media: The influence of media on views of gender. Communication, Gender, and Culture. p. 231-244.
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