Kitsch Magazine: Fall 2015

THE OLIVIA POPES
& JESS DAYS OF TV
typecasting television’s favorite female leads
by Riley Henderson
Many people may argue that Shonda Rhimes is the
boss of all things dramatic. She has become a TV Drama
phenomenon in less than a decade, each one of her shows
being more popular than the last. With series such as Scandal,
How to Get Away with Murder, Private Practice, and Grey’s
Anatomy (now in its eleventh season) under her belt, it seems
that more often than not her audience eats up every last
second of her 40-minute episodes, gripping the edges of their
seats. However, once you sift through all the twists and turns
of her shows, the murders, the affairs, and the infinite number
of blow-out screaming matches between main characters,
each show shares one important factor: a take-no-bullshit,
I-do-what-I-want, insanely successful female lead. Is this the
quintessential key to her show’s popularity? Most likely, yes.
When you count up the jobs that each female lead
character has had in Rhimes’ shows, you get the following: two
doctors, one criminal defense attorney, and one miracle worker
or “fixer” with infinite wads of cash, the source of which is
unknown. It is safe to say that Rhimes creates strong, successful
women who tend to be independent to an almost outrageous
level. Whether it is Meredith Grey, Olivia Pope, Addison
Montgomery, or Annalise Keating, each woman seems to have
quite the accomplished life. They control people, and often find
powerful men fighting over them. However, the unanswerable
question is whether all of this female empowerment is simply
good TV, or whether it intentionally and effectively creates
aspirational characters for viewers to look up to. The “punch”
of each show is what keeps the audience interested, but the
takeaway hits a much more serious note.
Although Rhimes’ shows are arguably much less
about identifying with the female leads than other TV shows,
the actresses who partake in the given roles definitely can
inspire the audience in a positive light. Stripping away the
absurdity of each TV drama—which includes the characters
fixing unsolvable problems within seconds, hiding murder
scenes on a daily basis, and always looking spectacular and
well dressed while doing so—there lies a perhaps more indepth
and refined message. Finding an understanding of the
female characters in terms of their personalities and achieved
successes allows the doors of aspiration and even imitation to
open. These doors encourage viewers to admire who they are
watching every Thursday night.
Rhimes’ perhaps less realistic, but highly aspirational
characters are strikingly different than the relatable, quirky
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