These are some of my favorite quotes from the show...
These two quotes were the opening and closing lines of one episode from the first season. The thing I like best about them is how they touch on hegemonic norms of girls wanting their "Prince Charming" to come and save them. However, these quotes touch on someone realizing that maybe that's not what you need. That maybe it's not so important to have that fantasy come true.
Meredith Grey: “You know how when you were a little kid and you believed in fairy tales, that fantasy of what your life would be, white dress, prince charming who would carry you away to a castle on a hill. You would lie in bed at night and close your eyes and you had complete and utter faith. Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Prince Charming, they were so close you could taste them, but eventually you grow up, one day you open your eyes and the fairy tale disappears. Most people turn to the things and people they can trust. But the thing is its hard to let go of that fairy tale entirely cause almost everyone has that smallest bit of hope, of faith, that one day they will open their eyes and it will come true.”
Meredith Grey: “At the end of the day faith is a funny thing. It turns up when you don't really expect it. It's like one day you realize that the fairy tale may be slightly different than you dreamed. The castle, well, it may not be a castle. And it's not so important happy ever after, just that it’s happy right now. See once in a while, once in a blue moon, people will surprise you, and once in a while people may even take your breath away.”
This next quote is one of my favorites because it seems very out of character for the person saying it. Alex Karev (one of the interns) acts tough and is often seen as a womanizer. However, every once in a while he does or says something that makes people realize that he isn't really as tough as he acts. In reality, he does "have a heart" and is a nice guy.
Alex Karev: "For a kiss to be really good, you want it to mean something. You want it to be with someone you can't get out of your head, so that when your lips finally touch you feel it everywhere. A kiss so hot and so deep you never want to come up for air. You can't cheat your first kiss, Nicole. Trust me, you don't want to. Cause when you find that right person for a first kiss, it's everything."
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Final Blog Post - Evolution of understanding of your topic over the semester
When I first chose to create my Blog based around Grey’s Anatomy, I chose this topic simply because it is a television show that I enjoy watching. However, as I started to analyze the show, I became aware of many hegemonic ideas in the show.
One of the most obvious cases of these ideas is the issues of power in Seattle Grace Hospital. As I have mentioned before, the chief of surgery at the hospital is a man. Also, three of the four head surgeons are men. While there are many female doctors, most are interns, rather than holding a position of power. Since starting my Blog I have thought more into this, and paid close attention to shifts of power that have been occurring on the show.
For my final Blog post, I really wanted to analyze a character that I haven’t really talked about much, Izzie Stevens, one of the female interns on Grey’s Anatomy. She has always been one of my favorite characters, but I have never really done any analysis of her character. There are some very interesting things about her character that both show hegemonic norms, as well as break them.
I do feel that Grey’s Anatomy breaks some norms because the very diverse cast. The cast is not only diverse racially, but also in many other ways. Some of the females would be considered “plus-size”. Some of the characters have various religions (even though this is not touched on much in the show). Also, the characters come from various backgrounds. Some were privileged, while others grew up poor. They all have various family situations, some simple, some complicated. I feel the writers of the show wanted there to be something for almost everyone to relate to. One of the big issues which they have failed to make a large part of the show is a homosexual main character, something I wrote about in my last Blog post.
I posted a video from the first season which shows one of the biggest counter-hegemonic ideas in the character Izzie Stevens. Her character was a lingerie model before going to medical school. In the first season, ads of her as “Bethany Whisper” come out, and she faces a lot of criticism by other interns. Alex Karev, another intern starts calling her Dr. Model, and eventually starts hanging up the ads throughout the hospital as a way to mock her. In the scene in the video, she walks into their locker-room to find her pictures posted all over. She starts to get upset, but then instead gives a very powerful monologue in which she takes off most of her clothes to give everyone an “up close look” at what’s in the ads. One of the lines that is very powerful is when she says “And oh my god, what are these things, breasts? How does anyone practice medicine hauling these things around?” She then goes on to say that she will be free of debt while her fellow interns have thousands of dollars in student loans to pay off.
When people think about doctors, no one really thinks of models as doctors. Izzie’s character breaks hegemonic norms by being a model, and not just a doctor, but a surgeon. This goes against the stereotype that models are “dumb”. Her modeling does become a problem in one episode where she is the doctor of a man who saw her ads. She thinks that he doesn't want her as his doctor because she was a model, and therefore is not qualified, however it turns out this wasn't the case at all.
Izzie Stevens: "This is who I was. It has nothing to do with who I am now. I'm a physician. A surgeon! And I am just as qualified as any other intern on this floor. So you're just going to have to get over your chauvinist crap and allow me to do my job."
Patient: "I'm sure you're a very good doctor."
Izzie Stevens: "Then what is your problem?"
Patient: "Look, I fantasized about you. About the woman in this photo, whoever she is. I'm not proud of it, but it's a fact. Do you know what they're gonna do to me today? I have cancer. And they're gonna lift up my legs and expose me to the world, and cut out my prostate, and my nerves. Effectively neuter me. So is it so hard to understand that I don't want the woman who is in that photo to witness... my emasculation?"
Another interesting thing about Izzie is that she grew up in a trailer park and she had a daughter when she was very young who she gave up for adoption. These things aren’t brought up much on the show, mostly because she doesn’t want people to know about them. But they are things that break hegemonic norms in that they are not what people expect from a beautiful, blond female doctor.
When it comes to relationships, Izzie falls into hegemonic norms. She is a hopeless romantic who often gets heartbroken. Whenever she is upset about something, she bakes for hours to try to make her pain go away. These are things that are often seen if female characters. Although Izzie follows this norm, other characters stray from the norm, showing that the writers of the show are trying to break some hegemonic norms when it comes to love and relationships.
Before I started analyzing Grey’s Anatomy, most of these things weren’t apparent to me. I simply watched the show for entertainment and didn’t think about any of the effects of the show. Now I constantly find myself looking at the show analytically, whether it is with the characters following or straying from norms. I wish I could keep writing because I feel like I could analyze each character individually based on how they follow and break norms.
One of the most obvious cases of these ideas is the issues of power in Seattle Grace Hospital. As I have mentioned before, the chief of surgery at the hospital is a man. Also, three of the four head surgeons are men. While there are many female doctors, most are interns, rather than holding a position of power. Since starting my Blog I have thought more into this, and paid close attention to shifts of power that have been occurring on the show.
For my final Blog post, I really wanted to analyze a character that I haven’t really talked about much, Izzie Stevens, one of the female interns on Grey’s Anatomy. She has always been one of my favorite characters, but I have never really done any analysis of her character. There are some very interesting things about her character that both show hegemonic norms, as well as break them.
I do feel that Grey’s Anatomy breaks some norms because the very diverse cast. The cast is not only diverse racially, but also in many other ways. Some of the females would be considered “plus-size”. Some of the characters have various religions (even though this is not touched on much in the show). Also, the characters come from various backgrounds. Some were privileged, while others grew up poor. They all have various family situations, some simple, some complicated. I feel the writers of the show wanted there to be something for almost everyone to relate to. One of the big issues which they have failed to make a large part of the show is a homosexual main character, something I wrote about in my last Blog post.
I posted a video from the first season which shows one of the biggest counter-hegemonic ideas in the character Izzie Stevens. Her character was a lingerie model before going to medical school. In the first season, ads of her as “Bethany Whisper” come out, and she faces a lot of criticism by other interns. Alex Karev, another intern starts calling her Dr. Model, and eventually starts hanging up the ads throughout the hospital as a way to mock her. In the scene in the video, she walks into their locker-room to find her pictures posted all over. She starts to get upset, but then instead gives a very powerful monologue in which she takes off most of her clothes to give everyone an “up close look” at what’s in the ads. One of the lines that is very powerful is when she says “And oh my god, what are these things, breasts? How does anyone practice medicine hauling these things around?” She then goes on to say that she will be free of debt while her fellow interns have thousands of dollars in student loans to pay off.
When people think about doctors, no one really thinks of models as doctors. Izzie’s character breaks hegemonic norms by being a model, and not just a doctor, but a surgeon. This goes against the stereotype that models are “dumb”. Her modeling does become a problem in one episode where she is the doctor of a man who saw her ads. She thinks that he doesn't want her as his doctor because she was a model, and therefore is not qualified, however it turns out this wasn't the case at all.
Izzie Stevens: "This is who I was. It has nothing to do with who I am now. I'm a physician. A surgeon! And I am just as qualified as any other intern on this floor. So you're just going to have to get over your chauvinist crap and allow me to do my job."
Patient: "I'm sure you're a very good doctor."
Izzie Stevens: "Then what is your problem?"
Patient: "Look, I fantasized about you. About the woman in this photo, whoever she is. I'm not proud of it, but it's a fact. Do you know what they're gonna do to me today? I have cancer. And they're gonna lift up my legs and expose me to the world, and cut out my prostate, and my nerves. Effectively neuter me. So is it so hard to understand that I don't want the woman who is in that photo to witness... my emasculation?"
Another interesting thing about Izzie is that she grew up in a trailer park and she had a daughter when she was very young who she gave up for adoption. These things aren’t brought up much on the show, mostly because she doesn’t want people to know about them. But they are things that break hegemonic norms in that they are not what people expect from a beautiful, blond female doctor.
When it comes to relationships, Izzie falls into hegemonic norms. She is a hopeless romantic who often gets heartbroken. Whenever she is upset about something, she bakes for hours to try to make her pain go away. These are things that are often seen if female characters. Although Izzie follows this norm, other characters stray from the norm, showing that the writers of the show are trying to break some hegemonic norms when it comes to love and relationships.
Before I started analyzing Grey’s Anatomy, most of these things weren’t apparent to me. I simply watched the show for entertainment and didn’t think about any of the effects of the show. Now I constantly find myself looking at the show analytically, whether it is with the characters following or straying from norms. I wish I could keep writing because I feel like I could analyze each character individually based on how they follow and break norms.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Feedback from Dan G., author of Gender, Race, and Class in Scrubs
1. I think Nicole’s strongest analytical work can be found in her latest post entitled Grey’s Anatomy in the News. In particular I liked the paragraph about how a gay actor is portraying a straight character that is often accused of being gay. What sets this post apart as Nicole’s strongest is that she focused on analyzing a specific character in depth, so she was able to spend more time analyzing issues.
2. Since Nicole’s best work came when she kept her focus specific I would suggest that Nicole try and find a way to apply one of the final blog post/presentation topics to one or two characters. Keeping a tight focus will help her create an in depth analysis.
3. Think about the following statements in relation to your Blog buddy’s Blog and then provide feedback on each area (constructive praise/criticism):
The Blog is on a topic that has been clearly evident in the Blog posts throughout the semester. All of Nicole’s blog posts are on the topic of the TV show “Grey’s Anatomy.” The topic is clearly evident in all the posts.
The Blog is on a topic that seems to interest my Blog buddy. Nicole’s interest in her topic has two facets that are apparent in her blog. She enjoys the show as a form of entertainment, and she is also interested in issues of gender that exist in the show.
My Blog buddy’s topic is one that has produced a good set of posts that were analytical used gender as a primary category of analysis. Nicole has produced more than the required number of posts in her blog, and they use gender issues as a focus for analysis.
The posts make analytical arguments. The posts are understandable and each post logically outlines and supports the argument presented. The posts were clear, provided insight, evidence, and analysis to connect the topic with the assignment for each of the posts. I think Nicole could make her post’s a little clearer by writing her conclusions very plainly so there’s no mistaking what she’s trying to say. A good example is her photo collage, where she describes how a female intern freaked out when none of the other interns took her seriously because she was a former model. By writing on this incident Nicole is bringing up a number of gender issues including the fact that beautiful women are not perceived as intelligent. Adding a sentence that talks about the issues that are shown here would help the blog be a little clearer and a little stronger analytically.
The sources cited in each post are relevant to the topic and help to aid the understanding of the argument and/or assisted in proving the argument. Increasing the number of sources used in the blog would make Nicole’s blog better. When Nicole does cite readings its very effective. A great example can be found in her second Girls Next Door post. Nicole gives a quick summary of what the Kilbourne piece is about and then uses it to further her arguments. Nicole should use this method of describe and then apply whenever she cites a reading, because it gives her work academically stronger.
The quotes used illustrate a broad range of course readings throughout the semester. Nicole cites three different course readings and use the same reading for more than one post so she is drawing upon new readings every time she writes.
The quotes were clear and succinct; additionally, the material was presented so that I could differentiate the Blog buddy’s ideas from that of the author cited. Nicole’s clearest use of a reading was in her second Girls Next Door post. She described Kilbourne’s ideas and then used then in her analysis so it was very easy to differentiate between Nicole’s ideas and Kilbourne’s.
4. Finally, complete the following:
I thought it was great when you discussed the issue of a gay actor playing a homophobic man.
I found it confusing when you said that Meredith showed her strength in a recent episode. Since I don’t regularly watch the show I could not follow your argument because I had not seen the “recent episode.”
You’re really great at seeing the ways that the women characters are shown as strong and independent. Up until now you’ve briefly discussed how many women characters show their strength so I think an in depth analysis of one or two of those characters would be a great post.
I wish you could focus (more) on/alter/edit/explain/expand on/etc these three things…
· Your conclusions. I think you do a good job of presenting situations that involve gender issues, but going another step forward and describing what issues are involved and how they are related makes blog posts much easier to understand.
· Using readings like how you used the Kilbourne piece in you Girls Next Door blog.
· Keep a tight focus for your posts. Blog post #3 is a good example of a post that is a bit broad since you discuss so many characters. I think you kept a better focus in you latest blog post and it was definitely your best analytical work.
2. Since Nicole’s best work came when she kept her focus specific I would suggest that Nicole try and find a way to apply one of the final blog post/presentation topics to one or two characters. Keeping a tight focus will help her create an in depth analysis.
3. Think about the following statements in relation to your Blog buddy’s Blog and then provide feedback on each area (constructive praise/criticism):
The Blog is on a topic that has been clearly evident in the Blog posts throughout the semester. All of Nicole’s blog posts are on the topic of the TV show “Grey’s Anatomy.” The topic is clearly evident in all the posts.
The Blog is on a topic that seems to interest my Blog buddy. Nicole’s interest in her topic has two facets that are apparent in her blog. She enjoys the show as a form of entertainment, and she is also interested in issues of gender that exist in the show.
My Blog buddy’s topic is one that has produced a good set of posts that were analytical used gender as a primary category of analysis. Nicole has produced more than the required number of posts in her blog, and they use gender issues as a focus for analysis.
The posts make analytical arguments. The posts are understandable and each post logically outlines and supports the argument presented. The posts were clear, provided insight, evidence, and analysis to connect the topic with the assignment for each of the posts. I think Nicole could make her post’s a little clearer by writing her conclusions very plainly so there’s no mistaking what she’s trying to say. A good example is her photo collage, where she describes how a female intern freaked out when none of the other interns took her seriously because she was a former model. By writing on this incident Nicole is bringing up a number of gender issues including the fact that beautiful women are not perceived as intelligent. Adding a sentence that talks about the issues that are shown here would help the blog be a little clearer and a little stronger analytically.
The sources cited in each post are relevant to the topic and help to aid the understanding of the argument and/or assisted in proving the argument. Increasing the number of sources used in the blog would make Nicole’s blog better. When Nicole does cite readings its very effective. A great example can be found in her second Girls Next Door post. Nicole gives a quick summary of what the Kilbourne piece is about and then uses it to further her arguments. Nicole should use this method of describe and then apply whenever she cites a reading, because it gives her work academically stronger.
The quotes used illustrate a broad range of course readings throughout the semester. Nicole cites three different course readings and use the same reading for more than one post so she is drawing upon new readings every time she writes.
The quotes were clear and succinct; additionally, the material was presented so that I could differentiate the Blog buddy’s ideas from that of the author cited. Nicole’s clearest use of a reading was in her second Girls Next Door post. She described Kilbourne’s ideas and then used then in her analysis so it was very easy to differentiate between Nicole’s ideas and Kilbourne’s.
4. Finally, complete the following:
I thought it was great when you discussed the issue of a gay actor playing a homophobic man.
I found it confusing when you said that Meredith showed her strength in a recent episode. Since I don’t regularly watch the show I could not follow your argument because I had not seen the “recent episode.”
You’re really great at seeing the ways that the women characters are shown as strong and independent. Up until now you’ve briefly discussed how many women characters show their strength so I think an in depth analysis of one or two of those characters would be a great post.
I wish you could focus (more) on/alter/edit/explain/expand on/etc these three things…
· Your conclusions. I think you do a good job of presenting situations that involve gender issues, but going another step forward and describing what issues are involved and how they are related makes blog posts much easier to understand.
· Using readings like how you used the Kilbourne piece in you Girls Next Door blog.
· Keep a tight focus for your posts. Blog post #3 is a good example of a post that is a bit broad since you discuss so many characters. I think you kept a better focus in you latest blog post and it was definitely your best analytical work.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Blog Buddy Work with Dan, Author of Gender, Race, and Class in Scrubs
1. Where has your Blog buddy shown strong analytical work (be specific—is it a particular post, a type of analysis, a site for analysis that seemed to click more so than others, etc)?
2. How could your Blog buddy use this strength for the final Blog post and presentation?
3. Think about the following statements in relation to your Blog buddy’s Blog and then provide feedback on each area (constructive praise/criticism):
2. How could your Blog buddy use this strength for the final Blog post and presentation?
3. Think about the following statements in relation to your Blog buddy’s Blog and then provide feedback on each area (constructive praise/criticism):
- The Blog is on a topic that has been clearly evident in the Blog posts throughout the semester
- The Blog is on a topic that seems to interest my Blog buddy
- My Blog buddy’s topic is one that has produced a good set of posts that were analytical used gender as a primary category of analysis
- The posts make analytical arguments. The posts are understandable and each post logically outlines and supports the argument presented. The posts were clear, provided insight, evidence, and analysis to connect the topic with the assignment for each of the posts
- The sources cited in each post are relevant to the topic and help to aid the understanding of the argument and/or assisted in proving the argument.
- The quotes used illustrate a broad range of course readings throughout the semester.
- The quotes were clear and succinct; additionally, the material was presented so that I could differentiate the Blog buddy’s ideas from that of the author cited.
- I thought it was great when you...
- I found it confusing when you…
- You’re really great at…
- I wish you could focus (more) on/alter/edit/explain/expand on/etc these three things…
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Grey’s Anatomy in the News…
The biggest story featuring Grey’s Anatomy in the news just happens to have very strong ties to gender issues. Back in October, actor Isaiah Washington, who plays Dr. Preston Burke on the show, made an anti-gay slur directed towards fellow cast mate T.R. Knight, who plays George O’Malley. Soon after, Knight came out and told the press that he is in fact homosexual.
Ever since this incident, there has been tension between Isaiah Washington and some of the other cast members. Obviously there have been problems between him and T.R. Knight, as well as with Knight’s close friend Katherine Heigl, who plays Izzie Stevens on the show. When Washington said the comment, he was speaking to Patrick Dempsey, who plays Dr. Derek Shepherd. Dempsey was angry with this statement. Immediately following this, there were rumors going around that Washington was going to be asked to leave the show. Recently these rumors have been dismissed.
Surprisingly, the fact that T.R. Knight admitted that he is gay has not become the biggest issue in this incident. Knight did do an interview with Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show. He said that it is “not his style” to come out and make a public announcement like that, but at the time he felt it was necessary. Because of hegemonic norms, he did not want to make a big deal about the fact that he is gay like other celebrities do. He was quoted saying,
“I was under no delusions. My friends on the set knew. We talked about it. Publicly, it’s not my thing to call up People magazine and be like ‘Hey, you want to know something about me?’ I could’ve just let it slide and not said anything, but it became important. It became important to make the statement.”
It definitely was important for him to make this kind of announcement after the incident so that it did not seem like he was ashamed of or hiding the fact that he is gay. The latest news in regard to this incident was at the Golden Globe Awards where Washington denied that the incident ever occurred. While this angered some of the cast members once again, Patrick Dempsey has been quoted saying that he has changed and that he “is working on things”.
Although T.R. Knight’s character George O’Malley is not gay on the show, other characters do often make comments about his sexuality. George is constantly forced to defend his sexuality. In the episodes with George’s family, his brothers are always “accusing” him of being gay. In one episode of the first season of Grey’s Anatomy, a gay patient has an attraction to George which makes him very uncomfortable and tries to make it very clear that he is straight. Knight was forced on the show to constantly make homosexuality seem like a bad thing, whereas he was in fact a homosexual male.
In fact, the only gay characters on the show (besides characters that are only present in one episode) are the bartender at the bar where many of the characters often go and his boyfriend who was present in one episode. For the amount of racial minorities on the show, it is surprising that there are no homosexual main characters. Perhaps with the recent situation, the creators of the show will consider adding a homosexual main character.
http://www.greysanatomyinsider.com/categories/cast-news
“T.R. Knight Confirms Slur Was Made, Resulted in His Coming Out” January 17, 2007
“Patrick Dempsey Praises Isaiah Washington” February 26, 2007
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070121/LIFE/701210318
After ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ ruckus, producer’s job is to heal damage. Lynn Elber. January 21, 2007. SouthCoastToday.com
Raymond, Diane. “Popular Culture and Queer Representation: Critical Perspective”. From Gender, Race, and Class in Media. 2003, Sage Publications Inc.
Ever since this incident, there has been tension between Isaiah Washington and some of the other cast members. Obviously there have been problems between him and T.R. Knight, as well as with Knight’s close friend Katherine Heigl, who plays Izzie Stevens on the show. When Washington said the comment, he was speaking to Patrick Dempsey, who plays Dr. Derek Shepherd. Dempsey was angry with this statement. Immediately following this, there were rumors going around that Washington was going to be asked to leave the show. Recently these rumors have been dismissed.
Surprisingly, the fact that T.R. Knight admitted that he is gay has not become the biggest issue in this incident. Knight did do an interview with Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show. He said that it is “not his style” to come out and make a public announcement like that, but at the time he felt it was necessary. Because of hegemonic norms, he did not want to make a big deal about the fact that he is gay like other celebrities do. He was quoted saying,
“I was under no delusions. My friends on the set knew. We talked about it. Publicly, it’s not my thing to call up People magazine and be like ‘Hey, you want to know something about me?’ I could’ve just let it slide and not said anything, but it became important. It became important to make the statement.”
It definitely was important for him to make this kind of announcement after the incident so that it did not seem like he was ashamed of or hiding the fact that he is gay. The latest news in regard to this incident was at the Golden Globe Awards where Washington denied that the incident ever occurred. While this angered some of the cast members once again, Patrick Dempsey has been quoted saying that he has changed and that he “is working on things”.
Although T.R. Knight’s character George O’Malley is not gay on the show, other characters do often make comments about his sexuality. George is constantly forced to defend his sexuality. In the episodes with George’s family, his brothers are always “accusing” him of being gay. In one episode of the first season of Grey’s Anatomy, a gay patient has an attraction to George which makes him very uncomfortable and tries to make it very clear that he is straight. Knight was forced on the show to constantly make homosexuality seem like a bad thing, whereas he was in fact a homosexual male.
In fact, the only gay characters on the show (besides characters that are only present in one episode) are the bartender at the bar where many of the characters often go and his boyfriend who was present in one episode. For the amount of racial minorities on the show, it is surprising that there are no homosexual main characters. Perhaps with the recent situation, the creators of the show will consider adding a homosexual main character.
http://www.greysanatomyinsider.com/categories/cast-news
“T.R. Knight Confirms Slur Was Made, Resulted in His Coming Out” January 17, 2007
“Patrick Dempsey Praises Isaiah Washington” February 26, 2007
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070121/LIFE/701210318
After ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ ruckus, producer’s job is to heal damage. Lynn Elber. January 21, 2007. SouthCoastToday.com
Raymond, Diane. “Popular Culture and Queer Representation: Critical Perspective”. From Gender, Race, and Class in Media. 2003, Sage Publications Inc.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Michelle's Pop Culture Analysis
Michelle's Pop Culture Analysis: "Michelle's Pop Culture Analysis
Did you ever notice when you are watching television that the commercials you are watching during your show seem somewhat repetitive? I have had several of these realizations so I am attempting to further analyze why this is true. Why are commercials during the news all for medication or why are most commmericals during football games beer or car advertisments? How do these ideas reflect pop culture of today? Hopefully I will be able to answer these questions and more through this blog."
Did you ever notice when you are watching television that the commercials you are watching during your show seem somewhat repetitive? I have had several of these realizations so I am attempting to further analyze why this is true. Why are commercials during the news all for medication or why are most commmericals during football games beer or car advertisments? How do these ideas reflect pop culture of today? Hopefully I will be able to answer these questions and more through this blog."
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Blog Post #3 - Is there any reason to analyze Grey's Anatomy for gender issues?
I started watching Grey’s Anatomy last year, and now I never miss an episode. While there are sources out there that claim there are no gender issues in Grey’s Anatomy, I strongly disagree. Every female character on the show has their own identity and is trying to get ahead in the field of medicine. As well as gender, the show has a very racially diverse cast. It also doesn’t hurt to add the fact that the creator and writer of the show, Shonda Rhimes, is an African-American female.
The hegemonic norms of males being dominant are sometimes apparent in Grey’s Anatomy. The chief of surgery, Richard Webber, is a male. Also, three of the main surgeons are males (Derek Shepherd, Preston Burke, and Mark Sloan). While there are many men in charge, the female characters on the show have strong personalities and therefore are able to show their dominance in the hospital as well.
One of the most apparent counter-hegemonic elements of the show comes in the character Miranda Bailey, one of the residents at Seattle Grace hospital. She is in charge of the five interns that the show follows, and from the beginning she was known as the Nazi because of her toughness. All of the interns, and even some of the doctors, fear her. Recently on the show, the chief of surgery, Richard Webber, is planning on retiring and needs to find a replacement. He told Miranda that he wishes he could give the job to her because he knows she’s one of the few people who could do the job right.
Last season, Miranda had to leave work for a while because she was pregnant and had a baby. This new role for her made her question her toughness and ability to be a good doctor. Being a mother made her maternal instincts come out more often at work. She had always been the one to tell her interns not to get involved with patients lives because it makes it harder to do their job. She then found herself doing just that. Eventually Miranda had to understand that she had to change her ways of thinking, and being more caring would make her a better doctor.
Some people may watch the show and think of the main character, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), as “whiney” and can sometimes seem helpless. However in a recent episode, at least to me, she showed her strength and that she is capable of standing on her own. As the show progresses, she continues to find her strengths
The other main female characters include one surgeon, Addison Montgomery, one resident, Callie Torres, and two interns, Isobel Stevens and Christina Yang. These women also find ways to assert their dominance over the male characters in counter-hegemonic fashion. They are not part of the women who are “afraid to speak up for themselves or to use their voices to speak up for themselves” (Steinem). (Hopefully in future blog posts I’ll be able to speak about each of these characters individually, but my post is already getting long)
One issue that is often raised is the fact that the nurses on the show are not very often seen as important. A nurse is usually thought of as a female. Many nursing organizations have voiced their outrage about the way nurses are portrayed on Grey’s Anatomy.
Some people may say that there is no reason to analyze Grey’s Anatomy for gender issues, but I think that is very untrue. Grey’s Anatomy continually tries to go against hegemonic norms and shows women trying to get ahead in an area (medicine) that is often thought of as dominated by males.
Steinem, Gloria (1990). Sex, lies, and advertising. Gender, Race, and Class in Media, 223-229.
The hegemonic norms of males being dominant are sometimes apparent in Grey’s Anatomy. The chief of surgery, Richard Webber, is a male. Also, three of the main surgeons are males (Derek Shepherd, Preston Burke, and Mark Sloan). While there are many men in charge, the female characters on the show have strong personalities and therefore are able to show their dominance in the hospital as well.
One of the most apparent counter-hegemonic elements of the show comes in the character Miranda Bailey, one of the residents at Seattle Grace hospital. She is in charge of the five interns that the show follows, and from the beginning she was known as the Nazi because of her toughness. All of the interns, and even some of the doctors, fear her. Recently on the show, the chief of surgery, Richard Webber, is planning on retiring and needs to find a replacement. He told Miranda that he wishes he could give the job to her because he knows she’s one of the few people who could do the job right.
Last season, Miranda had to leave work for a while because she was pregnant and had a baby. This new role for her made her question her toughness and ability to be a good doctor. Being a mother made her maternal instincts come out more often at work. She had always been the one to tell her interns not to get involved with patients lives because it makes it harder to do their job. She then found herself doing just that. Eventually Miranda had to understand that she had to change her ways of thinking, and being more caring would make her a better doctor.
Some people may watch the show and think of the main character, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), as “whiney” and can sometimes seem helpless. However in a recent episode, at least to me, she showed her strength and that she is capable of standing on her own. As the show progresses, she continues to find her strengths
The other main female characters include one surgeon, Addison Montgomery, one resident, Callie Torres, and two interns, Isobel Stevens and Christina Yang. These women also find ways to assert their dominance over the male characters in counter-hegemonic fashion. They are not part of the women who are “afraid to speak up for themselves or to use their voices to speak up for themselves” (Steinem). (Hopefully in future blog posts I’ll be able to speak about each of these characters individually, but my post is already getting long)
One issue that is often raised is the fact that the nurses on the show are not very often seen as important. A nurse is usually thought of as a female. Many nursing organizations have voiced their outrage about the way nurses are portrayed on Grey’s Anatomy.
Some people may say that there is no reason to analyze Grey’s Anatomy for gender issues, but I think that is very untrue. Grey’s Anatomy continually tries to go against hegemonic norms and shows women trying to get ahead in an area (medicine) that is often thought of as dominated by males.
Steinem, Gloria (1990). Sex, lies, and advertising. Gender, Race, and Class in Media, 223-229.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Collage
