For the past several weeks, I’ve found this new attraction to the hit series “Grey’s Anatomy”. If you’re anything like myself, then you know that Shonda Rhimes is a genius beyond her time. Whether it is from her ability to incorporate drama, comedy, or even romance she never fails to captivate her audience. But to be quite frank, I don’t only love Ms. Rhimes for her “MANY” successful television series. What I admire most about her, is her ability to overcome adversity and her tenaciousness towards real world issues. Correct me if I’m wrong, but when was the last time you saw an African-American female not only hold her own in an industry filled of predominantly Caucasian men, but also produces three of the most talked about television shows to EVER grace the airwaves.
On top of her already successful career as a television producer, Rhimes has also released a book titled “Year of Yes” and although I have not gotten my hands on a copy lets just say once I finish my current book I will be sprinting to Barnes and Noble. Within the book she talks about being miserable while simultaneously achieving high praise for her successful television shows. I find that pretty ironic that even with so much fame and fortune one can still find themselves in a rut. A “Year of Yes” not only symbolizes a rebirth of spirit and mind, but also in how we must get to the point where we lose our self, so that we can eventually find ourselves again but not as the same person. When we come back we should be far from where we left off. If you have some time and are in desperate need of something mesmerizing and stimulating, then “Year of Yes” is definitely for you!
Need 3 reasons why Shonda simply is the best?
1. Representation matters!
I LOVE the fact that she is not afraid to “go there” as many would like to put it. On a lot of her television shows she bring up issues such as race, homophobia, and sexism. In many television shows today, most producers like to stir away from those topics because they feel that it may be too much for some of their audiences’. Shonda on the other hand, has no filter regarding these issues which is completely understandable because these are the things that NEED to be talked about in our modern day society especially now in a time where everything is changing. Following on the topic of representation, I admire that she portrays some of the protagonist of her shows as African-American. Growing up there weren’t a lot of characters in which young POC could reflect on and find common ground. I like that she stirs away from the stereotypical role in which an African-American usually plays. Instead of the loud mouth/uneducated character usually found on television she portrays a more sophisticated and goal oriented character. For POC this is a huge stepping stone compared to where we once were. Not only does this show present POC in the same spot light as their counterparts, but it also presents its viewers with a reality that is all to familiar. In the GIF to the right, Olivia’s father tells his daughter that she must always be on her very best and even when she does that she will still get only HALF on what “they” (people of lighter skin” will receive. I found this to be my favorite quote from this particular series because it speaks volumes which is why I had to put it in this blog.
2. Love above all else.
Have I ever mentioned how much I love a good drama? Well not just any drama, but a romance drama. Especially the ones where the couples break up on a consistent basis and leaves the viewer heartbroken, traumatized, and even somewhat mental (said no one ever.)
But I still find myself attached to each character and their romantic involvement because Shonda makes it so easy to fall in love with them. Whether it’s a same-sex couple or a heterosexual couple, I like to think that Shonda could make even the most heartless person rethink their outlook on love. Regardless of what is occurring in the episodes and what may be transpiring within the characters lives the overall theme is that love is greater than any storm. In light of hate and bigotry surrounding the world, I like to think that Shonda is teaching us to fight abhor with love and compassion for one another.
3. She gets me.
Her programs are generally for everyone, but they tend to reflect the average life of a college student. Whether Shonda is talking about love or falling somewhere in between tolerance and hate she understands those of us trying to get through college while managing an early case of midlife crises.
As a college student who engages in multiple extracurricular activities and who also happens to be an athlete about 75 % of my feelings consist of rolling my eyes, letting out numerous signs of exhaustion, and most importantly holding myself back whenever I feel the need to slap someone after I’ve told them several times that I’m not in the mood. Although I’m not saving lives like Meredith or falling in and out of love like she does I like to think that Meredith Grey is me and I am her.
