Hanna Lee

December 8, 2016

Feminism in Meredith Grey and Olivia Pope

Introduction

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, feminism is an “organized activity in

support of women’s rights and interest.” There are four waves of feminism that each has their

own ideologies. Martha Rampton from Pacific University Oregon wrote that when the first wave

emerged in the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, and its ideology was “to open up

opportunities for women, with a focus on suffrage. The second wave began in the 1960s to 1990s

and drew in women of color and developing nations. The ideology of this wave spoke of women

as a social class and sexuality and reproductive rights were the dominant issues. The third wave

began in the mid-90s and defined feminine beauty as subjects not as objects of sexist patriarchy.

It was global, multicultural, and broke boundaries as it celebrated differences like ethnicity,

class, and sexual orientation. Lastly, the fourth wave is still emerging and speaks in terms of

intersectionality. The ideology believes that there is a place for all.” (Martha Rampton) Shonda

Rhimes, the writer of popular TV shows, exemplifies the ideologies of feminism through the

main characters of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal.

Background

Grey’s Anatomy is a medical drama that focuses on an extraordinary surgeon named

Meredith Grey. The show has 13 seasons that unravels her life starting as an intern to a resident

and on to an established attending. And along the way, it also reveals Grey’s personal life of

falling in love, becoming a mother, and eventually becoming widowed. Scandal is a political
thriller series with 5 seasons that concentrates on the life of Olivia Pope, a former White House

communications director who is now a famous, professional “fixer.” Olivia Pope runs her own

crisis communications firm, Olivia and Associates. In the show, there’s also a love triangle

between Olivia Pope, Fitzgerald Grant III, the President of the United States, and Jake Ballard, a

government spy. Thus in this essay, I will textually analyze how both Meredith Grey’s and

Olivia Pope’s strong feministic characteristics bolster and define feminism in the popular TV

shows, Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal.

Meredith Grey in Grey’s Anatomy

Meredith Grey’s first feministic characteristic is how she exceeds in her job while

simultaneously thriving as a great mother. From Season 1, it was evident Meredith would be a

brilliant surgeon. Grey’s respect in the workplace was clearly depicted in Season 9 Episode 2

when two interns refer to Grey as “Medusa.” Grey’s nickname reflects fear induced by Grey’s

superiority and sharp skills that all of the interns hope to obtain. Grey is unapologetically career-

oriented and admired for her expertise and dedication as she climbs the medical hierarchy. The

idea of the male gaze presents women as objects of men’s pleasure. “In Grey’s Anatomy,

empowerment comes when the women doctors are seen as medical professionals ahead of

sexualized beings.” (Mittell, Jason, Ethan, and Thompson, 141) Grey eliminates this male gaze

as she is shown as a dedicated surgeon and the subject of the show rather than an object of men’s

pleasure. Moreover, Grey learned to thrive in motherhood while never letting go of her passion

for surgery. In Season 7 Episode 21, Grey is interviewed by a social worker for the adoption of

Zola, Grey’s future firstborn. Grey confidently says, “I’m a surgeon. And I’m a good surgeon.

And I want to be a good mother. Honestly, I don’t know much about it. But I am ready to learn.
And I’m a fast learner, and I will do whatever it takes to be a good mom.” (“I Will Survive.”)

Grey’s character precisely proves how being invested in work isn't a flaw or a sacrifice. Grey

knows she is not limited by it or have to compensate for it “She believes that she does not have

to choose between her career and having a personal life in which she gets to be mother and wife,

and this belief aligns with third wave thinking.” (Wilks, 2012) By Season 12, Grey is a single

mother of three beautiful children and also the chief of general surgery. This feministic

characteristic empowers women to thrive in all aspects of life against all odds.

Secondly, Grey exemplifies feminism as she asks for what she wants and believes she

deserves. Grey shows this characteristic in two different occasions. For example, in Season 12

Episode 3, Grey realized she was getting a lower salary than her colleagues. Grey walks in and

firmly tells the chief that she had earned the job and she deserves to feel valued. Immediately the

chief agrees and adds, “Grey, well done” (“I Choose You”). Grey took charge when she felt she

wasn’t getting what she deserved. “Such large gender differences in the willingness to initiate

salary negotiations potentially explain a significant fraction of the observed gender differences in

wages.” (Leibbrandt and List, 2016) Grey adequately portrays feminism in every way because

she knew her worth and chose to speak up against her unfair salary. Another example of Grey’s

assertive characteristic is shown in Season 2 Episode 5. Grey is one of the two women Derek

Shepherd must choose between. Even at the expense of her pride, she desperately says, “I’m not

out of this relationship. I’m in. I’m so in, it’s humiliating, because here I am, begging...So pick

me, choose me, love me” (“Bring in the Pain”.) Women are often shown as submissive; waiting

for a man to come to them. They are rarely seen as pursuing and initiating. In this exact scene,

Grey empowers women to take initiative and fight to pursue what they want.
 Lastly, Meredith Grey’s third feministic characteristic is how she understands that

everyone and herself is human and that life happens. In Season 12 Episode 10, Grey reveals how

“her mother died of Alzheimer’s, step mother died of the hiccups, sister died in a plane crash,

and husband was hit by a semi.” She continues, “Truly, I’ve been through a lot, and I’m lucky to

be alive, and I’m lucky to be okay, and I get that” (“All I Want Is You.”) Grey shows feminism

because she has a grasp on reality. Because of her losses and hardships, Grey is able to be brave

through the little things in life and is thankful for what she has. She doesn't pretend to be perfect,

she doesn’t make excuses, and certainly doesn’t expect life to be amazing all the time. Grey’s

optimism shown in the scene encourages women to acknowledge our experiences and flaws,

embrace them, and move on.

Olivia Pope in Scandal

Moving on to Scandal, Olivia Pope’s first feministic characteristic is how she is the

ultimate boss of her firm and exceeds in her job. Washington elites from all political agendas

bring career-ruining scandals and crises to the firm for Olivia Pope and her team to strategically

find a way to fix and bring their client out of each mess. With the famous words, “It’s handled,”

Pope holds the lives of many together. A perfect example of Pope’s skills is illustrated in Season

4 Episode 9 when Pope is called to “fix” Cyrus Beene’s, the President’s Chief of Staff, crisis.

Cyrus Beene, who is known to be a political monster, resigns after his husband is murdered and a

sex scandal is released. Instead of coddling him, Olivia Pope says, “So your life’s unfair. So

What?...Grow the hell up because that is how it is! The Cyrus Beene I know doesn’t hide in his

half-empty closet and wet his pants like a little bitch baby…Who are you Cy?” (“Where the Sun

Don’t Shine.”) The next scene shows Beene obeying Pope’s orders and taking action to fix his
problem. In a research called Gender Stereotypes and the Attribution of Leadership Traits: A

Cross-Cultural Comparison, it says that, “male students were... more likely to describe female

managers as easily influenced, nervous, passive, having a strong need for social acceptance,

uncertain, etc.” (Sczesny, Bosak, Neff, and Schyns, 632) However, Pope’s character disproves

these stereotypes while avoiding the opposite stereotypes such as bitchy and bossy. Pope isn’t a

woman seducing a client through her sexuality or personal charm, but she instead lays down the

law, is brutally honest, and orders people around with authority. Pope is powerful and

commanding, which empowers women to be influential bosses as well.

Pope’s second feministic characteristic is how she prioritizes herself over any man and

demands to be treated with respect. Even with two of the most influential men in the world

pursuing her, Pope is focused on herself and her work. In Season 4 Episode 9, Pope says, “I’m

not choosing Jake. I’m not choosing Fitz. I choose me. I’m choosing Olivia, and right now Olivia

is dancing. I am dancing and I’m free” (“Where the Sun Don’t Shine.”) An article called “Girls

Rule!,” describes the main character of the show, Clarissa Explains it All by saying, “Indeed,

Clarissa is not the stereotypical feminine heroine who relies on a man (or a boy, in this case) to

save her from the various scrapes of contemporary teenage life.”(Banet-Weiser, 128) Similarly,

Pope is an independent woman who makes it clear that she doesn’t need a man by her side. Pope

isn’t a woman who is head-over-heels, aimlessly daydreaming about boys, but instead Pope

chooses herself. Another example is in Season 2 Episode 20 when Pope tells Fitz, “You do not

summon me...I am not a toy you can play with when you're bored or lonely or horny! I am not

the girl the guy gets at the end of the movie! I am not a fantasy! If you want me, earn me!” (“A

Woman Scorned.”) She knows her value and knows what she deserves. Pope is direct and clearly

demands to be treated with respect. Pope’s self-worth exemplifies feminism because it empowers
women to stand up when being mistreated and to choose yourself above all else because women

are worth it.

Lastly, Pope exemplifies feminism by standing up for other women because she knows

everyone is human. She understands that everyone including herself has faults, gets hurt, and

even hurt others. In Season 4 Episode 1, Pope takes on a rape accusation and says, “I'd fight to

the death to stand by any woman who says she was assaulted.” (“Randy, Red, Superfreak, and

Julia.”) Again in Season 4 Episode 6, Pope defends her friend, Abby, when Fitz calls her a

“Bitch” by saying, “Don’t say that. The words used to describe women! If she was a man you’d

say she was formidable, or bold, or right.” (“An Innocent Man.”) As a woman who understands

the struggles and vulnerability of being a woman, Pope defends other women both professionally

and personally. Pope has faults and has made many mistakes such as falling in love with another

woman’s husband, doing morally questionable actions as a part of her job, and having criminal

parents, yet she inspires everyone to put on the “white hat”, meaning doing not what is

convenient but doing what is right. “The role of Olivia is a powerful call to viewers to imagine

how this role could become possible and prevalent in society so long as the individual is

respectable and makes herself important to those around her as a function of her social and

material success.” (McKnight, 193) Pope empowers women to continue to strive to be the best

versions of themselves regardless of any past mistakes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I have found three similarities between Meredith Grey and Olivia Pope’s

feministic characteristics that bolster and define feminism. First, they both have characteristics of

a career-focused woman who takes pride in their job. Secondly, they both know their value and
 worth, and ask for what they want and believe they deserve. Lastly, they both have a grasp on

reality and understand that everyone, including themselves, is human. Each of the three

feministic characteristics that Grey and Pope hold support different ideologies from the four

waves of feminism in different ways. As these two TV shows are very popular, I believe these

characteristics not only empowers women audiences everywhere, but also supports, renews, and

helps define feminism in a different, new way.

Works Cited

Banet-Weiser, Sarah. Girls Rule!: Gender, Feminism, and Nickelodeon: Critical Studies in Media

Communication: Vol 21.2. N.p., (June 2004.) Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

Leibbrandt, Andreas, and John A. List. "Do Women Avoid Salary Negotiations? Evidence from a

Large Scale Natural Field Experiment." Management Science, 9 Sept. 2015. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

Mittell, Jason, et al. How to Watch Television. New York and London: New York UP, 2013. Print.
McKnight, Utz. "Souls." The Fantastic Olivia Pope: The Construction of a Black Feminist Subject:

Souls: Vol 16. 3-4. N.p., 11 (Dec. 2014.) Web. 07 Dec. 2016.

Rampton, Martha. Four waves of feminism. 25 Oct. 2015. Web. 7 Dec. 2016.

Sczesny, Sabine, Janine Bosak, Daniel Neff, and Birgit Schyns. "Gender Stereotypes and the

Attribution of Leadership Traits: A Cross-Cultural Comparison." N.p., (Dec. 2004.) Web. 07

Dec. 2016.

Skells, Colleen. “Scandal: Olivia Pope’s 10 most Badass moments.” Lists. Screen Rant, 22 Sept.

2015. Web. 7 Dec. 2016.

Wilks, Lauren. "Digital Commons @ Trinity." Site. Digital Commons @ Trinity, 2012. Web. 07

Dec. 2016.

http://digitalcommons.trinity.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=infolit_usra

“Remember the Time.” Grey’s Anatomy, Season 9 Episode 2, ABC, 4 October. 2012. Netflix,

<https://www.netflix.com/watch/70247918?trackId=14170289&tctx=0%2C1%2C75357919-

bcee-40ea-af4a-829a753c828c-27498766>

“I Will Survive.” Grey’s Anatomy, Season 7 Episode 21, ABC, 21 May. 2011. Netflix,

<https://www.netflix.com/watch/70189764?trackId=200257859>

“I Choose You.” Grey’s Anatomy, Season 12 Episode 3, ABC, 8 October. 2015. Netflix,

<https://www.netflix.com/watch/80076736?trackId=200257859>

“Bring in the Pain.” Grey’s Anatomy, Season 2 Episode 5, ABC, 23 October. 2005. Netflix,

<https://www.netflix.com/watch/70158913?trackId=200257859>
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<https://www.netflix.com/watch/80076743?trackId=200257859>

“Where the Sun Don’t Shine.” Scandal, Season 4 Episode 9, ABC, 20 November 2014. Netflix,

<https://www.netflix.com/watch/80019253?trackId=14170286&tctx=0%2C8%2Cb1a0dcb0-

e67b-4e8e-a722-af9d0c3c8679-275096720>

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<https://www.netflix.com/watch/70279603?trackId=200257859>

"Randy, Red, Superfreak and Julia." Scandal, Season 4 Episode 1, ABC, 25 September 2014, Netflix,

<https://www.netflix.com/watch/80019245?trackId=200257859>

“An Innocent Man.” Scandal, Season 4 Episode 6, ABC, 30 October 2014, Netflix,

<https://www.netflix.com/watch/80019250?trackId=200257859>