Written By: Maya Jingles

Shonda Rhimes, creator of Shondaland and some of the best Thursday night TV around! Although she may no longer be writing for ABC, she still created and continues to create incredibly diverse and complex series. If you are unaware of her legacy, she created Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder for ABC, as well as Bridgerton for Netflix. She is a producer, screenwriter, and author, a powerful Black woman. Having worked in the field for over 15 years, you could say she knows a thing or two about media.

Being Black in any field is challenging, but being a Black woman adds an added layer. When I think about all that Rhimes has had to overcome, I can’t even imagine. That said, she has a very strong name for herself and calls the shots. Which is why, when I think about her shows, I become especially concerned at the stereotypes that Black women are put into. In the media, Black women are often typecast into specific roles, and unfortunately, Shonda Rhimes’ shows are no exception. Although her characters often have more depth than in typical shows, it is unfortunate that they are introduced through stereotypes.

The stereotypes most common are that of the “Angry Black Woman” (ABW), the “Sapphire” (loud, malicious, stubborn and overbearing), the “Jezebel” (seductive, alluring, tempting and lewd), and the “Mammy” (caretaker). These stereotypes date back to Jim Crow and slavery and have been researched in depth. While I’ll save that for another post, I highly recommend reading “Hood Feminism” by Mikki Kendall if you want a closer look. When I think about the Black women in Rhimes’ shows, I notice an unfortunate pattern of them being typecast before we get a broader story.

In Grey’s Anatomy, a long-running hospital show, we are introduced to surgeon Miranda Bailey as an ABW. She is even nicknamed “the Nazi” by interns. Although her character develops and we learn about her backstory, she was introduced as angry and mean when no other strict doctors were given similar nicknames. In political drama Scandal, Olivia Pope is a “fixer”. But is also sleeping with the President of the United States. You can call it love, but it’s seduction. As arguably the most powerful man in the country, the irony of being “seduced” by a Black woman who helped him gain office is not lost. This puts her into the category of Jezebel, as she is seducing and certainly tempting. How to Get Away with Murder follows attorney and professor Annelise Keating and a handful of students who get far more involved her life than they had ever imagined. It is one of my favorite shows of Rhimes and although I think it lost steam toward the end, it has such a great concept. Annelise Keating is a complicated woman. Not only is she an incredible attorney, but she suffers from trauma, alcoholism, and is bisexual, all relevant factors in her character development. That said, I would argue that she is introduced as a Sapphire, particularly in the categories of stubborn and overbearing. Although every show needs drama, Keating’s relationship with her students goes far beyond appropriate and is often nearly costs her her career.

Bridgerton is Rhimes’ most recent show, premiering on Netflix in late 2020. It is a historical romance with a modern take and modern music. It was an instant hit and far more diverse than most other period dramas, but that doesn’t separate it from the stereotypes that Black women are placed into.  Marina Thompson, a distant cousin of a powerful family is offered many suitors, but we find that not only has she engaged in premarital sex (remember, this is a period drama), but that she is pregnant. Her pregnancy is kept hidden, but she is prevented from finding suitors and shamed immensely by her (white) family members. Lady Danbury’s character is one I go back and forth between. She is mentor and primary caretaker for Simon, a prime suitor as in his childhood, he was banished from his father’s sight due to a disability. Although powerful in her own right, she is a caretaker for Simon before anything else. She was correct in being a caretaker for Simon, but I bring up the stereotype because even though Simon is well into the age of finding a wife, Lady Danbury remains with him and caring for him. I struggle to call her a “mammy” because she is doing what any good caretaker would do, but Simon is fully grown, and I think that Lady Danbury should be able to step aside and have her own life.

Like previously stated, Shonda Rhimes is incredible. To be a Black, female producer and writer for stations like ABC and Netflix require an incredible amount of strength. As someone who has watched all the shows discussed, I think they all have great qualities and you’ll frequently find me binging episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. But I don’t think Rhimes is immune to typecasting. Black women in the media are often put into a box, one that I think Rhimes uses as well. Although it might be easier to introduce characters in a box, I think that Rhimes has grown comfortable doing so, and with someone in her position of power, I would like to see more depth and nuance from the Black women in her shows.

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