“Shondaland” is my home away from home every Thursday night. For those of you who haven’t been enchanted by her “producing power,” let me fill you in.
Shonda Rhimes is one of the only producers to have a night, on a major TV network such as ABC, dedicated to her. It is even accompanied by the hashtag #TGIT -Thank God It’s Thursday. These two reasons alone make Shonda amazing. Even better, she’s a she. EVEN better, she is African-American and continues to break down the stereotypes week by week.
Her 3 headliner shows- Grey’s Anatomy (11 seasons), Scandal (4 seasons) and the new comer, How To Get Away With Murder (1 season) take up the most coveted spot in prime time TV, 7-9 p.m every Thursday. Perhaps the most popular night for prime time television. At first glance, these shows may not seem all the different from the other typical TV dramas but we must dive deeper into Shondaland.
SO, here are 3 reasons on why Shondaland is the place to be on Thursday nights (especially for Feministas):
Doctors, lawyers, professors, OH MY!
1. All 3 shows depict strong, professional women in the LEADING role -meaning the story line revolves around their personal and professional lives, not a males. This is huge considering that “on prime-time television, 44.3 percent of females were gainfully employed — compared with 54.5 percent of males.”
In Shondaland, women are not the “side characters” who play victim to males. Dr. Meredith Grey and Dr. Miranda Bailey are prominent female doctors within the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital for 11 strong seasons. Olivia Pope from Scandal is the most sought out defender of public images and one of her most common cliental is the White House. And last, but not lease, How To Get Away With Murder‘s Annalise Keating is a law professor at a prestigious school as well as the choice lawyer for many high profile cases.
2. While these women do achieve great levels of success within their professions, they are still normal. One of the biggest achievements Shonda makes is the ability to relate such powerful and beautiful women to the average one (still beautiful but maybe not quite a doctor…) sitting on the couch. Work drama, friendships, relationships and even their closets are relatable. (I would love to take a shopping trip through Olivia Pope’s closet…)
3. “Shondaland is the most integrated and interesting geography in America” -a very accurate statement. These shows touch on all kinds of social issues and continue to break the norm -interracial couples, gay and lesbian couples, war veterans, the list goes on. Each show features an array of characters with varying personalities and personal feats.
What better way to end your Thursday night than with 3 intelligent, sexy, women powered shows -in a row!
In the words of the great Olivia Pope, “consider it handled,” and I will meet you in Shondaland this Thursday.
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