The contemporary society has always sought to discuss some of the sensitive topics in various forms of pop culture text. In this regard, the main idea is to pass on dominant ideologies to the masses without forcing them. The practice is a clear definition of the term hegemony. This is the case where the audience acts as a subordinate group in society whose only role is to receive instruction. Due to the striking attention created by the pop culture text, the audience can easily accept the ideas and perceptions that are relayed. However, it is not always easy to achieve a followership for the differing ideologies as it appears to be some sort of contest between the idea introduced and those that are currently in place. During this time, it seems that a negotiation is taking place where the result could either mean a new form of thinking or a rejection so as to maintain the dominant beliefs.
Thesis: The popular television series Scandal is a clear description for use in identifying the ideal nature of a woman in the society. The following paper will demonstrate through various examples showing the continuous negotiation between the different ideologies and how they help in the changes experienced in our culture in representing the female gender. Olivia Pope over the past six or seven years has been a symbol for the professional fixer in the form of a woman challenging the belief that men are the only ones who can take up such roles.
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Scandal Plot
The television show is one of the most critically acclaimed shows to be created by in the modern society. The recurrent series that has been on since 2012 is a creation by Shonda Rhimes which is partially based on the professional life of Judy Smith a former press aide in George H. W. Bush’s administration (Gallagher, 2015). She is also a co-executive producer in the show and helps bring out the various challenges that the main character is set to encounter (Putnam, 2014). Olivia Pope, a crisis manager, is the central character in the film along with the various members of her firm. There are other characters in the television show including Fitzgerald Grant III who is the US President and depicted as Olivia’s love interest (Gallagher, 2015). Despite the powerful status accorded to the title of being US President, it is evident that the Pope holds a significant power in the show and can control major outcomes for its characters.
There are also other major characters including Abby Whelan an assistant in Pope’s firm, a former White House Press Secretary, and Chief of Staff, and Quinn Perkins, who was formerly an assistant and now head of the same firm (Putnam, 2014). These women are incorporated into the plot of the television show to enhance the message that the role of women in the society has taken a significant change (Rosenberg, 2015). In the previous century, women were treated like second-class citizens who are unable to influence change in their community. This is not the case in this setting where the women take active roles in quelling impending crises that take place in Fitz’s administration among other issues in society (Rosenberg, 2015). Through the first season of the show, the audience is introduced to the numerous characters and the mysterious relationships they have with one another. The depiction is intended to give a foundation to the scandalous lives of each individual and how in one way or another female characters are able to help in solving the issues arising.
Survival
One of the primary themes of the television show is to demonstrate the survival of women in a largely patriarchal society. It is evident that while Olivia Pope is capable of making political problems go away and provide a “fix” for those who seek her services, this comes at a devastating expense (Rosenberg, 2015). The main character does not seem to be capable to have the power she portrays without assistance from the salvific protagonist the US President (Gallagher, 2015). The audience comes to understand that Pope is having an affair with the president who is a married man. It seems that in this way she can be able to achieve her goals through the romantic hold she has on him. She can be able to manipulate him so that she can have her way in the end (Gallagher, 2015). In this case, the drama show depicts that the white supremacist capitalistic and patriarchal society still exists. However, the women in such a society have found an alternative means to ensure their survival. Other characters despite their gender, race, or sexual orientation will also go to great lengths to preserve this state.
The role played by Olivia Pope in the film is a possible power fantasy where a woman has immense power in the society. The same power depicted in the show is also evident off-screen. This was the first time in decades when a black woman was a main character in broadcast television (Rosenberg, 2015). The drama would challenge the common practice of placing white men or women as the main characters of the show. Several shows have been able to benefit from the bold statement made by Scandal as it has ensured the birth of other shows with similarly powerful black women (Putnam, 2014). In this case, it is evident that actresses particularly from the minority communities had endured through a society that gave privilege to the white race and male gender. The show is intended to challenge such thinking and in so doing shows that women can survive the struggles that such a society brings. Through Olivia Pope, it seems that even the biggest threats to the lives of these women are done effortlessly before they are out of control.
Gender Equality
Similar to the numerous television programs created by Shonda Rhimes, Scandal is a major creation in the steps towards achieving gender equality. The show intends to show that women are in every bit equal to their male counterparts. Other programs in the past seemed to be satisfied by the action of simply casting women in leading roles. However, Scandal attempts to create an edge in this practice by portraying one of the strongest female characters in television history (Putnam, 2014). The show is set in Washington DC and alternates between the White House and Pope’s crisis management firm. The primary intention of undertaking such strides in the presentation of a female character is to create an illusion that if women can achieve significant power in the most tasking office in the world, the same effect will trickle down to women across other sectors of the social, economic, and political sectors (Saad, 2015). Abby Whelan is a clear indicator of this effect where her role as Chief of Staff at the White House results in becoming the head of Pope’s firm after she leaves the political office (Putnam, 2014). She has been able to establish connections in the political scene that makes her a powerful woman in crisis management.
The television program actively depicts numerous instances where women are continuously undermined by the oppressive patriarchal society. One of the characters, Senator Stephanie Vaughn seeks the services of Pope to defend her after she claims that Senator Benjamin Sterling had sexually assaulted her before she pushed him over a railing (Saad, 2015). In this regard, the program shows that the criminal offense is a common practice even in the high political officers. It is expected that elected leaders will be role models of the ideal behavior in the treatment of individuals (Putnam, 2014). However, Pope is convinced that Senator Vaughn had not experienced such a tragic incident and she was merely covering up for one of her aides. The program shows that the system of governance in dealing with such heinous crimes in the federal offices makes it nearly impossible for women to demonstrate their power (Saad, 2015). Additionally, the actions of women such as Vaughn who play victims when they are actively involved in upholding such practices only make it difficult to ensure gender equality.
A similar occurrence of undermining women’s power in the society is also depicted by the President Fitzgerald. He believes that the only way that his daughter could have had sex with two men is if she was raped. This is a common practice in the society that provides unequal terminologies in description of the sexual freedom of men and women (Rosenberg, 2015). On the one hand, when a man has sex with more than one woman he would be considered bold and sexually strong (Putnam, 2014). However, when the same case is repeated by a woman, it is referred to as a heinous behavior that should not be advocated. The president expects that his daughter Karen will uphold such practices primarily because of his status in the society. Nevertheless, she defends her sexual autonomy and freedom from the traditional views of sex and how women should behave.
Conclusion
The television program Scandal has taken an active role in depicting the strength and power a woman can have in a male dominated society. The show challenges the backward views that the contemporary society continues to hold against women, which significantly undermines them. The main character, Olivia Pope, is at the center stage of advocating for women to demand for power and challenge men at what they do best. In some cases the show strays by when the antihero engages in an affair with a married man, and also murders a person, but somehow gets away with it. The primary intention of the program is to show the society that women can be equal to men and it is about time that they take the stand and make strides to achieve this goal.
References
Gallagher, M. (2015) Scandal’s Olivia Pope and the Rise of the Female Antihero . The Artifice, Retrieved from https://the-artifice.com/scandal-olivia-pope-female-antihero/
Putnam, L. (2014) Is ‘Scandal’ the most feminist show on TV ? The New York Post, Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2014/10/31/is-scandal-the-most-feminist-show-on-tv/
Rosenberg, A. (2015) The racial education of ‘Scandal’s’ Olivia Pope . The Washington Post, Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2015/03/09/the-racial-education-of-scandals-olivia-pope/?utm_term=.35fe66affed3
Saad, N. (2015) 'Scandal's' Olivia Pope is no role model, Kerry Washington says (but OK to dress like her) . Los Angeles Times, Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-kerry-washington-olivia-pope-scandal-role-model-20150805-story.html
