The thing that I love about Grey’s Anatomy is how great the women of color are. Strong, decisive, smart…awesome. Sandra Oh, Sara Ramirez, Loretta Devine. My favorite character is Miranda Bailey played by Chandra Wilson. No one even comes close to my love and respect for her.
But as I was reading this past weekend about some lame comments from ABC Chief Stephen McPherson at the Television Critics Association gathering about how they (ABC) just didn’t like Brooke Smith’s character Erica Hahn on Grey’s, — “the character was not working for us, and the dynamic with the relationship was just not working for us…” — I realized that all of Grey’s Anatomy’s white women are pathetic.
Think about it. The strong ones — Addison Montgomery was spun off to her own show in LA and seems to have lost her compass, and Erica Hahn was fired because her chemistry with Callie just wasn’t good enough, and maybe she just came off as a bit too strong. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) has always been one step from pathetic. She holds the story together, but she is no pillar of strength. Izzie (Katherine Heigl) has gone over the deep end this season appearing in a bad version of the “I See My Dead Husband” Sally Field, Jeff Bridges and James Caan 80s romance Kiss Me Goodbye. Sadie the sadist is gone as of February and she never did anything of note except almost kill herself. Lexie is shagging Mark and who knows where that one is going. And now they’ve brought in Jessica Capshaw as pediatric surgeon Arizona Robbins to supposedly be the new girlfriend of Sara Ramirez’ Callie. First and second impressions have not been good. She pretty much comes off as a bubbly idiot and even Miranda looked like she wanted to belt her.
While it’s so unprecedented that the women of color are written so well and strong on Grey’s (cause they hardly exist of most others shows), I don’t think it should or will diminish from those characters if we pump some strength into the white women. I think it will make the show better.
I totally agree.
I love Chandra Wilson and Sandra Ohs characters most of all…
the “white” women are like most “white” women on TV and a lot of white women in films- whiny and annoying.
I think Shonda Rhimes has an issue with Katherine Heigl- what else could possibly explain the continued weakening of the character she plays? It’s bizarre.
Remember when the Izzie character was a strong survivor who fought her way out of the trailer thru university and to the hospital? Remember she was the one that did not hide her beauty but used it to to pay for school? Remember how she responded after that fact was brought to light by her intern competitors?
Where is that Izzie?
And why do we have the lil grey weakling? and the twisted old friend?
it’s hard to watch.
As a Grey’s watcher I agree with your assessment except for one aspect: Jessica Capshaw’s Arizona Robbins made a bad first impression but a much better second one. I hated her perky bubbliness inher first ep, but I thought she was neither bubbly nor an idiot in the second one. I particularly loved the steady way she stood up to Bailey; Bailey was being really annoying, and someone had to give her a reality check. Pity about the name, though: Arizona is a cross to bear.
I completely agree that the white women on Grey’s are weak and sometimes pathetic, with the exceptions of Addison and Hahn (who are both gone now, so they don’t count). However, I disagree about Arizona. She’s the first guest star with potential in a long, long time, in my opinion. She came off as awfully bubbly in her first scene, but there’s actually layers to her, and she acted professionally through the whole arc with the boy who needed organs, which can not be said for Bailey. I’m looking forward to seeing more of her. Maybe she’ll be a good match for Callie.
Sorry but I think you are wayyyyyyy off on this one Chandra Wilson AND Sandra Oh get on my nerves they are both ridiculous stereotypes. First Ms. Wilson is short,ugly,fat,short hair,and very loud/pushy/overly aggressive/bullying second Ms. Oh is loud,whiny,screechy and always has to ‘preach’ to the white females as if she has some ‘mystic’ powers to relationships despite never having her own. And why does she have to call someone on it should she already be shown HAVING a relationship?!! This show is just as bad as any other when it comes to stupid stereotypes of WOCs.
Every once in awhile I have to have yet one more look at this show if only to confirm it has gone so far downhill that it will never recover. I agree completely about the really stupid women on the show alth0 I hadn’t selected only the white women for this award. I find Christina is so annoying and stupid I have to change the channel quickly when she comes on. All that angst and frowning is so over done and she’s like that all the time she’s on. And Bailey over plays any part she’s given by being just too aggressive. She’s loud and pushy and always unpleasant. As for Meredith words escape me.
This show only portrays miserable and unhappy people? I could care less if she marries Derek. Frankly he’s crazy for wanting her and why would he I ask? She’s so not interesting. And on and on it goes. Does this brain problem explain why Izzy’s been so dam stupid the last year? And isn’t anyone else fed up with women thinking George is sexy when we know he prefers men? He’s never been a man women would find sexy so how the heck did he hook up with the one really great gal and so beautiful Callie? That was too stupid to be believable. How about the constant gloomy face on Alex? Other than Izzy what the hell has been bothering him these last few years.
On and on it goes. I guess what I really feel is that the snow is done. We’ve had the best and there just isn’t any more and this is as good as it gets. Not good enough to keep me interested and watching. The two great characters, Addison and Erica left the show. It’s easy to see why they might want to given the scripts they were given to work with.