For the majority of us who are Scandal fans, (who isn’t these days!) you are a fan of the show for multiple reasons. The story of Olivia Pope, played by Kerry Washington, and her affair with the president of the United States has made this a number one TV show. The fact that the lead character is a woman, and a woman of color makes this show even more groundbreaking and it looks like this train ain’t about to stop anytime soon!
Friends star Lisa Kudrow, who has been on the show playing Congresswoman Josephine Marcus is yet another fine example of a strong female character not being boxed in by stereotypes and misogyny. In this scene below, she is being interviewed by a reporter who inadvertently asks her a typical sexist question, which Marcus proceeds to shut down in epic, intelligent, feminist style!
Her character is a war veteran who is running for the Democratic candidate for the presidency, with the help of campaign manager Olivia Pope. It’s a monumental story line as Kudrow’s character is in the running to be the first female president of the United States.
Kudrow told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview about her role on Scandal that her speech on the show was an accurate portrayal of what happens in real life American Politics, and they wanted to show how a women should be treated instead.
“I really loved Josie’s rant because I’ve noticed that when there’s a formidable woman candidate or politician and she’s being interviewed by a guy who doesn’t agree with what she’s saying and he’s losing the argument, they seem to fall back on, “You look pretty today,” or something like that, which you’d never say to [US Vice President] Joe Biden.”
Of course, this is a fictional scene. But a cleverly written one, showing the millions of men and women who watch this show globally the important of being a strong woman and not allowing the media or a certain industry try to characterize you because of your gender.
Well done Shonda Rhimes for creating a show that continues to break down barriers, and is a constant topic of conversation challenging the status quo of the way women and girls should be seen by society. Forget about the affair story line, that’s just to bring in ratings and numbers. The fact that this is a political drama led by females is a huge step for women in entertainment, and we hope this will inspire more and more young women to create characters that are representative of who we actually are!
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