Image via a general internet search.
I believe some folks hate Scandal because the main character is a successful Black woman who defies every stereotype of who a Black woman is supposed to be. The character of Olivia Pope is smart successful, elegant, worked for a Republican administration and she is in love and sleeping with a successful powerful White man. That image is powerful.
Image via a general internet search.
The big shock is that contrary to the myth that a White man only wants her for sex (as if there aren’t any Black men like that lol) in this show a White man actually loves and adores her. Why do I think this the case? Think about the silly comparisons to Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. When I heard that comparison I was astounded because Sally Hemings was a slave who had no rights and no choice. Open a history book. The character of Olivia Pope is a working woman who answers to no one but herself. Then I realized who was complaining. Hmp!.
What scares a lot of people who are invested in the state of perpetual victimization of Black women is that this show shows that Black women can expand their dating pool. That Black women can be successful, beautiful and loved. That Black women can put their self interests first. That Black women can be powerful and that Black women can have reciprocal relationships with powerful allies and confidants beyond the confines of the Black community.
If Olivia Pope had a partner who was a struggling Black male she would be seen as a strong Black woman who was lifting a brother up. If she was habitually single and searching for a Black king the folks against Scandal would love it. Don’t talk to me about that Black love stuff because even when there was a show with a well educated Black couple like the Cosby show people were against that too. The folks against Scandal are quick to call the maid, the mammy, the poor mom, the crack head, the video vixen, the reality show star, and big momma who is struggling to make ends meet, taking care of her extended family, is stereotypical or is endlessly looking for Black love real. They are mad that a Black woman, Shonda Rimes, the person who created and writes the show, cannot be pigeon holed and hasn’t conformed to their definition of the Black womanhood. Crazy right? Well for those who benefit from the state of perpetual victimization of Black women it is a scary thought that a TV show could influence their meal ticket, meaning Black women, enough to start charging for services rendered or saying no mas to mule behavior.
In 2013, Don Cheadle won a Golden Globe for best male actor for his performance on Showtime’s sitcom House of Lies.
I have heard others say how come there aren’t any shows with Black men? I want to know where you have been. There have been many shows that have had Black male leads. Some Black male leads include Damon Waynes, D. L. Hughley, Bernie Mack (RIP), Martin Lawrence, Dave Chappelle, Taye Diggs, Bill Cosby, Ice Cube, all things Tyler Perry, Don Cheadle, Will Smith, Dennis Haysbert, and countless others. This is the first time in 40 years that a Black woman has had a lead on a major network. In fact, unlike the Black men who do not watch Scandal, Black women do support shows and movies created by and starring Black men. For those who say there are no shows for Black men I say go turn on BET. That station shows your image every single day. Your hyper masculine image dominates and sadly defines Blackness in the form of Black entertainment. In fact, female entertainers have to emulate strippers and porn stars and skin bleach because you have the keys to the industry.
Image via Wikipedia
For those complaining about the morals of Scandal let me let you in on a little secret. It’s a soap opera that is no different from any other soap opera. Not once did I hear complaints about how shows that star White women always feature an episode where the main character has a roll in the hay with a Black man. It is then that the White woman has her coming of age moment. See Sex in the City, The New Adventures of New Irene and others. On these shows the White woman never marries the Black man but she finds herself in the process. So who is being used? I guess for White women and Black men that is empowering.
Whelp if you don’t like Scandal don’t be a part of the eight million that do. I will be watching on Thursday with my red wine, robe and big fluffy slippers along with millions of others who loves seeing a Black woman who does not fit into your box.
Stay Bougie!!
NOOOOO!!!!
I agree so much with this post.
The show is entertainment to me… period. The character of Olivia Pope is not representative of me as a Black woman, and it’s unfortunate that some Black women seek to clamor so much for representatives that we can’t see the strength and accept the flaws in our own beings.
As strong, intelligent, beautiful, and successful as Olivia Pope is, she is as flawed as any other human being, Black or White, male or female alike. However you spin it, she is an adulteress who is no more at fault than the adulterer. She actively participated and covered up illegal political activities on the largest scale, and her business is to get paid big bucks to cover up the moral, illegal, and or inhibiting transgressions of the rich and powerful, by any means necessary.
She can turn on the charm, rage, and tears at the drop of a dime to get whatever way she deems required, and will use whoever, however she deems necessary. That is in NO WAY who I look up to as a representation of me… And the only way that this is any different than any other reality television program depicting women who will do whatever it takes to achieve what they want… is that the script and fashion on this program is MUCH better… it makes for good television.
This post is EVERYTHING! Olivia Pope, is my spirit animal!
It’s a soap opera for gosh sakes, and please show me any woman who do not use their wiles and I would have to think “fake”…I love Olivia’s character..it’s a show about real life…IJS…
I agree wholeheartedly. This is the most well written, superbly acted show on television. The subtle nuances that take our breaths away and the frailty of the perfection of the characters endears us to them. There is nothing in the content of this show that makes it any less appropriate for prime time than the ubiquitous death-murder-kill shows on every channel.
Olivia is our heroine because she is NOT fictional. A certain class of us ARE her, our colleagues ARE her. He recognize ourselves in her. We don’t idolize from an “only if…” point of view. We ARE Olivia and she IS us. In her case, fiction IS a reality for a great deal of us. THAT’s what the OTHER side doesn’t know. There is a great divide between the class of black women they see on the news and in hip hop, and the rest of us.
I’m a professed ScandalHolic, and I too will be found EVERY Thursday with a glass of wine in my hand, paralyzed in a state of surgeon-focused attention watching my newest and most entertaining addiction… The best show on television ANYWHERE, Scandal.
Tan Scarborough
Let the church say amen!
I agree with EVERYTHING here. But I wanted to add that as a black male, what makes Scandal so great for me is that all of the characters are HUMAN. In the beginning of the series Pope is depicted as a perfectly strong woman who shows no emotion, yet as time progressed she became unnervingly human. She struggled like HELL with her feelings on her relationship with Fitz (so much so that I as a fan don’t even know if I want the two together), she struggled with the decision to put Fitz in office, and so much more. Rhimes does this with all her characters and having the diversity that the show has really allows for a large number of stereotypes to be broken for a lot of people, though arguably most notably black women.
So I’ll DEFINITELY be watching the newest episode tomorrow because the show is so unapologetic in its flawlessness.
Woot! Woot!
Wow, I agree so much with this post. I just heard about this serie, and I am looking forward to see it. Unfortunately I have grown up, and lived, in a country where there are not many black people, and the few that are there, are not successful examples at all. So finally seeing a serie where a protagonist is a powerful black woman is really what . Even if it’s just entertainment, it’s a huge step. Usually the roles of black women in series and movies have always been marginals (like a random friend of the protagonist, or even just a background actress), and I end up liking a particular movie or a serie a lot, only because there was a relevan (more than others) character. Sorry for my English, as I am not a native speaker. But I started a blog to get together my thoughts about race from this point of view. And English is the only way to communicate. In my mother tongue nobody would care about reading it.
“Scandal” was stolen from a screenwriter in NJ, now living in Maryland. Without the resources to fight the Shonda Rhimes machine, he was left with nothing. The script was actually a feature film passed to a rep for Washington in 2010. Strangely enough, the “idea” came to Shonda Rhimes in 2011 and guess who the star is? No such thing as coincidence.
It’s unfortunate that these so-called Hollywood ‘stars’ are allowed to go unchecked like that. But it will all come out in the wash. No deed of that type goes unpunished somehow.
I was laughing so hard reading this. I agree with you 100%. I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t like the show, but you gave so many valid points to the ones who don’t.
Many do.
The point about her independence as a Black woman is cheap at best. It is as cheap as our collective consciousness. I unlike Michael Jordan would never marry or have sex outside my race because i know that empowerment of a people comes by way iof strong communities and strong communities by way of strong families so my choices are made in that arena. Im tired of the bland infantile coopting of independence over collective consciousness. You very seme folk sit back and complain about the negatives of those who havent made it. Individual independent thinking will never create anything but selfishness. Christianity even asks us to compromise our will for the Lord. God understands that true growth has more to do with others than you. Finally do you think Jews would watch a Jewish girl being fondled and groped by a German in the same place where decisions were made to decimate Jews. Those who disagree are not warriors for thier people period.
How in the world can you talk about Black consciousness when you worship the “slave masters” god?
” In fact, female entertainers have to emulate strippers and porn stars and skin bleach because you have the keys to the industry.”
Black men control the music industry?? Hmmmm….I don’t think so. There’s another group of people who have the “keys” to the industry. Black people don’t control the music,film or television industries. Black people are given “certain roles” to play that fit certain stereotypes. I’ve read all comments on this blog and it doesn’t seem like any of them have a full grasp on how Hollyweird really works. Most are still caught up in the matrix,so to speak.
The reality is that there seems to be many images of black men portrayed as homosexuals or just effeminized men in general. And you don’t see many black relationships on tv as much anymore. It’s obvious to me this is being done on purpose. But many black folks are to blind to see how television can alter your perception of reality.
I’ve also noticed a pattern with Shonda Rhimes. Even in Greys Anatomy and Private Practice she had an interracial relationships on both show. Then of course we have Scandal. Hmmmmm……seems like a pattern to me. What does she have against black love? It’s almost like she purposely avoids writing about functional black relationships. She decides what she writes about right? It’s not like someone is telling her what she can and can’t write…..hey wait a minute! You don’t think? Nah they don’t decide what will be allowed on the television airwaves do they? Who is “they”? Well if black folks are not in control of their own images,that means that someone else decides what’s the appropriate images for us. I think many of you maybe be starting to see the big picture.
One tribe,one people,one destiny. Thank you.
If you don’t think that Black males do not make casting decisions in their videos you are sadly mistaken.
Oh, I’m sorry…I guess Webber’s marriage to Adele, and now his romance with Catherine Avery, and Bailey’s reationship and marriage to Ben doesn’t depict Black love…
But what about the other relationships? Why are interracial couples alway present? People never want to address that reality. You just turn a blind eye.
Who’s turning a blind eye?? We KNOW it’s there…but that doesn’t discount the other relationships that you failed to mention in order to make your point. People are involved with people from other ethnic backgrounds everyday and everywhere…it IS reality.
Who controls Hollywood? Who green lights films? Who decides what images of blacks will make it on screen? The issue is much bigger than interracial couples. That’s just one example the media uses to promote disunity among black people. There are many more. So don’t get so hung up on the interracial thing. Until you understand the system you will always be confused. You have to be able to grasp the bigger picture in order to defeat your enemy in the game of survival. White folks are playing chess,while we’re busy playing checkers.
I think what’s missing here in this post and it’s comments is the realization that Olivia Pope’s character is screwing around with a married man with children, who also so happens to be the president. It matters less that he is a white man or that he is a successful white man. The controversy would still be the same if Olivia’s character was screwing around with a non-successful black man. Her actions make her the mistress (some would say even a whore). And that’s what make her so scandalous. It’s very upsetting that people glorify what she is doing. It’s wrong, whether it’s with a white or black man.
Exactly. She messing around with a married man, if that doesn’t scream jezebel to you then I don’t what will.
know*
Aaah, I love this show!! 🙂
Anna Karenina. Ethan Frome. The Postman Always Rings Twice. Body Heat. The Scarlet Letter. Dangerous Liaisons. What’s the main thread that binds all these stories together? Infidelity. Olivia Pope did not invent infidelity. The passion that has consumed President Fitzgerald Grant is as old as time itself. That said I have come to accept that many in Black America she it as their sworn duty to hate/deride the series Scandal. However all that I ask of anyone is to stop comparing Olivia and Fitz to Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson. Olivia Pope is not a slave. She is not inherited property. If Fitz had died in season 2 from the assassin’s bullets no one would have inherited Olivia Pope. She is a free modern Black American woman. She may be a victim of sorts of her lust for Fitz but she’s no woman bound in slavery with no recourse and no social or political standing. She is a full human being unlike Sally who because she was slave was considered not even a full human by definition of the law.
I agree with everything you said. If you don’t like Scandal, don’t watch it. Black women should unapologetically love who they want. End of story!
Preach
The problem is: she worked and still works for the republican party. She’s basically a hyprocrit. Is Shonda actually defending the republicans? Seems like it…
It’s ok to hate the show because you think it’s poorly written and poorly acted, right? Cuz that’s where I am.
I’m seriously late on this-mainly because i am not a television watcher. My husband (btw a Black man) wanted to know what all “fuss” was about, especially with Black media circuits(Black twitter and blogs) comparing Washington’s character to a modern day bed-wench.
Ok, so we watched an episode and we BOTH agreed that it is positive for Black women! Hell, i think he was more excited than i was.
I have to ask the question as to why shows like Basketball Wives, Real Wives of Atlanta-that show Black women engaging in the most negative of behaviors (multiple partners, baby mamas,drunks) don’t garner up as much opposition as a show like Scandal (a Black woman as the ingenue in control of her sexuality and a politician in her own right?) 0_0?
Something is way foul with that. Scandal is not my favorite show and i do not watch it regularly, but it is much more healthier for the psyche of Black women than a lot of other filth that i have come across when i do channel surf.
This is all a part of the campaign to keep Black women in our places-but tell you what-it seems to me at this stage of the game, no amount of shaming is going to change the positive direction in which Black women’s lives are beginning to go. All those Black naysayers-if they were half as smart-they’d recognize it for their betterment too.
Also if i remember correctly, many of Washington’s fellow Black men actors were giving her props for the show, including Don Cheadle and Jamie Foxx.
I also have watched House of Lies and it shows a powerful Black man in control of his sexuality(although a bit sleazy) for my taste, but big ups to Cheadle.
I can’t speak on why “people” hate this show. However I am not a fan of the content because while she is a powerful women she is exercising bad judgement and characterizing a huge sterotype about successful black women. We are not all mean and scary (bitches) nor are we all looking for white men, less than that married white men. Their fantacy - not ours.
Television has become the bible for this generation and we have to be careful what message we send. As it stands now the only other alternative to this is landing an athlete, wearing 5 bags of weave and 7 inch hooker pumps starting fights in public places.
Black women are sooo much more and better than this.
@Tameka,
You took all the words out of my mouth! I agree with you on this.
I am concerned about our self image as Black women and I feel this show shows a bad image of us.
I don’t really like the show, Scandal as a Black woman because I don’t believe in Blacks and Whites dating or intermarrying. Plus I don’t like seeing a Black woman fucking a White guy on TV when she has a good job and reputation to risk. Plus dating, sexing and marrying Whites shows that you support the White supremacist system and the racism that runs rampant in AmeriKKKlan.
Do you think this is a good image that we should send about Black females?
As a young, Black woman, (I am in my late teens), I care about our image!
The show is Meh. Not good, not lousy either.
House of Cards blows this out of the water.
What’s so smart, successful, and elegant about any woman sleeping with another woman’s husband? “Hoes” have all of a sudden become idols and role models now? What is so “powerful” about an image of a black woman sleeping with a powerful, white man? The fact that he’s a WHITE man? Does this give you all some type of confidence or boosts your egos in knowing that a white man married to a white woman sleeps around with a black woman? News flash- powerful white men, slave masters, were sleeping around on their white wives with black women long before Scandal. I mean really, Olivia Pope is nothing more than an unsuccessful and foolish black whore fooling around with a woman’s husband. Bringing in a six figure salary isn’t what makes you successful in life. What makes you successful is accomplishing things you’ve wanted, living a joyful and meaningful life, etc. This lady’s life is everything but joyful and if being a side piece wench of any man is an accomplishment… This lady can’t find her own man and the fact she slept her way up-some success. I suppose black women will begin to lust after white men exclusively now. If this was a black prez messing around on his black wife with a white women, there would be a problem. Cut the crap. Olivia Pope is no role model or anything close.
Girl **two snaps** You took the words right out of my mouth. It doesn’t matter if she is black white or purple. it doesn’t send a good message. The person who wrote this article needs to remember that minors probably watch this show and and kids are very impressionable. and this show really isn’t a good look.
Bravo I like your entire post! This is a drama soap opera. I will continue to watch “Scandal”!
Fuck scandal and fuck all u black woman who like white men period you all don’t understand and never will us black men ate starting to see u all are the enemy along with them so go to them and never come back
Most black men love black woman it is u who get ego problems and leave there aint no hope for our community our whole existence has been traded in because of u
This is a combination of posts from another site posting about the show Scandal and what they’ve expressed is basically what I think about the show.
“This show just shows Black women being the bed wench of a White male. We all know that the White male wouldn’t marry her at the end of the day. She is just a sex object to this White male. We are just seen as sex objects to the White devilish male to use and abuse and Black males just follow suit.”
“The scene where the president gives her oral sex after his wife, Mellie just left the room. Oooohhhh….Heaven help us”
That is disgusting, we should not embrace this garbage, this is why males around the world think we are easy. They see this mess and think oh black women are easy they’ll screw a guy with his wife in the next room, they have no issue being the sidechick. I’ll say this it wasn’t until mess like this and rap vids and other crap came on that a lot of black women started lowering themselves.”
“I know some black women see this show and are like omg yeah finally a black woman is playing the lead role. But my reaction to anything with a black person involved is at what price? Yeah she may be the lead role and we may not see that too often but why does she have to be sleeping with a married white male?”
I do not understand this show. I watch it the same way I watch a train wreck-glad it isn’t me. But I do not understand why people who see themselves as members of the Black community and/or moral human beings would support the role of Olivia Pope as someone to be lauded or imitated. Why would anyone support ANY of the characters on this show?
Let me explain
This Show Misrepresents The Relationships Between the Black Community and Black Women
I don’t know anyone, including myself, who is Black and yet does not know or hand with or talk to or have contact with any Black people.
Especially successful Black women or men.
Why isn’t Olivia a member of ANY Black Women Lawyers organizations? She is not a member of the Deltas? Why? Where does she buy her clothes? They are glorious but doesn’t she buy from Black owed stores? They reflect a woman of color’s style. Yet you never see that scene. Why?
And let’s talk about her hair. Where does she get her hair done? Her hair is processed. Who does it? My hair is in Nubian locks. But my best friend from school who is a CEO has her hair done by Andre, (who does Oprah’s hair), Most of the powerful women in the Black community do have their hair cared for by someone other than themselves. Yet we don’t see her interacting or talking to her hairdresser either. Or the person who does her nails?
And she eats no soul food? She doesn’t have any neighborhood restaurants in the community where she eats food that reflects her culture?
Nope.
Apparently Olivia got through every school experience without any lasting contact with any Black women as friends or mentors. No sororities? No memberships in any ethic law student groups, no ties to anyone who mattered to her in the Black community?
Nope
And as a “fixer” Olivia Pope doesn’t have anyone in the Black community as friends or as support?
Then why did she get any of her jobs? The reason the person on whom the character is based got her job was that she was a colored face for a political party that most people think is lily white. (History says otherwise, but who cares about that? lol)
You are not much of a token if you have no ties to the community you are trying to impress and let’s be honest. Someone as “white” as Fitz needs someone like Olivia to bridge the colored gap. But she doesn’t do that either. Nor is this ever referred to in any way. THAT’s realistic. (NOT!)
The Other Black Characters Are Just as Isolated
Harrison, who is Black, dies and is laid to rest without any ties to the Community. So he had no Black friends? He had no hobbies with other Black men? He had no kin of any kind? That’s not realistic. But that is lazy writing and plotting.
Olivia’s Family
Olivia’s father has a cover as a mover and shaker at one of the most famous institutions in America. Yet he is not a member of any Black group or hit up as a speaker to any high school or college, like Howard University. My cousin graduated from Harvard Medical School. But he is active in the support of Howard University-a traditionally “Black”school. But not this guy. He got to a position of power without the support of any Black group.
How did that happen?
What’s Olivia’s Moral Compass?
What about spirituality?
No Black church. Oprah’s in a Black church. But not Olivia.
Why?
So…. we have a Black woman whose job is to clean up the messes of the rich and powerful White community. She has no values from her culture that would create dynamic tension between expectations between herself and her “job.” She has no cultural ties that matter or even show up at all at Christmas, Kwanzaa, Easter or Mother’s Day. She has no church, no hairdresser, no food, no traditions-that makes her culturally Black.
So with all of these omissions, how is this a show that celebrates anything from our community? The Community is not even referenced.
That is unrealistic and vaguely insulting.
It is also poor writing and even worse plotting.
If the writer thought about the real lives of Black women in positions of influence, she would write this show in such a way that would show how the REAL Black community would deal with someone who never interacts with the community on any level or ever “pays her dues” to anyone in the past.
Here’s a thought:
What if a Black man or woman came along as a candidate for a high post in Fitz’s cabinet, which right now has NO ONE of color? Bush II had several people of color in powerful positions. So the Republican angle doesn’t even fly in truth. Nevertheless, let’s say someone from the Black community challenged Fitz on this? Olivia would be put in the position of having to deal with her community.
Say the candidate then started going for the White House and finds out that the President is a murderer, the Vice President slept with the First Lady, Cyrus had his partner murdered and Olivia’s father had the First Son murdered. Now he (or she) becomes the Moral Candidate for the next Presidential run.
What if he tries to work with Olivia on this and she refuses? Then this leads to her being treated like an Oreo cookie. What does she do then?
But we won’t see that on this show. We will continue to see a show that celebrates a woman who is only Black in skin color who has no ties with anyone or anything in the Black Community. This role model is sleeping with the husband of a woman devastated by the murder of her only son. She is the sloppy seconds he jokes about to her father-(remember how he said how she “tastes”?) Fitz is a petulant, spoiled, stupid, disloyal, murderous, weak, greedy man. I don’t know any strong moral Black woman grounded in the Black Community who would want to even touch that type of man as a partner.
What would real Black women say about another real Black woman who spurns the company or affiliation of the Community to sleep with a married white man of power?
You know what would be said. But why even try to think about reality? This is ABC TV which runs shows like “Blackish.” So what should I expect?
Applause Sherry. I also feel a desire to add that some of the same people not interested in Scandal are not interested in the House of Lies show with Don Cheadle, white centered soap operas with similar plots or “reality shows” with similar themes at the “center”of the story. They may not be that interested in watching “every week” a show centered on adultery in any form regardless of the race, class, gender, or maybe one day even the nationality of the character even when the character reflects them. They even may watch other shows with other flaws-adultery just might be a bigger pet peeve than others to them as individuals.So success may not be the issue here for alot of folks. Some folks sure-but not others necessarily. There may be actual critics of the show that are “not pro-respectability politics/colorist racio-misogynistic nor male-identified. I am not even sure they would be swayed if Fitz was black in a black centered setting either some would still not be that interested in the show. Infact some folks who may not keep up with the show may actually question it on women-centered grounds. My point being people may be opposed to something for their own specific reasons as opposed to the opposite agenda of people that have one-valid or not.Sometimes I feel like some self proclaimed/actual “bougie” black folks- are just as bad at pigeonholing as working class black they rightly and wrongly considers haters. As for her success, it is good to see successful blacks but just like you got good and bad unsuccessful folks you have that with successful people- which is why I also find it interesting that some people feel that certain shady stuff should get a pass when success folks do something that less successful folks usually get criticized for.IMHO why?Why should they if they see adultery as an issue/pet peeve period.Black folks are not the only people that do this but I am on a black site hence the black focus.Others post can oppose the above but the same way you are entitled to your opinion-others have theirs. Just like shallow folk overtrivialize stuff deep serious folks sometimes make stuff deeper than it really is. One thing I would like to ask as well is this: Where is the memo that says a woman can’t be both women-centered/black centered? Some of these later BWE make it seem like there is always a divide between the two. Interesting post Trimelda- which leads me to another question? Is it really “that” hard to find successful folks who accept their blackness- and in the case of black women their feminity at the same time.?Heck the sitcom “Girlfriends” that showed both the positives and negative of successful black people-particularly four black women- showed black centered life in otherwise multicultural LA. “Living Single” did to.Why did those two shows receive less intense criticism as opposed to Scandal if they did.
Does anyone see this but me, Olivia Pope is not a woman to be idolized at all. Shondra Rimes is disappointing to me in both Scandal and How to get away with murder. First off, what is the deal with the perception that our black successful women are only validated if they’re dating or married to a white man. Olivia Pope is a whore. I mean I am a black man and I love a strong black woman like my wife. She doesn’t need me or any other man to define her. The Fritz and Jake characters and their relationship does not bring anything meaningful to the show. I think it demeaning to black men, except that Rowan Pope’s character is so very strong that I watch the show to see him as the “true” powerful man. Note that I didn’t say black man, but he is more powerful than anybody on the show. Last night I slept good knowing that Mr. Pope is no fool. But I like that he hasn’t forgotten that despite the election of a black president, the reality is that we (blacks) are NEVER going to be seen as one of THEM (whites). This is a sad truth. I really hate that Olivia Pope is cast as a well dressing powerful women (white or black). She has not built her own company don’t miss this. Rowan Pope is responsible for Olivia’s success. He has protected her from forces that would devour her without him and the President and Jake Ballard would not be there to help her. They can’t. I mean both of them acknowledge that Rowan Pope is more powerful than either of them. Olivia Pope’s character is undeserved black-eye on black women. There are black woman who are successful without the need to sleep with white men. One of whom is married. She represents how morally bankrupt our society has become. What did Mellie or her kids do to Olivia for her to destroy their family. Olivia Pope has no remorse for the damage she has done to them. Her affair with the President is not even the scandal. I don’t think it brings any substance to the show. It really shows just how weak of a woman that Olivia is. I mean last night she planned with the two men she’s sleeping to kill her father. But what is she mad at him for? It can be because he had the young black guy killed. And certainly not because he had the President’s son killed. The son’s death was her fault, and the whatever the black dude name is he killed himself. He should have minded his business or at least went back to Olivia. He made the idiotic choice of confronting the top dog of a black ops agency. Olivia Pope is a whore and home wrecker. If the Republic was truly ruled by the President, Olivia Pope would have destroyed it. I’m straight but Fitz isn’t even an attractive or powerful guy. Neither is Jake. I mean relationships are hard enough without the added pressure of multi-cultural backgrounds. But please tell me what is she going to do with any of those men. She literally makes more money then both of them combined. The only Scandal I see in this show Shondra Rimes hidden belief that a black woman is not strong enough or successful enough unless she is with a white man and that black women are whores. Look at How to get away with Murder. The first episode she has the leading black woman having sex with another man in her office. But though the man is black, she is MARRIED to a white man who was sleeping around. I mean how much more demeaning can Shondra Rimes be.
Preach it, Brother Micah!
I am glad that someone still sees adultery as a sin that wrecks people’s lives. Olivia does not need to sleep with an amoral, nasty faced, bully boy of a President to be successful. Yet, she does. Why? Is it a turn on for her to seduce and control immature men? These are not the days of slavery where a woman of color used sex to get ahead. SHE DOESN’T NEED HIM! Yet there she is shaking her butt for that excuse for a man.
Why?
Now we have that ABC insult of a show called “How To Get Away With Murder” which shows yet another Black woman madly in love with a lying, morally abusive man, who happens to be White. Ooooookay….way to go, Shonda! Once again she has managed to put out the hand job that:
-Black women are stupid, loose and hung up on White men
-White men are all dawgs.
-Black men, (oh do they have those around???) Not much! Only to screw every once in a while-if they are married with Black women who don’t want them.
No one seems to keep their pants up or their skirts down on this show either.
Or attend any faith tradition that would challenge their general skanky behavior
Or have any friends of any color who might say, “Geez, this is a bad idea.”
Nope, full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes along with every adult on this show.
The greatest insult I see is not the fact that this show exists or that a Black woman who should know better is behind it. No, the true insult is that the NAACP gave this show awards for the “image” they portray. It used to be that you had to do something positive to get their award. Now I guess that an hour long show starring Home Wrecker Black Ho Barbie is just the kind of image we want our girls to aspire to in life!
Lovely.
Seriously? I hate Olivia Pope because every time she speaks, it’s an extremely long, passionate, emotional, run-on sentence during which she hardly takes a breath. The music on the show is annoying, and I can’t figure out what skills she has that makes her such a great “fixer”. The writing is pretty ridiculous on that show and it doesn’t matter if it’s a black woman as the lead or not. The show sucks.
Me personally, I really enjoy the show the characters Olivia and Fitz, and I really really enjoy their relationship and watching their relationship. I’m happy to see that he made a conscious decision and choice (as adults do)to be with Olivia because he saw something about her that he recognized in himself. Fitz also understands that Olivia has everything he wants in a woman inside and outside and then some more. He consciously wants out of the marriage because he’s obviously “over it” with his wife, he’s not in love with Mellie, and he’s obviously not committed to her, and quite frankly you can’t end what was already done. I want to thank the person who wrote this article because she actually gets it, there’s been an awakening among some Black women collectively since this show was discovered. I for one refuse and reject the notion of someone else determining for me where my place ought to be nor do l have to accept the audacity of someone saying that I should grateful for the crumbs that they decide that I should be grateful to have…I reject that out of hand. People are free to watch or appreciate whatever they want, that’s their personal business and their personal responsibility. I want to thank the writer of this article who has it absolutely correct when she makes the excellent point about the main characters and how it can translate to Black women. I’m not concerned about whether others like or dislike the show, that’s personal business and choice. I appreciate Scandal for a variety of different reasons personally and I couldn’t have discovered this show at a better time. Whoever you are that wrote this article… it was articulate, independent, and well written. I agree with you that people are free to appreciate love and comfort whenever and wherever they want. In a free and prosperous society, people can assume responsibility for themselves, what they want, and whomever they might be…people are seen as individuals and nobody possesses the right to monopolize anyone else.
Black people are so gullible , beware of what you consider to be entertaining , White have been not only making money off of Black slaves since back in the day but also so used as the center of their entertainment ,not to mention their sexual fantasies ,,
My issue with Olivia is that she doesn’t seem concerned about other peoples feelings because it’s so evident that its all about her! I understand that this is entertaiment, but some of the storyline is so implausible. What person not to mention a black man would be In Washington just Willy Nilly killing people with no repercussions. He killed the Presidents Son! He is yet breathing. As a matter of fact a white man wouldnt be able to get away with it either. There is no credulity here. I know that when TV shows have many seasons, the audience doesnt mind a little imagination stretching, but like with much series television it can get a bit hard to swallow past the thrid seasons.
I am currently watching the series on Netflix. I don’t like the character of Olivia Pope. It has nothing to do with her color or her status in “Washington”. White, black, Hispanic or Asian. Doesn’t matter. She is a user, manipulator and just not a good person! People get OVER the strong black woman thing. Shes a big mouth, selfish user! And those of you who say that she is a good representation of black woman.(?) Really? And you wonder why some people have negative feeling about black woman!