How To Get Away With Being A Bigot
When Shonda Rhimes writes her autobiography, it should be called “How to Get Away With Being an Angry Black Woman.”
The New York Times’ Alessandra Stanley crafted that sentence as the lead into her article on Shonda Rhimes. She then later defended that very sentence and its creation by claiming “her intent had been to praise Rhimes, to talk about how [Rhimes] had managed to rise above stereotypes”…
all while Stanley very hideously perpetuated one.
Much has been written on this article, including pieces from Vox, Vulture, Slate, and Jezebel, a justified uproar has ensued, and even Shonda has responded.
Confused why @nytimes critic doesn't know identity of CREATOR of show she's reviewing. @petenowa did u know u were "an angry black woman"?
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 19, 2014
Apparently we can be "angry black women" together, because I didn't know I was one either! @petenowa #LearnSomethingNewEveryday
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 19, 2014
Final thing: (then I am gonna do some yoga): how come I am not "an angry black woman" the many times Meredith (or Addison!) rants? @nytimes
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 19, 2014
The New York Times has backtracked and apologized, reminding me of another behemoth flailing about in the media as of late, the NFL. Neither organization thought their actions were improper until the rest of us instigated a social media firestorm and called them out on their bullshit.
Ugh. Here we go again.
The sexism.
The racism.
The bad behavior by those in positions of power.
I’m over it, folks.
I’m not going to say much on the situation with Shonda because for one, it’s already been said and said eloquently and two, after sitting with this for four days, I’m still so fucking mad that it’s difficult to write coherently on this issue. All I really want to do is string together some expletives and ship them off to Ms. Stanley and the other tools she works with at the New York Times.
What I will say is this: it’s so sad to me that when Shonda creates strong, Black characters it’s akin to being an “angry, Black woman” but when one of Aaron Sorkin’s characters waxes poetic on whatever Mr. Sorkin feels like discussing at the time, it’s described as “opinionated speech” and “forceful denunciation.”
Fuck that noise.
The double-standard, the racism, the bigotry is so blatant and so upsetting. If this world we’ve created is post-racial then god only knows what’s coming for us next.
