Pretty much ever since I made this blog yesterday, my mind has been swirling with ideas of things I want to say. Most blogs seem to cover the events of daily life, but since my life is relatively routine and boring, I’ll probably just discuss issues that I’m passionate about and think are pertinent. One of the first ideas I wanted to write about is ABC’s show Scandal, which is growing in popularity quite rapidly. I honestly love this show mostly because the drama of it fills the void of excitement in my life. It’s dramatic and intense and freaking awesome. But nothing is perfect, not even Olivia Pope.
Olivia Pope, the main character of Scandal, is the quintessence of a strong independent woman in the modern world. She runs her own business, makes her own decisions, and has a lot of power in the political world. She works mainly with the politicians of Washington, D.C. and all of the scandals involved in political life. Essentially she is a lawyer, though this is not what she calls herself. Her job is to make problems go away. And due to her presence in the political, media, and social worlds of D.C., she has the power to do so. Yet, even with all this power, she is still affected by rape culture. I don’t think ABC is necessarily trying to perpetuate this culture, but I personally think they might need to reevaluate some of the ways they approach love.
I want to talk about two ways in which this issue could be viewed. I will discuss the more negative view so this post doesn’t end on too horrible of a note. The more negative view is that Olivia, despite her power and independence, still needs the love of a man to feel validated, sending the message to young girls that their lives are not actually complete unless there is a male presence. Which, by the way, is blatantly false. I strongly believe that the partnership of a romantic relationship should be all about balance. It should be a relationship in which you don’t necessarily need each other, but the love is so strong that you wouldn’t want a life without them. But this love and necessity are two different things. Love isn’t needing someone to be there for you, it’s being there for someone else. The relationship between Olivia and Fitzgerald Grant, who just happens to be the President of the United States, is solely based on Fitz’s physical desire for Olivia and her eventual surrender to his advances. Honestly, I’m obsessed with the show, but every time there is a scene like this I want to pull my hair out. I’ll try and paint a picture of a generic interaction between these two to hopefully help you to understand why I feel this way. So imagine these two standing in the Oval Office alone. They’re arguing about something political and scandalous, when the President decides that it’s time to stop arguing and start making out. Olivia tells him to stop, emphasizing that the behavior is inappropriate. Keep in mind that it has been previously established that these two really do love each other. But as Olivia is rejecting Fitz’s advances, he refuses to subside. Eventually, Olivia will kiss him back, often stepping away soon after, realizing her mistake. But here’s the question, is Fitz sexually assaulting Olivia? Here’s the lesson to all the dudes reading this (and you women too because this is not a one-sided issue). 1. If you answered with a definite no to the aforementioned question, I would kindly ask you to not talk to me until you learn why you are wrong. 2. If you try to kiss someone and they tell you to stop, you stop. No questions asked. You are not entitled to physical intimacy with anyone. A few weeks ago, the very outspoken, Rush Limbaugh said this: “No means yes if you know how to spot it” (Jones). Okay sir, so if I ask you to punch you in the face and you say no, I’m gonna “spot” that as a yes and go ahead and punch you with all I’ve got, okay? No means no. I honestly don’t understand why that’s so hard for some people to wrap their heads around. But back to the point I was trying to make. Olivia’s reluctance to Fitz needs to be respected. Even though these two are supposedly in love, Fitz has no right to continue after being told to stop. The fact that she is submissive after sufficient coercion gives the message that if you continue trying, even if your partner is opposed, eventually you’ll get what you want. Not cool, ABC, not cool.
The other direction I wanted to go with interpreting the dynamics of this relationship and on a more positive and informative note, Olivia’s submission can be regarded as a warning to potential victims of sexual assault. No matter how strong you may be or may think you are, you can still be affected by these situations. Olivia is a strong, positive female role in most aspects of her character. She even mentions her lack of need for a love life because she has her job and her friends. But somehow, she still falls victim to unwanted advances, showing that your life can be totally in order and you can be strong, yet still become a victim. This sends a message more focused on awareness. Simply being aware of what situations you put yourself in can be so much help in the prevention of these problems. I don’t necessarily want to discredit ABC, but I have the unfortunate feeling this wasn't the intended message, especially since the issue of rape is dealt with in another instance on the show. In fact, I don’t think they are trying to send a message on rape with this relationship at all. Which makes the issue even more severe. In this show, and in plenty of other media, rape culture is silently perpetuated and it needs to stop. The final line is that any intimacy that is not consensual is unacceptable. And as soon as the media stops inadvertently sending messages that contradict this, the better off we’ll all be.
So to close up this long and rant-like post, I want to leave you with a message of my own: Ladies and gentlemen, be strong, be aware, and be respectful. Peace and blessings.
References
Jones, Allie. “Limbaugh on Sexual Assault: 'No Means Yes If You Know How To Spot It'.”
Gawker. 15 September, 2014.
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