“Grey’s Anatomy” has kept us on the edge of our seats every week for over fourteen seasons. After three hundred episodes, hundreds of surgeries later, and many tears and laughs, it makes us question what truly makes this show so amazing?
Well, here’s why: “Grey’s Anatomy” is a TV show that is ran by women! Yup, that’s right! Creator and executive producer, Shonda Rhimes, is one of the many women behind this amazing television series. Also, along with Shonda, there are many other women who serve as executive producers such as Betsy Beers, Debbie Allen, Krista Vernoff, and Joan Rater, just to name a few.
Also, in a recent interview on The View, Ellen Pompeo, who plays Meredith Grey (the title character), reveals that Shonda Rhimes has provided an environment that can allow women to excel. Ellen believes that she, “breathes rarified air. In an environment where a woman is [her] boss, [she] has had three children on the show; [Ellen] is allowed to be a mother and work. [Shonda] makes it all possible. [Ellen] gets paid just as much, or if not, more than any other man.”
The strong female characters like Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) and Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) have also inspired many women across the world to pursue their dreams of becoming doctors and surgeons in a male dominated field.
On “Grey’s Anatomy,” Shonda Rhimes also finds many ways to portray the women in power. For example, Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) plays the Chief of Surgery and Meredith Grey, Amelia Shepherd, Callie Torres, and Arizona Robbins are all head of a department. In a world with male dominated media which consistently portrays women as worthless without some kind of male power backing her up, this is pretty badass! Shonda Rhimes make sure to create powerful female role models more any young women watching.This sends a strong message to young women:
You can be a doctor, a surgeon, and, most importantly, a leader. You are strong and smart and you have a voice that needs to be heard.
As the infamous Christina Yang once said, “Have some fire. Be unstoppable. Be a force of nature. Be better than anyone here, and don’t give a damn what anyone thinks. You’re on your own. Be on your own”.
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