Scandal is television show that has become very popular in the
years since its debut in 2012. The show follows Olivia Pope, a crisis manager
in Washington D.C. A recent episode of Scandal was called “Dog-Whistle
Politics”. This episode digs deep by questioning the hidden stereotypes that
are in American culture today. Race is analyzed in a way that not only exposes but
also disproves stereotypes that are in society today. Stereotypes that are
otherwise not thought about by the general public are brought to light in the
episode. Olivia Pope has become the sole focus of the media due to her
involvement with the President of the Untied States. The media is constantly
looking for answers and they are given one when the newest addition to Olivia’s
team, Marcus Walker, answers them. When talking about Olivia they have
described her as many things such as well spoken, lucky, sassy, well mannered,
hot blooded, arrogant, and secretive. Marcus answers these by saying “for a
black women, is that what you meant.” Marcus saying this exposes stereotypes
that have been hidden in American culture throughout history.
When adjectives like these are used to
describe people of color today, especially colored women, they hold a different
meaning as opposed to the norm that others understand when words like theses are used in the media. Describing
women of color with such adjectives all relate to the stereotype that women of
color can only be well mannered to an extent or that they have the
stereotypical sassy personality. The context in which these words are spoken is
the defining factor as to when these words are just adjectives and when they
take on a whole new meaning. This episode exposes these hidden stereotypes in a
way that is hard to ignore and shows the disapproval of these words being used in a certain context. Stereotypes about race in America today are not
always as obvious as they have been in the past. Sometimes all it takes is a
couple words to expose a stereotype that has been hidden in the shadows.
To see a clip of the scene, click the link below
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