Title: Message
I said I didn't watch it anymore, because the Blacks weren't getting good treatment. That's why I posted, to see if I was missing something worth coming back to. And from what y'all say maybe so. As for the "nurse", yeah, she's an intern. Typo on my part. I mentioned that scene not to criticize it, but because it was a powerful moment that I happened to catch, but I haven't "happened" to catch equally powerful moments with the Black actors. (though truth be told, there's not a Sister on there with a body like that. Whoo-hoo!!!)  In other words, in the three or four episodes I watched fully, and in the few pieces of episodes I've caught, and in the trailers, the Blacks haven't been front-and-center. So I assumed my random sampling reflected the overall tone of the show.  Maybe I'll give it a chance again...
-----Original Message-----
From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Leslee Freeman
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2005 12:23
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] What happened to "Grey's Anatomy"?

You cannot even be watching this show :) The buxom nurse isn't a nurse, she is an intern with all the rest. She stripped because she got sick of everyone flipping out because she used to be a Victoria's Secret-type model, so she did it to shut them up. Sort of like, ok, now I'm naked, you've all seen it first hand, so shut up about it. On the previews it looked cheesy, but it made sense in the context of the episode. The Asian nurse is having an affair with the younger of the black doctors, and their story is one of the main sublines, second only to the star's romance. We see how he relates to how she used to be, and that is what drew him to her, Of course, the fact that she IS like he used to be is giving them major problems. We are starting to see layers of the evil black nurse. She is a typical mentor type, but not just stereotypical black woman evil anymore.
 
It is not perfect, and may not be your cup of tea, but it is far, FAR better than most shows portraying minorities on TV.
 
But then, my expectation is much lower. I have accepted that until we create shows on TV1 and BET, we will not have the type of roles we can truly relate to. This is our own damn fault, you know, so I enjoy shows based on whether or not I like the story now.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2005 12:08 PM
Subject: [scifinoir2] What happened to "Grey's Anatomy"?

I tuned into this show because I'd heard a Sister was the creator and main writer. She spoke at length with Tavis Smiley about the diverse cast (three Blacks and an Asian) and how the stories often center around guests of color. That may be true, but I haven't seen anything that really differentiates this from other shows I've seen that focus on the whites.  The star's in a love affair with the doc played by Patrick Dempsey, the buxom nurse (who used to be on Roswell) has gotten some storylines, including one that had her stripping to her underwear in front of her co-workers.  The Asian nurse is apparently pregnant. Frankly I quit watching after two episodes because nothing convinced me the Blacks would get major treatment.  From what I can tell they're more like window dressing to the white characters. 
I notice that among the Blacks we have what are becoming familiar caricatures:  the older doctor who ostensibly runs the place. But like Fancy on NYPD Blue, it reminds me of the device where you  create a leader who's Black, then push him to the background...a mean doc who's shepherding the newbies. She comes onscreen, barks at the youngsters, then stalks off...and Isiah Washington's arrogant, self-centered genius, who reminds me of Eric LaSalle's character on "ER".  He gets a few lines where he helps himself by being a real human to his charges, then off he goes. They all seem to do little more than provide plot points for the scared doctors to be, yet have little in the way of fully fleshed out roles themselves. 
 
Maybe I'm wrong, but I just feel the hoped-for strong usage of the people of color isn't materializing. This seems to be borne out by all the coverage I've seen: not one commercial on TV shows the Black actors, instead focusing almost exclusively on the star and her lover, with a little bit of coverage given to the other non-Blacks.  TV Guide recently did an article on the show  that included a two-page spread of photos of the "stars that make it hot". Not *one* of the Blacks was pictured!
 
Am I off base? Are the Blacks used effectively? Do the guest stars consist of people of color with strong roles? Anyone watching this?
 
 


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