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Entertainment October 14, 2016
She’s the feisty redhead, the auburn boss or “Red” as she is famously referred to on the TV political thriller “Scandal.” Abby Whelan, portrayed by actress Darby Stanchfield, is one of the gladiators on this hit Shonda-land show. She is the White House Press secretary, a position that carries a great deal of honor and responsibility. As secretary, she is the spokesperson and public face of the United States government, bureaucracy, president and other executives.
In order to properly respond to press inquiries, the Press Secretary must be an astute communicator and highly insightful of how American media functions. In this regard, there is no doubt that Abby delivers. She exhibits all the necessary qualities for the job – she is reticent, measured, articulate and quick on her feet. Regardless of her personal success, she is incredibly cognizant of how ephemeral her prestige is, especially as a woman in a position of power.
Shonda Rhimes – via an epic monologue – uses this inspirational character to bring gendered media double standards to the forefront.
In the show’s fourth season, Lena Dunham guest stars as “Kinky Sue” an opportunist who threatens to publish a book narrating Whelan’s sordid sexual encounters with powerful men, including her current partner Leo Bergen and past boyfriend David Rosen. Abbey decides to draft a resignation letter to save face, a decision quickly rebuffed by Bergen, who scoffs at her assumption that his actions have any bearing on her.
In one of the most loaded lines of the season, Abby replies, “Leo, what happens to you happens to me.” This isn’t an endearing “My house is your house” but more of a “Your failures are my failures” sentiment. Her words echo an imbalanced credit system in which the woman has everything to do with the man’s failures while he takes a chunk of her success.
Abby continues, “In order to mention my name they also have to report to the world that a man wants me. My work, my accomplishments, my awards – I stand at the most powerful podium in the world, but a story about me ain’t a story unless they can report the fact that I am the girlfriend of DC fixer Leo Bergen.”
If her personal life isn’t examined in relation to the presence of a man, her appearance – body frame, lipstick, shoe size, hair style, facial expression, attire – is picked apart. When she says, “What happens to you happens to me,” she puts Leo in check with a sharp reminder that her high status doesn’t exempt him from privilege and it certainly doesn’t eradicate the gendered discrimination she continues to face.
Though the soliloquy takes place in a fictional setting, many female viewers chimed their agreement on social media, praising Rhimes for frankly discussing an often overlooked subject. Do women still face this type of double standard, no matter how much power and influence they amass? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Comment below or tweet us @entity_mag.
