Shonda Rhimes Slams Criticism On Gay Content In Her Shows
Shonda Rhimes has no time for people who single out gay sex scenes on her hit ABC shows Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, or How to Get Away with Murder. Rhimes, who’s usually an elusive public figure, is very present on her Twitter account, and usually answers fan questions in the middle of running Thursday night television.
Her responses are usually to the point and lighthearted, but one fan got a long-winded response that resulted in a slap on the wrists when the user complained about the gay content in her shows. The tweet said that the gay scenes featured on Rhimes’ shows don’t offer any plot or substance. Rhimes had a huge problem with this, and answered in a way only she could.
. @Dabdelhakiem There are no GAY scenes. There are scenes with people in them.
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) October 19, 2014
. @Dabdelhakiem If u use the phrase “gay scenes”, u are not only LATE to the party but also NOT INVITED to the party. Bye Felicia. #oneLOVE — shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) October 19, 2014
The “Bye Felicia” is a beautifully executed reference to the film Friday starring Ice Cube.
To get her message across, Shonda Rhimes retweeted another fan’s tweet in support of the short exchange.
@shondarhimes I don’t even see the difference in two men making out and a man & woman. It’s all the same to me. As it should be to everyone
— amke ? (@amke00) October 19, 2014
I don’t know why this kind of hate is out there. Ugh. #onelove. At least in Shondaland. Have a great rest of your weekend! — shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) October 19, 2014
She then got back to work, because let’s face it, the woman who owns Thursday night television can’t sit around all day educating people on the importance of including everyone in her storytelling.
Ok, tweeps. Someone got me all riled up and fighting 4 my friends and their love and the equality of all — I am supposed to be WRITING.
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) October 19, 2014
Back in 2012, Rhimes was questioned on why she includes LGBT storylines on her shows. She had no problem explaining why she thinks it’s important to be all inclusive in her shows.
“I believe everyone should get to see themselves reflected on TV. EVERYONE. And because I love all my gay and lesbian friends. AND because I think same-sex marriage is the civil rights fight of our era and back when being a person of color was the civil rights fight, people like Norman Lear put black people on TV and helped change some minds. So you know, it’s gotta be paid forward. As long as we are willing to sit by while one person is not free, none of us are free.”
[Image via DFree / Shutterstock.com]
