Olivia Pope Is Basic. Yeah I Said It.
**blog post taken from a Tumblr that I wrote a few months back and it ties in with what I meant on our latest podcast about my problem with Shonda Rhimes’ heroines. This isn’t specifically about Olivia Pope, but all of the mainstream feminine characters that Shonda gives us. If Olivia was one of my girlfriends, I would say the exact same thing to her face. I am not asking for perfect women. I enjoy complex characters. But I am weary of these characters always seeming to lead with their vulnerable vaginas. That simplifies us and we are so much more than that.
~SoJo
I am not quite sure what to call Olivia’s army of stans besides Gladiators, but I guess it will do for this post. So listen up, Gladiators. Your Goddess is BASIC. Yeah. I said it. Adjust your suits and mount up.
The sad part is that she is both admirable and relateable to so many women. Including me. We die for her wardrobe, her home and office decor. We admire her professional no nonsense attitude and drive. Trust me. I stand right along with the rest of you in my Gladiator suit. Right up until the point where you people start salivating over her affair with President GhostfaceKillah like its some epic love that can never be recaptured.
WAKE
THE
FUCK
UP
*nose thump*
You know why Liv is able to give those heartfelt speeches to the emotionally damaged or soothe a sidepiece into submission like the jumpoff whisperer? Because Olivia is just as emotionally fucked up. And its NOT something to be fawned over. Miss me with that flawed character taking it day by day bullshit. Y’all are masturbating every Thursday night to a fucked up perception of love.
I honestly think a lot of women are unfortunately and unjustly so emotionally starved (an entirely separate blog post) that watching the chemistry between Fitz and Liv is just like how they imagine their epic love to be. Except here’s the thing. Truly epic love is HEALTHY. It’s HEALING. It’s not full of stolen glances, unresolved issues, praying for a happier tomorrow, devastation, pain and angst. THAT? That’s an affair. One that always puts the woman in a state of suspended animation during the prime of her life.
That’s basic bitch mentality. BOSSES will not deliberately put their personal lives on hold to see what a person who is attached to someone else may or may not do. They don’t believe that “love is supposed to hurt” and breaking dates because they “worry” about how their married (with children) lover is doing.
So yeah, Gladiators who race to find Scandal .gifs as soon as the episode concludes? Stan for her clothes. Stan for her stomp walk when she’s handling some top priority client. Stan for the sparkle in her eye when she solves the mystery and thwarts the villains like Scooby Doo. I’m here for ALL of those .gifs. But stop stanning for this bullshit ass relationship. The swooning and instant replay pics of Olitz’s puppy dog stares or unprotected sex scenes? Cut it out.
To Olivia, I say the same thing that I would tell any of my fabulous girlfriends if they found themselves in the same situation. I love you, girl. Now stop acting like you’re basic as fuck. *nose thump*