Project 1 & Finishing Season One of "How To Get Away With Murder"

As I introduced in a paper that I wrote for Project 1 (please refer to the Project 1 page on this blog, on the sidebar to the right) ...

"How to Get Away With Murder first aired on ABC in 2014 and received instant praise from viewers and critics for not only having a suspenseful and interesting plot, but for simultaneously pushing racial and sexual boundaries in a fearless and unapologetic way. Since its time on television HTGAWM has won several awards like: A Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, An AFI Award for TV Program of the Year, GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series, and Image Awards for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, and Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award, BET Award, Critics Choice Television Award, Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA), People’s Choice Award, TV Guide Award, and a Television Critics Association Award."

I went on to dissect the pilot episode of the show and analyze, basically, if I thought that it indeed expressed progressive racial and sexual themes that we aren't used to considering in modern media.  Instead of forcing you to read the entire essay, I have outlined what I found that supported the claims that HTGAWM is the most progressive show on television right now. 

1. The main character, a successful business women and attorney, is African American.

2. The same main character is in a interracial marriage.

3. The women in the show have as much sexual power as men.

4. The women in the show are portrayed as intelligently as the men.

5. Gay relationships are in depth.

6. Gay sex scenes are as in depth as "straight" sex scenes.

When I was doing research, I saw that one blogger commented on the fact that the main character, Annalise, took her makeup off on-screen. He pointed out that no African American woman, that he is aware of at-least, has taken off their makeup off on-screen and let the camera get up close and personal with their natural faces.

First, I had to stop and think. I don't think I have ever seen a movie where an African American actor or actress had their hair or face in its natural state. I was excited to see this episode (because I was already hooked after the Pilot) and was not disappointed by the scene.

After seeing this powerful episode end, I sat for a few minutes feeling emotional and I couldn't decide why. Maybe because I know what it feels like to come home after a long day and take my makeup off to see my naked skin staring back in to the mirror, noticing every difference and flaw that my naked skin has. I know how hard it is to post a photo without editing or filtering it, especially when I am not completely done up. I also know what it is like to feel judged by other women, or because my appearance is not exactly what someone else's definition of beautiful, or natural, or classy, or whatever else is being demanded of me at the time. I know all of this as a white woman; and I know that if I was an African American woman, and was experiencing even more scrutiny, objectification, belittling, and under representation in the media than I already do, that I would be even more insecure than I already am and would never have the courage to enter this scene. So first, I would like to say Thank You, Viola Davis, for showing us your naked beauty and taking a stand for more scenes like this.

After this scene, my eyes were opened to the kind of thing I had been missing by not seeing this in media. I was attracted to the rawness and newness of it and I wanted to see more.

First, I am going to be honest and terrible, and say that when Annalise was crying and her makeup was smeared, I already thought her makeup was off because thats how ignorant I am to what the natural face of an African American woman would look like on the TV (it's always worse on camera). I was waiting for the scene I had heard about and knew it was at the end. When I saw a crying a smeared face (compared to her always flawless makeup in the rest of the show), I honestly believed that her makeup was off. I was embarrassed when she took it all the way off and I saw how different she looked without it. Clearly I have not seen the naked skin of Black woman on television before, but the sad thing is that I am confident that I would be able to tell if a White actress was without makeup because of how often we see them in the media, or even confidently posting their pictures online.

Later in the show, another raw scene came up. Instead of embarrassed for myself, and my culture, I became ashamed. In this scene, Annalise is sitting on the floor in a broken heap while her mother brushes her hair. Before this scene, and I swear to you, I had never seen someone brush through or style natural African American hair before. I had no clue about the way she was brushing it, the unfamiliar sound, the motion she used to eliminate breaking, or even the type of brush she was using. 

I am ashamed that I am so ignorant to cultural differences, because the only thing that I have ever been exposed to is what I already know. White Culture. How am I supposed to ever grow, be fair, be unbiased, consider different viewpoints and reach out to understand and better live with people of different cultures and lives?

I should not have to have experience with or deeply research African American culture or every day lifestyle to be educated about it. Not when the media is educating everyone on White culture and every day lifestyle, so much so that I bet I could pull up 30 different scenes in 30 minutes of mother brushing her White daughters hair or a white woman with no makeup and natural hair.

54% of my school's population is White. That means that there is a whole other 46% of students that I do not understand as well as they understand me, because while my culture is being shoved into their faces and minds from every direction, theirs is being ignored by most of my information and entertainment sources.