Scandalous: Gender, Power, and Sexuality in Scandal

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

Scandal the tv show has become a social phenomenon drawing millions of viewers weekly. These viewers gaze upon the lead actress Kerry Washington who plays Olivia Pope, a powerbroker and fixer but also a mistress and a criminal. A web of race, class, gender, and sexuality are conveyed to viewers as authentic and realistic performances. This panel examines the multitude of messages being delivered to the audience utilizing historical depictions of African Americans.

Sub Unit

• ASALH Centennial Annual Meeting and Conference

Chair

• Le'Trice Donaldson, The University of Memphis

Individual Presentations

• Olivia Pope: Breaking the Spell of the “Magic Negro” - Jervette RaShaun Ward, University of Alaska Anchorage

• THE REEL AINT REAL: Scandal and black female equality - Armanthia Nicole Duncan, The University of Massachusetts Amherst

• I Am the Hell and the High Water: Black Masculinities and Body Politics in Scandal - Derrick Lanois, Georgia State University

Commentator

• Sheena Harris, Tuskegee University