With Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away With Murder, Shonda Rhimes is the queen of primetime network dramas, but recently, she was criticized on Twitter for the gay sex scenes in her shows. Shonda Rhimes has a reputation for not mincing words, recently calling out Katherine Heigl as difficult to work with and the New York Times for calling her an “Angry Black Woman.”
She responded to the Twitter criticism in classic Shonda Rhimes fashion:
On Sunday, Rhimes responded to a Twitter user who criticized these scenes. “The gay scenes in Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder are too much. There is no point, and they add nothing to the plot,” wrote the user. “What gay scenes?” replied Rhimes.
. @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
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
So, I know you lovelies are asking me questions but I have to go. And finish making script notes. So you have more #GreysAnatomy to watch.
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) October 19, 2014
I love all you Tweeples. Even the ones who still need to grow. And remember that at some point, someone discriminated against you too.
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) 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
Out of the entire conversation, however, this tweet from Shonda Rhimes was my favorite:
@Dabdelhakiem If you are suddenly discovering that Shondaland shows have scenes involving people who are gay, you are LATE TO THE PARTY.
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) October 19, 2014
Shonda Rhimes has been writing gay characters for a long time. Callie and Arizona on Grey’s Anatomy are a prime example, and Cyrus and James, especially Cyrus, were main supporting characters from the first season of Scandal. The funniest part of this whole exchange is how this Twitter user finds the “gay scenes” on Scandal to be “too much,” considering that there are so many sex scenes between Olivia (Kerry Washington) and Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) that push the boundaries for primetime network shows.
By my count, Olivia and Fitz have had sex on the desk in the Oval Office, in closets, and on the floor of the house Fitz bought for Olivia, to only name a few, and I haven’t even mentioned all the couplings, both gay and straight, over on Grey’s Anatomy. Like Shonda Rhimes, I suspect that this fan’s outrage has less to do with a sex scene being “too much” and has more to do with a sex scene involving a gay couple.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
