Defying the norm is what high functioning defense lawyer and college professor, Annalise Keating, is known for. How to Get Away with Murder lends itself to be investigated because it argues the norm and allows the audience that follows the show to see what happens when one is allowed to reach their highest potential, and disregard what society deems as “normal.” Annalise Keating, played by Viola Davis, a Black female attorney that is at the highest level of her career and very much the best in her field is an example of how the show argues and also analyses the dividing culture that is happening in modern day America.
ABC’s top-rated show touches on issues that are common occurrences in America. Firstly, the idea that women are the weaker sex and should traditionally stay at home to be wives or mothers. Also, that women can’t be sexualized if they are commanding in the office or boardroom. Their either seen as a sex symbol or a high-strung heartless worker; women can never be both. When in reality, women are capable of a lot more than they are given credit for.
Secondly, this show argues race. Originally from Tennessee, Annalise Keating wanted to defy the typical stereotype of the “southern Black women.” She wanted to be more than what was handed to her. Being Black in America is already a struggle but being a Black woman is a very different, and difficult battle. This show demonstrates how hard Black women have to work to achieve what their White counterparts sometimes take for granted. This idea ties into the third point that is, that there is a concealed split between Blacks and Whites, also known as White Privilege. The distinct advantage that people have if one has lighter skin.
Traditionally, women were considered to the weaker sex in society. History has proven this with decades of women being second class citizens. Women were used as arm candy for men; they were seen as incapable of thinking for themselves and making decisions. During the 1800s, the Women Suffrage Movement had momentum that wanted to show everyone that women should have the right to vote because it was in the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (“Women Suffrage”). This moment in time shows that many believed women should have the right to vote, along with the reasons for everything else. Why was this ever questioned? It’s in the fundamentals that America was built on. How to Get Away with Murder strongly advocates this narrative. In the show, the main lead, Annalise Keating, who is fully capable of making tough decisions. She stands up for what she believes is right and demands women have the respect that they have fought so long for. Ms. Keating defies what it means to be a woman in media. She is not a mother but a working wife who is more successful than her husband. This ambitious lawyer is what the Women Suffrage Movement wanted to happen for modern-day women. The creators behind the show hope that when future generations come to watch this show, that it becomes normal to see a powerful demonstration of women in power, or in this class, be the lead.
On the other hand, as women have gained more rights, the idea of sexualization has also arisen. Regardless, of what women do for a job, there is always a possibility of sexualization in the workplace. In our culture today, these a distinct difference between being a “sex symbol” and being considered a “workaholic.” Women can never be both and in today’s modern acceptance of “having it all” that isn’t ideal. Media has a very narrow view on what “being a woman” means; they believe that all women should somehow be built like a model and come with a fully equipped entourage and makeup team. These ideas and images do not show the real America. The majority of women in America are fulltime working mothers and wives who are not soulless workaholics, nor are they considered to be sex symbols. ABC’s top-rated show has many leads that are minorities. Annalise Keating isn’t a size zero nor is she a model. However, she is an extremely successful powerful attorney who is in a relationship. In some aspects of the show, Annalise seems to have it all. She has gained power through her brain, wit, and smart decisions, not through what size dress she wears. The need to over-sexualize women to give them power is not necessary. All women want is to be treated with respect and to be equal. As Professor Catherine McCall wrote, “If you wouldn’t invite a person into your home to have dinner with your family, then her picture doesn’t belong in your child’s hands or on your family’s TV or computer screen” (“The Sexualization of Women and Girls”). Annalise Keating would be a wonderful dinner guest.
Originally from Tennessee, Annalise Keating didn’t want to be another statistic; she tried to break the stereotype. She decided to defy what it means to be a “southern Black woman.” Going to a prestigious college and becoming a respected lawyer and professor more than broke the stereotype, she became the new normal. By doing all of this, she proved to everyone that she, a southern Black woman is fully capable of competing with the men and women with all skin types. Ms. Keating wasn’t going to allow other to control and dictate her life. “The only person who you can control is you” (Being a black woman in America means realizing that doing everything right may not be enough).
Black women in media are rarely the leads; usually, they are the maids, the nannies, etc. Hollywood wrongly portrays what it means to be a modern-day Black woman, and because of this, it can be construed to be discrimination. “Fifty-four percent of Blacks said they had personally felt discriminated at some point in time” (Blacks and Whites see racism in the United States very, very differently). This kind of discrimination is something many Whites will never encounter in their lives. However, being Black in America is already a battle but being a Black woman is a completely different and complex battle. Black women have a difficult fight when it comes to “having it all” in America. They have to work twice as hard to achieve the same thing. This is what many of their White counterparts take for granted. Unfortunately, there is an underlying divide in America, that is Whites vs. Blacks. How to Get Away with Murder portrays what it is like to be a working Black female who is a defense attorney in a predominantly White workforce. In the show, people question if Annalise Keating is as valuable as she and others make her out to be. This wouldn’t be so obvious if she had lighter skin. This shows forcefully puts underlying discrimination into the spotlight.
This hit tv show, How to Get Away with Murder, breaks the underlying social norms that the media has set upon women. Yes, modern day media has come a long way to change the basic idea of women; however, there is still a lot of room to improve. As CEO of Thinkbox, Lindsey Clay, says, “There’s a genuine desire to move with the times. But there’s still a long way to go. We need to stop featuring women as peripheral characters” (“How the portrayal of women in media has changed”). Action needs to be taken to start a change that will hopefully contribute to the modern-day women’s movement.
How to Get Away with Murder is a television show that is one of many trying to break the norm of what society deems as normal. They want people to watch their show and not be shocked that an extremely talented Black woman is in the main spotlight. In today’s world, this shouldn’t be as big of a controversy as it is. People of color have fought hard to be in the position that they are in right now. Unfortunately, this isn’t enough; there is still work that needs to be done for people of color, especially women of color. The show is slowing breaking the underlying divide that has occurred in America and hopes that one day this won’t shock the public; that this phenomenon does become the new norm. ABC’s program has given a boost to the Black community that shows Hollywood that jaws should drop because of a cliffhanger and not because of the actors that have chosen to play the part.
Hopefully, How to Get Away with Murder demonstrates to minorities that you are more than what society has deemed appropriate for you. The only limits that a person has are the ones that they put on themselves. Annalise Keating is a perfect example of this, enough if she is a fictional character.