The Whitening of Grey’s Anatomy

Abstract

Through the strategic absence of discourse about race within the portrayed interracial relationships, the writers, creators, and producers of the modern TV medical drama Grey’s Anatomy strategically portray a racially progressive, postracial, and color-blind society. By utilizing Scott’s (1993) absence as presence, the creators, writers, and producers situate the characters as race neutral or White and enable the dismissal and forgetting of racism’s long history and its impact on the current structures that produce and reproduce racial inequality. By doing so, they obviate contemporary racism’s presence and its influence at both the societal and individual levels, thus contributing to postracism (Ono, 2011).

Keywords:

• Color-Blind
• Grey’s Anatomy
• Postracism
• Whiteness

Acknowledgments

I wish to extend my appreciation to Dr. Alberto Gonzalez for providing insight that enriched this article.