Let's Gossip About Meredith For A Minute

There's all sorts of ugliness happening right now. But it's Friday and the part of me that wants to bathe my soul after a sick week just really wants to think about something besides dead children and the dying integrity of leaders.

Let's talk about Meredith Gray. I know there are those of you out there who think that the show is insipid, juvenile and pointless. You are right. It's a show where they hold prom in a hospital and the doctors spend more time chatting each other up than actually being doctors.

I think that's why we who love it love it. Because the show subtly points out that what is important in life is NOT what you do for a living but who you are. The women who love the show are housewives, secretaries, middle managers, sales associates and doers of any number of other jobs out there that lack glamour and gravitas. For years we've been sticking to the idea that who we are and the relationships we build with our children, parents and friends are at least as important as running a corporation. We're stuck in the postfeminist world that in many ways has left us with the feeling that unless we are at the top we are nothing. I remember a feminist lecture I attended in 7th grade. The lecturer, an archaeologist, was giving us examples of good and bad careers for feminists. Don't be a nurse, be a doctor. Don't be a teacher, be a lawyer. That sort of thing. Funny...she never said "don't be happy." But that came across. We were to sacrifice our internal peace for the good of Women's Causes. Ever the rebel I'm a housewife who works as a secretary. And a writer. No one ever mentions writers either way. Probably because it's such a shameful thing to be. Being a writer is like admitting you have poor personal hygeine.

Anyway, back to Meredith. If you've made it this far and haven't yet watched the episodes from this season, I encourage you to stop reading. I don't want to give anything away.

Last night I was watching with Hubs, who takes the bullet as part of our relationship. Poor man is married to a schizoid TV watcher who forces him to watch both Grey's and The Wire. ( I do draw the line at Nip/Tuck, though. ) One of my favourite things about Hubs is that he does say what's on my mind. A lot. And last night, as we were watching Meredith in bed with two men he said

You know, I think I'd like this show 100% better if they'd get rid of all the stuff about her.

You know they won't do that because the show is called Grey's Anatomy and she's Meredith Gray. But for crying out loud could they at least tone down her selfishness a little bit?!? She has a knack of turning everything into being about her. So does Christina.
That's why I was actually much happier by the end of the show last night. Because it seems like through Izzy the other characters may be learning something about thinking outward. I hope. If not, I'm going to be rooting for another bomb incident.