When watching a new drama series or the latest horror movie, do you find yourself wondering why many of the characters act very similar to those in other shows and films of the same genre? The patterns that you see with certain characters and the reason you can often get a sense of who a person is right off the bat is not due to lazy writing; it is because the actor is adhering to a certain character trope. In short, character tropes have certain qualities and elements that make it easier for the audience to understand their purpose in the overall plot. For example, when telling a story set in medieval times, there is almost always a damsel in distress (though many modern movies are turning this trope on its head), a hero who saves the day in an epic way, and a sidekick of some sort that allows for comedic relief. When we take a look at more modern stories, the tropes are actually being altered to better represent our ever-changing society.
In Grey’s Anatomy, we get Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) as “the hero,” Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) as “the bubbly blonde,” Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) as “the other woman,” Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) as “the charming love interest,” and many more. While most fans absolutely love that they can gain some insight into a character based on their trope, one particular misogynistic trope has overstayed its welcome. This is “the toxic alpha male” trope. Derek wavered into this territory for a brief instance, but the label primarily goes to a few other beloved doctors.
Find out which characters embody this title and why fans are saying Grey’s Anatomy needs to leave this misogynistic trope in the past for good.
Alex Karev Looked Down on Women in the Beginning
Although many fans will argue that Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) had the most significant growth as a character, that does not exactly excuse him from his misogynistic ways in his earlier years at Seattle Grace Hospital. In the very first episode, fans are made very aware that Alex thinks he is better than most women. When he calls Meredith “a nurse,” he means it in a derogatory sense that she, like other nurses, is not as smart as him and cannot do a decent job when asked. From this point on, fans were annoyed with his toxicity, and no one was exactly upset when Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) dubbed him “Evil Spawn.”
Alex further digs himself into an almost irreparable hole when he completely embarrasses Izzie Stevens by posting hundreds of pictures of her wearing lingerie. Of course, fans were cheering for Izzie when she put Alex in his place and said she was completely debt-free due to her years as a model, but this level of disrespect on Alex’s part was too far.
There were other instances where Alex tried to put women down, such as when he snubbed his nose at working on a peds case with Addison or when he went behind Addison’s back and told a patient’s husband that he needed to look into exactly what happened during his wife’s c-section to make her get her tubes tied, but for some reason, many fans want to make light of his past because he grew to be a much better guy.
Mark Sloan’s “Ladies Man” Trope is Outdated
Eric Dane’s Character Got Away With a Lot in Grey’s Anatomy
Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) had one of the absolute best entrances into the show. He walked up to the counter, flirted with Meredith for less than 30 seconds, and then found himself on the floor after being punched in the face by Derek. It is truly a moment no one will ever forget, but from then on, every fan had him rightfully pegged as this “toxic alpha male” who was used to getting his way, especially with women.
Unlike Alex Karev, Sloan never fully got away from his misogynistic trope. He had an on-again-off-again relationship that was really only about sex with Addison, he talked down to anyone he did not consider his equal (remember when he made Izzie and Alex do his errands), and he definitely did not have any reservations about sleeping with anyone at the hospital. Sure, his relationship with Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) was one of the biggest arcs of the medical drama, but that does not redeem him for his gross and outdated male bravado attitude.
When Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) called Sloan out for all of his ridiculous sexual behavior at the hospital, fans were wondering why he was never reported to Human Resources. The short answer is that it is because he is a troubled yet good-looking individual who has a way with words. Unfortunately, this just further plays into the misogynistic trope that we want to eradicate from the show.
Grey’s Anatomy’s Later Seasons Are Doing Right By the Male Characters
Dealing with Emotions and Having Hard Conversations are Priority
As the Grey’s Anatomy seasons have progressed, and more characters have found their way into the spotlight, it seems like the misogynistic trope has mostly died out — we say “mostly” here because Tom Koracick (Greg Germann) can always rear his smug face again. The writers have made the characters, especially the male characters, less arrogant and more willing to learn for the sake of becoming a better doctor. Sure, there is some tension between Lucas Adams (Nico Terho) and Benson Kwan (Harry Shum Jr.), but there is no toxicity between them like there has been between others in the past.
Relationships are even looking up in the later seasons. As much as many of us would love to have Derek Shepherd come back from the dead, it is actually really nice to see Meredith with Nick (Scott Speedman), a guy who wants to be her equal and help in any way he can with every aspect of her life. Then there is Ben Warren (Jason Winston George), who continues to prove that men, especially men of color, are thoughtful, caring, and can be sensitive without being or looking weak. As the end of the series does not seem to be for quite some time, fans hope that there will be more humble and honest men than there are aggressive and conceited male doctors. Stream on Hulu or Netflix.
