Grey's Anatomy has been a TV mainstay for many women (and, by proxy, their boyfriends) since its debut in 2005. Over the course of six seasons, we've seen the characters have one night stands, hook-ups, break-ups, get pregnant, go on man-fasts, fall in love with patients and each other.
Main character Meredith started the show off by inadvertently sleeping with her boss. Now, the on-and-off couple are united in marriage by a Post-It note. Cancer patient Izzie had planned a wedding for the McDreamy couple, but instead Izzie and Alex got married. George married Callie but got a divorce, and Callie turned out to be a lesbian anyway. Cristina reluctantly agreed to a marriage proposal by Dr. Burke, only to be left at the altar, leaving Meredith to break the news to the guests and shattering her already fragile view on marriage.
I'm sure that the cycle of sleeping with co-workers is old hat (friends who work in a hospital assure me that it happens just like it's portrayed) and I know that relationship repeats are the bane of many women's existences. A fallacy that I think the show reinforces, though, is that if we give a man time to date someone else or go back to their wives, if we are sufficiently broody and angsty, that the men will come back to us again and again.
I hate to get into
He's Just Not That Into You territory, but McDreamys like Derek don't exist. (If they did, they wouldn't put us through all the waiting and heartbreak, anyway.) If you're in a relationship cycle where he's constantly leaving you and coming back, he's using you. His feelings aren't at stake, but yours are, and it's up to you to stop the cycle.
Have you ever had to break up a relationship with someone you thought you loved while they continuously used you? What do you think of the show's message that with enough time and persistence you can work any relationship out?
Comments (19)
I agree with you. However McDreamy only left Meredith once - for his (now ex) wife. After he decided to divorce her and be with Meredith, things were relatively steady between them. Yes, the couple had their ups and downs, and they did break up a few times, but it was never because of another woman. Great post, and thanks for bringing up an important point.
This show is just terrible! Possibly one of the only ones I never watch, and that's saying something seeing as I'm a tv junkie. :D
I think that if you break up with someone over and over and over again then they most likely are not the person you should be with. I once dated an ex of mine thrice, and each time I went in all happy and optimistic, forgetting that I had legitimate reasons why it didn't work the first few times.
It's different if the break up periods last long enough for people to change/grow/mature, and they date years later and actually work out. But generally, in real life, couples like Meredith and McDreamy should probably leave each other alone. :3 But, then again, it IS tv.
Very unrealistic, but hey, it's a drama.
I love that show - love the drama. But one should never confuse TV with reality.
I think it makes the idea of waiting around for someone very romanticized, when in reality, it sucks and it isn't fair. It is a nice idea, loving someone so much and being meant-to-be, so that even after all the heartache it all works out....
but that's not what it's like. I've been in a relationship (a 4 year relationship to be exact) that comprised of my boyfriend getting restless and leaving me or else breaking my heart some other way about once or twice a year. I always just sat there waiting for him to come back. He always did, and I know he loved me. But how was that fair to me? It wasn't. So I finally woke up and had to leave when he started talking about getting married. What was he going to do, divorce me every year? It was hard, but I did it.
I still loved the early Grey's though. Lately, not so much.
unfortunately, yes.
ha, I read that book earlier today. in the book, some chick was complaining about how her ex would break up with her and then get back together with her, so what should she do? He was like, are you an idiot he keeps telling you that he DOESN'T want to be with you! dump him and get a good guy!
Yes, i supported her drug habit for about two years while i remained sober, i loved that girl but....fuck it, lifes not a tv show, its much more intense and cold for many people.
Relationships can work with time, but it seems that someones always unhappy and its usually the person who accepts the defects within their SO.
I don't get that message from the show. But hey, I only watch TV for the commercials.
I love that show.
I hate Grey's Anatomy (and any other drama semi-related) it's all blown out of proportion drama and I think it's a little gross too. But that's me. I don't mind a little scandal, but there are SO many hospital dramas out there that focus around mainly the sex/love lives of the characters (which are based around their patients and coworkers). It's tired and blase.
I just wished they hadn't of killed off Izzy and George. I understand that they could be running out of ideas, but come on... don't kill any of the main characters who have been there since day one!
@LoveYouToDeath16@xanga - they only killed off george because he had problems with the director and writer. izzy was taking a personal leave for a little bit, but she's coming back.
i do have to say that i did like the earlier shows, but i still like it a lot now. my mom is even into it.
but i don't understand how some can confuse a drama show with reality. the show is there to entertain us, not teach us anything about how men/women are.
Oh gah! I knew that show was wacky from the comercals..had no idea it was that crappy.
No I havnt..
Uhh I work in a hospital... and it's nothing like Grey's Anatomy... we're way too busy actually working. I think your friends are just messing with you if they tell you that...
@raindrops_falling_onMy_head@xanga - Wait... how is she supposed to come back if she is DEAD? lol...
@LoveYouToDeath16@xanga - because she's not DEAD.. how caught up are you?
@raindrops_falling_onMy_head@xanga - I haven't watched it in awhile... wow. So do they bring her back to life or something?
@LoveYouToDeath16@xanga - basically.. you really should watch. i'm sorry if i ruined it for you.
@raindrops_falling_onMy_head@xanga - LOL no it's okay, I think I really stopped watching as much since they were gone anyways. Now, I'm excited to watch it again!