Aside from my love for Revenge of the Nerds, in which actor Anthony Edwards portrays the lovable nerd Gilbert, Dr. Greene was my fav because he was highly intelligent but down to Earth, and serious yet compassionate.
Rewatching the series now has me realizing how ahead of its time it was. There is a huge push right now in the literary world to have more diversity represented in our fictitious worlds, in all capacities. ER is one of the only shows I can name that has such a wide variety of characters.
Of different colors:
Dr. Susan Lewis Dr. Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen Dr. Peter Benton
Seasons 1-3, 8-12, 15 Seasons 1, 6-11, 15 Seasons 1-8, 15
The doctors and nurses made up a cast of characters who were white, black, Asian and Latina. Furthermore, rather than just having characters who look different, the show regularly featured them exploring interracial relationships. Dr. Benton dates Dr. Corday, admitting to her that he in unsure about dating a white woman because he never had before. Dr. Chen becomes pregnant by Frank Bacon, a black nurse. Dr. Greene briefly dates Latina nurse Chuny Marquez. Dr. Benton eventually marries Dr. Cleo Finch, who is half white and half black.
And different socioeconomic backgrounds:
Dr. John Carter Dr. Anna Del Amico
Seasons 1-12, 15 Season 5
Obviously, Dr. John Carter's financial status is not typical; he is from an extremely wealthy, blue-blood family. But that doesn't mean that it's not worth talking about. The way we are brought up shapes our values and priorities and our views on the world. It also impacts the way we view ourselves, and how we hope others see us. For example, in Season 5, Anna Del Amico assumes that John Carter is also drowning in debt from medical school loans, and she feels embarrassed when she realizes that John Carter cannot relate to her thrift store wardrobe and cockroach-infested apartment. She doesn't like being seen as poor, but similarly, he doesn't like people making assumptions about him simply because of his family's status.
From different countries:
Dr. Elizabeth Corday Dr. Luka Kovac Dr. Neela Rasgotra
from England from Croatia Of Punjabi Sikh heritage from England
Seasons 4-11 Seasons 6-15 Seasons 10-15
Dr. Corday arrives from England on an international fellowship, sponsored by Dr. Robert Romano. One of her reasons for coming to the states is because she wished to escape the "boys' club" that characterizes the Royal College of Surgeons. Dr. Kovac emigrates to the states from his war-torn homeland of Croatia.
Of different sexual orientations:
Dr. Maggie Doyle Dr. Kim Legaspi
Seasons 3-5 Season 7
Dr. Doyle comes out to Carter when she takes him to a shooting range, and they run into her ex-girlfriend. Later, she accuses Dr. Romano of sexual harassment. Dr. Legaspi was only on the show for one season, and her role was mainly to pave the way for Kerry Weaver to come out as a lesbian. She also endures harassment from Romano, which leads to his firing her.
With disabilities:
Dr. Benton's son Reese is deaf Dr. Kerry Weaver uses a crutch
due to congenital hip dysplasia
Before she comes out as a lesbian, Kerry Weaver already represents a major character with a disability. For most of the series, it is not really known why she uses a forearm crutch and walks with a limp, but eventually it is revealed that it is the result of a congenital defect which has afflicted her since birth. Dr. Benton becomes a father in season three. His son Reese is born prematurely, and it is soon discovered that he is deaf. At first he pursues cochlear implants for Reese, but he soon learns that deafness is not seen as a disability by everyone. To some people, Deafness is an entire culture, and he does not want to rob his son of the opportunity to have such a supportive and inspiring network.
With HIV positive ones (which carried an even bigger stigma in the early 90's):
Jeanie Boulet, PA
Seasons 1-6, 14
AIDS was perhaps the biggest social crisis of the 1980's. The disease ravaged communities, and the lack of understanding its origin or transmission likened it to a plague. Anyone who was diagnosed with HIV risked losing everything: friends, family, employment, health insurance. . .the early 90's brought a better understanding and acceptance with research and the passage of time, but there is still a stigma attached to someone with an HIV diagnosis. Jeanie Boulet was originally a physical therapist employed by Dr. Benton to assist with caring for his elderly mother, but she completed her Physician Assistant training and became a regular character. She becomes infected with HIV because her ex-husband passed the virus to her while they were still married. Rather than watch Jeanie languish in her health, she leaves the series on an upbeat note. She marries a police officer, and together they adopt a baby who is also HIV positive, and decides she wants to stay at home to raise him rather than continue working. Jeanie makes a cameo appearance in season 14, when she brings her son to the ER.
Apparently, NBC is considering rebooting the series, in order to keep up with the current trend. I can't help but wonder how a new one would compare to the 'classic' one. I hope if the reboot happens, the writers will hold themselves to the standard set by the diverse characters, and I wonder what other barriers they could break down.
No comments:
Post a Comment