Wednesday, December 06, 2006

"Grey" Thoughts: Perspectives

I was thinking entirely too much about last week's episode of "Grey's Anatomy" and Izzie's initial kick-ass "I don't do coffee" response to McSteamy. I was thinking about how in character that seemed for her and why that would be her knee jerk response whereas Alex's was to do it with a sigh and not even request reassignment after days on not being allowed to learn. It occurred to me that the more I thought about this, the more it made sense. Izzie grew up in a trailer park and worked as a model to get herself through med school. All of that, combined with being female, blonde and pretty means she has encountered many people who think they can roll over her and stick her with the scut work so she has had practice standing up for herself.

Alex in contrast was an athlete in high school and I believe college and then a med student. He is (as much fits with one of the overlapping themes of "Friday Night Lights" accustomed to people handing him things. I am sure as an athlete and I'm guessing frat boy he went through some hazing. So from his perspective this errand running is a proving ground he just has to get through or past. He doesn't see it as sexism, or beauty-ism and, as an arrogant person himself, he sees nothing wrong with arrogance when , as McSteamy apparently can, you can back it up in surgery.