Grey's Anatomy: Examining the intersection of health, race, and gender in popular health dramas

Primetime television medical dramatizations have enjoyed great success with viewers. Shows such as Grey's Anatomy, ER, and Nip/Tuck have capitalized on the dramatic allure of surgical procedures, and the human drama that ensues from the life or death predicaments featured on medial dramas. They provide a unique cultural site for analyzing the ways in which human relationships influence the practice of medicine. More importantly, analyzing how medical dramas represent these relationships is critical given that consumers increasingly rely on a variety of media for health information beyond that of their doctor. Furthermore, another body of literature has sought to critically examine communication issues related to the mediated representation of race. Studies of this type critically examine how race is represented and positioned in relation to a myriad of political and economic issues. The purpose of the present study is to examine how issues of race and healthcare professional identity intersect on the NBC series Grey's Anatomy. Through the use focus groups, we will examine audience responses to questions regarding: patient-provider interaction, race and class-based health disparities, and representation of racial identity on Grey's Anatomy. Such a descriptive analysis of race and related health issues fills a critical void between each of the previously mentioned areas of communication inquiry. This study will contribute to the understanding of how audiences use media to inform their cultural repertoires regarding health issues, as well as provide insight regarding the changing dynamics of the representation of racial identity in primetime television, and audience perceptions thereof.