Shonda Rhimes Takes Down NY Times Critic Who Called Her An 'Angry Black Woman'

Shonda Rhimes had little patience on Friday for the way the television critic of the New York Times wrote about her and her shows.



Alessandra Stanley—whose tenure at the Times has been filled with many a bump—may have intended to be complimentary when she wrote an article about how Rhimes has changed the landscape for black women on television, but she probably could have chosen a better way to start the piece off this way:

When Shonda Rhimes writes her autobiography, it should be called “How to Get Away With Being an Angry Black Woman.”



On Thursday, Ms. Rhimes will introduce “How to Get Away With Murder,” yet another network series from her production company to showcase a powerful, intimidating black woman.

Come again? Rhimes took issue with, well, just about everything in that lede:

Confused why @nytimes critic doesn't know identity of CREATOR of show she's reviewing. @petenowa did u know u were "an angry black woman"?

— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 19, 2014

Apparently we can be "angry black women" together, because I didn't know I was one either! @petenowa #LearnSomethingNewEveryday

— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 19, 2014

Final thing: (then I am gonna do some yoga): how come I am not "an angry black woman" the many times Meredith (or Addison!) rants? @nytimes

— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 19, 2014

Wait. I'm" angry" AND a ROMANCE WRITER?!! I'm going to need to put down the internet and go dance this one out. Because ish is getting real.

— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 19, 2014

Ouch.



(Full disclosure: this writer is one of the Huffington Post's official "Scandal" recappers, and really, really wants it to be on again already.)