(Contains Adult Language)
By Ally Allen
How to Get Away with Murder is a law drama about the astute attorney Annalise Keating who also teaches law at the fictional Philadelphia University. She runs a program where she chooses five students to work for her but the ones this semester become entangled with multiple murders. Annalise’s characterization in the first episode is quite harsh. She is shown to be a very good lawyer. She comes off as being a “cold” person at first by typically being loud, stubborn, and arguably emasculating. Annalise’s character may seem reminiscent of the angry Black woman but she is not. The quick history of the “Sapphire” or the angry Black woman is that it is a stereotype that originated on the radio show Amos ‘n’ Andy. She is characterized as being loud, malicious, stubborn, and emasculating but more importantly, her anger is seen as irrational and abusive.
At first glance, the character of Annalise Keating in How to Get Away with Murder (HTGAWM) may seem like an angry Black woman but she is without a doubt far from it. This first image seen of Annalise could be read as an iteration of the angry Black woman stereotype, but season one, episode four subverts this by showing her in a very vulnerable way asking her husband, who may be a suspect in a case, “why is your penis on a dead girl’s phone?” (How to Get Away with Murder).
In the scene she is first taking off her jewelry, then her wig, and then takes off her makeup while sitting at her desk in her bedroom. The lighting is dark and the music lies under the scene in a way that heightens the emotional tension. Her husband then kisses her neck and asks about her case and she is very clearly uncomfortable. She then pulls out the victim’s phone to show and confront her husband about his picture on it.
Fig. 2 still from “Let’s get to Scooping”, How to Get Away with Murder, 2014.
The image of Annalise taking off her wig and makeup is a powerful one. She’s trying to regain control in a situation that makes her infuriated. Annalise’s rage is controlled and rational. This is not what the stereotype of the angry Black woman is. At this moment, Annalise has subverted what was starting to be her characterization. This scene is such a powerful one. Scholars from all fields, law, communication, and film studies have tried to explain the significance of the good representation of Black women as professionals but also Black women feeling angry and not being “out of control”.
Black Men & Women 