Scrubs Blog Post #1

 

        This week I watched a couple episodes of Scrubs and looked into the varying characters and how each character represents societal norms within and outside of the medical field. With traditional perspectives portraying medical professionals as heroic, knowledgeable, and stoic, Scrubs brings another, more complex perspective to the values held within the medical industry. 

        Background: Scrubs is a medical sitcom with the main characters: J.D, Elliot, Christopher, Carla, Perry, and Bob. Each character has a different persona and the characters range in ages, medical specialties, and perspectives on the medical field. These characters and their diverse perspectives on their professions reveal the complexity that medical professionals deal with logistically and emotionally. 

       

J.D (Age:26): J.D is the lead character of the show. In season 1, he represents the nativity of society that glorifies the medical field as selfless, heroic, and helpful. Although his character does reflect these initial assumptions about medical professionals, J.D provides a contrasting perspective on the realities of medical professionals. His struggles to assimilate and retain knowledge in the field show the challenges faced by the average person in becoming a professional. As the main character of the show, he highlights and humanizes medical professionals. Where medical professionals were traditionally glorified as perfect and knowledgeable, J.D redefined medical professionals and creates a more relatable perception of doctors. This portrayal reminds viewers that medical professionals are average people with emotions. This breakdown of the glorification and perfection lens can socially create more emotional trust between patients and doctors while also breaking down patient trust in doctors' competence. 

    Elliot (Age 24): Elliot is the female lead character of Scrubs. She represents societal beauty standards and is the main love interest for J.D. She is portrayed as stoic and highly intelligent. She represents a progressive perception of female doctors as highly driven, committed to their careers, and intelligent. While she initially is portrayed as the woman that "has it all" her personal issues (such as low self-esteem and low confidence in competency) stem from larger issues inflicted by society upon her. Elliot represents the social ideal of women while also highlighting the societal and emotional barriers women face due to the larger social norms at play. 

        

Cristopher (Age 26) & Carla (Age 29): Christopher and Carla are very similar as both characters are minorities that follow the stereotypes of ethnic women and men. With Christopher as J.D's best friend, he follows a "token sidekick" role and is portrayed as the stereotype. He is used for comedic relief and has the typical jock persona. Similarly, Carla is also a "token" ethnic character that follows the preconceived stereotypes of the time. She is the classic stereotype of "Spicy Latina women".  Both Carla and Christopher are characters that highlight the racism in the medical field and they represent the stereotypes that society upholds and promotes regarding minorities. 

     

  Perry (Age 42): Dr. Perry Cox is a middle-aged man who represents a negative, more cynical side of medical professionals. His negative attitude towards healthcare as 'prolonging the lives of people who should have already died' brings attention to ethical questions challenging medical professionals. His character forces viewers to question the motives of medical professionals. While other characters in the series portray a positive perspective on the motives and actions of professionals, Cox highlights the realities of life. However, his character is not solely for the negative interpretation of the industry, Cox also shows the emotional toll being a professional takes on the average person. His negative personality allows viewers to question "If he feels that way then why would he become a medical professional?" This question then allows us to look back at the main character and compare J.D's original naitevy to Cox's coldness and see that the emotional strain and stress of being a professional could have the effect of changing one's outlook on life, medicine, and healing. 

  

 Bob (Age 59): Bob is the oldest character of the six main characters. He is portrayed as the kinder more fatherly figure in the series. While he is not the most active in the first few episodes and is originally portrayed as loving and kind, he is later shown to be extremely cold and logically motivated. He promotes malpractice and focuses on the financial aspect of decisions. This initial facade paired with his true persona shows the medical field as an industry. It brings attention to the harsh realities of medicine to not only help prolong the life of people but to (more importantly) create a profit and financially benefit off of the dying's desire to live.