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46 | Sharon Lauricella and Hannah M. Scott www.jrfm.eu 2018, 4/2, 39–53 shouts, “Wedding day!” throughout Season 5, Episode 22; this obsession earns her the title “bridezilla” from her friends and colleagues. In Season 9, Episode 9, it is revealed that Miranda is a “jittery bride”, despite her lack of enthusiasm and limited involvement in planning the wedding. Irrationalism on the wedding day is shown when supporting characters assess the brides as “crazy”, such as when April is convinced that seeing her future husband, Matthew, before the wedding is bad luck, and when Amelia believes that her wedding is doomed because it is raining. The notion of female hysteria as inherent to being female is part of the hegemonic understanding of being a woman. This social role has been challenged by feminists30 and redefined as a form of patriarchy, oppres- sion, and male domination. Despite the strides made in feminist scholarship and activism, this popular drama demonstrates that the image of the overly emo- tional, irrational woman is still perpetuated in contemporary culture. COMPULSORY HETEROSEXUALITY Although a lesbian wedding is featured in Grey’s Anatomy, the program lends notable support to Rich’s concept of compulsory heterosexuality.31 We argue that the lesbian characters and plotlines in the program are not enough to significantly challenge patriarchy to the point that the concept, at least in this program, is threatened. The “inevitability of marriage”,32 together with submis- sion to a man and his leadership, is clearly discernible in Grey’s Anatomy’s wed- dings. For example, both Meredith and Cristina, despite their focus on and dedi- cation to career, get married to satisfy external factors rather than their own personal wishes. Meredith feels no need or desire to formalize her relationship with Derek via marriage but is convinced to do so as a prerequisite for being the mother of Zola, the Malawian child that the couple adopts. Similarly, Cristina feels that in order to support and satisfy the wishes of her colleague and men- tor Preston Burke, she needs to accept his proposal and marry him. Preston clearly outlines Cristina’s submission to him in Season 3, Episode 23: “[Cristina] hates change. I lead. I have to. And then she’s grateful.” The notion that men’s status is superior to women’s is also clear when Callie reports that she feels “weird” working with her intern and husband, George, because “I’m his boss and his wife” (S3, E15). The acquiescence and notion of submissiveness on the parts of each of these women indicate the inevitability of attachment to men even when women do not want it; thus marriage becomes an “unsatisfying and oppressive [component] of their lives”.33 30 Cixous/Clement, 1975. 31 Rich 1980, 631–660. 32 Rich 1980, 631–660. 33 Rich 1980, 640.