Photo courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter

If you google “Shonda Rhimes memes,” the results are endless. Scrutinized for killing off a major character in one of her hit dramas, Grey’s Anatomy, last spring, this writer/director/producer is a dynamite, regardless of millions of comments claiming that she is a “life-ruiner.”

Thursday nights on ABC are courtesy of Rhimes’s imagination. The night starts with Grey’s Anatomy at 8 p.m, followed by Scandal at 9 p.m., and ends with How to Get Away with Murder at 10 p.m. In addition to these three incredibly popular primetime dramas, Rhimes has four shows in development (all with ABC).

It’s no secret that the wonderful world of television is dominated by white males. Rhimes, a 45-year-old African American woman, is giving these men a run for their money. Not only are her shows addicting; they are important. They deal with crucial topics like gender, race, sexual assault, sexual orientation, wealth, power, political ethics, medical ethics, legal ethics, police brutality, death, war, etc. These issues are brought to light and debated in a way that challenges various viewpoints and makes you more emotionally invested than before.

While Ryan Seacrest may be the poster-child for juggling multiple entertainment gigs, Shonda Rhimes does just as much…behind-the-scenes. In addition to producing four (soon to be eight) award-winning primetime series, Rhimes is a single mother of three (her children are two, three, and thirteen-years-old). This year alone, she was named the most influential African American of the year by The Root magazine, lost 98 pounds, published a memoir, and won numerous awards.

Last December, during her acceptance speech for the Sherry Lansing Award for leadership, Rhimes said, “This moment right here, me standing up here all brown with my boobs and my Thursday night of network television full of women of color, competitive women, strong women, women who own their bodies and whose lives revolve around their work instead of their men, women who are big dogs, that could only be happening right now.”