The X-Files, a show starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny was a rage when it first released in the year 1993. It was mostly in the news for it’s graphic nature of episodes that included murderous scenes. The show was also banned from airing. However, the show did manage to leave an ever- lasting impact on it’s viewers, especially the female ones.
Gillian Anderson played the character of a doctor and and FBI agent who was named Dana Scully. However, what was different about the show was that it wasn’t another television Sci-Fi series like the numerous others out there. This series turned out to be life changing for a lot of women.
According to a survey conducted by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, Fifty Percent Women who watched X-Files regularly attributed Dana Scully for their genuine interest and belief in STEM and Science in general. Scully has influenced medium/heavy women viewers of The X-Files to consider working in STEM fields (43%), actually study STEM fields (27%), and work in STEM fields (24%). This in the long run came to be known as ‘The Scully Effect.’ In terms of definition, this can be explained as that Women were genuinely interested and were encouraged to pursue careers in science, medicine, law enforcement, engineering due to to the fictional character Dana Scully.
The character itself was indeed one of the firsts in the television history that broke and rowed down several stereotypes. Gillian Anderson indeed did a fantastic job at playing the character with utmost confidence while showcasing her brilliance. The representation of a female character in such a strong lead was indeed needed for a change to begin.