Shonda Rhimes bites back at 'angry' label

A New York Times critic felt the biting criticism of TV doyenne Shonda Rhimes Friday after a Times story referred to the "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal" powerhouse as "an angry black woman." "I didn't know I was one!" Rhimes replied in a series of tweets. "I'm 'angry' AND a ROMANCE WRITER?!! I'm going to need to put down the Internet and go dance this one out."

Rihanna is steaming. A song by the singer -- who was assaulted by then-boyfriend Chris Brown in 2009 -- was pulled from "Thursday Night Football" in September 2014 amid coverage of domestic violence and the Ray Rice scandal. She later tweeted, "CBS you pulled my song last week, now you wanna slide it back in this Thursday? NO, F*** you! Y'all are sad for penalizing me for this."

It appears that Jennifer Hudson does not want to be associated with reports about her half-brother, Stephen Angelo Simpson, being arrested in the stabbing of his estranged wife's boyfriend. She tweeted, "Media pls stop reporting shhh that has absolutely nothing to do with me ! Very offended." Hudson's mother, brother and nephew were killed in 2008 by her former brother-in-law.

Don't mess with George Clooney's family -- or his fiancee. The actor made a personal response to the UK's Daily Mail on July 9 after spotting an article in the paper about his soon-to-be-bride, Amal Alamuddin, and her mother. With the paper said that Clooney's future mother-in-law was trying to stop the wedding, Clooney quickly fought back, calling the article "dangerous" and "completely fabricated." The actor won this round; The Daily Mail swiftly deleted the piece.

Joan Rivers' interview with CNN's Fredricka Whitfield on July 5 went awry when Rivers took offense to Whitfield's line of questioning about her new book and walked out on the Q&A. Speaking to "Access Hollywood" after her angry exit, Rivers said she felt like she was being interrogated. "It's not the Nuremberg Trials. She was going at me so negatively. ... It's a funny book," Rivers said. "It's like, you don't say to the Olsen twins, 'What's your favorite place to vomit?' ... I really did get mad."

James Franco lashed out at The New York Times and its theater critic, Ben Brantley, over a lukewarm review of the "Of Mice and Men" Broadway revival in which Franco stars. "Brantley is such a little b****," the actor said in an Instagram takedown that he later removed -- but not before it was screengrabbed for posterity.

Alec Baldwin is another actor who readily battles with the press. From the New York Times to MSNBC and TMZ, Baldwin is never at a loss for words.

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In January 2013, director Quentin Tarantino was doing press for his film "Django Unchained" when Britain's Channel 4 reporter Krishnan Guru-Murthy asked him whether he thinks movie violence can lead to actual violence. Unreceptive to the insinuation about his movies, Tarantino shot back, "You can't make me dance to your tune. I'm not a monkey" and "I'm shutting your butt down!"

Samuel L. Jackson is not Laurence Fishburne, and he's been very clear about that. In February 2014, Jackson scolded CNN affiliate KTLA's Sam Rubin for making that mistake.

In 2010, Mel Gibson was being interviewed about his film "Edge of Darkness" by WGN Chicago reporter Dean Richards when Richards asked about scandals including his drinking problem and an anti-Semitic rant. "That's almost four years ago, dude. I've moved on. I guess you haven't," Gibson said. The actor could be heard calling Richards an a**hole at the conclusion.

In March 2014, late night host and comic Chelsea Handler challenged CNN's Piers Morgan, calling him unfocused. "You can't even pay attention for 60 seconds," she said. "You're a terrible interviewer."

Who can forget the 2005 "Today Show" interview when Tom Cruise, taking exception to Matt Lauer's questions, accused the host of being "glib"? "Matt, you're glib. ... You don't even know what Ritalin is," Cruise said during a discussion about prescription drugs. It was a little tense.

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• Shonda Rhimes called "angry black woman" in New York Times piece


• Rhimes surprised by description, strikes back on Twitter


• Others also wonder where label came from


• Rhimes is one of TV's leading showrunners

(CNN) -- Call Shonda Rhimes an "angry black woman" if you want, but be prepared for the response.

A Twitter firestorm erupted Friday morning when New York Times writer Alessandra Stanley described Rhimes, the producer of ABC's "Scandal," "Grey's Anatomy" and the new "How to Get Away with Murder," by using the term "angry black woman" in a feature about her.

"When Shonda Rhimes writes her autobiography, it should be called 'How to Get Away With Being an Angry Black Woman,' " Stanley wrote. The story later observed, "Ms. Rhimes has embraced the trite but persistent caricature of the Angry Black Woman, recast it in her own image and made it enviable."

Immediately, the Internet reacted, led by a bemused Rhimes, who observed that she didn't create "How to Get Away with Murder."

"Confused why @nytimes critic doesn't know identity of CREATOR of show she's reviewing," she tweeted in response to a tweet from Pete Nowalk, who did create the series. (Incidentally, Nowalk -- a former "Grey's" staffer -- is a white male.)

Confused why @nytimes critic doesn't know identity of CREATOR of show she's reviewing

— Shonda Rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 19, 2014

Rhimes was just getting started.

"Apparently we can be 'angry black women' together, because I didn't know I was one either! @petenowa #LearnSomethingNewEveryday," she continued.

Apparently we can be 'angry black women' together, because I didn't know I was one either! @petenowa #LearnSomethingNewEveryday

— Shonda Rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 19, 2014

And, noting that Stanley had highlighted a rant from "Scandal's" Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) as illustrative of Rhimes' own perceived anger, she wondered why other rants by white characters don't get the same attention.

"Final thing: (then I am gonna do some yoga): how come I am not 'an angry black woman' the many times Meredith (or Addison!) rants? @nytimes," she tweeted.

"Grey's" star Ellen Pompeo, who plays Meredith Grey on "Grey's Anatomy," agreed.

"Didn't Meredith Grey (Medusa) and Christina Yang also terrify and intimidate medical students?" she tweeted.

Final thing: (then I am gonna do some yoga): how come I am not "an angry black woman" the many times Meredith (or Addison!) rants? @nytimes

— Shonda Rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 19, 2014

Others also lit into the Times piece.

"Wow," tweeted "Scandal's" Joshua Malina. "Did I just read a @nytimes piece that reduced my brilliant, creative, compassionate, thoughtful, bada** boss to an 'angry black woman?'"

Malina's co-star Washington gave a more pointed response, referring the Times to two articles that dispute the "angry black woman" label.

Dear @nytimes http://t.co/20dzCSLKsx AND http://t.co/VJQ7n0Ujdn You're welcome. Love, K-Dub

— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) September 19, 2014

"So Shonda Rhimes is 'angry black woman' but Aaron Sorkin 'delivers an opinionated speech' and 'forceful denunciation'," posted Sarah Kendzior of "The Newsroom's" writer and creator, who's also fond of rants.

So Shonda Rhimes is 'angry black woman' but Aaron Sorkin 'delivers an opinionated speech' and 'forceful denunciation'

— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) September 19, 2014

"Too many thoughts on the Shonda-Rhimes-Is-An-Angry-Black-Woman debacle. Mostly: REALLY, @nytimes?!" added Rachel Simon.

Too many thoughts on the Shonda-Rhimes-Is-An-Angry-Black-Woman debacle. Mostly: REALLY, @nytimes?!

— Rachel Simon(@Rachel_Simon) September 19, 2014

Stanley wondered what all the fuss was about.

"The whole point of the piece -- once you read past the first 140 characters -- is to praise Shonda Rhimes for pushing back so successfully on a tiresome but insidious stereotype," she said in a statement.

CNN's Doug Ganley contributed to this report.