In 1993, The X-Files introduced Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), the skeptical, no-nonsense counterpart to the alien-hunting Fox Mulder (David Duchovny). Among X-Files fans, Scully quickly became a feminist icon. She remained on equal footing with her male partner, wasn't afraid to voice her scientific opinion and managed to avoid over-sexualization thanks to creator Chris Carter. In other words, there wasn't much Dana Scully couldn't do -- and women took notice. As such, the fictional FBI agent spurred a real-life scientific movement, which has since been dubbed the "Scully Effect."
Along with being an FBI agent, Scully's background was in medicine and physics. She used her skills frequently, acting as a forensic pathologist on the vast majority of cases. In '90s television, where scientists were primarily portrayed as white men, Scully broke the mold. However, her character was still confronted with stigma. Throughout The X-Files, especially in its first nine seasons, Scully was often confused for Mulder's wife, even when investigating crime scenes. She also frequently corrected men who were quick to call her "Miss" rather than "Agent" or "Doctor." Despite this sexism, Scully remained confident in a field that -- at the time -- was predominantly a boys club.
As such, her presence on television gave birth to the Scully Effect. This phenomenon involved a substantial increase of women becoming interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and/or joining STEM fields because of Scully's influence. For almost two decades, the Scully Effect was anecdotal, something women expressed to actor Gillian Anderson at Comic-Con. However, it has since been proven through scientific research.
The Geena Davis Insitute on Gender in Media, founded by Thelma & Louise actor Geena Davis, confirmed the Scully Effect. Out of 2,021 participants, 63 percent of women familiar with Scully said she increased their belief in STEM importance, while 50 percent of those same women credited Scully with increasing their interest in STEM. Scully also influenced medium/heavy women viewers of The X-Files to consider working in STEM fields (43 percent), study STEM fields (27 percent) and work in STEM fields (24 percent). The evidence is compelling, suggesting that Scully was profoundly influential for more women entering STEM.
While The X-Files still portrayed sexual tension and, later, a relationship between the main protagonists, Scully never compromised her intelligence for romance. As The X-Files writer Shannon Hamblin said, "When you start to see female characters who don't play into caricature, and what their position is with a man in the same scene, it's like, 'No, they're both equal. They're both human beings.'" Writer Kristen Cloke also confirmed that Scully was never written as the "second character."
In a way, Mulder's character -- a supernatural believer looked down upon by his peers -- is a trope frequently seen in women characters. This cliché abundantly appears in the horror genre, where the woman experiences supernatural occurrences only for the male presence -- usually a husband -- to scoff at the possibility and call her "crazy." On the other hand, Scully's cool rational and scientific calmness is typically reserved for male characters. By flipping the script, The X-Files became successful. Given few female characters were portrayed in this manner -- aside from Scully's inspiration Clarice Starling -- it was something women craved. Scully filled the gap, providing a much-needed role model for women.
Previous studies have identified many factors contributing to fewer women in STEM fields, including gender discrimination, lack of encouragement from teachers and parents and harmful stereotypes. As such, media is a powerful platform to break through into society and create change. Thanks to talented, societally aware writers and Andrson's portrayal, Scully remains a pop culture icon whose legacy extends far beyond The X-Files to the real world.