Does Olivia Pope of ‘Scandal’ represent the PR industry well?

Not yet, at least.

In fact, I just started watching the show. I was a bit disappointed by the pilot episode, but now that I’m one season in, I’m almost hooked.

I can see why. It has sex, drama and politics. And for us professional PR counselors, it has a little insider baseball. That’s the fun part for me.

I don’t think any show or movie I’ve seen about our industry has done us any favors. “Sex in the City” glorified the event planning side of the business. “Wag the Dog” was heavy on the supposed spin (Who produces a war for the U.S. government?), and “Thank You for Smoking” was a little over the top with a pretty polarizing topic.

Now, along comes “Scandal,” which puts the PR industry squarely in the spotlight.

But the question is this: Does the main character, Olivia Pope, represent our industry well?

Again, I’ve only seen season one so far, so I don’t have a fully formed opinion yet. But I know many people in our industry who are huge fans of the show and Ms. Pope. So, I thought I’d ask them instead.

Does Olivia Pope represent our industry well? Why or why not? Here’s what 10 friends and colleagues had to say:

Lauren Gray, Finn Partners: