Cultural Diversity In The Film And Television Industry

In today’s culture, people are constantly being influenced by media, whether it is subconsciously through advertisements or consciously through news media or any form of entertainment. Society, young and old, comes to understand the world through the media they consume and that means that the underrepresentation and misrepresentation of nonwhites is a problem that more and more people are starting to notice. Studies are being conducted to analyze different aspects of the lack of representation in the media. However, few have proposed practical, if any, solutions to this growing problem. The solution starts with addressing who is responsible for the lack of representation. The white-dominated executive positions that are behind the problem also

Diversity in films is important because representation matters. Viewers are drawn to shows with ethnically diverse lead cast members. Mostly all viewers love to watch shows that reflect and relate to their own experiences. Reddigari, a freelance writer, also expresses the question of why we lack diversity in films. “Hollywood has been producing inspiring films intended to capture the beauty, joy and sorrow in everyday life. As much as we love our favorite movies, we can’t help but notice that many of them fail to capture the life experiences of all moviegoers, leaving the voices of millions of Americans from diverse backgrounds underrepresented” (This Tumblr Shows the Startling Lack of Diversity in Film). Diversity in films is an important topic in society because it represents equality and people of color to look up to.

What really is considered too white? Why doesn't tv show more of a color diversity? Should television even be used to demonstrate equality between whites and people of color? Although it may be true, there are statically more white's than black's in the U.S. ranging from 75.1% to 12.3% according to the Demographic Statistics. However as the years continue on, equality between African Americans and whites are still being battled throughout the U.S. as African Americans are still being slandered for the color of their skin. So as a fellow African American citizen myself, television wouldn't be a bad start to show how people of color and whites can actually get along on the big screen.

Hollywood not only shows little to none diverse to race but also gender on screen and behind the scenes. When watching a movie to the end credits most the names that are shown are males. The diverse for gender in Hollywood is low. Females are not given the same opportunity as the males. Article from NPR STAFF (2015) informed that women make up half of the U.S. population but only 6% of the females directed theatrical films in 2013(Hollywood’s Homogeneity section, para.1). Even though the study is old the data has not change. Population in females in Hollywood in front and behind the scenes cannot be compared to the nation. Hollywood is own by males which are keeping positions for women to a minimum. The heads of Hollywood are not willing to be diverse so they can stay in control. Among the ranks of top Hollywood film executives, the

The case is that if you believe that there is no racism in Hollywood, then you have already been influenced by it. The small racial representation can continue to affect our future generations, this means your future children. We as the viewers need to make our voices heard by demonstrating that a film of color can be as successful as a predominantly white film. Therefore, I encourage you to go watch films that portray a person of color in a positive way and consist of actors of color; we need to exceed the box-office, since in the end a large impulse of any business is to have a large income and show the Oscars that actors of color are also very talented and deserve at least a

Diversity and representation has been in an increased demand over the past few years. Even children's TV producers and creators are taking notice by including LGBT and all sorts of ethnic characters in their shows. However, it seems that Hollywood has yet to take note.

Over the years we have seen the same white story told a thousand times that we have become desensitized to it, never expecting anything else. America was a European-White country but it has become one of the most diverse countries in the world, so American isn’t just white anymore. We are at a place in our society where we can and should be talking about race and one of the best ways to do this is through film, but there has been little to no change over the past decades. Films tend to lean toward white backdrops because it is more “relatable”; Noah the 2012 film used an all white cast because they were considered

The discussion of diversity in Hollywood is very important. Some people will claim that there is a diversity issue throughout Hollywood and a lack of representation for minorities, while others will argue that there is a wide spectrum of diversity, therefore destroying the idea that there is an issue. There are more shows and films that revolve around straight, healthy Caucasians than shows and films that revolve around LGBT members, people who have to live with disabilities, and people of color. Hollywood has suffered substantially from a lack of showing a great deal of diversity.

Throughout history there has been a cluster of tension and conflict between police and minority communities within the United States. The job of a police officer is to enforce the law and protect all citizens regardless of their race, gender, or sexual preferences; however, more and more police departments across the United States are being accused of targeting and harassing those who are different. State and local police departments have been left to their own devices on how to police minority communities and improve cultural differences among their officers by seeking out a reform recruitment and adjusting policies in hopes to attract a significant improvement of minority applicants, all while training other officers in understanding

Although I am middle-aged, I have never traveled outside of the United States nor have I had the privilege to experience a wide diversity of cultures. Other than research or articles that I have read throughout my life, I have little knowledge pertaining to other cultures. However, through my former employment and my daughter, I have some experience and knowledge of the Hispanic families that relocated to our area.

Instead of Hollywood casting actual Asian- Americans, Hollywood chooses to cast white actors and use a makeup effect called “yellow face”. The most popular depictions of Asians were fictional characters referred to as “Charlie Chan” and “Fu Manchu”. This method is still used today and has dated back from 1915. When an Asian American gained a role it was usually a martial artist or a racially demeaning role.

Another topic discussed was ways to stop discrimination within professions and in everyday circumstances. Using the movie Crash, we were shown clips that defined different aspects of racism, sexism and inequality. After each clip, there was a discussion as to what type of discrimination was performed and ways to redirect that behavior. Within the packet, there was a diversity list that gave ways to stop discrimination. These behaviors included make new friends of all backgrounds, be willing to share in open dialogue, be willing to ask questions and several more. This list helps reiterate that learning different cultural backgrounds is easier than we think it is. Living by this list will cause a decrease in the amount of discriminatory actions

The United States of America is one of the most diverse countries, and the most media obsessed yet we still lack a vast amount of diversity in that media. Our media delivers a lot of the same narratives and perspectives and although we have in recent times seen progress in the medias display of diversity we are still being presented with a disproportionate amount of the same points of view. There is no aspect in our media currently that proficiently displays diversity. Diversity becomes especially important when representing women. Though we as a culture have made great strides in gender equality women but especially women of color are an oppressed and underrepresented group. What representation of women of color there has been in our media is often subject to stereotyping and

I desire to be a pioneer for women of color. Through my characters and projects, I want to convey the message that it is okay to follow your dreams and choose a career path that fulfills your purpose in life. Last year a social media movement began called, #OscarsSoWhite. Although controversial, it again confirmed the need for more creators, directors, and influential men and women of color in the Radio-Television-Film industries. The disparity in representation will continue as long as Hollywood fails to recognize women and people of color for their work. My success in the Radio-Television-Film industry would give hope to future generations, by serving as a face of diversity. I want young men and women of color to see that we can be successful and make a positive impact in Hollywood and beyond. With Hollywood productions having a high impact on society, creating positive characters and breaking away from stereotypes is an important goal in order to further the growth of our society as a whole. Creating characters that reflect our society is crucial. In order to have a profound effect, we must first

In a study of 414 films and television series, only 33 percent of all characters were women, and only 28 percent were of racial minority status (Associated Press). Casting diversely in entertainment has been an issue for years and has recently spawned many controversies such as the 2016 Oscar Controversy where an outrage occurred due to a lack of minority Oscar winners. Many cultures and races fell underrepresented and cast aside by film and television. The entertainment industry should cast more diverse actors because it increases viewership, provides a broader perspective, and creates a more realistic setting.