Sources Of Diversity In Films

For all of its existence, the United State of America has suffered with its representation of minorities in media. From minstrel shows to The Birth of a Nation, diversity in media has been almost non-existent until the latter half of the twentieth century. Although there have been some bright spots like There Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and the works of Langston Hughes, most media have been almost exclusively from a white, oftentimes male, viewpoint. According to a 2016 diversity report done by the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA, minorities are underrepresented 3 to 1 among film leads, 5 to 1 in film writers, and 3 to 1 among film directors. This surprising, as the same reports states that America’s increasingly diverse audiences prefer diverse casts and films, pointing to the fact that diverse films had higher median global box office receipts.

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.

Over the years television has been known to be one of the major educating and socializing institution in America. Television in today’s society is able to play a powerful key through which individuals can be informed, hold forums, and voice their opinion‘s. Television is also important because it offers us glimpses into minority life and minority figures. When sociologists examine minorities in television they document how minorities are portrayed and how those portrayals have changed over the years. Through time, minorities in television have been able to make moderate gains whether they are in front of or behind cameras. However, they continue to remain significantly underrepresented as leading actors in films, as writers, and as TV show creators. Even though minorities are significantly underrepresented in today’s society the TV industry has been pushing to give an opportunity to many minority groups in succeeding in the media. Several TV shows and commercials have succeeded in the TV industry to try and change how minorities are underrepresented, however, there are also shows that reinforce stereotypes and are prejudice towards minorities.

Television and film is a huge part of American culture. As the “face” of America changes, it is expected for our media to reflect it. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Since the beginning of film, minorities have been misrepresented and underrepresented. While there has been a significant increase in minority actors since the beginning of film, there is still a huge underrepresentation present in American television and film. Our media needs to reflect out diverse country. This topic is always important and relevant because race, gender, and sexuality, in general, have been issues throughout the growth of television and film. Even today, minorities are subject to

“San Francisco is a microcosm for what is happening not only in the US, but all over the world. It is places that increasingly desirable to live in that are becoming gated communities. I’m worried about a city that is becoming uniformly wealthy, out of reach and out of touch.”- Robert Reich

Ever since the integration of television and movies there has been a problem with the whitewashing of American entertainment. From cartoons to live action features, producers and casting staff seem to have trouble creating a feature that is diverse and culturally appropriate enough to accurately portray America. The diversity of film and television is not important just because it gives all actors equal worth, but because it also shows the world how we view Americans who are people of color. Diversity on television is important for breaking stereotypes and typecasting, great representation of America and viewers want to see television that they can relate to. America is one of the most diverse countries in the world yet, its citizens still struggle with stereotypes.

It is no secret that the overwhelming majority of the most popular and award-winning Hollywood films feature white characters, played by white actors in the lead roles. Lindsey Hopes' analysis on "whitewashing" in the media examines the extent to which the structural apparatus of the film industry hinders the opportunity for success for minorities. The analysis found that only nine percent of the highest grossing films between 2000 and 2011 featured minorities as their top-paid actor. (Hopes,19)

The misrepresentation of minorities for the sake of the mainstream film industry has existed since the foundation of the Hollywood industry. While the industry favors the white male as the ideal for audiences to cheer towards victory, those who once played both racist and stereotypical characters are now taking the opportunity to speak out against the mainstream ideal. Out of the several minority groups working to change the definition of mainstream media to favor minorities, “… the recent expansion of Asian-American roles on television has paradoxically ushered in a new generation of actors with just enough star power and job security to speak more freely about Hollywood’s larger failures”(Hess). Unfortunately, the mainstream film industry seems to continually work against the sense of positioning minorities into leading roles, or much of any role in the big blockbusters Hollywood, and other mainstream productions, bank upon each year. The Asian male has long been the victim of racism, misrepresentation, and emasculation by the mainstream, and it continues to exist. Although, films are coming out, mostly from independent filmmakers, that counteract the racist Hollywood foundation, even if it’s in a very small degree. One film to have been held up as an opposition to this victimization of the mainstream film industry, Better Luck Tomorrow, directed by Justin Lin. By using an all Asian cast of young men to tell a coming of age story, Better Luck Tomorrow is praised for

Diversity (cultural, ethnic, multi generational) can affect projects and programs. What is Diversity? Diversity can be a range of different things. Or it can be the state of being different. Multi Generation is when someone can relate to several generations. So, certain movies or films can relate to certain people better. Who watches it can affect the popularity of the film or movie. First of all the movie or film should not offend anyone. And most importantly, they should like it. The film should be racist or target any people.

A content analysis of Black women unrealistic portrayals in American films. (Berger 2017) For this study, I will analyze three films Set It off, Girls Trip and Soul Food. Two out of the three films I watched during my childhood and didn’t notice or was aware of the stereotypes in the female lead characters. Recently, watching the films over and going to the theatre for the most recent one. I began to write down repetitive stereotypes that was displayed. Each film being discussed fell into the follow categories: Angry Black Women, Jezebel, Strong Independent Women, Strong Black Women. Data will be collected every time one of the characters in each film displayed any behavior that fits into the categories above.

According to Manatu Rupert in “ The Filmic Conception of the Black Female” film works to perpetuate the objectification of women. In particular as discussed earlier, the portrayal in the entertainment industry work to depict black women as being “ oversexed”. Hutchinson suggest that black women are typically portrays as highly sexual but the depiction emerged from black women being viewed as objects for sexual gratification during slavery. Those who create and direct in the entertainment industry also determine the representation. Rupert also implies that even films that were created more recently by Black people continue to perpetuate the representation of negative black female sexuality. It has been found by The Washington Post analysis of the 2015 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science membership that film director who rank among Hollywood’s most powerful decision makers were primarily males. Of the 355 in the Academy, only 3 are black women and 16 are black men. The lack of diversity behind the camera reinforces negative stereotypes. What is seen on screen is supposed to be an accurate reflection of the world lived in. Entertainment provides a mostly upper – middle-class male gaze that doesn't reflect diversity. Nevertheless, it is inevitable for there to be a good reflection of all

Many people like to watch movies as a source of entertainment. While actors and actresses act out various roles in movies, they make movies more entertaining for the audiences to watch. Now, think of the first five movie stars that you can come up at the top of your head. At least three of the five movie stars that you think of are white. As the majority of the movie industry consists of white people, minorities and their achievements are generally overlooked. The majority of the names on the credits contains white actors. Ethnic minorities are portrayed and treated differently within the movie industry compared to white people. In fact, minorities are more negatively treated as they face many racism and discrimination in the industry.

The diversity in Hollywood top films is low compared to the U.S. population. A study from Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism shows that in the top 100 grossing films of 2013 fewer than 5% of the actors were Hispanic even though they take up 15% of the nation. Hispanics is one the fastest growing ethic groups in United States but yet they are barely seen in movies or televison.

Films have the power to both influence and reflect society. The stereotypes prevalent throughout American culture are reflected in most films. While the United States is becoming an increasingly diverse country, this diversity is not portrayed within American cinema. Minority figures often occupy

Cosmopolitanism or the capacity of belonging everywhere has been defined by “a high level of mutual respect for the rights of others and a generalized tolerance of ethnic, cultural, political and national differences” (Buchanan, 2010, p. 99). Beyond the Kantian, individual definition, some recent sociological and cultural approaches on the issue suggest that it could be more productive to study it in a situated context and not as an abstract idea (Glick Schiller and Irving, 2015). Now that the concept is becoming more relevant to the study of transnational cinemas, it is worth to notice that this interpretation of film cosmopolitanism is not necessarily subscribed to the idea of a neutral cinema, free from local or national perspectives.