The Challenges Of Diversity In The Film Industry

The 2015 Hollywood Diversity Report, published by UCLA’s Ralph J. Bunche Center, said that while minorities account for more than half of frequent US moviegoers, the representation of those minorities has dipped since 2013. The report describes that year as a “breakout year” for black films, including 12 Years a Slave and The Butler. In 2015, Straight Outta Compton made over $60m, which was $20m higher than expected. (Hollywood Diversity Report). The report says black audiences are repeatedly undervalued. What the report is proving is that the lack of diversity in the film industry is actually costing Hollywood money. The problem and solution seem almost obvious when looking at these specific examples – do not underestimate minority audiences and how much money they will collectively spend watching movies with diverse

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.

For more than nine decades, the name Walt Disney has been preeminent in the field of family entertainment. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to today 's global corporation, Disney continues to proudly provide quality entertainment for every member of the family, across America and around the world. The company is diversified, focusing on its mass media headquartered in Burbank, California (Iger, 2012). In terms of revenue, it is the largest media conglomerate in the world (Silkos, 2009). Founded on October 16, 1923, by the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in

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.

Simply because awards and such doesn’t include diversity, does not mean that almost all of America doesn’t. In today’s society, we are allowed the privilege of being able to interact with people of different races and ethnicities. From what America was before, we were unable to freely express things such as our genders and race without barricades and obstacles. Now, these are all accepted in our society today. “Washington wanted America to stand for something different; not the old idea that we are better apart, but the high hope that we are ether together. Respect, relationship, and service to the common good...” (Patel, Making Future Better…). This was the beginning of how diversity was craved by Washington and others. He wanted all of us to unite and be in assistance to each other, rather than be spanned apart. Although McGregor is right about her statement, because there was no showcase of diversity at that specific event, McGregor is correct. However. She is mistaken in which she is categorizing all of America as not cherishing our diversity. With these factors in mind, even if she does think America doesn’t cherish our diversity, the idea can still grow as well. Slowly, films and shows are expanding in terms of casting. Now, people of every color have the chance to be nominated and such. As time passes, nothing stays the same and with time, I believe that we can show our true diversity. I personally do think America cherishes our diversity, based on the main factor that it’s not obvious for visuals and various reasons. Together with time, we can only improve and change for the

In discussions of diversity, one controversial issue has been whether or not America cherishes its own diversity. On the one hand, Eboo Patel argues that America loves its own diversity and cultures. On the other hand, Jena McGregor opposes that Hollywood has a lack of diversity and therefore does not cherish it. Others even believe that America has a little bit of a Love/Hate relationship and remain undecided to the topic question, “Does America cherish diversity.’’ My own view is that America doesn’t cherish its cultural, racial, and gender diversity.

This is the second straight year in which not a single person of color was nominated for an acting Oscar. Jada Pinkett took it upon herself to bring people’s attention to the lack of diversity in the Oscars and in Hollywood, in a video posted on her face book page. Diversity can be defined as the inclusion of different types of people, race, or cultures in a group or organization. United States of America is a country full of different diverse group of people, races (Black white), culture, and religion. An organization’s success and competitiveness depends upon its ability to embrace diversity and realize the benefits. For example, if workplace diversity issues are handled well in an organization, benefits are reported. Also, according to a broadcast on NPR, Mcevers says, “Right, I mean, one of the findings of your Hollywood diversity reports at UCLA is that movies with more diverse cast tend to make more

There are many things I want to learn and get to the bottom of while researching this topic. My main question is, “Why is this happening?” Honestly, I cannot even believe this topic is actually still an issue. When thinking of movie directors, producers, etc. I would assume them to be a group of progressive and inclusive people because the artist community generally is. So, how have these people let this happen? I would also like to look in to how this misrepresentation affects the minorities of America. There could possibly be underlying psychological turmoil in minorities which causes them to feel less capable. This brings me to wonder if there is any underlying racial bias in everyone because of who is glorified in in movies and shows. In order to answer such questions, I will research to find if any psychologist have done any studies on the effects of television and film on our subconscious in terms of the representation of minorities. I am also curious how other diverse countries such as Canada’s television and film look. I will compare the United States to these diverse counties in my research in order to provide a more global view.

As people of this country, we need to realize that we are not all that different simply because of one's race, hence representation should increase. Also, when there are representations of people of color they should be distinct from the clichéd character that has already been seen hundreds of times; films need to convey the message that an individual should not be defined based on their race. When we come to think about it, we do not realize that what we see on the screen can influence how we see others in reality. Without a doubt, what you see on the big screen can impact how you might view your neighbor, your boss, or even a complete stranger and possibly for the worse; all types of races are affected by the racial representation in films and series. If there is an increase in racial diversity within Hollywood, we will receive a variety of perspectives of people of color and not simply biased stereotypes.

There has been many controversies about the lack of diversity in Hollywood and one of the most recent one was the 2016 Oscars. The Oscars is an award show that showcase the best people in front and behind the camera. Unfortunately there was barely any diversity in the nominations this year since most nominators were white, even though there was many diverse films that were considered Oscar worthy. With that being said,people protested that there needs to be more diversity in these categories and some actors agreeing by using the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite in social media. To make things worse, the Academy Awards members are majority older white males which brought to the attention from the protesters that in order to have diversity into the awards, the members itself needs to represent of all races so, it can be considered a fair choice. Which make sense to why throughout history of the Oscars there was always a discrepancy of diversity in the nominations since 1929 because only a very small percentage of minorities actors have received an award compared to the white actors that dominated the Oscars with a high percentage of winners. This created tension in Hollywood that the Oscars are marginalizing itself as a all white program and that there needs to be changes.

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

Plenty of television shows and movies appear to be diverse, but after a closer look, unsurprisingly, roles tend to be overwhelmingly pale and male. While I thought the media I watched showed a variety of races, it turns out 74% of the characters are white, and 51% are white males. Shows like The Walking Dead and New Girl both feature racially diverse characters, but are anchored around a white protagonist. In The Shawshank Redemption, the main character, again, a white character, is the hero of the story, but receives crucial assistance from an African American man. Only 26% of characters were nonwhite and only 32% were women.

“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

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

Hollywood continues to welcome diversity to its screens. And it looks like the next James Bond 007 will be a Latin actor instead. Straying away from the usual British theme, Fernando Carrillo looks like he is next in line.