Minorities in Media *EDITED*

Someone did their project over twilight and we got into a conversation about how different people are underrepresented in the film. While I agree that a lot of movies are mostly white, I wonder what conversation we would be having about a story of a black family written by a white person…

Again I find myself thinking back to this Macklemore rapping about black culture. Does it then become cultural appropriation and a bad thing? Would the movie then be chastised because a white producer is making money off a “black” movie?

Also what about your “token black friend” in many movies? Where is the line between being criticized for including people and including the right number of people? The fact that the “token black friend” is even a widely understood role proves there is an issue at hand but how do we fix it?

To further this question I wonder: are we arguing that producers and movie companies should be producing more movies and books written by black people or that just in general there needs to be more of a mix? Are we criticizing this media for symbolically annihilating minorities or are we mad because of how everyone is represented in whole?  Are we criticizing people for writing about their culture or the culture that they know or are we criticizing the industry?

Who are we blaming and why?

To me it seems like no one can do anything correctly. No matter what we do, we are always criticized for something. So where do we draw the line? When is it enough?

Then we run in to the issue of racial segregation again in media. If the black community is unhappy with the number of white people in most American movies, it could be argued that they should go make their own predominantly black movies. This is clearly not a viable solution since the black community does not have the same means or opportunities as the white community to produce blockbuster films and this also brings back the idea of separate but equal.

So what is the solution?

In major films should the industry impose a requirement of each race? Or should movies be cast blind where production crews can’t see the people auditioning and the color of their skin? But then what if the movie is about the history of slaves and white actors get cast as slaves? Or if a biography of George Bush and his family (who are clearly all white) is being made, how should other races be incorporated into that? I know these are slightly extreme examples but the idea holds: when is it good enough and where is the line drawn?

I do think there is a large importance in equally representing different races in media becase that is how our society becomes more comfortable with “others.” For example, the Cosby show was the first real show about an affluent black family who lived like “regular” (aka white people). Or the TV show Modern Family, which has helped normalize gay relationships in many places. These shows included groups that are not regularly represented and helped society feel more comfortable with them. While I don’t think it is right to say that rich affluent white men need time to help them feel comfortable with these minority groups, I know that everything takes time and adjustment and depends on the education of the next generation.