Submitted by Darryl
In this article, we write about how the characters in movies and TV series affect our perceptions of others, and change how we relate to people.
Introduction
In general, through our lives, we take on attributes of those people around us, the role models we look up to, the people we spend time with every day, and we also take examples of what not to be like, from the villains in the stories of our lives. As the saying goes, “You end up being like the people you hang around with most“.
As our society consumes more and more TV, movies, Netflix, and YouTube, we are reducing the number of normal humans from our own culture and heritage that we are in contact with, and replacing them with fictional characters, represented by a very small minority of people, selected for their looks first and foremost, and secondarily their acting ability. Diversity is being squeezed out of our sight.
The issue
Diversity in casting became a hot topic some years ago. Since then, interest has died down, but the issue still exists. For example, there’s even a known problem with the prevalence of a “token black actor” in Hollywood movies. Real change wasn’t made deeply, unfortunately. We rarely see a person of disability in a leadership role. Except of course, for Professor X in the X-Men series, in his famous wheelchair (this author’s personal favorite). Many suspect that this plot detail only exists in the films because the original comics had this portrayal. Where are all the people of diverse ability, and diverse background? Will we just have another “token wheelchair user” phenomenon?
Audiences
Sometimes, media targeted at adults has a broader collection of people in the cast. Sometimes, they have complex characters who aren’t purely good or purely evil. Sometimes they acknowledge the culture and background of the fictional character. That’s good. But in the formative years, when we’re watching PG-13 movies, the protagonist is often a young white male. He’s similarly named to all the other young white male protagonists, even with the same haircut. This teaches young black boys that, in order to be the hero, they need to be like that. Even the enlightened and diversity-inclusive J.K. Rowling has Harry Potter as the central hero of her novels.
Choice
Of course, some may cry out that “Well, you don’t have to watch those shows!”. And that is true, ultimately it is up to us, when we choose what to watch. But it takes a super-human level of skill and vigilance to switch the channel of the TV when one show finishes and the next starts. But the choice is ours, even if there aren’t many diverse films like Black Panther. If you have children, you’re actively teaching them about the world, so, it’s even more important to think about what media you consume, who you watch it with, the choice of where to watch it, and other factors.
Netflix
Things have changed so much with the massive and popular rise of streaming services, like Netflix. It used to be a select elite few who decided which movies got made, which movies got funding, and which actors got picked for the films. But now, the young and “crazy” folks at Netflix are making their own films! Who knows what quirky, diverse, and strange films will be made by them next. I can’t wait. The TV shows already have a diverse cast, but they are mostly still traditional in being the stories of young white males. Admittedly, in their astoundingly successful hit Stranger Things, the writers often used the fact that the series is set in the 1980’s to shine a spotlight on anachronisms of the time, and it really helped to highlight how far we’ve come. Race and sexuality do come up, especially when the four male male protagonists are choosing which Ghostbuster to dress up as, for Halloween. The young black male, Lucas, has a tense few moments with one of the other three (white) boys, over the assumption that Lucas (being black) would dress up as Winston, the black Ghostbuster. The point was made well and didn’t feel like a heavy-handed protest, it blended into the plot quite well. If this kind of enlightened film making is a sign of things to come, as we transition from elite-controlled film and TV to democratized international streaming services, then sign me up, I can’t wait.
Film
Film has been on the front-line of the race issue. In the past couple of years, we have seen the progress from something like the 2016 film, Loving, which portrays an interracial couple in the 1960s, to the 2017 films, Mudbound and Get Out. For those who haven’t seen Get Out, which has been praised for its handling of racial issues, I’d like to say that it’s a film about a black man meeting his white girlfriend’s parents for the first time, after she hasn’t told them that he’s black. There are some very tense scenes, and the way that race and love is handled is very sensitive, showing that even in the modern day, there are still issues to overcome.
Conclusion
You have to take it upon yourself to be the change you want to see. We can only control our own actions, but if we can influence our friends, family, and children, we can help to create a better world for us all.