Imagine there is a young girl, eight years old, and she is Black – her name is Molly. Molly has grown up watching Disney princess films, Snow White, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and Princess and the Frog. Out of these five films, just one protagonist is Black, Tiana from Princess and the Frog. Therefore, whenever Molly watches films that are not starring Tiana, she never sees a princess or protagonist who looks like her. She cannot easily visualize herself in these roles, where she can be the heroine of her own story, be a leader, a princess, and be independent when she watches other Disney princess films. After all, children often aspire to be what they can see – and this can be difficult if these people do not look like you – especially at such a young age. This problem which Molly faces is one that many other people can relate to. In the film industry there is a very large disparity between the number of minorities both starring in and working on movies, as White actors accounted for 73.1% of characters in the top one hundred films in 2014 (Crigger and Santhanam). There has been a push by people within the business and outside of it who are making strides to try to minimize this gap and educate the public on how to consume these films. However, many say that progress is not happening quick enough. The film industry seems to have been in a stagnant state when it comes to diversity in its movies and as there seems to be some improvement, it is important that audiences of these projects know what they can do to be more informed and alert to these problems.

The film business has long had problems with diversity, which extend not only to on screen, but to the crew off screen as well. Women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA community are most affected by this problem. For centuries, Hollywood and the studios which reside there have been dominated by White men. These men dominate as the studio heads, actors, writers, directors, producers, editors and almost every other profession in the industry. While people may not discern why this is a problem, they must think of the stories which come from these men. How often does the audience see a Black woman over forty star in her own movie? When was the last time someone went to a movie and saw a transgender man in the lead of a romantic comedy? The answers to these questions are really difficult to find solutions to because more often than not these films simply do not exist on a blockbuster scale. It is difficult for White men to understand the stories and struggles of people that are not like them, which is one reason that the majority of movies made star a person of the same attributes. 

There is an argument that some may make, that there are simply no roles for people of color and that is what causes the problem of a lack of diversity, is only partially true. While there is a definite need for roles for members of minority groups, there is a frequent problem that occurs in Hollywood where White actors play roles made for people of color and members of the LGBTQIA community. There are several examples in recent films such as Aloha, Pan, Exodus: Gods and Kings, and The Lone Ranger (Brook). In Aloha, the actress Emma Stone plays a woman who is supposed to be of Asian descent (Brook). In Pan, Rooney Mara plays Tiger Lilly, a character who is Native American (Brook). The list of these instances go far back in the history of film including in the revered Breakfast at Tiffany’s in which Mickey Rooney portrays a Japanese man (Brook). These examples show just how disheartening it can be to be a person of color in Hollywood because even when there are the opportunities for roles, they are sometimes given to White actors. This practice in the industry only creates a greater problem with diversity.

 A recent study conducted by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism found after reviewing 414 films and television shows, that only one-third of speaking characters were female, 28.3% were people of color, and two percent were members of the LGBTQIA community (Reed). These dismal numbers exemplify why the lack of diversity in studios and Hollywood has translated into the media that millions of people consume. There is an immediate need for the people not represented in film to take charge in the industry, especially behind the scenes as writers, directors, and producers. 87% of directors were White and 3.4 percent of directors were women in 2014 (Reed). This problem is not just limited to American produced films either. The U.K. faces similar issues behind the scenes of their films. Only 1.5% of television directors, 2% of screenwriters, and 5.3% of the U.K. film production work force are nonwhite (Green, Silverstone, Gormley, and Payne-Frank). It can be said that because of the similarities in the lack of variety behind the scenes in two of the most powerful and influential countries in the world, there is a greater population that is being affected by these films than just the U.K. and U.S.’ own. If there is an increase of women, people of color, and LGBTQIA, there could then be an increase of stories about their own lives and struggles. This also comes down to the studios offering qualified and capable members of minority groups these positions, not just sticking to what and who they know. It is essential in a more diverse world to make sure that all members of the population are represented in its media.

Despite the dismal numbers of diversity in film, there are some who disagree with the idea that there must be greater diversity on the screen. Tim Burton, a very successful filmmaker, is one of these people. In Burton’s films he almost always has an all-White cast, and when he was confronted about this trend he immediately went on the defensive and said this, “…I grew up watching Blaxploitation movies, right? I said, that’s great. I didn’t go like, OK, there should be more White people in these movies (Denham).” By Burton’s statements he clearly does not understand the true problems which lie in the lack of diversity in Hollywood. It is not just about whether or not there should be more people of color in a film, it is about helping to stop the perpetuation of stereotypes and allowing people in an audience to find a greater sense of self in films.

Stereotypes have been a major issue all over the world, but in the United States it has been a problem for centuries. There are many theories on what exactly stereotypes offer to people, but one that fits most perfectly with the stereotypes perpetuated in films is the idea that stereotypes offer some sort of security. According to Rachel Silverman in her article “Stereotypes”, she describes thinking about stereotypes as a way to, “protect people from feelings of anxiety by designating one’s own group as normal and superior and making all other groups abnormal and inferior” (Silverman 373).  This can be very dangerous in ways which extend beyond the reach of film, but when stereotypes are applied to film characters, it has the potential of making the population that is being stereotyped take on these roles, which can be harmful (Silverman 373). It comes back to the scenario posed at the beginning of this essay: if Molly only sees White princesses being independent and strong, how can she then so easily apply these characteristics onto herself when she is Black? The same thing can be applied in to negative stereotypes and characteristics. If a young Black boy only sees Black men portrayed as thugs, aggressors, and criminals - does that not affect the way in which he views himself?  There are many common stereotypes placed on different members of society, for example women, gay men, lesbian women, Black people, Hispanic people, the Asian population, Muslims, and all other types of people. What makes film so important is that it is supposed to offer a look into what society is like, and how can that be an accurate depiction if it is so skewed by stereotypes? It simply cannot. 

Despite the fact that film largely perpetuates stereotypes in society, people still look to movies and television as a glimpse into the real world and the people within it. There is a great need for an increase of diversity in film for the very reason that it is where people can find some aspect of their self-identity (Green, Silverstone, Gormley, and Payne-Frank). When there is no one who looks like a member of the audience in a movie, they often cannot see themselves within that aspect of the world around them and it automatically makes them feel more isolated from it (Green, Silverstone, Gormley, and Payne-Frank). If there are people who question whether or not the film industry affects people, think about just how much money movies make, and how a business that is still fairly recent greatly alters and creates public discourse. The one thing that two vastly different people may have in common is their love for horror films or romantic comedies. This great hold that the industry has on the population makes it such a blessing and a curse. On one hand there is the opportunity for great harm, if a movie with racist ideas and themes makes millions of dollars, there could be a potential for a surge of those ideas within those who viewed it. On the other, there can be no greater perpetrator of change than movies. With a largely more diverse and inclusive film industry there could be a great open mindedness that comes with it, and the beginnings of great social change. This is why it is so important that diversity is no longer taboo in the business and that people are educated consumers of movies and television. This cannot be done overnight, and while strides seem to be made each year – change just does not seem to be coming quick enough; this is why it is imperative that the audiences, especially younger generations, are being educated on how best to consume and understand media. 

There has been progress in the diversity of the film industry in the past year especially. In the last month, the 89th Academy Awards were held and a historic moment for Black films happened. Moonlight, a film about the life and journey of a Black, gay boy, won Best Picture at the Oscars. This was momentous occurrence in Academy Award history, as it was the first time an all-Black cast film won Best Picture (France). The fact that, Moonlight, a film directed and written by an African American man, starring an all-Black cast was even made was an incredible feat, and its Oscar wins were the icing on the cake. At this same award show both awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor were given to Black actors, Viola Davis and Mahershala Ali for Fences and Moonlight, respectively (France). Not only were Fences and Moonlight nominated for Best Picture, but also the films Hidden Figures and Lion were as well. Hidden Figures told the story of three African American women who helped NASA put a man in space, and Lion was about a young Indian boy’s journey to find his family (Levielle; Brooks). This year’s Oscar nominees and winners included a much more diverse and inclusive group of films, which pleased many. While the nominations and wins are extremely well deserved there is a fear that perhaps this much more diverse Oscars was in response to the ‘#OscarsSoWhite’ debacle of last year’s award ceremony (France). However, whether or not this year’s Oscars nominations was in response to the award’s last year, there is still much to be celebrated. The fact that so much progress occurred in one year is startling, and one can only hope that this momentum does not stop with this year and continues growing strong. 

Despite this seeming surge of progress there is still, unfortunately, so much progress to be made as films continue to be made which continue to promote stereotypes and lack diversity, but there are steps to be taken to combat these problems. There are many people in the recent years who have seen what a problem the white washing of Hollywood is causing, and there are several ideas on how to get the studios to actually make the changes necessary for the public. One way, which was researched by Drew Harwell of the Washington Post, was to get the studios to see how much money there is to be made in diverse movies (Harwell). Minorities comprised almost half of all ticket sales in 2014, and in that same year, films which starred people of color led the box office in September (Harwell). The movie-goers of today’s world are not just White men, despite what the executives in Hollywood may think, and this is most likely limiting the profits they are making. People like to be able to relate to whose lives they are watching on screen, so if there was more diversity in casting there would be an increase in the number of people who attend those films. Essentially there is not only important social related aspects of inclusive filmmaking, but financial ones as well. 

Another way to get the studios to create a more diverse environment in films is an idea proposed by Richard Guay at IndieWire, for diversity incentives (Guay). Guay’s idea is that in a similar fashion to the way that film production in states like Georgia are increased by state tax incentives is to do the same for diversity (Guay). In his words this is what it would look like, “the simple addition of a 5% Diversity Incentive could reward film and television shows that have women, people of color and LBGT individuals in major roles in front of and behind the camera (Guay).” This idea is one of a kind, and something that may actually work. It would offer a monetary reward for having an inclusive cast and crew. While this may seem like it is just a way of rewarding studios for what they should already be doing, it is a way to get the ball rolling on something that would be very important for the populations who would watch these films. These ideas both seem pretty big picture, and really do not offer much for the everyday person to actually do, but there are ways for the everyday citizen to become a more informed viewer and hopefully create change.

There is a great way for viewers of movies and television shows to combat the stereotypes of what they consume and this is called media literacy. Media literacy is, “the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and communicate messages in a variety of forms” (Scharrer and Ramasubramanian 172). The idea is that by using media literacy education, especially on the youth, there will be a more educated public who in turn can consume the media they receive in a critical way. This critical thinking could be used to help deter the harsh side effects of stereotypes in society. The hope is that by giving children, and even eventually adults, media literacy education it can, “help to address prejudice and racial bias and promote an appreciation for diversity and multiculturalism (Scharrer and Ramasubramanian 183).”  Another positive that can come out of this type of education is an increase in a larger social discussion about the film industry itself, and its wrongs – which can in turn create change (Tukachinsky 196). There has not yet been a large amount of studies done with this education as of yet, but there hopefully will be in the near future and that the public can have access to this type of education within their public schools (Scharrer and Ramasubramanian 171).

As of now there are several actors within the film industry who are hoping to create change from within it, but one who is taking it a step further is Geena Davis who created the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media (Di Nonno and McVeigh 73). Davis and her institute are working to change the industry for children and to make sure that there are female characters who are good examples for them (Di Nonno and McVeigh 74). They have taken steps in changing the stories that are being produced from within the business, and encourage parents to show their children “gender imbalance whenever they can” (Di Nonno and McVeigh 74-75). The biggest role that a concerned audience member can play right now is to be critical to what he or she is consuming, question whether or not there are stereotypes being fulfilled through certain characters, and if possible to show the youth they know what is wrong with what they are watching. Do not sit idly by and unknowingly give in to the stereotypes offered, think critically and pay attention!

Film and television has historically been a white washed industry, and while there is progress being made, there is still so much to be done. There is education that is being created to help youths think critically about what is being shown to them, and possible incentives for studios to produce more diverse movies, but it is up to the viewer – until great change has been made to the industry itself. Audiences are a key part in making sure that the stereotypes and underrepresentation of groups like women, people of color and the LGBTIA community is stopped. Consumers of films can make sure to support films with a diverse cast and crew, so the studio will be more likely to produce more like it. They can watch with a critical eye, and they can generate public discussion and social movements like ‘#OscarsSoWhite’ that can make their voices heard. After all, no great progress has been made without people to create it.
