It is essential to recognize that Hollywood has taken steps toward representing women, minorities, & the LGBTQ+ community each year. However, there is still much to be changed in an industry that has a massive impact around the World.
At the moment, small steps toward equality and equity for all have been happening. But it's time to sprint in the direction towards normalizing diversity, representation, & inclusion in Hollywood. It may take time, but starting to make necessary changes in Hollywood will ensure a more inclusive and diverse future more representative of all the people and cultures our society has to offer.
Know the Difference Between Presence vs. Representation
According to the United States Census Bureau, it was reported that the Asian population in the United States was 22.9 million in 2019. The Chinese (except Taiwanese) population was the largest Asian group (5.2 million), followed by Asian Indian (4.6 million), Filipino (4.2 million), Vietnamese (2.2 million), Korean (1.9 million), and Japanese (1.5 million).
However, the representation of Asians and their cultures in Hollywood has failed to showcase the many different backgrounds. Instead, stereotypes and generalizations of Asian people have been present in many shows and films for decades.
“From what I can remember…I didn’t see Filipinos represented in TV or film in my childhood. There wasn’t an abundance of memorable non-stereotyped Asian characters that stood out in the ’90s,” says Maria Nicole Carmack, who is half-Filipino.
Shows and films such as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Mortal Kombat, Rush Hour, & Romeo Must Die are just a few of the presentations and movies in which the Asian representation on screen revolved around martial arts.
Maria can still remember when she felt more like the white female protagonist, Kimberly Hart, than the Asian female protagonist, Trini, on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
“Even though I could visually relate more towards Trini, it was Kimberly that I related or wanted to be more. Kimberly did gymnastics, taught dance, & had a best friend [Trini] who cheered her on at all her competitions. Trini was like Kimberly’s sidekick and didn’t have any interests outside martial arts & kung fu,” she says.
(Maria Nicole & her brother dressed as the Blue & Pink Power Rangers)
It is common for Asian-Americans of all backgrounds to feel underrepresented by American TV and film due to the lack of characters being written with diverse Asian backgrounds. This is especially true for Filipinos as many actors are cast in roles of other Asian ethnicities and characters of Spanish or Mexican descent.
The original cast of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers via Power Rangers Instagram
CHANGE STARTS FROM THE TOP
A person's qualifications and experience should be the most important in any industry when looking to fill a position. However, there is still an unspoken stigma regarding gender, race or cultural backgrounds, religion, and sexuality that has kept the workplace and individuals and communities from progressing.
Creating a diverse team of storytellers is a simple rule that has made POPSUGAR one of the top lifestyle brands reaching 300 million readers across all platforms. In her interview with Forbes, Sugar stated, "We hire a diverse team in-house and a diverse pool of writers. We also have a range of editors and writers reading copy before it posts to make sure the tone is spot-on and we are not missing something or making tone-deaf assumptions."
In Hollywood, the best course of action is to staff all television and film productions with individuals of different ages, genders, ethnicities, and upbringing to have the most success in telling various stories that include a cast of diverse characters.
Source: NYC Film Academy
Those at the top of any tv or film production have the opportunity to spearhead change immediately. These "top people" or positions would be the showrunners, creators, screenwriters, and head writers. These positions are directly responsible for bringing their story to life from the development stage until the project's release. They are also responsible for who gets hired as department directors for the production.
The numbers are appalling when looking at statistics in Hollywood. The inequality in the industry, the pay gap between male and female actors, and the significant absence of public figures in the LGBTQ+ and Asian community on lists like the Forbes list of the Top 100 Highest Paid Celebrities in the World.
Telling diverse stories filled with characters representing and including all walks of life should be an organic next step to changing the landscape of diversity in Hollywood and media. But this can only happen if the industry can get rid of individuals that use their power & influence negatively and creating toxic work environments.
CREATE A SAFE AND DIVERSE WORKPLACE
POPSUGAR's founder and president, Lisa Sugar, sees the positive impacts that diversity has on both the business and customer sides of any company. In an interview with Forbes, Sugar says, "Inclusion is great for the world but specifically for us as a business because we see higher engagement around our content when people feel like it applies to them. Brands are thrilled to see that and also respond to that. They appreciate that they can reach more people".
Creating a culturally diverse workplace needs to prioritize all companies across the Entertainment and Media industries. Companies must understand that filling a position with a woman, POC, or LGBTQ+ person to meet diversity standards isn't creating a diverse workplace and environment.
Having writers from different genders, sexual orientations, and ethnicities can keep productions from a slew of mistakes seen throughout entertainment history. Such as being tone-deaf, making the POC and LGBTQ+ characters sidekicks, or creating characters based on cultural stereotypes have been present in TV and film throughout history.
Stories such as homophobic comments to actors by crew members, racism from co-stars, or denying POC actors requests for hair and make-up artists with experience in POC hair & skin tone are just the tip of the toxic workplace iceberg in Hollywood. While homophobia & racism is easier to spot, HR Director Carey Curry points out how micro-aggressions are becoming more prevalent in the workplace.
For more on creating a safe work environment, check out the FULL interview on my YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/6uHE6rUaXqc
LEADING CHANGE BY EXAMPLE
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is an example of a show lead taking accountability for past mistakes by making necessary changes to create a better work environment.
The creator and executive producer of the CW drama, Riverdale, apologized to one of its series regulars, Vanessa Morgan, in June 2020 after publicly criticizing the show over its lack of diversity on the popular CW drama series. In his apology, Aguirre-Sacasa stated:
"We hear Vanessa. We love Vanessa. She's right…We will do better to honor her and the character she plays. As well as all of our actors and characters of color. Change is happening and will continue to happen. Riverdale will get bigger, not smaller. Riverdale will be part of the movement, not outside it."
The series creator even recognized that the issues begin and end with the writers room saying, "All of the Riverdale writers made a donation to @BLMLA, but we know where the work must happen for us. In the writers' room."
The show's criticism stemmed from the actor's frustrations regarding the mistreatment of black people in the media during the resurgence of the #BlackLivesMatter movement in early 2020.
In a note posted on May 31, 2020, to her Twitter account, Morgan took the opportunity to discuss the issues of black actors and characters in Hollywood, saying:
“Tired of us being used as sidekick non-dimensional characters to our white leads. Or only used in the ads for diversity but not actually in the show.”
Morgan’s character is openly bisexual, so while the statement addresses her character's race directly, it is also representative of a conversation many Asian, Latino, & LGBTQ+ characters and actors can relate to.
LGBTQ+ REPRESENTATION IN ARCHIEVERSE
“What it means to be queer in America is heavily shown in media. Seeing an Asian character who also is queer shows a sense of belonging,” says Hazel Saunders.
While Riverdale received criticism for its portrayal of POC characters, the program & the comic book the series is based on, Archie, has been praised over the years for its inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters and positive inclusion of Bisexual individuals.
Archie Comics has received 3 GLAAD Media Award nominations in the category of ‘Outstanding Comic Book”. In 2014, the Kevin Keller series by Dan Parent took home the trophy at the 42nd Annual GLAAD Awards.
Like the comic book series, Riverdale has also been well received in the LGBTQ+ community. The series has been nominated three times in the “Camp TV show of the year” category at the Dorian Awards from 2018-2020 by the GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics.
The series was the recipient of the Gamechanger Award at the GLSEN Respect Awards in 2019 for its portrayal of LGBTQ relationships in a High School setting. GLSEN works to educate and support K-12 students on LGBTQ+ issues.
It is worth noting that the series also has LGBTQ+ members and allies in the cast. KJ Apa, who plays the lead character Archie, has publicly shown his support for the idea of a gay storyline involving Archie as well as clapping back at homophobic comments made by an Australian Rugby player. Actress Lily Reinhart publicly came out as Bisexual in 2020, making the series LGBTQ+ inclusive both on and off-screen.
RobbyXO with Riverdale stars Cole Sprouse (left) & KJ Apa (Right)
It is no surprise that the mainstream media is cautious of how much & what type of exposure the LGBTQ+ community receives in the US, specifically the Midwest. "We all say "representation matters," and it does. It truly does. Seeing a piece of yourself meaningfully represented in any form of media can enable deeper understanding for you and the broader audience alike," states Hazel on the need for more LGBTQ+ exposure across the US.
Exposure to individuals of diverse backgrounds during childhood is crucial to creating compassionate adults, accepting, & loving, says the Deans Family. J. Robert, Elinda, and Sam Deans are the creators, story writers, and illustrators of the Grandpunwick universe. The Deans have created numerous children's books touching on racism, gender equality, homophobia, & immigration through age-appropriate stories and characters like Spicey the Cow and Shakes & Sprinkles the MooseLambs.
Diversity, Representation, & inclusions are issues and conversations that should cease to exist in society. If social norms were never talked about or fought for 20 or 30 years ago, we wouldn't see interracial couples, gay people, or women in positions outside of the household in TV or film. So, there will always be things to fight for on the diversity, Representation, & inclusion front.
Society must continue to grow, evolve, and accept all the differences humanity has to offer. "Beyond mere entertainment, representation can change minds — for better and for worse," says Hazel.
In her acceptance speech for the Best Makeup & Hairstyling Award at the 93rd Academy Awards, which took place in April 2021, winner Mia Neal said it beautifully:
"I can picture Black trans women standing up here. And Asian sisters. And our Latina sisters. And indigenous women. And I know that one day it won't be unusual or groundbreaking — it will just be normal."
