Diversity in television
For many people, they are drawn to a television show because
they feel connected to the characters. However, many people of color in the
Unites States struggle to find shows they connect with because no on these
shows look like them. The majority of shows on television are not
representative of what America look likes today. In fact, according to a Time
article “In terms of lead roles on broadcast TV comedies and dramas, there are
seven nonwhite people in America for every nonwhite character” (Rothman). Although diversity on television is not as
great as it can, there are many trends that can make someone feel hopeful for
the future of television.
Television is far better at starring minorities than movies
are. Television shows are more diverse in terms of race, gender, and sexual
orientation when compared to movies. In fact, there is much more diversity in
all areas of television then in movies. Whether it’s in front of the camera, or
behind the camera. Some good examples of this are ABC shows Blackish or Fresh
off The Boat, the CBS show Mike and Molly, and the Fox show empire. These shows
are only a couple of shows that star a diverse cast. As of March 10th
2015, according to an Indywire study there are seventy- three African- American
roles in ordered pilots on both broadcast and cable television, and half of
those roles are leading roles.(Indywire). Even though this does sound like a
huge step forward, most of these pilots will never be filmed, In fact, the odds
of a pilot being picked up and filmed are very slim. “a broadcast company that
buys 25 comedy scripts, will shoot 12 of them as pilots, and eventually, only 2
of the 12 will make it to series” (Indywire).
Broadcast Companies like CBS are aware of this trend and
having an open conversation with their viewers about how they are trying to
become more diverse. Glenn Geller who is the CBS Entertainment president made
sure to talk about his diversity plans he answered questions on Television
Critics Association’s press stage. He made sure that people knew that CBS was
making an effort to continue to have diversity on both sides of the camera.
“There is diversity at CBS-it exists in front of the camera, behind the camera,
and in our offices” (Rose). This pledge
to diversity is something that can attract many viewers, in fact during this
conference, Geller made sure to tell the audience that he was a homosexual. By
identifying with the LGBTQ community, he is also trying to show that diversity
is something that he takes pride in as well.
Glen Geller
Shows with a nonwhite cast, like
Black-ish or Scandal are doing remarkably well.
Television producers like Shonda Rhimes are creating hit television
shows with diverse casts attracting a diverse fan base. Because of this, many
actors are choosing to work in television instead of in movies. The fear that a
movie with a diverse cast won’t do as well is an archaic ideal that television
producers are directors are figuring out very quickly. the following graphic talks about both gender and race compared to the Emmy Awards from 1992-2012:
In those 20 years, every lead actress in a drama series was
Caucasian, and no women of color had ever won an Emmy for best actress in a
drama series. However, in 2015 Viola Davis won! She has a great quote from that
acceptance speech “ The only thing that separates women of color from anyone
else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that simply are not
there.” Viola Davis is not the only
women of color to win an award that night, Regina King won best supporting
actress in a limited series or movie, and Uzo Aduba won best supporting actress
in a Drama.
There are
clearly strides being made to make television more diverse. Although it is
still not great and there are many types of people who are extremely
underrepresented, there are increasing roles for people to identify with. With
new shows like Black-ish, or Fresh Off The Boat who offer more of a realistic
look at what life is like for a minority, television networks are trying to
become more diverse to reflect all the different people who watch their network.
Work Cited
Kang, Cecilia. "With Shows like 'Empire,' 'Black-ish'
and 'Cristela,' TV Is More Diverse than Ever." Washington
Post. The Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2015. Web. 13 Feb. 2016.
Obenson, Tambay A. "73 New TV Pilots & Series
with Black Actors in Starring And/or Supporting
Roles Ordered for Next Season. Here's the Full List." Shadow and
Act. Indywire.com, 10 Mar. 2015.
Web. 13 Feb. 2016.
Rothman, Lily. "The Hidden Factor in Hollywood's Racial
Diversity Problem." Time. Time, 13 Feb. 2014. Web. 13 Feb. 2016.
Rose, Lace. "CBS' New Chief on Diversity Goals, Peak TV Concerns and Colbert's Future." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 12 Jan. 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2016.
Ally D’Alia
ReplyDeleteI found this post written by Joe a really good read. I think the topic of there not being enough diversity in TV and film today is always an interesting one. It’s obvious that the dominant and main characters in 90% of the TV and films we watch are male and white. For whatever reason we hold true, it’s more appealing for us to watch something with all white characters, or a leading male figure. Most of the time, the Black, Latino, or Asian characters play supporting roles as a friend, colleague, or extra. They usually exempt a funny character role with some sort of attitude or quirkiness about them and that’s mainly how it has always been.
However, what came to my mind while reading Joe’s post is the TV hit series from the 90’s, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and The Cosby Show. Here we had 2 all black cast that were wholesome family shows. Though none of us were old enough, or possibly even born yet to really see the take that most American’s had on the shows while they premiered, it obviously has always been 2 greatly successful shows, given they ran for years and are still picked up today by huge networks like Nick At Night (Nickolodeon) and others that aren’t coming to mind right now. I think it would be interesting to see how most American’s at the time reacted to these shows at first given the predominant Black cast and African American references throughout the hit series.
Joe references that there are 73 African American roles in ordered pilots on both broadcast and cable TV with Black’s as leading roles. I can’t help but wonder what the huge difference is in these roles and what producers and writers are essentially lacking in getting these shows with roles like these picked up. How were we once able to make an all black cast show like Fresh Prince and The Cosby Show so successful in the 90’s yet almost 20 years later, struggle to get even just one African American leading role on prime time television. We have successful black reporters, black president, black producers, yet the struggle is still so real in TV and film for Black, Latino, and Asian leading roles. Perhaps it also could be because in Fresh Prince and The Cosby Show, both father figures were a doctor and a lawyer, raising successful and smart families, much like white families are portrayed in hit series. I also have never considered this fact and it was probably a huge contribution to how and why these two African American family shows did so well.
Before reading Joe’s post I also never realized how many pilots are pitched each year that never end up getting picked up. From our reading, I can see how much more opportunity there is for shows to be successful. “As Vulture also noted earlier this year, Netflix is on track to debut nearly three dozen shows in 2015, while YouTube and other digital players have both signaled their intent to jump into series-streaming in a big way.” (Adalian) Online streaming has clearly opened so many doors for new shows to be picked up and successful in today’s society. Hopefully with much more diversity in leading roles!
Adalian, Josef. "There Were Over 400 Scripted TV Shows on the Air in 2015." Vulture. N.p., 16 Dec. 2015. Web. 14 Feb. 2016.
Diversity is something that is never going to get old in the television Industry. We have certainly progressed in recent years with adding more diverse casts, but there is still so much we can do. We are always looking for more reasons to add diversity. This blog post made a great point about new shows like Blackish and Fresh Off The Boat. There are more and more diverse based shows coming onto the air, but there is still more to be done. Viewers are getting to the point where they don’t just want to see the token black best friend or the outwardly flamboyant gay. They want interesting characters, which just happen to be diverse. We don’t want their only storyline arch to be their race of sexual orientation. In the article we read for class from The Hollywood Reporter, CBS Chief Glenn Geller spoke outwardly about this person diversity in regards to the plan to increase diversity within their shows. He spoke candidly about “normalizing” diversity (Rose). This is the idea that they may be casting according to color, but they don’t plan to make a big deal out of it. Geller speaks openly about being part of the LBGTQ community because for him it’s not a big deal.
ReplyDeleteShonda Rhimes has been known to cast color blind. She casts the best actor for the job, and because of that her shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal have these diverse cast. Sometimes they aren’t diverse enough though, and that’s why Geller says CBS is “color-conscious” when it comes to casting (Rose). The Hollywood Reporter article touched on two new and highly diverse shows being brought to CBS. Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and Rush Hour are two of the most diverse cast the network has ever seen, so, it really shows that they are making an effort to diversify their casts. They plan to bring even more African-American and Latina actors as this new season of television kicks off (Rose).
One important fact to look at is when these diverse shows get outstanding ratings. It’s easy to overlook or dismiss diversity because these big executives are looking to make the most money. The big bang theory is the most watched show in 2014 according to an article by The Hollywood Reporter (O’Connell). It doesn’t have a terribly diverse cast, and heads of networks may look at this show and think it’s lack of diversity may be the reason it’s doing so well. That can’t be the case anymore though. In The Hollywood Reporter article, the 3rd and 4th highest rated broadcast shows of 2014 were Rhimes’ How To Get Away With Murder and Scandal (O’Connell). These two hits features of African American female lead, and they are getting the recognition they deserve. By using the color blind casting neither of these women’s’ problems revolve around the fact that they are people of color.
The fact that shows with diverse casts can make such an impact year to year shows the true power of diversity. Scandal viewership increases year-to-year, which is impressive for a returning drama (O’Connell). I think these big hits can really show the power and positivity of diversity on television. Viewers don’t want to see the same people on their screens anymore. A black girl will be more inspired to become a lawyer after watching Viola Davis take charge in the new episode of How To Get Away With Murder. There is real power in diversity, and it’s amazing to see the industry come so far, but there’s still a long way to go. There is still trouble with stereotypes within shows. We’ve come miles but there are still miles to go.
Work cited.
O'Connell, Michael. "The Highest-Rated Broadcast Series of 2014 - and How People Watched Them." The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Dec. 2014. Web.
Rose, Lacey. "CBS' New Chief on Diversity Goals, Peak TV Concerns and Colbert's Future." The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Jan. 2016. Web.
Angela Holdorf
ReplyDeleteAs someone who is open-minded to watching basically any genre of a television show, when I saw the topic for diversity in television I immediately wanted to read more about it. I thought Joe did a really great job and made some really decent points as far as the lack for diversity and the progress in TV today. He mentioned the shows Blackish and Fresh Off The Boat, which I have seen before and enjoyed watching considering they are very humorous. While progress is being made for diversity in television by airing shows directed mainly towards a certain race, there is still some progress to be made.
That being said, it is important to start to expand this progress even more than it already has for the generations to come. It is important for the children growing up today to see diversity in the television they are watching. In the article “ABC Family President Talks Freeform Name Change, Ditching ‘Hallowed’ Brand Association,” it states that “For our young audience, it’s important for them to feel like they’ve discovered something on their own,” he explained. “It’s the essential quality of being young” (Rose). I feel like that proves the point that young audiences are viewing these shows at a younger age, which makes this problem even more important. Freeform is another example of network that has recently expanded the diversity of the shows they air.
I thought the point that Joe made about how diversity is happening not only in front of the camera, but behind it as well was really well explained. That is an idea I feel like most people don’t really think about when they think about diversity and television. Joe made his point very clear when he used the example and quotes from CBS Entertainment president Glenn Geller, who is also homosexual. Bringing up producer Shonda Rimes and the first African-American Emmy award winner for a leading role, Viola Davis, was a great addition to this blog. I am a huge fan of Greys Anatomy, and I am the first to agree that Shonda Rhimes truly picks her actors and actresses blindly and based on talent alone.
“The opportunity for networks to build loyalty among social TV authors and drive buzz about their program is huge,” is stated in “The Making of Social TV: Loyal Fans and Big Moments Build Program-Related Buzz” (Nielsen). I feel that this can be compared to how networks are clearly trying to build loyalty or expand their TV audiences by bringing shows like Blackish to TV. I agree with Joe that television shows are more diverse, whether it is in front or behind the camera and that there is in fact more diversity in TV than in movies. It is not as great as it can be, but I think Joe made some really solid points on how it is at least
Work Cited:
Rose, Lacey. "ABC Family President Talks Freeform Name Change, Ditching 'Hallowed' Brand Association." The Hollywood Reporter. 9 Jan. 2016. Web.
"The Making of Social TV." Nielsen.com. 24 Aug. 2015. Web.
Maya Stav Cohen
ReplyDeleteThe topic of race representation and equality in all sectors of civilization has received great attention over the past many years, has brought about numerous opinions on the subject, and has collected a vast amount of responses and solutions to the underrepresentation of minorities in our society. A significant portion of this inequality towards races other than Caucasian is seen in the media industry as white men, women, and children take over the majority of the leading roles, especially in movies as Joe mentioned in the blog.
Reading Joe’s thoughts, it stood out to me that television shows, such as “Black-ish” and “Fresh Off The Boat” were attempts in creating a more leveled representation. This caught my eye as it made me realize that while it was a great and successful attempt in producing an increased amount of leading roles for minorities, it stuck them into acting jobs crammed with stereotypes and placed them in shows that were based around their race. While various Caucasian actors were given roles in a diverse set of television shows focused on crime, love, or mystery, television shows like the two mentioned above strictly limit the actors in “Black-ish” to play roles scripted around their race, and the actors in “Fresh Off The Boat” to do the same for their race. While there are other shows, such as “Scandal” and “How To Get Away With Murder” that allow leading black female actresses to play in roles interacting with a diverse cast and following scripts not focused entirely on their race, I see the first two shows mentioned as causing a potential problem for minorities, as it sends the message that in order for them to lead, special shows revolving around their race have to be created.
Looking deeper into Joe’s exploration of the media industries’ pathway to a more balanced racial ground, my cynical approach to media corporations intentions leads me to slightly believe that every action they commit is more for their benefit, rather than the benefit of the community. What I mean by this is that even if they genuinely cared about fair representation, if it drastically interfered with their income and popularity, the industries may choose money and success over equality. Although discussing his company’s name change, Tom Ascheim, the President of ABC, makes a good point in the article, “ABC Family President Talks Freeform Name Change,” saying, “We, like any business, need to grow, and growth only comes from two places: You make your core customers happy and you get new customers,” (Rose). I think everyone, including executive producers and television show creators understand the importance of attaining a higher equality level, but that the desire may not be strong enough to care more about that over money.
I’m not entirely cynical though, and with Joe, I agree that we are progressing and are better than where we were yesterday, which is important. What gives me hope that this positive change will progress is seeing individuals make a difference. Shonda Rhimes and Glenn Geller are both significant influences on this industry, as they take it upon themselves to cast mixed casts—not ones with just Caucasians and not casts deliberately focusing on minorities races, such as “Black-ish.” In the article, “CBS’ New Chief on Diversity Goals, Peak TV Concerns and Colbert’s Future, Geller is quoted saying, “CBS’ upcoming shows “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and Rush Hour” feature two of the most diverse casts that the network has had, and that diversity had been top of mind this development season, with projects targeting both African-American and Latina actors in the pipeline…We’re not casting color blind, we’re casting color-conscious.” I am confident in saying we are progressing in the right direction—although I feel as if certain television shows could do potential damage to the image attached to minorities, I know we are in a better place than we were a few years ago, and that’s reassuring and promising.
Maya Stav Cohen cont.
ReplyDeleteWork Cited:
Rose, Lacey. "ABC Family President Talks Freeform Name Change, Ditching 'Hallowed' Brand Association." The Hollywood Reporter. 9 Jan. 2016. Web.
Rose, Lacey. "CBS' New Chief on Diversity Goals, Peak TV Concerns and Colbert's Future." The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Jan. 2016. Web.
Joel, I think that this was a great topic to bring up and I have to say that I believe that TV is becoming more diverse. Now when I say TV, I am also referring to original shows that come out on Netflix and Amazon Studios. I believe that “Orange is the New Black” paved the way for diversity in both color and sexuality. More people were able to relate to it, because in some form they were able to connect with the characters. I also believe that “Fresh off the Boat” was an interesting addition to cable. Its cast relates to an immigrant audience, and though mainly focusing on a Chinese family the “struggles” portrayed relate to all immigrants, which is something out of the ordinary. I guess that means cable is finally realizing that there is more to being diverse than being either black or white, you go cable!
ReplyDeleteIn an article pertaining to network rankings it was stated that, “For AMC, having the biggest series on TV also has its rewards, and the network saw upward movement in 2015 compared with the year before” (Patten). The biggest series that the article is referring to is “The Walking Dead,” which also happens to be a relatively diverse show. Although I do not watch it, as I’m not into that whole zombie gore blood and guts sort of thing it’s interesting to see that a show with such a large and diverse cast has come so far. It’s almost as if as everyone is preparing for this so-called zombie apocalypse they are able to connect with a character in the show, and if the time comes for there to be an apocalypse they’ll be able to channel that character when chopping off zombie heads. How lovely, but will they prefer a gun or a machete? Another show that does remarkably well, though it pains me to say, is “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” which is led by a diverse “cast,” as they are Armenian. Not only that, but their famous Olympian stepfather Bruce Jenner also transitioned into Caitlin Jenner. Therefore, they appeal to a wide audience, although I’m sure most of the entertainment comes from what crazy thing Kim will say or do next…
Another interesting study by Nielsen showed that out of 10 shows the top program loyalty on Twitter came from primarily diverse shows (Nielsen). Seven out of ten shows on the loyalty list were all diverse shows. I guess that also shows just how well a show can do when it incorporates diversity into its casting.
All in all, I think that television has come a very long way, and its programming now reflects more of what we see in everyday life.
Works Cited:
Patten, Dominic. "Cable Ratings 2015." Deadline 22 Dec. 2015. Web.
"The Making of Social TV." Nielsen.com. 24 Aug. 2015. Web.
Diversity in race, gender and sexual orientation on television has completely changed in the last few years. We now have shows that consist of a diversity of cast member or a cast dominated by colored people such as “Empire” and even shows about trans-gendered people like “Transparent”. Transparent is a groundbreaking show that touches on sexual orientation, a topic that is hardly seen on television. It is really amazing how much television has changed in this way and how networks are working harder towards making their programs more diverse so that everyone has a connection to a show.
ReplyDeleteI think Joe wrote a really nice article about diversity in television. Race is definitely a sensitive subject especially in our country today. Personally when I am looking for a new series to watch I don’t look to see if there is a diverse cast or not, I just listen to peoples recommendations and add it to my list of shows to watch. I know for many people it is important to them and I completely understand and respect that. I strongly believe that networks should start pumping out more shows with diverse casts as well as with storylines that connect with all people in our country.
As for ABC Family’s name change to Freeform, I was really upset when I saw they were changing their name on commercials. I grew up watching ABC Family and its sad to know that it is no more. I hate when childhood things like this change, for instance at home MTV was always channel 36 until high school they switched channels out of the blue. My feelings were almost hurt because I grew up to it being channel 36 and that’s what I would put on when I got home from school. When there isn’t a good reasoning behind it, it’s almost infuriating but in the case of ABC Family I think that it is a good step towards diversity television. After reading the article on the reasoning for the name switch to Freeform, I felt a lot better about that change because it was for a good cause. “Ascheim expounded, saying the name "Freeform," was intended to evoke a sense of freedom” (Cwik 1). I believe that if they expressed to the volunteers in the focus group that the name Freeform would be replacing ABC Family, I don’t think they would have agreed to it. Either way it’s a step towards bettering television. In the article “ABC Family President Talks Freeform Name Change, Ditching ‘Hallowed’ Brand Association,” President Tom Ascheim states, “For our young audience, it’s important for them to feel like they’ve discovered something on their own,” he explained. “It’s the essential quality of being young” (Rose 1). Although ABC Family has just had one of their most successful financial year “on record”, they want to expand their variety of viewers and obtain new viewers.
Works Cited
Cwik, Greg. "ABC Family President Defends Name Change and Talks About What 'Freeform' Means." ABC Family President Defends Name Change and Talks About What 'Freeform' Means. 9 Jan. 2016. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.
Rose, Lacey. "ABC Family President Talks Freeform Name Change, Ditching 'Hallowed' Brand Association." The Hollywood Reporter. 9 Jan. 2016. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.
I think this blog post raises some excellent points about the diversity (or lack thereof) in the media. I never really considered that television is more diverse than movies are. I think that this is probably because tv shows can flesh themselves out more over time, while movies kind of have to stick to one defined script and then it's done. There's been a huge push for diversity in the last few decades, and tv shows have been able to adapt by including more characters from different backgrounds. Black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat are good examples, but even shows with predominantly white cast members (like soap operas) are adapting to more LGBTQ storylines and more diverse characters. A lot of channels are changing up the types of shows they put on.
ReplyDeleteThe article about "Freeform" resonated with me. I remember watching ABC Family and being constantly amazed at the types of shows on their channel. In the article "ABC Family President Talks Freeform Name Change, Ditching 'Hallowed' Brand Association", Lacey Rose writes, "What he found in the extensive research that had been done over the past year is that his core viewers are, indeed, very happy; but that the other two-thirds who don’t watch the network have a starkly different sense of what ABC Family is about. The latter, he revealed, over-index in only two attributes: 'family-friendly' and 'wholesome.'" (Rose 1) I agree with the statement towards the end of the quote. I always thought ABC Family was supposed to be a generally safe network, but when shows like Pretty Little Liars or Secret Life of the American Teenager were broadcasted on there, it made me question why it was associating itself with being wholesome. I actually don't agree with the move that ABC made in changing the name and theme of the network. If they wanted to broadcast more risque shows, why not put it on ABC? Why completely change their channel when, as they article reports, they were having a banner year?
I think that diversity is a good thing and we need to strive for it, but changing things up just for the sake of changing isn't necessarily beneficial. In the article "USA Network Goes Darker to Court Millennials", they describe wanting to emulate channels like AMC that attract younger crowds to shows like Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead. Both of the shows are incredibly dark (and good) but USA is more known for "fluffier" shows. One of my favorite shows of all time is Psych, a show that was broadcasted on USA until it ended after 8 seasons. That show was very far from being dark, but I still think it's one of the best shows I've seen. Rose writes, "they'll [millennials] find such themes as standing up to power and oppression relatable" (Rose 1). Do we always have to find shows relatable to enjoy them? I can't relate to being a kingpin, nor can I relate to fighting zombies. Both of those shows are on AMC, but I think people watched them because they enjoyed them, not necessarily because they related to them. It feels to me that USA is changing for the sake of being "fresh" which can be useful sometimes, but I don't see why conforming to what everyone else is doing will help them. If people want dark shows, they'll turn on HBO or AMC. USA doesn't need to go down that route too, otherwise television will actually become homogenous instead of diversifying.
Rose, Lacey. "ABC Family President Talks Freeform Name Change, Ditching 'Hallowed' Brand Association." The Hollywood Reporter. 9 Jan. 2016. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.
Rose, Lacey. "USA Network Goes Darker to Court Millennials." The Hollywood Reporter. 18 June 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.
Edit:
DeleteO'Connell, Michael & Rose, Lacey. "USA Network Goes Darker to Court Millennials." The Hollywood Reporter. 18 June 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.
Daniela Cantu
ReplyDeleteMSS495
I really enjoyed Joe’s post because it is an issue that I recognize as a minority. It’s very true that there is no diversity in the media and that something needs to be done about it. I agree that TV shows more diversity than movies do, and that both industries are in need of some change, but I think people forget that the issue goes deeper than just showing diversity. It’s not just about exclusion. It’s about the exclusion, misrepresentation, and discrimination of certain groups of people.
Misrepresentation in the media is a huge issue. More often than not, if there is a character considered to be “diverse”, they have stereotypical characteristics about them. And this can lead to discrimination.
Take That 70’s Show for example. Fez, played by Colombian-Venezuelan Wilmer Valderrama, was the only character of color. Some would think that this show was being accepting of diversity because they included someone of color, but the truth is that Fez was a very stereotypical character. Fez was the only character that was constantly getting made fun of. He was portrayed as dumb and he was trying to get his green card.
Hispanic stereotypes continue to be part of our televisions. Modern Family, although it is one of my favorite shows, portrays Sofia Vergara’s character Gloria as this angry Hispanic woman with an accent, who was difficulty understanding many things and mispronounces phrases.
Still, there are shows that are creating progress. Shows like Jane the Virgin and Empire, as well as Shonda Rhimes’ shows are changing the way people look at diversity. How to Get Away with Murder is a good example of this. Not only is the main character of this show black. Many people of color are included in the cast, without being stereotypical. The character Laurel Castillo is played by Karla Souza who is a Mexican actress. What I like about this character is that even though she is of Hispanic descent, it’s not emphasized. She is not the Hispanic character in the show. She’s a character who happens to be Hispanic.
This means that there is hope for the future. In the article “CBS' New Chief on Diversity Goals, Peak TV Concerns and Colbert's Future”, Glenn Geller, the CBS Entertainment president said that for the future of CBS, they are “not casting color blind, we’re casting color-conscious.” I think this is important because it show that the industry is aware that diversity is needed and that there should be awareness every time a show is casted so it can be as inclusive as possible.
Work Cited
O'Connell, Michael. "The Highest-Rated Broadcast Series of 2014 - and How People Watched Them." The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Dec. 2014. Web.
Rose, Lacey. "CBS' New Chief on Diversity Goals, Peak TV Concerns and Colbert's Future." The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Jan. 2016. Web.
It’s hard to believe after hundreds of years, race, gender, and sexual orientation is still such a prominent topic is the media industry. But the truth is, it’s something that is going to remain constant.
ReplyDeleteTelevision has taken a huge climb with cast and plot diversity. Shonda Rhimes, a projecting face in Hollywood in 2015, classifies diversity in Television as “normal”. Shonda Rhimes, the creator of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal” and one of television’s most proactive champions of casts that reflect American demographics. “Normal” should be the new “diversity” when we think about the future of television. “I’m normalizing TV,” Rhimes told the Human Rights Campaign this spring. “I am making TV look like the world looks.” I think this is without a doubt, the best way to describe what Television should look like. Normal.
Joel discusses shows like “Black-Ish” and “Fresh Off the Boat” as successful, diverse TV shows. I think this is such a great step in the right direction, however, I do fear that we are creating stereotypes for actors and actresses. In general, our mission as a nation is to come together and avoid segregation. These shows are segregating themselves by being only about those specific lifestyles. I am very two sided with this topic, I can truly go either way. I think it’s great that anyone of any race, gender, etc. have a show to relate to, but at the same time, it’s keeping humanity at a stand still by keeping it separate.
I thought Joel’s point that television is more diverse than movies are is very interesting. I have never taken that into consideration, nor have ever noticed it. I guess the uproar regarding the all white Oscar Nominations is a perfect example of that.
The article that really stuck with me was the FreeForm/ABC Family name change piece. I grew up with ABC Family, Boy Meets World and the Friday Night Lineup. I thought that ABC Family was timeless, classic, and a perfect representation of television. “We, like any business, need to grow, and growth only comes from two places: You make your core customers happy and you get new customers.” What he found in the extensive research that had been done over the past year is that his core viewers are, indeed, very happy; but that the other two-thirds who don’t watch the network have a starkly different sense of what ABC Family is about. The latter, he revealed, over-index in only two attributes: “family-friendly” and “wholesome.” “We’re delighted to be family-friendly and wholesome, but it’s kind of specific and it’s not particularly representative of who we are,” (Rose 2016). I agree with what Rose is saying here. They are broadcasting shows like Pretty Little Liars, and more risqué, young adult shows. It’s nothing a young child can watch. FreeForm is a Network where young, fresh, actors can make their debut appearance in some teenage millennial mystery saga.
Although there will always be some sort of divide, television is making progress and becoming relatable to everyone with a much more balanced racial-conscious platform.
WORK CITED:
Rose, Lacey. "ABC Family President Talks Freeform Name Change, Ditching 'Hallowed' Brand Association." The Hollywood Reporter. 9 Jan. 2016. Web.
Adalian, Josef. "There Were Over 400 Scripted TV Shows on the Air in 2015." Vulture. N.p., 16 Dec. 2015. Web. 14 Feb. 2016.