In the past decade, we’ve witnessed an influx of diverse characters in the media. Starting with The Princess and the Frog, some would say we’re on a generational run when it comes to diversity. However, this remains to be face value. Really, when we look deeper, much of the representation in media recycles the same pro-western stories under the context of diversity. We see this in animation, live action, literature, and more.
Historically, there has been a fight for nuance in the media. Take the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s for example. Black cinema made significant advances with nuanced black leads that went beyond stereotypical and demeaning portrayals at the time. However, progress eventually regressed, appealing to stereotypical caricatures. Post World War II, there was a shift in film production, with a focus on silencing black voices. Black representation came in the form of “passing” people of color. Â
Currently, history continues in this cycle of progress and regression, fed by systemic oppression. Hollywood is still a primarily white space and continues to promote western culture in lieu of any alternatives. 80% of directors and codirectors and 91.5% of writers and co-writers are white. And the issue is not simply that these artists are white, but the same stories and actors seem to be recycled in favor of the pursuit of true representation.Â
Recently, darker skinned black women have been absent from the screen. The black representation we do have is reused into the same archetypes while Hollywood consistently promotes the narrative that Western culture is the answer. This issue is faced by all communities of color. For example, Hispanic and Latino representation is treated similarly, and this is all without even mentioning the issue of casting discrimination. Racially ambiguous actors are consistently cast as races they have no cultural background in. Take Oscar Isaac, a Cuban and Guatemalan actor, who has been cast as “ethnically flexible”. Isaac has portrayed various characters of various races, which contributes to the erasure of cultural actors. Erasure in many forms is impacting all communities of color. Non-Western narratives cannot persist for long without the inclusion of pro-Western propaganda that typically resolves the plot, even in animated films. Take Disney’s Elemental as an example, a gorgeous film whose main character can serve as a metaphor for first generation daughters of immigrants. The film finally resolves when said main character parts from her cultural expectations to pursue her dreams. Inherently, this is not a bad film, but it is a story we see all too often: the promotion of Western ideals as the savior that requires the sacrifice of unique culture. It’s become a habit for Hollywood to use diversity to demonize other cultures and perspectives. We got diversity, but on their terms: terms that tell people of color they are interesting enough to write stories about, but not enough to pursue true cultural representation.Â
Frankly, there are simply more stories to tell. Hollywood continues to profit off of botched representation, making it as if audiences are meant to be grateful for the slim margin of “diverse” films and media we have. We should, and need, to be seeing the nuance and culture and complexity of diversity in media beyond pandering to Western ideals.Â