Hollywood Diversity
Films exist to share stories. Films are made by people so the vast majority are about people. Humans are likely to share the stories that ring true to them, that are familiar. This means that if an industry is populated by a large majority of one kind of people, you will see a large majority of one kind of stories. This has been clear in Hollywood for a long time when it comes to race. Despite increasing representation of minorities in film Hollywood has a long way to go before equal representation.
Racism in film is as old as the medium itself. The first ever “Talkie” (film with synchronized sound and visuals) was in 1927. It was Al Jolson’s “The Jazz Singer”, which heavily featured a character in blackface. One may think we have moved beyond this practice but as recently as 2008 Hollywood blockbuster “Tropic Thunder” featured Robert Downey Jr. in blackface makeup. This was for satirical purposes but it shows that Hollywood is more willing to watch a white man play black than they are to feature black actors.
This is shown with white actors who play people of color. A practice called “White Washing” Some recents examples of this include Scarlet Johanssoan playing an Asian character in “Ghost in the Shell” or Emma Stone playing half Asian in “Aloha”
Most of the racial injustice in Hollywood is not as visible. It often manifests itself in a lack of representation behind the scenes. This means there are fewer authentic voices trying to tell minority stories. Over 90 percent of writers in Hollywood working on feature films as of 2016 were white. This means they have the access to tell more white stories.
Often movies that feature black main characters are seen as niche. That they belong only to black people. This is true of many films that feature minority leads. This is in contrast to white leads who are supposed to be relatable to all people watching. British blogger and writer Nikesh Shukla noticed this discrepancy and remarked ““I realize that white people think that people of color only have ethnic experiences and not universal experiences.”
On every level from production, to sound, to lighting, to costumes, to acting, to writing, to directing there is a white majority. This makes it difficult for minority voices to be heard. But that does not mean it is impossible. Organization like Creative Cypher seek to lift up minority voices and give them a place within filmmaking. Look below to see an interview with Creative Cypher’s founder Troy Pryor.