No One Man Should Have All That Power
Topics like diversity and inclusion are a threat to white men, especially in Hollywood. In other words, because white men dominate the film industry in Hollywood they are basically responsible for telling us who and what stories to value. They are in control of the message and are resistant to change because they know what’s at stake; taking a risk and allowing more opportunities for the underrepresented means forfeiting their power. In truth, there aren’t enough diverse voices present in the entertainment industry to regulate minority representations or content quality, which is problematic because programming developed for an underserved audience gets overlooked, while shows with a predominately white cast are more likely to receive a substantial amount of acclaim.
To illustrate, Entertainmentreports claim movie reviews are mainly authored by white males. According to the statistics, the ratio of white male top critic reviews to underrepresented female top critic reviews are 31 to 1. These alarming results can be applied to television reviews as well because male critics in general dominate the industry by 78.7%, while female critics only contribute 21.3%. The gender and racial disparity in entertainment is real. Moreover, there is evidence indicating that a critic’s identity affects how media is evaluated, and that white male critics are more likely to rank movies with underrepresented female leads lower than their underrepresented female counterparts. This information is problematic because storylines driven by white males receive more visibility, praise and funding than storylines led by people of color. The inequality reported shouldn’t be ignored; however, there is a lack of urgencyto correct it.
With this in mind, there is a systematic denial of opportunity for marginalized people in production as well as for critics. The shortage of diverse voices in media is damaging to the underrepresented image. According to Isabel Wilkerson’s article: “Television; Black Life on TV: Realism or Stereotypes?” she acknowledges that black characters are routinely typecast as ghetto, criminal, violent and dysfunctional. Wilkerson goes on to report, “…Crack is a required character.” Blacks onscreen are typically stereotyped to be one dimensional which taints the overall image of blacks in reality. The media teaches consumers whom and what to value, which is concerning when 91% of showrunners are white and only 4.8% of blacks work in Hollywood writers’ rooms. Essentially, this disparity is more likely to result in irresponsible storytelling, thus underrepresented voices are needed in entertainment to reclaim their identities and authentic experiences.
Without a doubt, there is a demand for authenticity; however, blacks in United States have fought long and hard to have their humanity validated. In 1951, the NAACPpassed a resolution that condemned all whom depicted black people in a stereotypical and derogatory manner. Although pressure was put on the film industry to address minority representation, the NAACP claims, “The entertainment industry would remain curiously intransigent in many ways for decades to come.” Not only audiences, but also minorities who work in entertainment have been conscious and wary of the misguided portrayals of underrepresented characters; however, challenging black images and authenticity in Hollywood can be risky. People of color working in the industry have historically been excluded and also had legitimate fears of losing pay and employment if they defended their realities.
Consequently, black and other underrepresented characters are vulnerable to misrepresentations in the writers’ room. With this in mind, niche programming eventually became a thing. According to “Branding Blackness on US Cable Television” author Jennifer Fuller argues that cable channels have used blackness as a branding strategy to promote themselves as edgy and innovative, which is an effort to remain distinct and cultivate viewer loyalty. Essentially this is done by producing high quality content that features complex, controversial themes, depictions of social realism and minority casting. Although this cable branding strategy boosted some visibility for people of color, black representation isn’t necessarily driven by the demand for their stories, but the demand for white and non-white cable subscribers who happen to be interested in them. Moreover, “Several studies have shown that blacks watch more cable than whites and subscribe to premium cable in high numbers” (Fuller 291); therefore, it is in the financial interest of cable channels to foster customer loyalty by being attentive to the needs of its narrow audience.
As a result, shows like ABC’s Black-ish, OWN’s Queen Sugar, and HBO’s Insecure offer fresh and positive portrayals of blacks; however, it can be argued that Black-ish is the modern Cosby, and that Queen Sugar and Insecure specifically cater to an underrepresented female audience, which studies suggest is considered repellant for the white male critic. These shows have managed to broaden the range of black representation, but as much as people of color claim they want to distance themselves from negative typecast, other black produced shows such as Starz Power and FX Snowfall can’t seem to escape the ghetto, drug-dealing and other morally corrupt behavior in their storylines. According to executive producer of Power, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson said there is a demand for stories that revolve around damaged people.
The premise of Starz most popular original series, which was recently greenlit for its sixth season is based on the story of: “James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick), a wealthy New York City nightclub owner who caters to the city's elite. He wants to build an empire, turn the club into a Fortune 500 business, but there's just one problem: Ghost is living a double life. When he is not in the club, he is the kingpin of the most lucrative drug network in New York for a very high-level clientele. His marriage, family and business all become unknowingly threatened as he is tempted to leave his criminal life behind and become the rags-to-riches businessman he wants to be most of all” (Courtesy of IMBD). In the same way, John Singletons Snowfall“Looks at the early days of the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles during the beginning of the 1980s” (Courtesy of IMBD). These narratives are repetitive, but what’s more intriguing is when whitewashed crime dramas receive an abundance of critical acclaim for content with the same type of story and morally bankrupt characters than programming with a black-led cast.
For example, HBO’sThe Sopranos: a series that revolves around fictional New Jersey-based, Italian American mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini). The series portrays the difficulties that he faces as he tries to balance his home life and his criminal organization. Throughout the course of six seasons The Sopranosnot only received a total of 118 industry award wins but also 301 nominations according to IMBD. Similarly,AMC’s Breaking Bad: is a story about a chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston) is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given only two years to live, he decides he has nothing to lose. He lives with his teenage son, who has cerebral palsy, and his wife, in New Mexico. Determined to ensure that his family will have a secure future, Walt embarks on a career of drugs and crime. He proves to be remarkably proficient in this new world as he begins manufacturing and selling methamphetamine with one of his former students. The series tracks the impacts of a fatal diagnosis on a regular, hard-working man, and explores how a fatal diagnosis affects his morality and transforms him into a major player of the drug trade(Courtesy of IMBD). Throughout the course of five seasons Breaking Bad has obtained 147 industry award wins and 227 nominations.
Again, studies have indicated that white male critics author the most reviews, and tend to favor content driven by white males. Conversely, what’s troubling is that people of color have routinely been typecast for roles as violent drug-dealers, yet the stories and performances aren’t equally revered, but because an average white guy like Walter White decides to do the unthinkable and succeeds he becomes a hero. Respectfully, not every show deserves a reward, but I suspect blacks have mastered the role of a thug by now, and a show like Powershould be more than niche programming, fit for an underserved audience. Power is only successful in the black and hip-hop community. This particular series has only ever received three awards, all from the NAACP; nevertheless, an accomplishment but not at the level of white shows. I don’t believe audience and critic demographics are the only factors keeping a show like Power from outgrowing the box it has been put in, but I do believe those in power in Hollywood tend to overlook the series because the world of Power is intentionally not whitewashed; therefore, it’s easily and intentionally ignored. It’s uncertain what the industry would be like if underrepresented voices were just as present as their counterparts, but for now, they’re damned if they do criticize black drug dealers on television and dammed if they don’t.
In conclusion, white males in Hollywood have influenced our thoughts about the underrepresented. The media that does feature marginalized people has been constructed in a way that has involved a plethora of misguided representations. Overtime, images and portrayals have evolved, but the result of progress led to niche aka segregated programming. It appears as though white males in Hollywood have used strategical coping methods to either address or avoid the rise of empowered voices. All things considered, critics not only help shape our ideas about quality content, but also the lack of diversity and inclusion in Hollywood reinforces the message of how valuable the white male experience is to the culture.
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