Welcome to the blog of Dr. Lisa Burns' Media Studies senior capstone class (3:30 pm section) at Quinnipiac University. If you're looking for the latest on media industry trends and insightful media analysis, you've come to the right place!
Diversity has become very important in America. More recently with talks regarding race and gender and incidents over the summer of 2020 regarding police brutality, the need for diversity in media has taken off even more than it previously had. Seeing problems with diversity in the past, Hollywood and the film industry have been making strides to better diversify the industry. One of the institutions of film that has been accused of not being diverse enough was the Oscars. They faced backlash back in 2016 when the best actor nomination list was all white. Jada Pinkett Smith led a boycott of the Oscars because of this. Many people in the industry such as Will Smith, who starred in the film “Concussion” that year, and Spike Lee refused to attend. Will Smith’s reason behind missing the Oscars was that “So many different people from so many different places adding their ideas to this beautiful American gumbo,” he said. “At its best, Hollywood represents and creates the imagery for that beauty. But for my part, I think I have to protect and fight for the ideals that make our country – and make our Hollywood community – great (Barnes).” This boycott started a discussion and a movement to make films and the Oscars more diverse. An investigation by the LA Times in 2012 found that the “Academy” was 94% white and 77% male (Barnes). After this backlash and a push towards diversity the Oscars are starting to change. The Oscars also instituted some diversity requirements to help to better diversify the nominees in the best picture category. These requirements will be in place for next year's awards.
This year was a big year for the awards show. These past Oscars, there were 9 actors of color who won awards. A new record for diversity. We had the first Asian American nominated for best actor, as well as the first Pakistani and Korean nominees. There was a very diverse black representation, and it was the first time in history that the best actor category was not a majority white. Along with this Chadwick Boseman became the first black actor to win a posthumous nomination. Also, Chole Zhao became the first woman to be nominated for four awards at once. The list of new milestones goes on even more. Even the Academy reformed the makeup of its members. Increasing women and minority members (Vary).
When we move to on screen representation, we see that in 2020, women behind the scenes of the top 100 and 250 grossing films increased slightly. From 20% in 2019 to 21%in 2020 in the top 100, and 21% to 23% in the top 250(Lauzen). Looking back at some 2019 numbers as well to see how we have improved over the past decade, in 2019, had the highest number of underrepresented groups in led roles compared to 10 years ago. And in films in 2019, 34.4% of characters were from underrepresented groups. Some places where film does lag behind is in LGBTQ, Latin, and Native American representation (USC). As we have seen, we have taken strides to better diversify the film industry. Although some of these milestones and percentages may be small it is progress that needs to be made. 2020 was a big year especially at the Oscars. To continue to increase representation we must continue to educate people and make people aware about the importance of diversity and representation. People deserve to see themselves represented in pop culture and film. Movies influence us in so many ways and the way we represent those on screen helps to define who people are. A Latina girl deserves to see herself on screen as much as I have always seen white males on screen.
2020, pp. 1–42, Inequality in 1,300 Popular Films: Examining Portrayals of Gender, Race/Ethnicity, LGBTQ & Disability from 2007 to 2019. Barnes, Henry. “Will Smith Confirms He Won't Attend Oscars in Row over Lack of Diversity.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 21 Jan. 2016, www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jan/21/will-smith-oscars-diversity-boycott. Lauzen, Martha. “The Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women on the Top U.S. Films of 2020.” Womenintvfilm, 2021, womenintvfilm.sdsu.edu/.
Perratti (Part 1) In recent years, Hollywood has been subject to major criticism from both inhouse celebrities and viewers for its lack of proper representation and diversity. Although the backlash has become the forefront of conversation only recently, the issue of inadequate inclusion and equity has always been visible within Hollywood. In attempt to keep up with societal changes and rising social movements, top executives in the film industry have pledged to create a more inclusive and diverse space for all stars, with careful attention paid to people of color and women. While the industry’s acknowledgement of the need for change is important, it does not seem as though their words have turned into swift and confident action. For instance, according to The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s report on inequality in 1,300 popular films, only 39 films in 2018 “depicted a girl or woman as a lead or co lead,” a mere 19 lead increase from films in 2007. Then as well, Annenberg reported that only 34.3% of 2019 films had speaking characters that belonged to an underrepresented racial or ethnic group, including Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Asian actors. If the goal of Hollywood and social movements was to have a proportionate representation of the American population, this data would not necessarily be as problematic, as non-Hispanic whites made up 59.7% of the 2020 U.S. population (Poston). However, the demands of the viewers and celebrities aim to push for diverse lead characters that properly represent the group or community that they belong or identify with, without the framing of whiteness and heteronormativity involved. An example of this not occurring would be Eddie Redmayne’s character in the 2015 film The Danish Girl, when he (a cis male) played a transgender woman.
Perratti (Part 2) This type of situation is not unfamiliar to Hollywood, as they have a long history of casting cis able-bodied, white and straight actors to play trans, disabled people of color, or LGBTQ+ roles. In order for Hollywood to become as inclusive, diverse and equitable as possible, this exact trend needs to come to a swift halt. However, as discussed in a The Ringer article “Amid the Black Lives Matter Movement, Hollywood Examines Its Own History of Racism,” deleting or simply changing racist and other ignorant histories within Hollywood does not change the impact that it has had on the culture. It is necessary for Hollywood to acknowledge the pain that their history of ignorance has caused, and compensate by amplifying the roles, plotlines and voices of people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, disabled persons and women. This also includes proper inclusion behind the scenes: according to the Hollywood Reporter article titled “Oscar Nominations Analysis: Cause for Concern and Celebration,” Chloé Zhao and Emerald Fennell made Oscar history as two female nominees for both best picture and best director (Feinberg). By highlighting the work and success of women and minorities behind-the-screen, we as an audience are subjected to alternative types of media framing, as opposed to the typical white framing that makes up Hollywood history. We see this in cases like Get Out, directed by Black writer Jordan Peele: if Peele were white, it would not be as likely that a Black actor like Daniel Kaluuya would star as the protagonist, and even more unlikely that the plot of the film would even exist at all. Ultimately, while it is important for Hollywood to display diversity on screen, it is equally as important for there to be diversity behind the scenes. Until this is achieved, Hollywood should still be considered problematic and lacking diversity.
Perratti (Works Cited) "Inequality in 1300 Popular Films." Annenberg Inclusion Initiative September 2020, http://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/aii-inequality_1300_popular_films_09-08-2020.pdf.
Feinberg, Scott. "Oscar Nominations Analysis: Cause for Concern and Celebration." The Hollywood Reporter 15 March 2021, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/oscar-nominations-analysis-cause-for-concern-and-celebration.
Herman, Alison. “For Hollywood, Deleting a History of Racism Won't Erase It.” The Ringer, The Ringer, 10 July 2020, www.theringer.com/tv/2020/7/10/21319242/hollywood-racism-blackface-tv-episodes-song-of-the-south.
Poston, Dudley L. “3 Ways That the U.S. Population Will Change over the next Decade.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 2 Jan. 2020, www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/3-ways-that-the-u-s-population-will-change-over-the-next-decade.
Five years ago a longstanding issue was brought to light and a bigger platform with #OscarsSoWhite. In 2015, the academy awarded all 20 acting nominations to white actors and this happened again the following year. It forced the public and the film industry. But change has been painfully slow and long overdue. The problem with not seeing diversity on the screen stars behind the scenes with a lack of opportunities and positions for women and people of color in an insular industry. Forbes wrote in 2020 that five years after the #OscarsSoWhite controversy began, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced that it has added 819 new members and met its diversity goals — but the members are still mostly white men (Gross). Previous reporting from 2012 revealed the academy was 94% and 77% male (Rivas). Overwhelming percentages. It is unfair to say that no progress has been made. This year was a landmark year. Two women-directed films were nominated for Best Picture one of them being a woman of color. For the first time, a film solely produced by black artists was nominated (Feinberg). The Hollywood Reporter also wrote that their diversity push this year included more international films. That topic was widely discussed amongst film buffs last year after Bong Joon Ho’s comments during his acceptance at the Golden Globes last year for Parasite, Best Foreign Language Film. “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films”
Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield were both nominated. This was also the first time in Oscar history that the best actor category was not majority white (Vary). According to Variety, to advance diversity and inclusion, AMPAS announced a new set of eligibility standards that will be phased into the Oscars starting with next year’s awards. The increase of diversity still doesn’t meet the demographics of the general public. Although there is progress some communities are making gains in their representation but in my opinion, it is nowhere near enough and other communities saw few if any, nominations this year. There is still so much the film industry needs to do from award nominations to casting efforts, to creating spaces for writers, directors, and producers of color as well as women and women of color. Diversity is not making room for just one or two communities to advance, the effort needs to extend to all underrepresented groups to truly become a diverse industry.
Sources: Feinberg, Scott. “Oscar Nominations Analysis: Cause for Concern and Celebration.” The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Mar. 2021, www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/oscar-nominations-analysis-cause-for-concern-and-celebration.
Gross, Elana Lyn. “Five Years After The #OscarsSoWhite Uproar, The Academy Has Met Its Diversity Goals For Membership.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 1 July 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/elanagross/2020/07/01/five-years-after-the-oscarssowhite-uproar-the-academy-has-met-its-diversity-goals-for-membership/?sh=430635593e4b.
Rivas, Jorge. “Who Picks the Oscars? White Men.” Colorlines, 18 Apr. 2015, www.colorlines.com/articles/who-picks-oscars-white-men.
Vary, Adam B. “Oscars Nominate Most Diverse Acting Slate Ever, Including First Asian American Best Actor.” Variety, Variety, 15 Mar. 2021, variety.com/2021/film/news/oscars-diversity-steven-yeun-riz-ahmed-1234928862/.
Diversity has become very important in America. More recently with talks regarding race and gender and incidents over the summer of 2020 regarding police brutality, the need for diversity in media has taken off even more than it previously had. Seeing problems with diversity in the past, Hollywood and the film industry have been making strides to better diversify the industry. One of the institutions of film that has been accused of not being diverse enough was the Oscars. They faced backlash back in 2016 when the best actor nomination list was all white. Jada Pinkett Smith led a boycott of the Oscars because of this. Many people in the industry such as Will Smith, who starred in the film “Concussion” that year, and Spike Lee refused to attend. Will Smith’s reason behind missing the Oscars was that “So many different people from so many different places adding their ideas to this beautiful American gumbo,” he said. “At its best, Hollywood represents and creates the imagery for that beauty. But for my part, I think I have to protect and fight for the ideals that make our country – and make our Hollywood community – great (Barnes).” This boycott started a discussion and a movement to make films and the Oscars more diverse. An investigation by the LA Times in 2012 found that the “Academy” was 94% white and 77% male (Barnes). After this backlash and a push towards diversity the Oscars are starting to change. The Oscars also instituted some diversity requirements to help to better diversify the nominees in the best picture category. These requirements will be in place for next year's awards.
ReplyDeleteThis year was a big year for the awards show. These past Oscars, there were 9 actors of color who won awards. A new record for diversity. We had the first Asian American nominated for best actor, as well as the first Pakistani and Korean nominees. There was a very diverse black representation, and it was the first time in history that the best actor category was not a majority white. Along with this Chadwick Boseman became the first black actor to win a posthumous nomination. Also, Chole Zhao became the first woman to be nominated for four awards at once. The list of new milestones goes on even more. Even the Academy reformed the makeup of its members. Increasing women and minority members (Vary).
When we move to on screen representation, we see that in 2020, women behind the scenes of the top 100 and 250 grossing films increased slightly. From 20% in 2019 to 21%in 2020 in the top 100, and 21% to 23% in the top 250(Lauzen). Looking back at some 2019 numbers as well to see how we have improved over the past decade, in 2019, had the highest number of underrepresented groups in led roles compared to 10 years ago. And in films in 2019, 34.4% of characters were from underrepresented groups. Some places where film does lag behind is in LGBTQ, Latin, and Native American representation (USC). As we have seen, we have taken strides to better diversify the film industry. Although some of these milestones and percentages may be small it is progress that needs to be made. 2020 was a big year especially at the Oscars. To continue to increase representation we must continue to educate people and make people aware about the importance of diversity and representation. People deserve to see themselves represented in pop culture and film. Movies influence us in so many ways and the way we represent those on screen helps to define who people are. A Latina girl deserves to see herself on screen as much as I have always seen white males on screen.
2020, pp. 1–42, Inequality in 1,300 Popular Films: Examining Portrayals of Gender, Race/Ethnicity, LGBTQ & Disability from 2007 to 2019.
ReplyDeleteBarnes, Henry. “Will Smith Confirms He Won't Attend Oscars in Row over Lack of Diversity.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 21 Jan. 2016, www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jan/21/will-smith-oscars-diversity-boycott.
Lauzen, Martha. “The Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women on the Top U.S. Films of 2020.” Womenintvfilm, 2021, womenintvfilm.sdsu.edu/.
Perratti (Part 1)
ReplyDeleteIn recent years, Hollywood has been subject to major criticism from both inhouse celebrities and viewers for its lack of proper representation and diversity. Although the backlash has become the forefront of conversation only recently, the issue of inadequate inclusion and equity has always been visible within Hollywood. In attempt to keep up with societal changes and rising social movements, top executives in the film industry have pledged to create a more inclusive and diverse space for all stars, with careful attention paid to people of color and women. While the industry’s acknowledgement of the need for change is important, it does not seem as though their words have turned into swift and confident action. For instance, according to The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s report on inequality in 1,300 popular films, only 39 films in 2018 “depicted a girl or woman as a lead or co lead,” a mere 19 lead increase from films in 2007. Then as well, Annenberg reported that only 34.3% of 2019 films had speaking characters that belonged to an underrepresented racial or ethnic group, including Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Asian actors. If the goal of Hollywood and social movements was to have a proportionate representation of the American population, this data would not necessarily be as problematic, as non-Hispanic whites made up 59.7% of the 2020 U.S. population (Poston). However, the demands of the viewers and celebrities aim to push for diverse lead characters that properly represent the group or community that they belong or identify with, without the framing of whiteness and heteronormativity involved. An example of this not occurring would be Eddie Redmayne’s character in the 2015 film The Danish Girl, when he (a cis male) played a transgender woman.
Perratti (Part 2)
DeleteThis type of situation is not unfamiliar to Hollywood, as they have a long history of casting cis able-bodied, white and straight actors to play trans, disabled people of color, or LGBTQ+ roles. In order for Hollywood to become as inclusive, diverse and equitable as possible, this exact trend needs to come to a swift halt. However, as discussed in a The Ringer article “Amid the Black Lives Matter Movement, Hollywood Examines Its Own History of Racism,” deleting or simply changing racist and other ignorant histories within Hollywood does not change the impact that it has had on the culture. It is necessary for Hollywood to acknowledge the pain that their history of ignorance has caused, and compensate by amplifying the roles, plotlines and voices of people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, disabled persons and women. This also includes proper inclusion behind the scenes: according to the Hollywood Reporter article titled “Oscar Nominations Analysis: Cause for Concern and Celebration,” Chloé Zhao and Emerald Fennell made Oscar history as two female nominees for both best picture and best director (Feinberg). By highlighting the work and success of women and minorities behind-the-screen, we as an audience are subjected to alternative types of media framing, as opposed to the typical white framing that makes up Hollywood history. We see this in cases like Get Out, directed by Black writer Jordan Peele: if Peele were white, it would not be as likely that a Black actor like Daniel Kaluuya would star as the protagonist, and even more unlikely that the plot of the film would even exist at all. Ultimately, while it is important for Hollywood to display diversity on screen, it is equally as important for there to be diversity behind the scenes. Until this is achieved, Hollywood should still be considered problematic and lacking diversity.
Perratti (Works Cited)
Delete"Inequality in 1300 Popular Films." Annenberg Inclusion Initiative September 2020, http://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/aii-inequality_1300_popular_films_09-08-2020.pdf.
Feinberg, Scott. "Oscar Nominations Analysis: Cause for Concern and Celebration." The Hollywood Reporter 15 March 2021,
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/oscar-nominations-analysis-cause-for-concern-and-celebration.
Herman, Alison. “For Hollywood, Deleting a History of Racism Won't Erase It.” The Ringer, The Ringer, 10 July 2020, www.theringer.com/tv/2020/7/10/21319242/hollywood-racism-blackface-tv-episodes-song-of-the-south.
Poston, Dudley L. “3 Ways That the U.S. Population Will Change over the next Decade.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 2 Jan. 2020, www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/3-ways-that-the-u-s-population-will-change-over-the-next-decade.
Rachel Sapienza
ReplyDeleteFive years ago a longstanding issue was brought to light and a bigger platform with #OscarsSoWhite. In 2015, the academy awarded all 20 acting nominations to white actors and this happened again the following year. It forced the public and the film industry. But change has been painfully slow and long overdue. The problem with not seeing diversity on the screen stars behind the scenes with a lack of opportunities and positions for women and people of color in an insular industry. Forbes wrote in 2020 that five years after the #OscarsSoWhite controversy began, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced that it has added 819 new members and met its diversity goals — but the members are still mostly white men (Gross). Previous reporting from 2012 revealed the academy was 94% and 77% male (Rivas). Overwhelming percentages. It is unfair to say that no progress has been made. This year was a landmark year. Two women-directed films were nominated for Best Picture one of them being a woman of color. For the first time, a film solely produced by black artists was nominated (Feinberg). The Hollywood Reporter also wrote that their diversity push this year included more international films. That topic was widely discussed amongst film buffs last year after Bong Joon Ho’s comments during his acceptance at the Golden Globes last year for Parasite, Best Foreign Language Film. “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films”
Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield were both nominated. This was also the first time in Oscar history that the best actor category was not majority white (Vary). According to Variety, to advance diversity and inclusion, AMPAS announced a new set of eligibility standards that will be phased into the Oscars starting with next year’s awards. The increase of diversity still doesn’t meet the demographics of the general public. Although there is progress some communities are making gains in their representation but in my opinion, it is nowhere near enough and other communities saw few if any, nominations this year. There is still so much the film industry needs to do from award nominations to casting efforts, to creating spaces for writers, directors, and producers of color as well as women and women of color. Diversity is not making room for just one or two communities to advance, the effort needs to extend to all underrepresented groups to truly become a diverse industry.
Sources:
Feinberg, Scott. “Oscar Nominations Analysis: Cause for Concern and Celebration.” The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Mar. 2021, www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/oscar-nominations-analysis-cause-for-concern-and-celebration.
Gross, Elana Lyn. “Five Years After The #OscarsSoWhite Uproar, The Academy Has Met Its Diversity Goals For Membership.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 1 July 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/elanagross/2020/07/01/five-years-after-the-oscarssowhite-uproar-the-academy-has-met-its-diversity-goals-for-membership/?sh=430635593e4b.
Rivas, Jorge. “Who Picks the Oscars? White Men.” Colorlines, 18 Apr. 2015, www.colorlines.com/articles/who-picks-oscars-white-men.
Vary, Adam B. “Oscars Nominate Most Diverse Acting Slate Ever, Including First Asian American Best Actor.” Variety, Variety, 15 Mar. 2021, variety.com/2021/film/news/oscars-diversity-steven-yeun-riz-ahmed-1234928862/.