Imagine idolizing a character from your favorite movie or show — perhaps a powerful superhero, a brilliant politician, or a successful doctor — and realizing that they, and their friends and colleagues, look nothing like you?
It’s something a lot of people take for granted, but it’s a reality for many audiences. The majority of identities, be it people of color, members of the LGBTQIA community, or something else, are under-represented in mass media.
‘There’s this body of research and a term known as symbolic annihilation, which is the idea that if you don’t see people like you in the media you consume, you must somehow be unimportant,’ says Nicole Martins, a Professor at Indiana University.
Representation is critical for the identity building of audiences, and Hollywood is trying to catch up with years of neglect.
A study analyzed the portrayal of gender, race, ethnicity, and other identities in 900 of the top films from 2007 to 2016 . The results were staggeringly white (also evidenced by the #OscarsSoWhite campaign in 2016). Only 7 of the movies in 2016 had a black protagonist, while 25 didn’t feature a black character at all.
However, the release of 2018’s Black Panther proved Hollywood needs great, diverse stories. Black Panther was met with both critical and commercial acclaim, and also taught young black children that they can be superheroes, too. Ava Duvurney’s A Wrinkle in Time was helmed by a black female director, featured black protagonists, and broke box office records. Crazy Rich Asians, a delightful romcom featuring an all-asian cast, also broke box office records and was nominated for multiple awards.
The phenomenal sitcom Speechless on NBC is led by actor Micah Fowler, who has cerebral palsy. His character JJ also has cerebral palsy — and the show portrays him and his family with authenticity and heart, while also ensuring room for hilarious moments expected of a sitcom.The show was wildly successful and acclaimed. Unfortunately, ABC cancelled Speechless in 2019 — but its impact set a standard for other shows to portray all abilities onscreen.
There are countless other examples of what TV shows and films are getting it right — but the underlying thing with all of them is that show runners know audiences want genuine, diverse, complex stories that showcase different perspectives or reinforce one’s own identity. Media should reflect the audience — representation is important. Moving forward, support media that gets it right and demand more from people in Hollywood.
