UCLA State of Hollywood Report 2022

 One of the most infamous examples of misrepresentation in the media was the rise of blackface in film after the United States’ Civil War. In these films, white people, predominantly men, would act as Black characters in an extremely characterized manner— uncivilized, dehumanized, and in a way that would further tarnish the reputation of Black Americans for generations. This case of underrepresentation— or rather no representation— shows just how important it is to have underrepresented and minority groups in positions in the media where their stories will be told. In a field where it is significantly harder for women and people of color to get into the writers room, so to speak, it is crucial that as society progresses, the amount of women and people of color in positions of leadership in media fields rises.

For the year 2022, UCLA reports that only 3 out of 10 film directors were people of color, and only 2.2 out of 10 film directors were women. While this number may seem bad, it signifies a slight raise. One prime example of how this change can more properly represent minority groups can be seen in DC movies, notably “Suicide Squad” and “Birds of Prey”. These films showcase Harley Quinn, a villain that has had a grand number of design changes throughout the many years being drawn for comics. For the movie adaptation of DC comics in “Suicide Squad,” many female fans expressed discomfort at the portrayal of Harley Quinn, as she was demeaned to fit the male gaze and appeared in an outfit suited for children while acting sensually and focusing on the more sexual aspects of her fighting style. This film was directed by David Ayer. “Birds of Prey,” directed by Cathy Yan, showcased the aspects of the character that female DC fans identified with— the crazy, yet relatable and humorous, actions that lead her to perilous situations. Another plus was that she was more covered up— though just barely. Quinn kept her sensual nature that plays a big part of her character, but it was expressed in a more natural and truthful way to how women express themselves rather than catering to the sexual fantasies of men. This movie also featured a greater variety in cast, as the main cast was composed solely of women, with a focus on the stories of the women of color.

However, these statistics don’t solely apply to film. The music industry also faces similar underrepresentation, with many producers and lyricists being men. Racial lines are more blurred when it comes to this industry, but there is no doubt that there is still a white majority. With a rise of Latin music and Latin artists’ content being consumed by the masses, many entertainment companies/ production companies have begun to take more inspiration from Latin music, as well as feature Latin producers. Good contemporary examples would be “Taki Taki” by DJ Snake, “ANTIFRAGILE” by LE SSERAFIM, and MIA by Drake and Bad Bunny. 

The argument that this rise in representation doesn’t truly mean anything, but it has no real depth. In the case of Yan’s “Birds of Prey,” 3 out of 5 main characters were women of color— a stark contrast to the usual demographic represented in Hollywood. There has been an upward trend of minorities casted in film according the Hollywood Diversity Report by UCLA, in which the report states that “by 2021, the plurality of films (31 percent) fell into the most- diverse interval, films with majority-minority casts … by contrast, the fewest films fell into the least-diverse interval in 2021, only 7.5 percent of films.” While white actors still portray 56.9% of all roles in the year 2021, an increase has been made across the board, reaching an almost proportionate representation in film as to the population of the United States’ population— 43.1% in film compared to 42.7% in the population. When analyzed by racial groups, the underrepresentation is stark, especially for the Black population, but this is only statistical.

Television, music, and literature have all made advances on properly representing minorities— not only in the scope of characters, but in the scope of publishing and authors. Though there is no data to reference, a focus has been put on giving more representation to racial minorities, women and genderqueer groups, and queer identities. Statistically, the increase may be seen as minimal, but the societal focus has shifted to include more diversity in media for the masses. This can be connected to Henri Tajfel’s social identity theory, which details that people connect with others their perceived identities, in multiple ways. Fans of these medias project their perceived identities onto the characters of the media they’re consuming— whether it be gender, sexuality, or even race in more racially ambiguous characters (especially in animation). 

Social identity theory can be applied to any type of media since it deals with the audience of these media forms. In film, seeing people that are similar to those that makeup the audience is important to truthfully document the experience that the characters are living through. The same goes for any form of media— even in the world of music production. As the road to becoming an actor, director, and member of the audience becomes easier, the road to properly representing minorities— especially racial and gender minorities— will become a more natural force rather than the harmful and degrading acts that used to be used in cinema.