Lack Of Diversity In Film Essay

Almost half a century after the death of Jim Crow laws segregating African Americans, racism seems to be subdued publicly. The subject of racial discrimination has become more sensitive; any event that hint at racial inequality generally receive public condemn. There are rarely any requirement for government intervention or law modification to correct racism and relieve public tension. From the years of 2000 to 2017, there has not been a single legal case regarding Civil Rights according to the Library of Congress. With the practice of blackface and yellowface no longer tolerated in the public in the twenty-first century, whitewashing within the entertainment industry was confronted with an obstacle as well. Nonetheless, racism has mutated

Dr. Isabel Molina-Guzmán, professor in media and Latin American studies, presents the “Hollywood paradox—the lack of diversity in film and TV production yet TV’s increasing shift towards on-screen representational diversity”

For one, films lose their originality as they reach the public in whitewashed films or television shows. People who watched Death Note without reading the original manga would never know its Japanese origin. Furthermore, the excessive depiction of white actors in other ethnic storylines induces the sentiment that the white race can represent all races and ethnicities. For instance, The Great Wall (2016) centers around the heroic adventure of a white warrior, casted by American actor Matt Damon, in the Song dynasty China. Moreover, the storyline progresses to that the white warrior saves the entire Song empire, and that the imperial government declares him as a national hero. This white savior film elevates the status of the white race, thus further foster the belief of white supremacy. This white supremacy sentiment posts danger to, for example, The Black Lives Matter Movement that voices unfair treatment towards the African American population. Considering to the Harvard-Harris survey, “only 35 percent of whites have a favorable view of the movement”