Why On-Screen Representation Matters Essay

Representation of people of color in the TV industry is scarce. The artifact that I chose is a YouTube Video called Why on-screen representation matters, according to these teens. This video highlights the different types of social groups within our nation such as Native Americans, Asian Americans and more. Each teen that is being interviewed about the importance of on-screen representation fits into one of the underrepresented social groups. They exemplify how much it matters to them to recognize appropriate representation for their associative group. Additionally, they explain why it's important to counter stereotypes for representation of these minorities. The TV industry is a powerful influence on society’s perception of minority groups.

The industry fails to acknowledge the misinterpreted understanding of representation. There are a large number of groups that are underrepresented, like Native Americans and Latinx people. According to Eric Deggans, “Native Americans' share of screen time was less than one quarter of their presence in the population, totaling just .4 percent across broadcast, cable and streaming” (3). This is a reflection of how the United States feels about diversity being incorporated into their work. When these groups fail to be seen by viewers, an increase in prejudice is presented in the viewers’ minds. Consequently, since white people are the majority in the TV industry in the United States, viewers are able to understand that social group intensely. This relates to the artifact since it confirms how underrepresented these social groups are. For example, in the video, there is only one primary figure of representation for Native Americans, which is the Disney movie, Pocahontas. With little to no representation, many groups become inaccurately represented; the majority try to find connections from the TV industry and apply them to these groups and as a result, misrepresent the

Specifically, Black representation has been significantly influenced by the casting industry. Casting directors perform colorblind casting without taking into consideration the stigmas that some races reveal from the misrepresented stereotypes put into society. According to Lori Harwood, “Say I have this character who's an angry woman. It's really different if she's an angry white woman versus an angry Black woman because of the widely circulated, negative stereotype of the angry Black woman” (3). This hones on the difference in characters that appear to watchers based on race - which is due to the casting industry. The industry seeks to find actors who fit this role. As a result, this affects the way a minority social group can be represented: they could either be misrepresented or not represented at all. This relates to the artifact because within the TV industry, some races are put into a heavily stereotyped box, which then reflects how the characters are portrayed. For example, people of South Asian descent are related to Raj from The Big Bang Theory and Apu from The Simpsons, who both have heavily stereotyped accents and actions that are then reflected on society through