LA's unique platform: how can it use the entertainment industry to advance change?
When I saw Mayor Eric Garcetti speak last Saturday, he discussed the city government’s efforts to improve economic and social equality and mobility in Los Angeles, and listed a variety of initiatives and programs to encourage or mandate socially responsible business practices. He mentioned that Los Angeles is the center of the entertainment industry, which is more than an economic machine; through movies, shows, and even video games, it shapes American and global culture and influences how we interact, develop, and set goals. Most Americans interact with media daily; CNBC reported that around 57% of Americans have streaming services like Netflix, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 80% of Americans watch television on a given day. For many, the shows and movies they love either complement or comprise part of their identity; people rally around fan communities; actors develop huge social media followings and constant news attention; and controversial or groundbreaking movie or TV characters become the topic of hundreds of op-eds and thinkpieces every year.
All this is to say that film and TV can mirror society, reflecting its values at the moment, but they can also advance society, questioning norms and presenting new narratives that challenge mainstream ideas. For example, both Will and Grace and The Ellen Show have been lauded as groundbreaking examples of LGBTQ representation in TV, which helped to normalize and advance LGBTQ rights when they aired several decades ago. LA is the city where the movies and TV shows of our time are dreamed up, bankrolled, and deliberated on; so, how can LA use its entertainment platforms to advance social equality or challenge dominant narratives? Many actors and producers, like Regina King and Frances McDormand, have encouraged their industry peers to make their sets more inclusive and demand gender equality in hiring. Some, like McDormand, used “inclusion riders”, which are clauses actors can put into their contracts which stipulate that the film’s cast or crew must be diverse (to whatever extent they specify). Are measures like these enough?
How can Los Angeles confront its own problems through media and film, and what would that look like? In short, how can LA use its platform to improve and advance social equality? For example, should the government take more measures to encourage diversity in the entertainment industry?
All this is to say that film and TV can mirror society, reflecting its values at the moment, but they can also advance society, questioning norms and presenting new narratives that challenge mainstream ideas. For example, both Will and Grace and The Ellen Show have been lauded as groundbreaking examples of LGBTQ representation in TV, which helped to normalize and advance LGBTQ rights when they aired several decades ago. LA is the city where the movies and TV shows of our time are dreamed up, bankrolled, and deliberated on; so, how can LA use its entertainment platforms to advance social equality or challenge dominant narratives? Many actors and producers, like Regina King and Frances McDormand, have encouraged their industry peers to make their sets more inclusive and demand gender equality in hiring. Some, like McDormand, used “inclusion riders”, which are clauses actors can put into their contracts which stipulate that the film’s cast or crew must be diverse (to whatever extent they specify). Are measures like these enough?
How can Los Angeles confront its own problems through media and film, and what would that look like? In short, how can LA use its platform to improve and advance social equality? For example, should the government take more measures to encourage diversity in the entertainment industry?
I think that there has been progress made in the entertainment industry.. However, there is still a long way to go. No woman has been nominated this year for Best Director, Best Picture, or Achievement in Cinematography (as well as several other categories). This absurdity can be solved however. I think the progress begins with more representation. Representation of women, minorities, the LGBTQ communities, the disabled etc. Media is consumed by thousands if not millions of people. Movies, television, streaming services, news, video games, music the list goes on. Whether you are far right, far left, or somewhere in the middle, everyone is “watching.” If the unheard voices are at the forefront of the entertainment industry, this will stimulate a greater dialogue and as a result, an awareness is raised.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the entertainment industry is still dominated by straight white men. Production executives, producers, members of the Academy, members of the DGA, WGA, PGA, SAG, etc.When there are no underrepresented voices in “the room where it happens,” results such as the “vagina-less Oscars” manifest. I may trademark that saying.
With that being said, LA and the industry has a lot of work to do. I am, however, excited to participate in the new wave of visual storytellers and creatives in the industry (especially as a Black filmmaker). While more and more shows become inclusive, more and more unheard voices are shared, thus creating opportunities for new and alternative narratives to unfold. I don’t necessarily think it is the government's duty to encourage more diversity in the entertainment industry. I think it is the duty of those who have the money to execute a large scale Hollywood project; however, I think it would definitely help of the government stepped in.
if*
DeleteCheck out the statistics... Is Hollywood and the entertainment industry inclusive?
ReplyDeletehttps://annenberg.usc.edu/news/faculty-research/hollywood-equality-all-talk-little-action
In terms of LA confronting its own issues through media, I think self-reflection is always hard, and self-reflection and criticism on such a public stage would be incredibly difficult for a city as image-focused as Los Angeles. That does not, however, mean that we should not push for changes as radical as the ones we would want to see in an ideal world.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think inclusion riders are nearly enough to fix the root issues, and they pale in comparison to what this city’s film/media machine could do to influence how people around the world think about diversity if it really committed to harnessing that power for that cause. But I do understand that actors don’t have a ton of authority to make such changes, so I’m not trying to criticize the concept or the practice itself.
But based on the volatility of the government as displayed over the past two+ years, I don’t know that government intervention would be the best course of action to address this particular problem. Because this is a city where reputation matters a lot, I think public outcry can and has helped diversify the industry. Clearly we aren’t at a point that we should be satisfied with right now, but thinking back a few decades, we should acknowledge that we’ve made multiple strides in the right direction as social norms have progressed.
I also think that being heavy-handed and obvious in changing how LA’s entertainment industry works and the content it produces might actually estrange the parts of the country (and the world?) that need to see these changes the most. I can imagine certain types of people swearing off of Hollywood movies because it’s a “liberal propaganda machine” because to some extent, that’s already happening. So I guess in conclusion, I think moving slowly (but steadily in the right direction) is what the industry should focus on.
As Cole said, I do believe there has been a general improvement within the entertainment industry as advances are made towards social and racial equality. With movements like #MeToo and the Women's march gaining mass publicity, I do believe we are beginning to witness a change for good within this powerful and globally influential industry. For instance just last year, Crazy Rich Asians was the first feature film to have an all-Asian cast. Although this may be a small feat in the grand scheme of achieving racial and social equality, I do think it's worth noting change is happening.
ReplyDeleteHowever, this multibillion-dollar industry is still dominated by white men. Because my mom is a television director, I have had the opportunity to gain some insight into the ways women are treated during within the workplace. Women in the television industry have always been marginalized and thought of as less than. It seems they have to prove their skill set and expertise over and over before being treated with the same respect most men inherently have from the beginning. To my knowledge, women don't seem to get a second chance within this industry. It's an all or nothing kind of environment as a woman. Men, however, can seemingly go unscathed when it comes to the quality of the work they produce and how they treat the crew.
In short, I do believe the entertainment capital of the world is on course to becoming more inclusive while striving for social equality but decades of racial and sexual marginalization is still deeply rooted in the industry.
As most have said already, there has been a lot of improvement in media representations of minority groups, especially in film. Aziz Ansari's Master of None, Call Me By Your Name, Crazy Rich Asians the list goes on...It's great that these films and movies are gaining such great popularity and having actual impact on people's lives (i.e. making people comfortable enough to come out, allowing people to feel more themselves, etc...)! However there is one thing in particular that really bothers me. As someone who is queer, I have noticed that many people and companies like Netflix categorize films that have an LGBTQ+ relationship as exclusive to the LGBTQ genre. I'm honestly confused why LGBTQ has to be its own genre. I mean...there isn't a genre of movies for straight people. WHY can't they just be regular romantic/romantic comedy movies??! This issue is pervasive across films about other minority groups as well. In an episode of Master of None we watched last year I remember Aziz Ansari talking about how while production companies are trying to include more people of color in their films (in this case Indian) they only want to take one because if there were more, it would make it an "Indian Film." This is just one example of the, as Harry said, deep rooted racial and sexual marginalization of people. I hope that in the future, we see more people of color and LGBTQ people directing and acting in films because it's not in the hands of the government to change the way we represent certain groups, it's in our hands.
ReplyDelete*FROM LUKE: Media is a powerful shaper of ideas and perhaps none more so than the movie industry. From its very genesis, films, from the silent to the “talkie” have thrilled audiences and have made their way into our popular culture, transforming it in many regards. I agree that media can mirror society, but in the case of blacks and other minorities, it is more like a funhouse mirror, distorting and betraying the image before it. Socially responsible business practices as it applies to Hollywood would entail a completes overhaul of an industry that has not traditionally been on the cutting edge of social issues, but has instead immortalized the very worst stereotypical qualities about Blacks and others. From Hattie McDaniel’s Academy Award-winning performance as a foolish and frantic slave, to the era of blackface, to the buffoonery of Amos and Andy in the 1950’s, to the Blaxploitation films of the 1970’s, to current movies like The Help and 12 Years a Slave, roles for blacks have been limited and frankly demeaning. While there have been some notable exceptions, studios have been reluctant to cast minorities in leading roles. This is despite the fact that diverse casts are a huge draw for the global box office, and success domestically. The number of minorities represented in writing, directing, producing, and editing is in the single digits, limiting the opportunity for diverse stories and perspectives to be introduced into the mainstream. Women, even though they make up half of the moviegoing population, are drastically underrepresented on screen, and are even more scarce behind the camera. Minority and female filmmakers have made some valuable contributions, but they amount to small ripples in a very large pond. What we are left with, what we have always been left with, is white men telling stories from their vantage point, portraying themselves and others to the world in the way that they desire and giving each other awards for it. The Academy is made up of old white men that pat each other on their backs for their achievements, recognizing minorities from time to time. As much as I would like to see Hollywood for a vehicle for advancing social change, they have, in many ways, been one of racism’s most powerful institutions.
ReplyDeleteWhile movements like #OscarsSoWhite have forced the industry to reconsider much of its policies and how they select films, the problem of lack of diversity is still incredibly apparent. At this point, the academy is made up of only 16% people of color and 31% made up of women, numbers that are generally perceived as “great progress” - which is pretty ridiculous in the whole grand scheme of things. This year’s Oscars are being generally talked about as another win for diversity with films like Roma, BlackKkKlansmen, and Black Panther all making the Best Picture category, but there’s still not even one woman nominated in the Best Director category. Until the Academy and Hollywood as a whole can start to create inclusion in all categories rather than take baby steps with ones in certain areas, I don’t think we can fully have progress that includes all people traditionally underrepresented in Hollywood.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think inclusion riders are entirely enough because they still only affect a very few amount of films in Hollywood - still, it’s certainly a step in the right direction. LA’s entertainment industry affects has the ability to impact much of not only America but the world and its failure to represent all peoples of the world is incredibly disappointing. Measures like inclusion riders and the Academy’s attempt to increase diversity are going in the right direction, but it’s going to take a widespread ideological shift in the white-male dominated industry for real change to happen.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Cole - representation is where it starts. I was in LGBTQ representation in media for the last advisory shake up, and we read this article written by a woman who identified as bisexual and she talked about growing up and watching movies that lacked a character she could ever relate to. Obviously Moonlight, Call Me By Your Name, and recently, Boy Erased, are huge steps in the right direction toward better representation in media, and anyone can tell you that Brokeback Mountain ranks toward the top of the list in films depicting LGBTQ relationships, however, it’s odd and somewhat off-putting that there are few LGBTQ films out there concerning female relationships that could ever measure up to these academy award winning films surrounding a gay male story arc. Many LGBTQ films with a female lead follow the typical plot of a lesbian female seducing a repressed housewife (like the film, Disobedience, with Rachel McAdams - you’d think, with a decently famous cast, and it premiering in 2017, they could find some story a little less played out to tell).
ReplyDeleteI can relate to a lot of things in film; the film industry has built a lot of characters that fit a single narrative, and it happens to be one that I identify with. But that young, white, straight, female character is not something that a lot of people can identify with, and a lot of of film or media out there that depicts underrepresented stories are not getting the same kind of funding as the high quality films that follow a straight white lead (meaning films like those, for example, listed under that genre on Netflix titled LGBTQ, that are poorly made and are extremely angsty are like that because the stories are underrepresented and little money gets put into them) It reminds me of Chimamanda Ngoizi Adichie’s tedtalk about the danger of a single story, and how she grew up reading American books, but she never saw anyone that looked like her in those stories, and never had anyone to identify with. It is imperative that we continue to represent those who are underrepresented, and that we have stories that everyone can find someone or something in those stories that they can connect with. AND, it is equally important that we expand our horizons as viewers. Just because I identify with one thing, does not mean I can’t watch something else that in no way echos my own life - we should be watching what we don’t normally watch and give a voice to those who are yet to be heard.
Like Harry and Cole said, I do think that Hollywood has made progress in the department of equality and diversity. However, one of the biggest Asian movies, Crazy Rich Asians, did very well in countries like the United States, but flopped in China. According to citizens in China, "Crazy Rich Asians wasn't a celebration of Asian culture - it was a demonisation of it." I think that in the future, although Crazy Rich Asians was an all-Asian cast, Hollywood needs to be careful to accurately portray foreign cultures. However, I also think that there needs to be more representation of minorities in Hollywood. I think that film industries should use more local people who have an accurate representation of the place they live in in their films.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of what people have said regarding how much the entertainment industry has improved their diversity, but I also agree that they have a long way to go. I remember during one of our Roundups Cole brought up the Bechdel test, which is basically a test to measure the representation of women in films and tv shows. It asks whether a work features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man, and they must be named roles. Though this doesn’t seem like a very high standard, a lot of movies have had a hard time passing it, which shows that the entertainment industry still has a long way to go in terms of gender diversity.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, going off of Harry’s point, Crazy Rich Asians was a turning point (in my opinion) in the film industry. I wrote my junior speech on Asian Representation in media and whitewashing/yellowface. It was really eye-opening for me, and it made me realize that there is very minimal Asian representation. Fresh Off The Boat was the first TV show in more than 20 years to feature a predominately Asian cast, so when I heard that Crazy Rich Asians had an all Asian cast, I was super excited. However, like Jono mentioned above, there were some controversial issues dealing with culture, which was rather unfortunate. But IDK there’s something special seeing someone who looks like you/goes through some of the same struggles as you on the big screen :’).
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone said, I totally agree that representation that goes beyond having minority/women stock characters is crucial to escaping the single story narrative. That representation needs to be there at every step - from the directors, and writers, and editors, to the actors themselves. I think #MeToo was a really powerful step in the right direction of addressing a lot of the systemic sexism in Hollywood/everywhere. But I'm sort of apprehensive of what's going to happen next - like people have mentioned, there have been calls for greater inclusivity in Hollywood but then there are no women nominated for major categories at the Oscars this year. So what that looks like to me is a bunch of powerful men wearing black to the Oscars last year in solidarity and then just sort of existing in their same routine as before. I think I mentioned this earlier in the year, but I would be interested in dialoguing about #MeToo/#TimesUp through an LA perspective. For the past year I've been hearing about it all over country/world in major national headlines/TV etc, but I haven't really ever thought about what it means for Los Angeles. What kind of role does it play in the story of LA? How does it reflect the history of our city?
ReplyDeleteOn a kind of similar thread, while I'm all for greater representation in media/everywhere I've grown sort of wary with all the commercialized activism and "representation" we've been seeing recently. I don't know.. I understand that because we have had like ZERO representation up until this point that it's great that something is changing, but then I'm also like are these powerful companies and media industries actually diversifying their productions because they care or because it will make them more money??Does that even matter? Idk where I'm fully going with this but...yea..just some food for thought
I've talked about this with some of my peers, but I seriously grew up with zero onscreen female role models (excluding Hermione, of course, whose character originated from a book). Maybe I wasn't watching the right, diversified tv shows and movies with strong female leads, or maybe they just didn't exist. Women and people of color grow up without seeing themselves reflected in the movie industry, so we don't see any avenue into the business. I love movies, and I'm always looking for someone to talk to about them. Oftentimes it's my Dad, or Lux, or Cole...I don't know many girls who are seriously interested in pursuing film or working in the movie industry in any capacity (I know they exist, but just not around me as far as I know).
ReplyDeleteI'm curious, Harper, to know what government measures you have in mind? I wouldn't want someone telling me how to write/cast/direct/produce my movie. Like Isabel said, the peoples' voices seem to be powerful enough these days to spark change, or in this case, diversity and representation in the film industry.
This is a really interesting and difficult question. For LA to use its platform to improve and advance social equality, I think there needs to be a shift in the way directors hire certain cast members. For example, instead not hiring someone because of the color of their skin, we need to hire on the type of acting they present. However, this is not always the case because some movies are made to cast a specific race and tell a specific story that another races couldn't portray.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't believe just representation can fix Los Angeles' problems, I do believe it is a very good start to a more positive environment. Representation in the entertainment industry has progressed there's still a long way to go to escape the single story narrative. Like Rachel said, representation needs to be everywhere instead of just on the screen. Things like the Bechdel test have helped with more inclusivity but there are still minorities and the LGBTQ+ that are still highly underrepresented and stereotyped in the entertainment industry. However, I feel like the entertainment industry could be taking advantage of the public's want for representation; like Rachel said I believe some companies don't actually care about the message and are only doing it for the money. I believe there still is a very long way to go as far as representation in the entertainment industry.
ReplyDelete