The Sandbox

Over all the years of human history, one force has had a constant presence: change. Change has lead to the birth of nations and the fall of titans. Change has set many people free in more ways than one. A major societal change as of late is increased representation and diversity in several aspects of media. More groups of people are being represented in the movies and shows that people watch every day, but one question remains: will this trend continue or will pop culture of the future move backwards in terms of representation?
Many may think that a certain group is represented simply because they are on screen, however this is not the case. “Representation is how media texts deal with and present gender, age, ethnicity, national and regional identity, social issues and events to an audience.”(“GCSE). Many groups of people are featured heavily in media, but are often portrayed in a negative or stereotypical fashion. For example, many movies and news outlets often portray black families as poor and dysfunctional and black men as shady criminals(Jan). Even though many television shows and news stories may feature black individuals, they are all too often portrayed in a negative or untruthful way. Media like this can instill biases in real people. A recent study found that negative
representation in the media has been “strongly linked with lower life expectations among black men”, as many people, some police officers, may view black men as more threatening because of what they see on TV(Donaldson).
The media also misrepresented groups of people in terms of their weight. Not only are the numbers of people misrepresented, but their behaviors also reinforce stereotypes. While about 60 percent of American men are overweight or obese, individuals in these weight categories only make up about 25 percent of the men on TV and “almost 90 percent of women on TV were at or below normal weight, compared to only 50 percent of American women”(Whyte). Weight may also play a role in how a character is written in a movie. This effect is most evident for women, where an overweight woman is usually a goofy comic relief and a thinner woman is portrayed as the love interest or sexually appealing to the male characters.
While many people are still underrepresented or misrepresented in popular culture, America has come a long way through the last century. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, when movies rose in popularity, all but a few had an all-white cast. Films that did have minority characters often portrayed them in negative lights or had white performers in blackface. These portrayals also helped to enforce a white supremacy mindset that was more prevalent at the time(Horton). As America moved into the middle of the twentieth century, the way minorities were featured changed to include more actors of color. While many were still portrayed stereotypically, there was an effort to portray these groups of people in more positive and realistic lights, helped in part by the civil rights movement. One such film that tried to break stereotypes was In The Heat Of The Night in 1967. The film follows black Philadelphia detective Virgil Tibbs as he battles bigotry in the south while trying to solve a murder case(“In the Heat of the Night). The character of Virgil helps to break stereotypes in several ways. First, he is the main character and protagonist of the story, so he is the most developed and fleshed out and not a throwaway stereotypical side character. Virgil is also a police officer and is portrayed as heroic, in contrast to the way many black men are portrayed as criminals in the media. The film also addresses racism and racist stereotypes by having the local sheriff constantly get in Virgil's way and initially suspecting him of the crime.
After 1967, representation continued to improve as more media created and produced by various minority groups went mainstream. Many of these films were used to highlight the problems that these groups face, such as 9 to 5, which focused on harassment against women in the workplace in 1980(“9 to 5.”). The 1990’s also saw black filmmakers and musicians overtake popular culture with hip hop music and films such as Boyz In The Hood. The rise in diversity of pop culture production continued into the next century as more people had their voice heard through the rise of social media and LGBT characters became more accepted. For example, Willow Rosenberg, a main character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer who came out as lesbian. Throughout the show, Willow and her girlfriend, Tara, “dated for multiple seasons, kissed more than just for Sweeps Week, and even showed up in bed together”(Frost). Willow being a popular main character on a very popular show helped to present the LGBT community in a positive light.
Even though American pop culture has changed so much over the years, many groups of people are still underrepresented today. Groups such as women, people of color, and people with mental or physical disabilities still make up a small amount of characters in the media, even though there are countless people in each of these categories. Many have criticized the Oscars for overlooking actors and filmmakers of color in their nominations in favor of Caucasian artists(Hogan). Even some problems from the past still persist, as black men are usually portrayed as untrustworthy or dangerous on TV and the news.
Whitewashing also inhibits good representation, where white actors are cast to play traditionally non-white characters. Some examples of this in recent years are Jake Gyllenhaal as the main character in Prince of Persia, Johnny Depp as the Native American character Tonto in Disney’s The Lone Ranger, and Scarlett Johansson playing the traditionally Japanese lead character in the 2017 adaptation of Ghost in the Shell(Sharf). After outcry from fans and social justice sites, more films have tried to step away from whitewashing, as many were relieved that the upcoming Mulan remake will feature a Chinese lead and primarily Chinese cast(Fuster).
Looking forward, it is probable that representation in pop culture will continue to improve as more people are becoming aware of the problem. Through the internet and social media,
Price 5
people can have their voice heard and inform others about what they think needs to be done. Already more films and TV series include a more diverse cast and portraying the characters in a more realistic and sympathetic way, such as This Is Us on NBC and many Netflix shows that feature LGBT characters and relationships(Birnbaum). One show that has been acclaimed for inclusion and representation is Steven Universe on Cartoon Network. Beginning in 2013, this show is able to weave LGBT relationships and diversity very seamlessly into a narrative about intergalactic wars and a half human-half alien little boy with some big shoes to fill. For example, a recent episode “Heart of the Crystal Gems” features a lesbian wedding and transitions right into a giant battle scene, and none of it feels out of place in the world the show has built over five seasons(Pulliam-Moore). The show also features a primarily female cast with many of the voice actors being women of color portraying characters from a variety of backgrounds. The brand new animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse also offers a diverse cast of characters, both in the animation and the voice booths(Mendelson). The film includes several unique different versions of the classic superhero and a biracial couple as the main character’s parents, with the father being a black police officer. These new films and television shows that feature more and more diverse characters have helped to put people from groups that are often marginalized in the media into the spotlight in a positive manner.

While problems of intolerance and exclusion still persist in many aspects of society, not just media, many recent films and series seem to hint to a bright future ahead for representation.

Works Cited

“9 To 5.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 19 Dec. 1980, www.imdb.com/title/tt0080319/.

Birnbaum, Debra. “How 'This Is Us' Is Taking Action for More Inclusive Storytelling.” Variety, Variety, 2 Nov. 2017, variety.com/2017/tv/news/this-is-us-inclusive-harness-america-ferrera-1202602894/.

Donaldson, Leigh. “When the Media Misrepresents Black Men, the Effects Are Felt in
the Real World | Leigh Donaldson.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 12
Aug. 2015, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/12/media-misrepresents-black-men-eff
ects-felt-real-world.

Frost, Karen. “Our Favorite Older Examples of Lesbian TV Representation.” AfterEllen, 6 Nov. 2018, www.afterellen.com/tv/566103-our-favorite-older-examples-of-lesbian-tv-representation.