I have a bone to pick with the #Oscarssowhite movement that has taken social media by storm for the second year in a row. Imbalances in racial diversity shouldn’t only be noticed when all the nominees for an awards show are white. Though I’m appreciative of the media and Twitter users for finally getting the memo that, yes, we have a problem with diversity Hollywood’s elites, why does it take such an obvious and famous event repeated twice for it to be highlighted? I don’t know about you, but in the year that has passed since the 2015 #Oscarssowhite trend, I haven’t seen or read a single article by a mainstream publication further stressing the issue. If you’re a POC (person of colour), chances are this isn’t news to you. It is practically impossible to go about your day without being exposed to ad campaigns featuring all-white models, or television programmes where the only POC characters are there to serve a stereotypical and comedic purpose. This happens 365 (366 in 2016) days a year, and somehow the only tangible conversation on it only happens in special circumstances, such as now with the Oscars. I guess my question here is “Why are we so bad at starting — and maintaining — the conversation about diversity in the media?”
Sometimes I feel that the importance of racial diversity in popular culture is undermined, and the significance of the issue is something that, even when addressed by big-name publications such as TIME, do not properly address in their narratives. Mass media is the representation of the interests, values, and desires of the peoples, and when only a certain demographic is seen within that, it suggests that all of the our interests, values, and desires are catered especially towards that demographic. In a society that is still recovering from the effects of racism, and still suffers from systemic racism, this creates a further social divide between POCs and others. Universal stories told on the big screen are chosen to be told about white people, creating a further sense of the unimportance of POCs in society, and the POC stories are often bastardized to be more comedic or more stereotypical than it actually is. In fact, the importance of diversity has been extensively studied. In a study conducted by two Indian University professors that concluded in 2012, it was found that when groups of white and black girls and boys watched television, the only group that experiences a heightened sense of self-esteem is the white male demographic, unsurprisingly, since they are the most well-represented in media. This is extremely disproportionate to the demographic reality of North American countries, and was found to result in a decrease in self-esteem in members of the other tested demographics.
I’m sure this is a story that is all-too-familiar for anyone who fits into those categories, and I’ve definitely felt the negative influence of our conformist media. I’d been modelling casually since I was 12, but when I was scouted by a local agency a year later, I became exposed to the greater world of international modelling. This was definitely an exciting development in my life, but also marked the beginning of my absolute self-scrutiny. Though of course part of that comes from the very nature of modelling; always having to be aware of your movements and maintaining your fitness, however, this scrutiny mainly arose from the lack of colour in the feeds of modelling agencies all over the world and ad campaigns. Modelling is already a competitive industry, but when you feel as though you don’t even have a chance in castings alongside white counterparts, it can be incredibly damaging to your sense of self-worth. When the fashion industry already appropriates the culture of many different POCs, they don’t even get a chance to be a part of it.
Though the message rings loud and true: we need more racial diversity in media, the activism behind it often lacks lasting momentum. Calls for change are created by events such as the Oscars, but talk about it quickly diminishes immediately afterwards, giving no lasting motivation for media executives to make purposeful changes in their practices. We all wish for change, but much like the economy, the demand for something must be consistently high to continue the creation of it. If media is a reflection of our values, then we are who need to make our values known. Through continuous vocal action, audiences can create change. In fact, our current somewhat-diverse media was created due to changing attitudes regarding POCs. However, to further what limited variance we have, diversity in the media will not change unless we, the audience, demand it. Though it should never have to be this way, it is the inescapable reality.
HOW DO WE KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING?
With the many social media platforms we have, it is easier than ever to voice your opinions. By tweeting or commenting at or on articles regarding media diversity, you are not only showing that it matters to you, but that it matters enough that you took the time to comment on it. Don’t be afraid to call out issues you see, change won’t happen unless that is realized. As filmmaker Spike Lee said about the 2016 rendition of the #Oscarssowhite movement:
“the Academy Awards is not where the ‘real’ battle is. It’s in the executive office of the Hollywood studios and TV and cable networks. This is where the gate keepers decide what gets made and what gets jettisoned…the truth is we ain’t in those rooms and until minorities are, the Oscar nominees will remain lily-white.”
And I couldn’t have said it better myself.