Pop Culture, Diversity, and Representation “TV Diversity: Whose Job is it Anyway?” “NAACP Takes a Closer Look at Television Diversity”

Quickwrite #4 Based on the readings we have done so far and your own experience, do you think that the way the media and the entertainment industries represent (or fail to represent) minorities has real world consequences for real people in those groups? Why or why not? Feel free to respond to a specific quote from one of the readings if you would like.

What do we mean when we talk about “diversity and representation” in the media? It might mean a discussion of how closely media products as a group reflect the diversity of the society that is producing them. It might mean a discussion of how a specific media product deals with the question of diversity. Are minority groups represented? If so, are they represented fairly, or as stereotypes?

Terms that are Relevant to the Discussion Diversity: the condition of having or being composed of differing elements : variety; especially : the inclusion of different types of people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization (Meriam Webster Online Dictionary) When the word is used to talk about different types of people, there is also a connotation of acceptance of and respect for those differences.

Terms that are Relevant to the Discussion Tokenism: the practice of doing something (such as hiring a person who belongs to a minority group) only to prevent criticism and give the appearance that people are being treated fairly (Meriam Webster Learner’s Dictionary) Marginalize: to relegate to an unimportant or powerless position within a society or group (Meriam Webster Online Dictionary)

A few more words to know: Portray: verb (Noun form is “portrayal”) 1 to make a picture of : depict 2 a : to describe in words b : to play the role of Miss Spitler’s note: This word often has the connotation of a fictional, not necessarily true representation. Depict: verb (Noun form is “depiction”) 1: to represent by or as if by a picture Miss Spitler’s Note: depict/depiction and portray/portrayal are often used interchangeably because they are synonyms. Problematic: a : posing a problem : difficult to solve or decide b : not definite or settled : uncertain <their future remains problematic> c : open to question or debate : questionable

Let’s use all of these words in a sentence: Too often, Latinos are depicted as criminals, gardeners, or maids, and little else. This portrayal is problematic because, consciously or not, it props up racist assumptions about this group. Producers and writers should make an effort to write characters and storylines that offer a more complex portrayal of the people in this historically marginalized community.

And one more… If you read enough about the topic of representation and diversity in pop culture, you will probably run into some people who are using some specialized definitions of the words “Racism” and “racist” In this case, dictionary definitions fall short in terms of helping us understand how writers on this issue use this word, but they’re a place to start. Meriam Webster Online gives me: : poor treatment of or violence against people because of their race : the belief that some races of people are better than others In other words, under this definition, “racism” is any racially motivated prejudice.

But it’s more complicated than that. The definitions on the previous slide were focused on the actions or personally held beliefs of individual people. This certainly is one kind of racism (individual racism), but writers on this issue often speak about Institutional racism– the institutionalized marginalization of a group based on race The difference between these two definitions is that in the second, the focus is on socially ingrained structures and systems (in which individuals certainly participate, but are larger than any one person’s beliefs or actions) that discriminate based on race and perpetuate racially motivated prejudice. One way that this idea of institutional racism is sometimes expressed is: “racism is prejudice plus power.”

“TV Diversity: Whose Job is it Anyway?” What larger conversation is this article responding to? What specific show/event is the article responding to? In the first section of the essay, the author, Aydrea Walden, uses a strategy described in They Say, I Say. She lists common objections to further inclusion of minority characters (that’s the “they say” part), and then, she offers a counter-argument about why each of those objections doesn’t make sense. (That’s her “I say” part.) What did you think of the “they say” objections she cites? What did you think of her counter-arguments? Was she convincing?

The Effects of a Lack of Diversity In “TV Diversity: Whose Job is it Anyway,” Aydrea Walden claims the following: “The shortest possible answer to ‘does diversity on TV matter?’ is ‘yes.’ Repeatedly showing people images absolutely has an affect on the way they live their lives. It’s the basis for the advertising industry. By regularly marginalizing people of color on screen, it makes it easier for people to marginalize those same populations in real life.” What does she mean by this? What do you think of this criticism?

“NAACP Takes a Closer Look at Television Diversity” p. 458 What claims about representation of African Americans on television is Vic Bulluck making in this essay? How does he support those claims, and what is your response to them? This essay touches on many of the same ideas as Aydrea Walden’s essay, though it is different in terms of tone, audience, and purpose. Compare Bulluck’s treatment of this issue with Walden’s. This essay was written in 2006. Do you think Bulluck’s points would be different if he were writing it today?

How do I write about this issue? First of all, you’ve got to decide what you think about the big questions. What do you think about how diverse the media being produced right now is? Do you think that it’s enough to simply include actors/characters from minority groups in shows/, films, etc? If not, what else should be done? Are there certain groups that you notice being portrayed inaccurately?

How do I write about this issue? Start paying attention. I know not all of us watch a lot of TV, but if you do, start noticing how diverse the characters you see are, or how diverse the musicians you listen to are, etc. Think of the Miss Representation film we watched as a model. That film also touched on how women, in this case, are represented in film, television, news media, and advertising. Start doing some reading. It’s very difficult to know what you think about this issue until you know what the big debates are.

Some Questions that Will Help You on Essay #2 As you analyze the pieces of media that you have chosen in order to support a claim you are making about pop culture and diversity, ask yourself: What are the main values that are being put forward as “correct” or “normal” by this piece of media? Are these values particular to any one group? Are there any groups whose values/ideas are poorly or unfairly represented?

Some Questions that Will Help You on Essay #2 If you narrow your topic by MEDIA (for example, if you want to examine horror films, or sitcoms, or a specific genre of music, etc.): Do you notice any patterns in the representation of diverse groups in the media you chose?, If you narrow your topic by GROUP (for example, if you want to examine the portrayal of Latinos, or the Deaf, or bisexuals, etc.): Do you notice patterns in the representation of the one minority group you chose? If so, what do you think those patterns mean? Why are they important? Is there anything missing from the portrayals you are researching? Is there anything complicated that is made simple? Any subtle differences that are glossed over? What are the consequences of this over-simplification?

Group Brainstorming Time What are groups that are incorrectly represented (or not represented enough) by popular culture? Can you think of any examples of controversial/problematic representation of one of these groups? What would a good (not problematic) representation of these groups look like, do you think?

Group Discussion (if we have time) Share some of your responses to this question: “Make a brief list of your favorite television shows or films. How diverse are these pop culture products? How are characters who are from minority groups treated/characterized? Does this issue ever affect your decision to watch a film/show?” Discuss each others’ responses respectfully and be ready to report back on your discussion to the class.

Where can I find sources? In this case, google is your friend. A lot of the most current writing about this issue hasn’t made it into the school databases yet. Searches that have been productive for me: Diversity and the media TV and diversity (or television and diversity) If you wish to research a certain group, play around with combinations of the group name, and the words “diversity,” “media,” and “television” (or whatever medium you are researching. If you wish to research a certain piece of pop culture, type in the name of the film/show/genre and “diversity” and see what you come up with. These same searches work with the school databases.

Tentative Topics for Essay 2 Based on our brainstorming, spend the rest of the class narrowing your topic. Be ready to tell me what your tentative topic is for essay 1. Give me as much detail as you can about the question you will be exploring. (You should go into all of our essays with a question you are researching/exploring, not a topic upon which you have already completely made up your mind.)