Thank you for your response Donald Spivey!
First, when you say “Hollywood must respond to market forces. Movies sell tickets.” we must remember the recent success of films such as “Black Panther” and “Crazy Rich Asians.” I believe there was originally an assumption within Hollywood and mainstream — White — media that movies with non-White leads couldn’t sell. However, with proper marketing and backing this assumption was proved wrong.
Also, remember what I said within the article speaking on films with non-White characters not being casted:
“One might assume these occurrences are the result of America’s existing racial composition, with Whites reportedly in the majority. However, in many cases White actors and actresses have even portrayed non-fictional non-White characters on film, a practice that has been called ‘whitewashing.’”
This statement was meant to imply that there has always been an interest in films that do not center on traditionally White spaces (ex. Egyptian, Asian, South American-inspired films). However, on many occasions these films were whitewashed to make White audiences more comfortable. Other racial/ethnic groups have good enough spending power to support films in the US and beyond. Even if White audiences didn’t support a film, with proper backing and marketing I believe any film can do well in the box office.
Another point you raised was that “new films seem to increasingly cast minorities [sidebar — I despise that term to describe non-White groups] to avoid the ire of the socially sensitive.” Can you elaborate on this more? When you say “avoid the ire of the socially sensitive” it comes off as if you are saying “Hollywood is casting more Blacks and other people of color in movies to appease social justice warriors who would otherwise be upset.” If this is your sentiment then I disagree. In fact, I believe many in Hollywood see they can make a lot of money catering to non-White groups and are trying to capitalize off of this idea — maybe a little too much.
Moreover, when you say “However, straight social justice films should be shown in Civics in history classes while young hearts are sensitive to change” I believe you are missing a key point. Racism, prejudice, and bigotry are developed through a multifaceted process. Showing social justice films in school won’t lead to major change — who pays attention in school anymore? Media is huge when it comes to socialization. Representation matters. The reason why many Blacks are thought of as criminals today is because of media. Need proof? Read the following piece I wrote last year on this topic:
Therefore, showing a plethora of non-White individuals in Hollywood films and other forms of media in diverse roles is necessary. This can help do away with harmful stereotypes and truly help shape the minds of younger people for the better.
I am open to more discussion if you’d like. I can even write a piece addressing some of your concerns. But I truly appreciate your response to my article!
J. Stokes
