Representation of BIPOC in castings for movies and TV shows

Representation of BIPOC in Movies and Tv Shows

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SANIYA LAUNGANII

lifestyles editor

Movies are a way to relax and find comfort, and it is always nice to see characters in movies that represent you. However, there is a lack of representation within people of color as well as a misinterpretation of race. The Hollywood industry has a background of discriminatory behavior. In the rare cases actors of color are cast as their own race; they are often still surrounded by a cast full of White actors.

There are plenty of instances where White people play the roles of people of color. It is a form of cultural appropriation. In movies and TV shows, you don’t see people of color playing a White person. Within top-rated television shows, movies, and plays, actors of color have been surrounded by a predominantly white cast, and examples include Full House, The Brady Bunch, and The Simpsons.

In the popular teen show “On my Block,” the actress Ronni Hawk, known as Oliva, played a Hispanic character. Her role was heavily reliant on her character’s ethnicity since she spoke Spanish, had immigrant parents, and was having a quinceanera. Hawk is a White actress who tweeted her support for Donald Trump and expressed her anti-gun control beliefs. Contrary to her viewpoints, the show was about low-income families living in an area where gun violence was prevalent. The show received significant criticism, and her character was deemed inappropriate in the eyes of many. As a result, Hawk’s character was cut from the show.

Instances like this should have never occurred, as the casting should have been someone from the Latinx community in the first place. The problem is that there will always be a qualified actor that appropriately represents a race, but the industry chooses not to cast them. And in the earlier Hollywood era, it was even common to have White actors perform blackface, brown-face, and yellow face, showcasing them as a minority. The Jazz Singer, Everybody Sing, and The King and I are all examples of such movies taken place in the 1900s.

A study by Dr. Stacy L. Smith, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, in partnership with The National Association of Latino Independent Producers and Wise Entertainment, shows Latinx discrimination with televised Hollywood films. The study took into account 1,200 top-grossing films from the years 2007 to 2018. The research showed 4.5% of 47,268 speaking characters across the past 12 years were Latinx, as were a slim 3% of lead or co-lead actors. As years passed, there was no prevalent difference. Finding people to cast accurately isn’t an issue since 77% of U.S. states and territories have a population of Latinos greater than the percentage seen in Hollywood films, and thus this points to a more significant problem of discriminatory, problematic, and racist casting behavior.

It is also an issue how colored actors commonly get their role over others because of their eurocentric features. Due to colonization in the 1800s, European societal norms have branched their ways into societies, and it has taken away from different cultures’ values of beauty. It is unfair for people of color to inherit America’s beauty standards, especially in the film industry, where portrayals of characters are created for millions of people to watch and absorb.

The use of inclusive casting will help viewers feel connected and represented. It is inappropriate for a race different from the role to relate to its experience and culture. It is a loss of opportunity for the appropriate actor and disfiguration of representation for viewers. This practice perpetuates racism and colorism in these industries by taking away chances from actors of color, making the role more digestible to a White audience. A change in the media is essential to dismantling these stereotypes and casting practices