Is Fair Representation Possible?
As diversity becomes more and more prevalent in societies throughout the world, it's only natural to look for the same diversity in our daily lives. One of the most ubiquitous forms of media today is film, so it's only natural to expect a wide array of ideas and images from the medium - however, not so much.
Karen Healey over at the Girls Read Comics blog has an interesting article up about the presence, or lack thereof, of multicultural women in film. The two films discussed specifically are the recently released Iron Man and Incredible Hulk. Healey admits that it's a step in the right direction getting women in this films at all, but it's not enough. There needs to be just as many Latino women as there are Asian as there are Caucasian.
Even if we haven't sorted out the jet-packs and the teleportation windows, you'd think that we could handle getting some American women of colour in American-centric cinema, in speaking and non-speaking roles.
(Since she's making a valid point, we'll forgive her the Canadian -our in color.)
She goes on to describe a conversation with Gabrielle Union that is very surprising and wholly depressing in this day and age. While I may be a white male and can easily hide in plain site if push comes to shove, it's disturbing to see this kind of treatment still alive today for any minority, be it based on race, gender or sexuality.
You should definitely go over to Girls Read Comics to read the article. Then you can come back here to rant and vent about the situation.
Goblin
Posted to Comics, Superheroes, editorial on 16 July 2008
· Comments (5)
Other stuff like this: Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Minorities, Movies, Women
My boyfriend and I were actually discussing the other day who should have played Fox and we came to the conclusion that it should have been Gabrielle Union.
I agree that the lack of diversity is wring - heck, it's what we all right about every day here in the way we cover what little representation there is for LGBT...
And I would agree the Gabrielle Union should have played Fox - great casting choice. And I think that Wanted should have been more the comic - not the pile of mess it was especially in the second half.
The bottom line is big business goes for proven things that sell:
Why have 8 million comic book adaptions made it to the big screen - a couple did REALLY REALLY WELL!!
Why did Michael Clarke Duncan play Kingpin - against the type in the comic - because at the time he was very popular.
Why did Paltrow get cast in a role she tanked? Because she, in the minds of Hollywood, sells tickets.
Why does Hollywood have NO imagination 90% of the time - because they steal themes from other genres and then try and fix them - most of the time when they were good to begin with.
It's F'ed up - but until other female actresses can open a movie like Jodie Foster, Haley Berry, or Angelina Jolie the studio system will pass over diversity for profit every damn time.
In the same way that in comics you will never see a major publisher stand firmly behind a 100% gay male superhero character LEAD. They want to hit the most audience they can with the littlest of worry or effort.
Thanks for bringing this here - enjoyed the read
As with all minorities if you don't like how you are being represented you must represent yourself. If you don't others speak for you and you have no voice. Everyone should make films, books, comics or whatever that is by the people for the people. Don't think that because your audience is smaller than another group's audience that your vision is not important or even seen. Lower the bar from a black woman iron man (although that does sound pretty cool) to something much more unique and personal. Why emulate some other group and ignore your own. this has been my rant.
Pft, that's not a Canadian "our"! It's a New Zealander one!
K.
I just read something similar in Entertainment Weekly about how Will Smith was paired up (uhh sorta) with Charlize Theron in Hancock instead of an African-American female, which, the article of the author says, would seem to threatening to a mainstream audience. You can read Margeaux Watson's article over here