In the last decade, Americans have become increasingly aware of the opportunity and wage gaps between racial minorities and females and their Caucasian, male counterparts. One of the areas most affected by this prejudice is the film industry in Hollywood. In this industry, talented members of minorities receive significantly fewer speaking parts and smaller wages than members of the majority. We must put an end to this troublesome trend because every actor deserves to experience the same chance at success, regardless of their gender or race. In order to combat the issue of inequality, we must educate everyone, including movie-goers, white actors, and white filmmakers, about the lack of minorities in film and get minorities more involved in
…show more content…
In Hollywood, “African American and Native American women make 64 cents and 59 cents, respectively, for every dollar made by white men, and Hispanic women earn just 56 cents to a white man’s dollar”, proving the impact of the film industry’s discrimination on the salaries of marginalized groups in society (Berg). Finally, people of color that are lucky enough to land a role in a major motion picture find it nearly impossible to earn a lead or co-lead role. When the top 100 movies of 2014 were studied, only 17 of those movies featured lead or co-lead roles filled by actors that were not white (Santhanam and Hickey). This means that the majority of non-white actors are forced to play minor roles simply because casting directors assume that they are not as appealing to audiences as white actors. Not only does discrimination affect the careers of people of color, but it also affects women. Like racial minorities, women also receive unfair treatment in the motion picture industry. For example, the highest paid actress, Jennifer Lawrence, makes only 65% of the salary of the highest paid actor, Robert Downey Jr. (Berg). This is mind-boggling considering the fact that both Lawrence and Downey Jr. work similar hours and have obtained the same level of fame, yet Lawrence is paid less simply because of her gender. Instead of reflecting the actors’ dedication and talent, like it should, the wages are based solely on the discrimination among high-ranking movie
In Hollywood, “African American and Native American women make 64 cents and 59 cents, respectively, for every dollar made by white men, and Hispanic women earn just 56 cents to a white man’s dollar”, proving the impact of the film industry’s discrimination on the salaries of marginalized groups in society (Berg). Finally, people of color that are lucky enough to land a role in a major motion picture find it nearly impossible to earn a lead or co-lead role. When the top 100 movies of 2014 were studied, only 17 of those movies featured lead or co-lead roles filled by actors that were not white (Santhanam and Hickey). This means that the majority of non-white actors are forced to play minor roles simply because casting directors assume that they are not as appealing to audiences as white actors. Not only does discrimination affect the careers of people of color, but it also affects women. Like racial minorities, women also receive unfair treatment in the motion picture industry. For example, the highest paid actress, Jennifer Lawrence, makes only 65% of the salary of the highest paid actor, Robert Downey Jr. (Berg). This is mind-boggling considering the fact that both Lawrence and Downey Jr. work similar hours and have obtained the same level of fame, yet Lawrence is paid less simply because of her gender. Instead of reflecting the actors’ dedication and talent, like it should, the wages are based solely on the discrimination among high-ranking movie