Is TV Too White?
Most, if not all characters featured on television programs are white. On the off chance that there are Asians, Blacks, or Latinos, they all usually have one thing in common. Asians are depicted as quiet, sexless, geniuses. Blacks as loud, comical, uneducated, or sassy. Latinas are portrayed as feisty, sexy, domesticated, and dumb. Anyone who has ever seen ‘Modern Family’ knows Sofia Vergara’s character, Gloria, is a walking stereotype. Though inclusion is important on television, it is ineffective if all nonwhite characters are featured for the sole purpose of being the “token” Asian, Black, or Latino. Racial inclusion is also ineffective when all minority characters possess qualities that meet Eurocentric beauty standards. …show more content…
What are minority actors lacking that white actors have? Earlier this year, Scarlett Johansson was chosen to play Major Motoko Kusanagi, who is Japanese, in the upcoming Hollywood version of ‘The Ghost in the Shell.’ Vox Media responded with a video titled, ‘Hollywood’s Best Asian Roles Still go to White People.’ A few months ago, the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite became the talk of twitter, and eventually made its way to LA Times, Huffington Post, and The Guardian. People all over the country were discussing the controversy that is the lack of diversity in film.
Latinas are one of two things on television; underrepresented or hyper sexualized. This is extremely damaging to the kids who look to television to find a sense of identity, especially because most are easily influenced by what they see. When a young Latina seeks representation on TV, what message does it send when Latinas are only depicted as sexy, exotic, and ditzy? The archetype of a Latina is a curvy, brown haired, brown eyed, golden skinned woman who speaks broken English. There is hardly ever a distinction between Latinas on television, unlike white actors, whose characters have room to expand and grow into whatever they want to be. Due to their lack of representation as I was growing up, when I finally did see a Latina on TV, I felt …show more content…
These women have quick tempers and are not shy about it. Being shown in a prison, they are still portrayed as spicy and insubordinate. Daya plays into the stereotype that Latinas are inherently sexual, getting impregnated by a prison guard. This portrayal is offensive to the Latinas watching because even in a prison setting, the Latinas are shown popping their gum, rolling their eyes, and seducing the men around them. Unlike Gloria in Modern Family, Orange Is The New Black does feature some baby steps in the right direction. Flaca appears having interests outside of her cultural norm, deeply enjoying Depeche Mode and The Smiths. Blogger Alex Abad-Santos writes that “It might be hard to understand why Flaca’s musical taste matters unless you’ve grown up watching television shows where no one looks like or behaves like you.” Unfortunately, too often this is the reality for Latinas. There is hardly ever a positive and accurate representation of relatable Latina on
Most, if not all characters featured on television programs are white. On the off chance that there are Asians, Blacks, or Latinos, they all usually have one thing in common. Asians are depicted as quiet, sexless, geniuses. Blacks as loud, comical, uneducated, or sassy. Latinas are portrayed as feisty, sexy, domesticated, and dumb. Anyone who has ever seen ‘Modern Family’ knows Sofia Vergara’s character, Gloria, is a walking stereotype. Though inclusion is important on television, it is ineffective if all nonwhite characters are featured for the sole purpose of being the “token” Asian, Black, or Latino. Racial inclusion is also ineffective when all minority characters possess qualities that meet Eurocentric beauty standards. …show more content…
What are minority actors lacking that white actors have? Earlier this year, Scarlett Johansson was chosen to play Major Motoko Kusanagi, who is Japanese, in the upcoming Hollywood version of ‘The Ghost in the Shell.’ Vox Media responded with a video titled, ‘Hollywood’s Best Asian Roles Still go to White People.’ A few months ago, the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite became the talk of twitter, and eventually made its way to LA Times, Huffington Post, and The Guardian. People all over the country were discussing the controversy that is the lack of diversity in film.
Latinas are one of two things on television; underrepresented or hyper sexualized. This is extremely damaging to the kids who look to television to find a sense of identity, especially because most are easily influenced by what they see. When a young Latina seeks representation on TV, what message does it send when Latinas are only depicted as sexy, exotic, and ditzy? The archetype of a Latina is a curvy, brown haired, brown eyed, golden skinned woman who speaks broken English. There is hardly ever a distinction between Latinas on television, unlike white actors, whose characters have room to expand and grow into whatever they want to be. Due to their lack of representation as I was growing up, when I finally did see a Latina on TV, I felt …show more content…
These women have quick tempers and are not shy about it. Being shown in a prison, they are still portrayed as spicy and insubordinate. Daya plays into the stereotype that Latinas are inherently sexual, getting impregnated by a prison guard. This portrayal is offensive to the Latinas watching because even in a prison setting, the Latinas are shown popping their gum, rolling their eyes, and seducing the men around them. Unlike Gloria in Modern Family, Orange Is The New Black does feature some baby steps in the right direction. Flaca appears having interests outside of her cultural norm, deeply enjoying Depeche Mode and The Smiths. Blogger Alex Abad-Santos writes that “It might be hard to understand why Flaca’s musical taste matters unless you’ve grown up watching television shows where no one looks like or behaves like you.” Unfortunately, too often this is the reality for Latinas. There is hardly ever a positive and accurate representation of relatable Latina on