~ OUGD601 - dissertation research articles ~

http://www.wakemag.org/sections/voices/why-does-media-representation-matter 

"With the Oscars of 2015 being referred to as “the whitest Oscars since 1998,” many people have been discussing the importance of representation in the media."

“I work in the entertainment industry, and the lack of diversity is mind-blowing,” 

“Shonda Rhimes, writer and creator of shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, was given an award for her ‘color-blind,’ casting choices. The mere fact that an award for this is given out is indicative of how big of a problem this is.”

"According to the New York Film Academy, only 12.4 percent of speaking characters from the 2007-2012 top 500 grossing films were portrayed by black actors, while 75.8 percent of these roles were portrayed by white characters. In fact, 40 percent of the top 100 grossing films from 2012 showed black characters as less than 5 percent of the speaking cast."

"women comprised only 30.8 percent of speaking characters in films from 2007-2012."

"Even on a global scale, only 23 percent of film protagonists are female. Even in the films where different races and genders were represented, they were often portrayed in ways that were more subservient and supportive to their white or male counterparts. Unless you are a white straight male, you may have a difficult time finding people who look and act like you represented equally and completely in the media."

“When I was asked to draw pictures of myself, I would always give myself a head of blonde hair until I was about six years old,” Ritchie said. “Why did I want to do this? Because I thought that being blonde was way prettier than having dark hair. However, part of me likes to think that if the movies and TV shows I watched showed a more accurate representation of who I was, I might have been more willing to embrace who I was at a younger age.”

“The remote nature of media allows for the less exposed, more conservative population to experience trans culture and see non-binary folk and accept that they exist without that reality being forced into their world,” she said. “It provides a safe space for the trans population to express themselves to a less aware audience without fear of retribution or hate crimes."

"Without representation of all races, genders, sexes, sexualities, body types, etc., there are stories that we are missing. Without equal representation, there are people who are not feeling heard or seen. In a nation and world as diverse and complex as ours, the last thing we want is to lose the stories of a large portion of our people."