1/11/2021 0 Comments Check out this article on the lack of diversity in Hollywood! HOW FAIR IS HOLLYWOOD?HOLLYWOOD, California (Achieve3000, January 26, 2017). Hollywood directors select actors for their movies. They try to find actors who will attract viewers. But a growing number of people are unhappy with how this is done. They say that non-white actors are kept out of the spotlight. There is also "whitewashing." That's when roles written for minorities are given to white actors.
A report written by the University of Southern California (USC) came out in 2016. It examined these kinds of issues in entertainment. It offers a look at Hollywood's lack of inclusion. "We see…the same groups getting [the top] roles," said Stacy L. Smith. Smith is a USC professor and the study's lead author. "That continues to be the problem [with] Hollywood's hiring practices." Many say that whitewashing is similar to "blackface." In the 1800s, white performers used makeup to darken their skin. They played the parts of African Americans. They acted in stereotypical ways. Many people found this offensive. Blackface grew unpopular in the 1960s. This was due to the civil rights movement. But whitewashing is still practiced in Hollywood. Critics say it has made minority actors and characters less visible. Claudia Kim has starred in movies in both her native South Korea and in the U.S. She once auditioned for an Asian role in a Hollywood movie. She was surprised when she learned that a white actress was picked for the part. "It is definitely not a pleasant experience," Kim said. She called the choice "ridiculous." The USC researchers say that the effects of these practices are more than just unpleasant and ridiculous. They call Hollywood a center "of cultural inequality." Further, they say inequality in Hollywood reflects the invisibility of many in American popular culture. But Hollywood has been slow to increase its diversity. Many in the movie industry say inequality is unavoidable. They say that directors need to cast big-name actors. That's what sells tickets. There's a problem with that, some say. These practices could keep minority actors out of the spotlight forever. Others call for color-blind casting. They argue that a role should be given to the best actor for the job, regardless of ethnicity. But in reality, experts say, the practice does not seem to be "color-blind." White actors play parts of various ethnicities. But African American, Latino, and Asian actors are almost never cast as white characters. Some in the industry are taking steps to diversify Hollywood. But the USC researchers say that more needs to be done. "We've seen a lot of talk and little action," said Smith.
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