Hi everyone ! Today, we’re going to talk about a very important topic: representation. Let’s begin with a quick definition. Representation is the way the media chooses to portray ethnicities, genders, sexual identities, religious communities...etc to their audience. And you might have noticed a lot of tv shows, movies or books either have a lack of meaningful representation or only include heavily stereotypical representation of certain minorities.
Why is it harmful to misrepresent/not represent some people on screen at all ? The media is a powerful tool which shapes the way we see the world, therefore it must be used in a careful way. Who we chose to portray and how matters, so it should be a truthful reflection of life. For example, not representing any poc or lgbtq+ characters in tv shows and movies is a way to erase them and decrease their issues’ visibility. This lack of inclusivity is extremely harmful to the young people who might not see themselves on screen and thus never feel like they belong or have any role model to look up to. Tokenism is an example of a representation of a minority only to fake diversity, but said characters usually are very one-dimensional. The stereotypes we see on screen can also influence us and shape the way we see people in real life, which can be very dangerous.
What I would like to see more in the media? I think we all would love to see more lgbtq+ characters, more poc, more disabled people, diverse body types and overall more complex male AND female characters on screen. As a young woman I sometimes struggle to find characters I really identify with, even though I feel like nowadays directors are (slowly) trying to change this. It might not seem important, but seeing more strong diverse female characters sooner would have helped me love myself much much more.
How you can fight for better representation and inclusivity? You can boycott movies/shows who refuse to show diversity. Or that cast cis actors to play trans characters for instance, even though there are truly wonderful trans actors out there that deserve to be discovered. Don’t hesitate to discuss these issues with people, don’t be afraid to debate and express your opinions respectfully. Change won’t happen if everyone stays silent. Put yourself in a certain mind frame when you watch a movie or a show, try to imagine what it might feel like to be surrounded by characters who you can’t completely identify with. Try to notice if an ethnicity is misrepresented, if a show tends to reduce female characters to one role, if it lacks lgbtq+ characters etc… be smart and create your own opinion, be careful not to internalize a false, stereotyped vision of life based of what you watch.
That’s it for this article, thanks for reading ! 🌟💕 See you next Thursday -Sophie
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