Diversity in the Film Industry

          Throughout history, we have seen the music industry and media evolve, grow, and become more diverse. One of the most impacted industries is the film industry. If you search “popular movies in the 1960s,” you will see movies that star American actors as the main role, such as the movie Psycho, The magnificent seven, and Elmer Gantry. This was the case for many years: Hollywood would release a great movie but would sadly not showcase any sign of diversity and inclusion in their films. It wasn’t until the 20th century where we saw a drastic change in movie casts. Now if you search “Popular movies in 2019” you will see movies like Us, Aladdin, and The Upside where the main characters are played by a minority. Huge movies like Crazy Rich Asians and Black Panther were a great success to promote diversity since they cast a majority of people from minorities.

        Having people of different cultures, races, and ethnicities is important for both adults and children. As a result of the film industry become moving open and acceptable, little kids are becoming more confident within themselves and acknowledging that everybody is equal. Studies show that kids should be able to see people on the big screen that not only look like them but sound like them. Kids with low self-esteem and negative thoughts about themselves respond positively towards having role models that look like them. It gives them a sense of involvement in the world as well as boosting a positive outlook on others. 

       Besides the impact on kids, diversity impacts adults as well. Just like kids, it gives them a sense of involvement and boosts their self-esteem. Being able to see people that look like you and speak like you is a critical thing to feel satisfied and cared for, which is exactly what we need in this world. You see in the news and in social media where they are negatively targeting certain cultures and something as big as the film industry can relieve some of the tension. Adults of an older generation can finally have the representation they truly deserved for many years.

        Hollywood is known as the “dream factory.” People move there solely for the idea of becoming actors, artists, and to become famous. By promoting movies of different cultural backgrounds, they get a better amount of people visiting and living there. It helps them financially since more and more people want to be part of this beautiful group.

        We have seen major progress throughout these past few years, especially in 2018, when many movies came out that embraced different cultures. Thanks to the exposure of different cultures, social media has also involved themselves in embracing diversity through their platforms. 

The world is slowly piecing things together and gathering as one. The film industry has truly impacted many adults and young children. There is obviously so much more to do to truly have a larger impact but there has been a huge advancement compared to past years.