From my personal view on TV, the supposed lack of diversity is not really a problem. This may be due to the shows that I watch, but I feel like there is no need for a massive surge in casting non-whites. In addition to race, gender and
For example, in Doctor Who, the main characters have slowly been transitioning from white men, to a mixture of white men and women, to a mixture of white men, white women, and black men, etc. Recently, the main character, the Doctor, has been cast as a woman for the first time in the show’s 50+ year run. As of lately, many people are complimenting the show for its progress towards making diversity normal, without shoving it down our throats. There have even been examples of LGBT+ characters appearing lately, and the show deems it as normal, sometimes not even mentioned. It’s expected that people watching the show begin to take this as normal after so long. Full explanation here
Unfortunately, in one of my other favorite shows, Supernatural. There appears to be a lack of diversity. It seems like there is an effort to include other races, sexualities, etc. However, most of the time, the characters are killed off or forgotten about. This article highlights some opinions of the viewers concerning some of the writers’ choices through the (at the time) 10 seasons of the show.
It seems as thought to me, that Doctor Who is setting an example for shows, current and future, to have more diversity. Many shows that are running currently are beginning to incorporate more diversity, which is a step in the right direction. With the current events regarding diversity, we’ll likely see a shift coming in the near future.
Food for thought:
– Do you think a sudden wave of changes of casting is better or worse in terms of portrayal of TV in general?
– What do you think is the best way to make diversity seem more “natural” in shows?