Representation is usually one of the first topics you hear when talking about television, books, and other forms of media as of late. But this is no new trend. Like other words that have become an important part of our vocabulary, there is a purpose. The portrayal of individuals that embody different types of people has been an obstacle since the inception of media, mostly written and oral tradition. Silencing and amplifying peoples’ stories is not a new phenomenon. However, with the rise in platforms that allows people to express their stories more readily has made it so the discussion of representation in media reaches many people.
Representation in YA books
Representation in a type of media that most young people have the chance of encountering is books. Books are available to most Americans and are important to school curriculums. Before the time of cellphones and easy access to the internet, libraries were somewhere kids would spend their time, I know I did. The chance to cash in on so many younger readers that were not quite ready to read books aimed at adults, but too old to read books marketed to children, led to a niche to be created. The young adult genre has grown to massive proportions since the 2000s. With this boom came many more voices telling stories, no longer were the popular authors white men. Although, even with this boom, there is still a lack of diversity. Young adult books follow many of the same tropes and outlines that the early popular stories of the genre did. In turn, the stories have many of the same characters, typically with a white male lead. One of my favorite young adult series of all time, Percy Jackson and related books, is one of the genre’s best and arguably shaped the genre, is still a story with a straight white male lead with people of color and gay accompanying characters. While this was great for me, seeing gay characters in media that were not just villains, Percy Jackson was still the main protagonist.
This also begs the question, how should diversity in books be tackled? Riordan has revived backlash for the way he writes his P.O.C. characters, mostly keeping much of their culture as small parts of their overall development because he isn’t as knowledgeable in those aspects. Riordan is a white male author telling the story of a young white man, so should he really be writing about a protagonist that has completely different experiences, like minority groups? One of the best ways would be to read stories about people of color from authors that are P.O.C., reading queer stories from queer authors. With the rise of technology and the internet, this problem could be solved somewhat. In the young adult genre, the use of technology has become more prevalent to make the stories more relatable. Despite this, the rise in technology, the rise in stories of minority groups did not follow, “Koss and Tucker-Raymond point out the glaring absence of Black, Latino, Asian, and Native American young adult characters who use media and technology, as well as the poor and working class youth who are not represented” (1). So, why is it that groups of people are being left out in the new wave of young adult books?
Representation in Movies
Childrens’ movies have been a forerunner of trying to tell the stories of different groups of people. Disney, one of the most popular companies that make children’s content has been heavily criticized for the poor and downright offensive depictions of minority groups. Walter Dean Myers asked, “Is it better to not be seen correctly or to not be seen at all? The answer is neither. Everyone deserves to see themselves, instead of being forced to accept “that these characters, these lives” are not theirs” (2). Everyone should have the chance to see themselves portrayed in films, books, and other forms of media.
In one of Disney’s newest movies Encanto has been getting good press for stories of children ecstatic there are characters that look like them in the movies they watch. Kenzo Brooks, a two-year-old boy found himself in Antonio, a character in Encanto. His parents were happy their son got the chance to experience this, “I know growing up for me that wasn’t necessarily often something you see,” Keith said. “For me, it did make me feel a little bit emotional to think that my son was able to see this and have this experience. Just for so many other Black and brown boys and girls to be able to have that same experience now, I think that was amazing”(3). With so many other stories like this hitting news broadcast every day it reinstates the fact that representation matters. Finding your identity is a lifelong experience but being able to see characters that you relate to early on helps aid the process and makes growing up just a bit easier.
Bottom line, amplify media that shares new experiences and are written by minority groups. Don’t be afraid to engage with stories that you normally would not read or watch, you might expand your knowledge.
- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ryan-Rish/publication/332986240_Representation_of_Media_and_Technology_in_Young_Adult_Literature/links/5cf52e43299bf1fb18539cf0/Representation-of-Media-and-Technology-in-Young-Adult-Literature.pdf
- https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/scholarsweek/Spring2021/GeneralPosters/3/
- https://abc7ny.com/kenzo-brooks-disney-encanto-representation-matters-kid/11427993/
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Hi McKenna,
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your take on the value of representation in media. As someone who was an avid Percy Jackson fan, I can also attest to the lack of character development for people of color, as Riordan focused primarily on developing his main character. As a child, I have explored other genres, most notably sports fiction. When reading these books, I would never come across an Asian American/ Indian basketball, football, or baseball player. Given that these sports were then offered at school, I would feel out of place and as though I was not “meant” to succeed at them. This goes back to your main idea of representation impacting early life, specifically the development of a personality. As a P.O.C. who grew up in a less represented area, it was difficult to find a balance between my cultural identity and the values of the people around me. For future generations, I think there is value in including all types of people in media. It will give them a sense of belonging, and make them feel as though there is no need to fit in.
In regards to representation in movies, you quote Walter Dean Meyers asking “Is it better to not be seen correctly or to not be seen at all?”. I believe that it is better to not be seen at all. Improper representation, though it is representation, has the power to change the public perception of a certain group of people. An Oxford research publication titled Race and Ethnicity in US Media Content and Effects states that “The rate of media representation is an important consideration as it is a marker of societal intergroup dynamics and can influence perception about the status, strength, and standing of groups in society” (Mastro). I have experienced this form of misrepresentation as a person of Indian heritage. Popular television characters such as Baljeet from Phineas and Ferb, Ravi from Jessie, and Raj from The Big Bang Theory all share common characteristics. They are seen as intelligent yet quirky characters who rarely understand basic social cues and are rarely given a love interest. While this is still a form of Indian representation, it fails to look past the stereotype precedent that has been set. In a published article for Huron High School, Maya Kogulan writes about her experiences as an Indian American. “Throughout my childhood, I was never blatantly confronted with any South Asian stereotypes. I went to a pretty diverse school in Saginaw, Michigan, where most kids were aware of not making rude remarks about other people’s race. However, when I turned on my TV, the only South Asian characters on my favorite shows were reduced to racist stereotypes.”
In examples such as the one you provided about Disney’s Encanto, I believe that representation can have an immense impact. Seeing someone who likes you on screen is a reassuring feeling, and for children at such a young age, can provide a spark of excitement. The point that you made at the end is one I strongly agree with. The general population must expand their normal rotation of television and movies to really see what is out there. Only then can we popularize shows that star people of different races, genders, religions, and cultures.
Overall, your blog was very well written and analyzed. It has opened the floor to a great discussion!
Sources:
https://oxfordre.com/communication/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228613-e-122#acrefore-9780190228613-e-122-div1-7
https://thehuronemery.com/2478/opinion/how-stereotyped-tv-minorities-ruined-my-impression-of-myself/#:~:text=On%20the%20popular%20show%20%E2%80%9CPhineas%20and%20Ferb%2C%E2%80%9D%20the,the%20summer%2C%20in%20particular%2C%20learning%20new%20math%20concepts.
I just want to start this off by saying that I’ve been thinking of all the ways I could reply to this for the past day and a half. Your response was very eye-opening, and your take on Meyers’s question being in opposition to mine made me think about just why I have the stance I do on representation. There was so much media where I could see people that looked like me. Your perspective made me more conscious of just how characters are written and what stereotypes are being used as traits that I might have dismissed. For myself, it wasn’t until later in my life that I saw how queer individuals were depicted in media, villainized most of the time thanks to Disney and other film codes, and the stereotypes that many believe as truth after seeing it play out in movies and TV. To me, Meyer’s question is something that is more complicated than I once thought. Coming at the question from a perspective of gender and sexuality has way different challenges than the challenges of representation of race and ethnicity. Thank you so much for your response again, I like learning about new perspectives and viewpoints.
Hello McKenna,
Your Civic Issue blog post was very interesting this week! My opinion on the matters discussed here is relatively uninformed because I never had to worry about representation. I also really wasn’t very interested in books growing up, nor was I a movie person! In the few books I read as child, I never took the identity of the characters I read about into perspective, nor the authors. Upon reading your case as well as some sources, you’re absolutely right. Concerning movies, I also notice that there is a lack of famous diverse directors and actors in our nation’s largest institutions. This is especially hypocritical concerning the “progressive” attitude they always display to the public. It is still good that Disney and other companies are starting to incorporate more diverse characters into their films, finally making them the main characters. Positive developments are happening, and I truly hope that they continue.
If I apply the topic of representation to the video games, a medium that I was constantly surrounded by growing up, I can see that your point applies there too. For clarification, a university in the United Kingdom did a study of England’s game developers. This study revealed that only ten percent of people working in game development in the United Kingdom belong to minority backgrounds. According to the University of Sheffield, 90 percent of the industry is white, while only 10 percent belongs to black, Asian, and other minority backgrounds (Webb). A majority of characters in games are male, while the small remaining percentage is female or non-binary. A study of games released from 2017 to 2021 revealed that a majority of characters in games were white as well. A majority of characters were only one race – white – while the minority of characters were any other race (Lin).
I completely agree with the sentiments expressed in your article and I’m excited to see what topic you tackle next.
Lin, Brittney. Diversity in Gaming Report: An Analysis of Diversity in Video Game Characters.” DiamondLobby, 17 Sept. 2021, diamondlobby.com/geeky-stuff/diversity-in-gaming/.
Webb, Jack. “Diversity in video games: The best (and worst) examples of representation.” Evening Standard, 12 June, 2020, http://www.standard.co.uk/tech/gaming/video-game-diversity-representation-a4461266.html.
Hi Zach,
First and foremost, I appreciate your analysis of the subject. Even for someone who has not dealt with a lack of representation, I enjoyed reading your take on how representation is important in media and literature.
A new perspective that I gained from reading your response was the lack of gender representation in video games. I have played a variety of games, and something that I never thought about was the dominance of male characters. A game I have always played growing up was NBA 2K, and a popular mode within this game was MyCareer. The career option was always based around a male player, and this must have been disappointing for female gamers. Something I am hoping to see in future video games is not only the inclusion of female characters but storylines as well. This will both diversify the fanbase and allow for representation.