There's been a lot of talk in recent years about how it's about time to turn a corner in entertainment and empower marginalized groups to get their fair share of the spotlight. A 2016 study by the University of Southern California speaks about the “epidemic of invisibility,” revealing that, in over 400 films and TV shows from 2014 to 2015, just one third of all speaking characters were female, despite women making up over 50 percent of America. Only 28.3 percent of leading characters were from ethnic groups that make up 40 percent share of the total population.
Worse still, it seems, when we do have women or people of color in films, it's often in a stereotypical capacity, with female characters supporting their dominant male counterparts. Onscreen characters are increasingly out of touch with the moviegoing public. Hispanics, for example, are more likely than all other ethnic groups to go to the movies, yet Latinos portrayed under 5 percent of all speaking characters in 2014.
Thankfully, the tech world is beginning to level the entertainment landscape, with emerging platforms lending greater protagonism to marginalized groups. Facebook Watch recently launched, providing a new home for original video and greater variety of content, with mini-documentaries, reality shows, and even sports coverage.
They've picked up a show called Just Doug, which is a semi-autobiographical story about the show's creator, Douglas Kim. A former pro poker player, Doug earned enough money to pursue his acting passion and took off for Hollywood. The series explores his experience as an Asian-American actor, and illuminates the plight of marginalized groups in a comical but poignant way that parallels Viet Thanh Nguyen's 2015 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, 'The Sympathizer.'
"When Varient and our team at TheMachine partnered up on Just Doug we knew it was special. Not only was it well-executed with a killer cast but it hit one of the tenants of our company square in the bullseye: helping marginalized voices find platforms and distribution for their work,” says Kevin Herrera, founder and CEO at TheMachine. “Beyond the quality content, Just Doug contains a message and a challenge to the entertainment industry. The Internet has democratized content creation and distribution allowing companies like ours to stay nimble and focused on the strongest stories told by any and all willing to put in the hard work.”
Because platforms like Facebook Watch, Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime don't have to appease mass audiences in a traditional sense, they allow for more meaningful and targeted content. Creative companies like Varient, TheMachine, MOFILM and Jubilee Media have popped up to push the boundaries of entertainment in the new media landscape.
“We need a more diverse and accurate portrayal of perspectives and voices,” says Jason Y. Lee, founder of Jubilee Media. “That's precisely why Just Doug is great, and it’s what we're trying to do at Jubilee Media, as well. It’s one of the reasons we're developing content for Facebook Watch. We hope that by telling honest and authentic stories, we can bridge people together and inspire love.”
Another platform shifting the power towards marginalized groups is Blue Fever, designed for Millennial women. With the Millennial generation continuing to grow and now surpassing baby boomers, there’s a need for platforms that cater to this demographic. And they have different tastes, expectations and demands from their parents. Women, in particular, have been raised expecting to achieve the same goals as men, hold the same positions and have an equal voice. Clearly, an outdated entertainment scene that places them on the sidelines won't cut it anymore for this group.
Millennial women (and those coming hot on their heels from Generation Z) will no longer stand for outlandish exclusion or sexism, and will no longer be silenced. If the flurrying snowball of controversy surrounding the Harvey Weinstein allegations shows us anything, it’s that there's a need for women to control their own destinies in entertainment. They’re coming out of the shadows and finding their place on the screen.
Shows with strong women as the protagonists are gaining in popularity on Netflix and Amazon. Just consider Orange Is The New Black, Jessica Jones, House of Cards and Orphan Black. These giant tech platforms are turning the traditional entertainment industry on its head by showing a clear understanding of their audience.
Social channel YouTube is another expert at giving its users what they want, with 50 percent of Gen Z proclaiming that they “can’t live” without the video site. And female producers and characters are taking the lead. Josie Kaye, a gutsy comedian who recently won "best unproduced script" at Nice IFF for her project, 'Making Olivia,' is a case in point.
Upon receiving the award she said, “It’s beyond just women - it’s about diversity of different voices being heard. That’s really powerful. I’d like to see other voices that represent people that have not been heard, whether from minorities, or different sexualities, or genders - people that have not been able to be seen need to know that their voice is so important."
With box office figures declining and fewer moviegoers than ever before, it might be time for Hollywood (white, male Hollywood) to sit up and take notice. There may have been a time when sidelining marginalized groups was the norm, but not in modern day America. And if the silver screen won’t cater to ethnic minorities or women, they’ll be replaced by tech companies who will.