In the midst of Internet flame wars over individual movies, it can be easy for people—especially those who never understood in the first place—to lose sight of what we’re really arguing for when we talk about Hollywood whitewashing. The argument isn’t really about any one specific movie, but about a broader trend and how it affects real people, particularly the most impressionable among us.
Most of our readers already know all this, so everyone else, listen up:
This PSA does a great job of illustrating why we care so much. We just think it would be nice if some of the underrepresented people in our diverse society got to see themselves represented more, and when we see a missed opportunity to do so, we’re disappointed, because it affects real people. No one’s advocating for censorship—media that fits the status quo will continue on as long as people willing to consume it exist, so if that’s what you want, congratulations, you’re pretty much set.
Just take a step back and think about what you’re arguing against: underrepresented people getting a little extra boost in representation, which is good, while everyone else still has plenty. There’s no downside.
(via /Film, image via screengrab)
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