Addressing Counter-Arguments
There have been many improvements already. . .Take a look at shows like:
How To Get Away With Murder, Scandal, Blackish, or Orange is the New Black. There are plenty of representations for Black Women in these shows. |
Yes, but we need to keep advancing.While shows and movies like these are making progress, there is still a ways to go. Even within these shows, there are issues involving stereotypes. As discussed earlier in this site, "Contrastingly, Olivia Pope is a sexually aggressive female (Jezebel) who willingly engages in passionate and animalistic sexual relations with the married President Fitz," (Chaney & Robertson, 2016, pp. 142). This quote suggests that Scandal, a show with a Black Women as the main character, has its flaws in its representation. Other shows should be created to help counter this stereotype.
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Freedom of SpeechA writer or director has the right to produce whatever they please. It is up to them incorporate characters into plots using their own interpretations and creations.
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Why Present a Narrow Image?While this opinion has its merits, it can be argued that writers should be realistic and representative with their work. While some pieces have a right to be whimsical or fictional, other productions should be more reflective of reality. This ideal proposes a balance, rather than suppressing some to boost others.
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TV and Film are fake!There is no writer, actor, or director that is going to be able to fully capture reality. It's impossible for every person in the world- dead, alive, or not born yet- to be equally represented. No show or film is perfect.
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The way I see it. . .This has not stopped White people from having every kind of
role, personality, passion, or conflict in any kind of genre on film and television. White people have all kinds of characters to try relate to. Why can't the same thing be done for Black Women? Better (not perfect) representation is possible. |
Some people are the stereotype.Wouldn't changing the media take away from their representation?
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Yes, this is true; however,this is not an excuse to ignore all the other types of people in the world. Black Women should not have to be satisfied with one character that represents only one of them. Also, more representation doesn't necessary advocate for taking away representation from someone else.
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Black People are not underrepresented because their portion of roles in match their real-life population in the US. |
Yes, Black People are minorities but, . . .as Signorielli says "Historically, Blacks have appeared most consistently in situation comedies, which are largely responsible for their representation being at parity with the U.S. population. Consequently, if the networks keep reducing the number of situation comedies and continuing traditional casting practices, there may be fewer Black characters in prime time," (2009, pp. 333). This quote supports that African American roles reach proportional levels to society because they are mainly in comedies. Battling the type of representation for Black Women is the focus of this argument. The quantity shouldn't matter if the quality is unjust. Black people deserve to be in genres outside than comedy.
One could also argue that it is unfair to sideline real people because they don't lie within the majority. In addition, people in the majority could benefit from seeing someone/situations outside of their own everyday life. |