Pop Culture, Diversity, and
Representation
“TV Diversity: Whose Job is it Anyway?”
“Do I Look Like Public Enemy Number
One?”
Quickwrite #3
• Based on the readings we have done so far
and your own experience, do you think that
the way the media and the entertainment
industries represent (or fail to represent)
minorities has real world consequences for
real people in those groups? Why or why not?
Feel free to respond to a specific quote from
one of the readings if you would like.
What do we mean when we talk about
“diversity and representation” in the
media?
• It might mean a discussion of how closely
media products as a group reflect the diversity
of the society that is producing them.
• It might mean a discussion of how a specific
media product deals with the question of
diversity. Are minority groups represented? If
so, are they represented fairly, or as
stereotypes?
Terms that are Relevant to the
Discussion
• Diversity: the condition of having or being
composed of differing elements : variety;
especially : the inclusion of different types of
people (as people of different races or
cultures) in a group or organization (Meriam
Webster Online Dictionary)
– When the word is used to talk about different
types of people, there is also a connotation of
acceptance of and respect for those differences.
Terms that are Relevant to the
Discussion
• Tokenism: the practice of doing something
(such as hiring a person who belongs to a
minority group) only to prevent criticism and
give the appearance that people are being
treated fairly (Meriam Webster Learner’s
Dictionary)
• Marginalize: to relegate to an unimportant or
powerless position within a society or group
(Meriam Webster Online Dictionary)
A few more words to know:
• Portray: verb (Noun form is “portrayal”)
–
–
–
–
1 to make a picture of : depict
2 a : to describe in words
b : to play the role of
Miss Spitler’s note: This word often has the connotation of a fictional,
not necessarily true representation.
• Depict: verb (Noun form is “depiction”)
– 1: to represent by or as if by a picture
– Miss Spitler’s Note: depict/depiction and portray/portrayal are often
used interchangeably because they are synonyms.
• Problematic:
– a : posing a problem : difficult to solve or decide
– b : not definite or settled : uncertain <their future remains
problematic>
– c : open to question or debate : questionable
And one more…
• Racism – the institutionalized marginalization
of a group based on race
• Some older dictionaries might define this
word as “prejudice based on race” or
something similar.
• What is the difference between these two
definitions?
Let’s use all of these words in a
sentence:
• Too often, Latinos are depicted as criminals,
gardeners, or maids, and little else. This
portrayal is problematic because, consciously
or not, it props up racist assumptions about
this group. Producers and writers should
make an effort to write characters and
storylines that offer a more complex portrayal
of the people in this historically marginalized
community.
“TV Diversity: Whose Job is it
Anyway?”
• What larger conversation is this article responding to?
What specific show/event is the article responding to?
• In the first section of the essay, the author, Aydrea
Walden, uses a strategy described in They Say, I Say. She
lists common objections to further inclusion of minority
characters (that’s the “they say” part), and then, she
offers a counter-argument about why each of those
objections doesn’t make sense. (That’s her “I say” part.)
• What did you think of the “they say” objections she
cites? What did you think of her counter-arguments?
Was she convincing?
The Effects of a Lack of Diversity
• In “TV Diversity: Whose Job is it Anyway,” Aydrea
Walden claims the following:
• “The shortest possible answer to ‘does diversity on
TV matter?’ is ‘yes.’ Repeatedly showing people
images absolutely has an affect on the way they live
their lives. It’s the basis for the advertising industry.
By regularly marginalizing people of color on screen,
it makes it easier for people to marginalize those
same populations in real life.”
• What does she mean by this? What do you think of
this criticism?
“Do I Look Like Public Enemy Number
One?” p. 45
• While Ali’s essay is a personal narrative, she is
part of the same conversation as Walden.
What connections can you make between
these two readings?
• What influence does American pop culture
have on Ali’s perception of Arabic culture?
• What are some of the ways that the author,
Lorraine Ali, learns about the Arabic part of
her heritage?
How do I write about this issue?
• First of all, you’ve got to decide what you think
about the big questions.
– What do you think about how diverse the media
being produced right now is?
– Do you think that it’s enough to simply include
actors/characters from minority groups in shows/,
films, etc? If not, what else should be done?
– Are there certain groups that you notice being
portrayed inaccurately?
How do I write about this issue?
• Start paying attention. I know not all of us
watch a lot of TV, but if you do, start noticing
how diverse the characters you see are, or
how diverse the musicians you listen to are,
etc.
• Start doing some reading. It’s very difficult to
know what you think about this issue until you
know what the big debates are.
Some Questions that Will Help You on
Essay #1
• As you analyze the pieces of media that you
have chosen in order to support a claim you
are making about pop culture and diversity,
ask yourself:
– What are the main values that are being put
forward as “correct” or “normal” by this piece of
media? Are these values particular to any one
group? Are there any groups whose values/ideas
are poorly or unfairly represented?
Some Questions that Will Help You on
Essay #1
• If you narrow your topic by MEDIA (for example, if you
want to examine horror films, or sitcoms, or a specific
genre of music, etc.): Do you notice any patterns in the
representation of diverse groups in the media you chose?,
• If you narrow your topic by GROUP (for example, if you
want to examine the portrayal of Latinos, or the Deaf, or
bisexuals, etc.): Do you notice patterns in the
representation of the one minority group you chose?
• If so, what do you think those patterns mean? Why are they
important?
• Is there anything missing from the portrayals you are
researching? Is there anything complicated that is made
simple? Any subtle differences that are glossed over?
What are the consequences of this over-simplification?
Group Brainstorming Time
• What are groups that are incorrectly
represented (or not represented enough) by
popular culture?
• Can you think of any examples of
controversial/problematic representation of
one of these groups?
• What would a good (not problematic)
representation of these groups look like, do
you think?
Group Discussion (if we have time)
• Share some of your responses to this question:
“Make a brief list of your favorite television
shows or films. How diverse are these pop
culture products? How are characters who are
from minority groups treated/characterized?
Does this issue ever affect your decision to watch
a film/show?”
• Discuss each others’ responses respectfully and
be ready to report back on your discussion to the
class.
Where can I find sources?
• In this case, google is your friend. A lot of the most current
writing about this issue hasn’t made it into the school
databases yet.
• Searches that have been productive for me:
– Diversity and the media
– TV and diversity (or television and diversity)
– If you wish to research a certain group, play around with
combinations of the group name, and the words “diversity,”
“media,” and “television” (or whatever medium you are
researching.
– If you wish to research a certain piece of pop culture, type in the
name of the film/show/genre and “diversity” and see what you
come up with.
• These same searches work with the school databases.
Tentative Topics for Essay 1
• Based on our brainstorming, spend the rest of
the class narrowing your topic. Be ready to
tell me what your tentative topic is for essay 1.
Give me as much detail as you can about the
question you will be exploring. (You should go
into all of our essays with a question you are
researching/exploring, not a topic upon which
you have already completely made up your
mind.)