Movie Producer Jake Shapiro Discusses the Lack of Diversity in Hollywood
A hashtag that has been trending thanks to activist April Reign is #OscarsSoWhite. Created in 2015 as a universal call for increased diversity at the Oscars and in Hollywood, her hashtag has never been more relevant. All 20 best actor nominees for the 2015 Oscars were white. In 2019, this number of black actor/actresses to receive Oscar nominations increased from zero to one with the nomination of Cynthia Erivo for her portrayal as Harriet Tubman.
As a film producer and serial entrepreneur, Joel Shapiro believes that far more needs to be done to address these inequalities. He advocates for action to be taken to make films more inclusive for the diverse audiences that consume them. Joel Shapiro goes over the historic diversity imbalance in Hollywood, making the case for multiple perspectives and identities.
Statistics
Joel Shapiro explains that despite a fair amount of progress for minority representation in films over the past 50 years, the lack of representation is still painfully obvious. According to the 2018 Hollywood Diversity Report, only 1.4 out of the 10 lead actors in film are people of color, which was virtually unchanged from the year that preceded it. In addition, only 1.3 out of 10 film directors are people of color. These numbers are problematic, as they do not reflect the general population or the audiences they are trying to appeal to. Joel Shapiro explains that despite national and vocal outrage at the lack of diversity in Hollywood, very little has changed.
According to a study produced by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at USC, on-screen progress towards inclusion remains to be seen. The investigation examined 48,757 characters in 1,100 top films from 2007 to 2017 — many of which were studio movies. Female speaking characters in screen filled just 30.6% of all roles across the 11-year time frame, while less than 1% of all characters were from the LGBT community. Across over 400 films from 2014 to 2017, only one transgender character appeared on screen. The lack of inclusion and diversity also translated to the over 1,223 directors in that time period: 4.3% were female, 5.2% were black, 3.1% were Asian. Of course, there are films that showcase diversity, but they are few and far between. Dear White People is one such film. Sadly, it is anecdotal as opposed to the norm.
Examples of Films Showcasing Diversity
Dear White People is a film about four black teenagers with vastly different approaches to race relations colliding on an Ivy League campus. Directed by Justin Simien, an American film maker, author, and actor, this film showcases a provocative, angry, and hilarious take on race, class and privilege in America. With intelligent, self-aware and complicated characters, This is a well crafted movie that showcases diverse perspectives in navigating life as an African American. Joel Shapiro explains that directors have the opportunity to tell stories that would have otherwise remained outside of the contemporary lexicon or are forgotten by history. Hidden Figures is one such story.
Hidden Figures tells the story of three African American women at NASA in the 1960s who helped work out the math to put the first man into space. Working in a racially and sexist environment at NASA, this story portrays the resilience, determination and intelligence of three women who set out to change the world. Stories like these require thoughtful writers and directors to bring them to life and have the potential to share positively impact both tolerance and respect for minority groups.
Final Thoughts from Joel Shapiro
Unfortunately, as the system governing the Oscars is inherently biased, it might be some time until things change. As Joel Shapiro explains, the Oscar voting academy has an 84% white membership rate, of which 68% of the members are male, in addition to the fact that the voters are not required to watch every film.
The numbers seem stacked, so therefore it is not surprising that the Oscars lack diversity. Why is it so important to showcase diversity in films? Joel Shapiro argues that because of the powerful influence of film as a medium, the industry has a responsibility to tear down the walls of ignorance that it was complicit in building.
Film Producer | Los Angeles, CA | Bluegrass Pictures |
