“Hollywood has yet to move from talking about inclusion to meaningfully increasing on-screen representation for women, people of color, the LGBT community, or individuals with disabilities. The lack of inclusion on screen is matched and exceeded by the exclusion behind the camera...After witnessing little change in these numbers, it is clear that Hollywood must do more to ensure that marginalized groups are a part of the fabric of storytelling. Good intentions are not enough to create change. Hollywood needs tangible, actionable solutions that will usher in real transformation. Our work brings to light the steps that companies and individuals can take if they want to see results.”
-Professor Stacy L. Smith
Hollywood loves to talk a big talk. After all the humbug, female and people of color roles behind and in front of the camera are STILL lacking. Speaking roles for women were higher in 2008 than they were in 2017. Between 40 and 100 movies didn’t even have speaking roles for Black, Asian, Latina, or disabled female characters. And, out of 400 films from 2014 to 2017, only one transgender character showed up on screen. Out of 1,100 movies sampled in the past ten years, 43 were directed by women and 8 were women of color. This is serious. How can Hollywood think they’re representing everyone when they can’t even hire the right people? The answer’s not here only on News Time!