The Importance of Representation in the Media
2018 has been a revolutionary year for the entertainment industry. With the release of “Black Panther”, “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Love, Simon”, we see a surge in media consumption.
“Black Panther” was Marvel’s highest-grossing blockbuster movie of all time, bringing in $1.23 billion dollars.
When “Crazy Rich Asians” was first released in Singapore, theatres countrywide were sold out for the next month, getting a ticket was near impossible.
And last but not least, “Love, Simon” brought in $66.32 million USD into the market, making it the most successful LGBTQ + movie so far.
So this brings in the question. What makes these movies so successful?
Representation.
“Crazy Rich Asians” was the first movie to feature an all Asian cast in 25 years. “Love, Simon” brought in a new, unsexualized love comedy for the LGBTQ+ community. It tackled the internal dilemma LGBTQ+ teens go through when figuring out their sexuality and the negative emotional impacts of being outed without their consent. “Black Panther” featured the different cultures within Africa and gave strong black female characters for young aspiring black children. It also tackles the effects of colonization and the hardships that come from being distanced from your culture.
As Constance Wu (Rachel Chu of “Crazy Rich Asians”) once said on BUILD interview, “I’ve learned why representation is so important. When not just their faces are reflected on screen, but their stories, how that affects confidence, character..” It is no secret that “Crazy Rich Asians” have done a lot for the Asian community. It brings a light-hearted romance story that reflect the restrictive mindset that Asian parents have when it comes to their children’s relationships. It also reflects the bond between parents and children of the Asian community as well as the importance of the food and culture.
The dumpling scene is one that hits close to home as many Asian children have probably experienced something similar — sitting at the table with family and wrapping dumplings. It doesn’t even have to be dumplings. For me, I grew up in a mix of a Vietnamese-Chinese culture. I remember sitting at the table with my mom and dad rolling Vietnamese spring rolls and Chinese Popiah. When I first saw this scene, it reminded me of my childhood back in Singapore. But this isn’t just about me. This is about the Asian community as a whole.
The choice of dumplings is very smart as many cultures all throughout Asia have different derivatives of dumplings. For example, Japan had Gyoza, Northern-India has Momos and in China, there are a hundred different variations to dumplings. Although it is evident that “Crazy Rich Asians” is not a representation of the entire Asian community. Some criticism includes the fact that Henry Golding, the main character of “Crazy Rich Asians”, is not even fully Asian. But “Crazy Rich Asians” is a start to a greater, more diverse Hollywood. It paves the way for more Asian representation and is definitely a great start.
Despite the fact that the LGBTQ+ community has been represented in the past in movies, a lot of these movies are actually contributing to the problem. The majority of these movies oversexualize young LGBTQ+ teenagers, posing homosexuals as overly sexual and hormonal people. “Blue is the Warmest Color” features a graphic sex scene that made the movie rated NC-17. This over-sexualization of gay relationships can potentially demonize the LGBTQ+ community as sex monsters as they fail to portray the romantic aspects of homosexual relationships. This furthers encourages highly religious communities to look down on these relationships as many religions believe in abstinence and purity.
“Love, Simon” gives young teens a more realistic outlook on being an LGBTQ+ teen in high school. It uses comedy and relatable dialogue to appeal to younger audiences and it even features more romantic and loving gay relationships. It sheds light on the fact that homosexual relationships are more than just sex. It shows teens that their sexuality does not define them and instead just a part of who they are.
“Black Panther” had won 3 out of the 6 categories that they were nominated and to be honest, no one is surprised. Black people have been one of the most oppressed communities in America, especially with their history of slavery. The systematic oppression of these black communities are especially evident in the “hood” and the “ghetto”. Those who grew up in those areas are perceived by the other privileged communities as criminals and gangsters. People who lack in education and have no place to be in power. “Black Panther” proves them wrong. It features powerful black character as heroes of their own stories. It shows them intelligent black women like Shuri, making revolutionary technology. It shows them that they are not what their oppressors make them to be. They can be powerful and they can succeed. Furthermore, it brings representation to the underlooked African tribes and the different cultures in Africa through their traditional clothing and hairstyles. This is only 55 years after segregation in schools were abolished in America. This changes everything for these black communities.
Representation allows the normalization of these cultures. It can eradicate harsh stereotypes that were placed as barriers for the people. It paves the way for more representation in the media. It is Hollywood’s job as the main source of media, to continue making these movies and tear down barriers for these communities. This is not just for the under-represented. This is for everyone. This can educate the ignorant and bring together similarities in cultures. For the Asian and black communities, it teaches people that there is more to us than what you see in the current media. Our cultures are complicated and diverse and there is no way we will let any stereotypes tear us down. For the LGBTQ+ communities, it normalizes their relationships and sheds light on the ongoing problems within them. We need representation and we will have representation.
References
Johnson, T. (2018, February 23). Black Panther is a gorgeous, groundbreaking celebration of black culture. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/2/23/17028826/black-panther-wakanda-culture-marvel
Vox is a very liberal left-wing source. I chose this source as equality is part of the left-wing definition and my Op-Ed surrounds the idea of equality. It also has very intricate explanations that make understanding easier. The research and facts are also accurate and in-depth.
Mendelson, S. (2018, March 26). ‘Love, Simon’ Is Good, Important And Deserving Of Your Time And Money. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2018/03/23/love-simon-is-as-good-as-it-is-important-and-you-should-see-it/#22a2d05a5535
Despite the fact that Forbes is a centre-right wing and has mixed factual reporting, I still chose this source as the writer, Scott Mendelson, who has studied in the field industry for 28 years. His experience in the film industry makes him a reliable source for this Op-Ed as it focuses on media in Hollywood. He also writes for Huffington Post which is a left-wing source outlet, so we can assume that his views do not always coincide with Forbes’ center right-wing bias.
Series, B. (2018, August 14). Constance Wu On Why Representation Matters. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQHNOxBDoZo
I chose this source as it is a video that shows us Constance Wu actually saying the words that I quoted. She is a feminist who stands for equality and has been proven to believe in equal media representation which coincides with my views for this article.
Read, 5. M., Read, 3. M., Read, 6. M., & Read, 4. M. (2018, April 26). Crazy Rich Asians to be Hollywood’s first all-Asian cast in 25 years. Retrieved from https://asiancorrespondent.com/2018/04/crazy-rich-asians-to-be-hollywoods-first-all-asian-cast-in-25-years/
Asian Correspondent is a center left-wing biased new source which has a high factual reporting. I chose this source as it highlights the problem with the lack of representation for Asian communities which coincides with the topic.
