When shopping at the grocery store or buying tickets at the movie theater, it is easy to observe many different types of people. You can clearly see differences in age, gender, body shape and etc. Interestingly enough, when we watch movies, TV shows and other media –those differences can be harder to find.
Celebrities, most of the time, receive these roles based on talent and experience. Somehow it is hard to believe that there are not talented and experienced people that look more like this diverse country America.
For whatever reason, women are not casted leading actresses, the anchors of news shows and not in the prominent spotlight. According to the United States Census Bureau, as of 2012, females make up 50.8 percent of the American population. That means that just over 49 percent were males. In the media, those numbers might be harder to detect. The Hollywood Walk of Fame announced the 2014 recipients and only eight out of 26 were females in motion pictures, television, recording and radio. This message is clear and engrained in society. Hollywood does not value their female celebrities as much as their male –because of old myths. The males’ work is more valuable than the females’. It is a concept definitely popular throughout American history.
The racial landscape of America is very unique and that is not represented in the media. The census also showed that the White population consisted of 77.9 percent, Black 13.1 percent, Asian 5.1 percent and Hispanic or Latino 16.9, in 2012. It is easy to see that there are a large number of Caucasian celebrities, but some of these famous people are not disclosing their true heritage. The Huffington Post wrote an article about celebrities titled “40 Stars You Never Knew Were Mexican.” This article indicates, in some way or another, a suppression of their Mexican heritage for whatever reason. Denying a part of their lineage gave these celebrities an advantage in a Caucasian dominated Hollywood. The idea of hiding your family to get to stardom, because the minority races are undervalued and misrepresented in the media is a terrible idea to contemplate. Race and ethnicity have become a center for division and not a space for collaborating within our society, and the effects are seen within media and Hollywood.
Aging is a fortunate aspect of our society, but even these stars are not at the forefront of their crafts. As far as age is concerned, surprisingly, there are a prominent number of older celebrities still active within media. It is also noted that these celebrities may be in a TV show, in film or in music, but not necessarily player a leading character. If these older celebrities are fortunate to be in leading roles, they fulfill the cultural norm of thinness and beauty in Hollywood. Good female examples would be Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton and Bette Midler and a few male examples are Liam Neeson, Pierce Brosnan and Richard Gere. The Huffington Post, wrote about celebrities over the age 60, and 30 stars were mentioned in it. In this article there were 17 women listed, which more reflects the current culture. There are also other lists on the Internet that are much longer. The Bureau states that people age 65 and older make up 13.7 percent of the country’s population, as of in 2012. So having an older celebrity in a TV show, in film or in music does not necessarily mean they are a leading character. By not allowing them roles and features of prominence, the media further tells society that older people are around, but not to be taken seriously or importantly.
It is easy to find a lesbian or gay celebrity within Hollywood and media, but sometimes their careers are in danger just by uttering a few words. There are a number of LGBT celebrities in media and the prominence continues to grow. According to Listal, there were at least 99 gay and lesbian celebrities in 2010. There is a large presence of LGBT individuals in the country as well. According to a report from the Williams Institute, “In total, the study suggests that approximately 9 million Americans – roughly the population of New Jersey – identify as LGBT.” It is true that a growing number of celebrities are entering the LGBT category, but would you recognize the majority of these famous people? Maybe or maybe not, this goes to show the overt effort to keep the lesbian and gay Hollywood community alive, but not to allow growth into prominence. Think about the celebrities that have hid being LGBT, even the phrase “coming out of the closet” suggests an issue with disclosure within the society, because of possibly negative consequences and uncomfortability. Examples are Matt Bomer, Michael Sam, Ellen Page and Heather Matarazzo to name a few. It will be difficult to evaluate if being open about their sexuality affected the LGBT celebrities, but it is easy to see that the top selling movie actors and actresses, musical artists and mainstream celebrities are do not have LGBT celebrities in the forefront.
The media is a snapshot of America. Although, in some aspect the media does represent the culture at large, it still has a ways to go. Leaving out or misrepresenting entire groups of people has negative consequences. The young people that fall into those categories do not have role models to look up to. It also allows for inaccurate information about these groups to freely be spread, with little opposition. Properly displaying all the different facets and groups within the country can help educate the younger generations –so that equality can be better achieved for all.
Hollywood needs to diversify its celebrities to better represent the American people- there are talented people this industry could choose from. Having more films with an ethnically diverse cast and crew, showcasing more women in lead roles and having more openly LGBT celebrities at the forefront of their craft will help showcase the diversity even within the media.
image: Wikimedia Commons
