Creativity is more important than quotas.
This one may be a bit shorter than usual, but that’s because it’s rather simplistic.
Over the past few days, I’ve been thinking about the concept of diversity in storytelling and all that goes with it. While I usually focus on story and characterization, several articles have made me think about how the concept can cause creative problems.
So, let’s explore the issue, shall we?
When It Works.
In a modern setting, the argument for representation makes sense because many stories are set in fairly diverse places. For instance, Designated Survivor takes place in Washington and other locales around the world. In some cases, the writers can get away with self-contained stories about President Kirkman. However, all sorts of actors are needed in that show because of its focus on world affairs. This dual focus can expose audiences to a variety of great performers and new ideas.
When It Doesn’t.
One of the primary jobs of a creative enterprise is to compel an audience to suspend their disbelief and get lost in the story. With that in mind, I wonder why certain members of the mainstream press seem to think that characters in a historical or fantastical setting should include all sorts of people from the modern day.
To give you an obvious example, USA Today‘s Brian Truitt knocked Dunkirk for its lack of women and minorities. Even if some of the characters are fictitious, why should Christopher Nolan skip out on historical accuracy? Would people say the same thing about a World War II movie that chronicles the Tuskegee Airmen or the Chinese front?
He shouldn’t, and they wouldn’t.
On a more fantastical note, why are there next to no significant alien characters in modern stories? Sometimes, science fiction writers are hemmed in by budgets or the mythology. However, there are other cases where these issues do not apply.
To emphasize my point, what if one of the main characters in the Star Wars sequel trilogy was an alien being? How would they react to the events of the story? Would this new character understand the rest of the team or trip up because of cultural differences?
An alien character (or even a protagonist) would pose all sorts of interesting questions, but why should we expect anything creative when they could just cast an Arab or Indian actress and tick another demographic box?
What do you think? Is Hollywood missing out on its creative potential or do they need to represent every demographic on Earth? Let’s talk in the comments.
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