This UCLA Hollywood Report blatantly shows the issues that exist in society in regards to diversity and media. Pages 14
-24 consistently show that roles for people from minority communities always sits below white people by about 60%,
regardless of the genre (eg. Broadcast reality, theatrical films etc.) spanning 2011- 2016. It also confirms that the
representation we see , from highest to lowest, is White, Black, Latino, Asian, Mixed, Native, all of which have more
male film actor counts than female (2016).
-24 consistently show that roles for people from minority communities always sits below white people by about 60%,
regardless of the genre (eg. Broadcast reality, theatrical films etc.) spanning 2011- 2016. It also confirms that the
representation we see , from highest to lowest, is White, Black, Latino, Asian, Mixed, Native, all of which have more
male film actor counts than female (2016).
My research continued and my notes and the quotes that I found most relevant to my essay are below.
Book: The Idea of Nature in Disney Animation from Snow White to Wall-E by David Whitley..
It looks at the Jungle Book, my favourite quote of my research so far has
got to be Robin Allan’s sausage analogy
Disney's treatment of the Kipling story in the JB "as being akin to taking a sausage, throwing away all the contents
except the skin and filling the skin with their own ideas very far away from the original substance" p.99
It suggests that the colours in the Jungle Book are reminiscent of Gaugin and Le Douanier Rousseau; although this
may not have been intentional it has got me thinking that the concept art in my practical work could be stylistically
influenced by artist’s who targeted issues of culture and racism too.
It looks at the Jungle Book, my favourite quote of my research so far has
got to be Robin Allan’s sausage analogy
Disney's treatment of the Kipling story in the JB "as being akin to taking a sausage, throwing away all the contents
except the skin and filling the skin with their own ideas very far away from the original substance" p.99
It suggests that the colours in the Jungle Book are reminiscent of Gaugin and Le Douanier Rousseau; although this
may not have been intentional it has got me thinking that the concept art in my practical work could be stylistically
influenced by artist’s who targeted issues of culture and racism too.
Next I read ‘Diversity in Disney Films’ which critically analysed the errors in racial representation that Disney has
made in the past, focussing on Black and Asian imagery for my essay. I found the chapter ‘Siamese Cats and the
Orientalist’ particularly interesting. It touches on why these negative characters existed: supposed guilt over the
atomic bombings of Hiroshima and fear of immigrants, or the ‘yellow peril’. It was the first time I had heard that
the ‘orient’ was a construct, which led to further research into ethnicity and identity. Below are the notes that I
found particularly useful:
made in the past, focussing on Black and Asian imagery for my essay. I found the chapter ‘Siamese Cats and the
Orientalist’ particularly interesting. It touches on why these negative characters existed: supposed guilt over the
atomic bombings of Hiroshima and fear of immigrants, or the ‘yellow peril’. It was the first time I had heard that
the ‘orient’ was a construct, which led to further research into ethnicity and identity. Below are the notes that I
found particularly useful:
-The book ‘Undoing Culture': Globalization, Postmodernism and Identity by Mike Featherstone discusses how
technology can unify people’s experiences. So although a person may be from an area which is not racially
diverse, you can still reach people through TV and film in the comfort of the own homes to show them
dynamic and diverse parts of other people’s culture. This may start to dismantle prejudices that form from a
lack of exposure to other people’s cultures, predjudice teaching, or may allow people to form their own
readjusted opinion of minority groups. If all people see in media is that one race is criminal, and they never
meet the true people in that group, a person’s belief will continue to be the former.
- I did some reading on Visual Development to help assist my practical - Beginners Guide to digital painting in Photoshop, and Principles of Character Design by Terry Whitlach. technology can unify people’s experiences. So although a person may be from an area which is not racially
diverse, you can still reach people through TV and film in the comfort of the own homes to show them
dynamic and diverse parts of other people’s culture. This may start to dismantle prejudices that form from a
lack of exposure to other people’s cultures, predjudice teaching, or may allow people to form their own
readjusted opinion of minority groups. If all people see in media is that one race is criminal, and they never
meet the true people in that group, a person’s belief will continue to be the former.
- I read Racial stereotyping and selective positioning in contemporary British animation by Charles daCosta as it
discussed the logistics of multi cultural society and actually suggest that “the melting pot generates
dissatisfaction because of the absence of individuality” which I disagree with because that assumes that
everyone assimilates into one ‘culture’. I believe that you can embrace differences whilst being unified, so
long as you rule out fear.
-‘Understanding Popular Culture'... I don’t think John Fiske and I would get on too well, but in fairness this book
discussed the logistics of multi cultural society and actually suggest that “the melting pot generates
dissatisfaction because of the absence of individuality” which I disagree with because that assumes that
everyone assimilates into one ‘culture’. I believe that you can embrace differences whilst being unified, so
long as you rule out fear.
-‘Understanding Popular Culture'... I don’t think John Fiske and I would get on too well, but in fairness this book
was first published in 1998 which may explain the outdated and defeatist attitude in the text.
