Is Hollywood Racist?

An Examination of the Racial and

Ethnic Diversity in Hollywood Media from its Beginnings to
Present, specifically Film and Television.

Name - Ellen Hyde

Student Number 13131222
Course of Study New Media and English
Supervisor Dr. Barrie Wharton

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 Table of Contents

Abstract i
Acknowledgements i
Declaration ii
List of Tables iii
Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1
Chapter

1. Rosebud..
A Look at Cinematic History .........................................................................................
2. The Race Card ...................................................................................................
2.1 Black Entertainment History ...
2.2 Asian Entertainment History ...
2.3 Indian Entertainment History..
3. Results ........
3.1 Quantitative and Qualitative ....
3.2 Film Best Actor in a Leading Role .......
3.3 Film Best Actress in a Leading Role ....
3.4 Analysis of Quantitative Film Results .....
3.5 Qualitative Television Results + Analysis ...
4. Hidden Figures ......
Discussion from Hollywoods Own .......
5. Hollywoods White Flag .........
Hollywoods Attempt of Amendment ...
Conclusion ..
Bibliography ...

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 Abstract
This study explores the Hollywood media sphere, and if racial and ethnic diversity exists
within it. This is specific to Hollywood Film and Television.
To retrieve an accurate result of if Hollywood is inclusive of diversity, it is crucial for this
thesis to use a variety of Quantitative and Qualitative analysis of the subject. This thesis got
its influence from the recent uproar in Hollywood over the last two years, especially with
regard to Film and TV. With the Oscars at the forefront, it is critical that these are
investigated from their beginnings to present. This study examines four races in particular; 1)
White, 2) Black, 3) Asian, 4) South-Asian. It explores each of these individually, delving into
their past and present in Hollywood. All of these races and ethnicities, have been put into the
spotlight, with one race coming out as dominant. Diversity in Hollywood media has always
been an issue, however, it is only recently, and with the surge in technology, that peoples
voices are now being heard. This thesis, with qualitative and quantitative investigation, and
with the opinions of those who work in Hollywood, examines if there is equal inclusion of all
races, or if one race is superior in Hollywood. With these results, this thesis comes to a
conclusion of the question of Is Hollywood Racist?.

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 Acknowledgements
The topic of this thesis paper is a sensitive issue for many, therefore I would like to
acknowledge and thank those who are not afraid to voice their opinions in a world where
many opinions are not accepted and are overlooked. I am thankful for the men and women of
the public and the celebrity world, that fight for equal rights every day in the current political
climate in the US, when the odds are against them. I am thankful for all those people of
colour who have to face aversion everyday of their lives, and it is their fight and the changes
that have come because of it, that have made my thesis an enjoyable and progressive piece of
work.
I would like to acknowledge with gratitude my family and also my friends, who are going
through the same experience as me, for their support, love and endless advice during the
months I have been writing this thesis and during my four years at University.
I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Barrie Wharton, who I have been grateful to be
taught by and learn from. I am grateful for his incessant support, guidance, valuable advice
and suggestions, which benefitted me greatly in the writing of this thesis. It is wonderful to
leave University knowing that there are people that aim to help and guide you to the very end.
Finally, I dedicate this to my three grandparents who passed away peacefully in 2014 and
2015. If it werent for the guidance that they gave me throughout my whole life, I would not
have been able to be where I am today. Thank you.

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 Declaration

This project is submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Bachelor of Arts in New
Media and English in the University of Limerick. I declare that this project is entirely my
own work, in my own words, and does not contain material previously published by any
other author except all sources used in researching, which are fully acknowledged and all
quotations properly identified. Furthermore, it has not been submitted, in whole or in part, by
me or another person, for the purpose of obtaining any other credit / grade.

Name: __________________

Signature: _________________

Date: ____________________

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 INTRODUCTION

Media is our medium of information. And todays popular and current affairs are

unsurprisingly dominating our screens, social networks and print media. Additionally, we

relate to what see within the media presented to us. However, is this true for everyone? If

some races are not represented, do they relate as much as other groups?Are they inclusive to

the ideologies that the media portray? For example, if Black people do not see other Black

people in the media or stories related to their culture and way of life, can they understand and

relate to it?As of recent times there has been much discussion, yet not unfamiliar controversy,

on the topic of race within popular culture. As Hollywood is noticeably the hegemony of the

media industry and the one with the most influence, this essay aims to answer the question of,

Is Hollywood Racist?. With an understanding that there are a variety of other media

industries around the world, this essay will focus on Hollywood, however it will relate to

other industries in a form of comparison, such as Bollywood. Precisely, we will be observing

Hollywood and the experiences shared and endured by certain of races.

This project proposes to complete an in-depth research project on the topic of race and ethnic

variety within Hollywoods popular culture, with Film and Television as its focal point. This

topic has enveloped the news and the world. There has been an overflow of controversy on

the lack of diversity that is in film, with the Oscars under the spotlight. This, in turn, has

shone a light onto the television world and all media that Hollywood produces. It has been

claimed by the public and brought to the attention of the actors themselves that there has been

little inclusion of various races and ethnicities in the nominations in 2016. And of course this

has transcended out to the rest of the media. It is important not to forget that this topic has

been lingering for a long time, however it seems like only now that peoples voices are being

heard. The issue of the lack of diversity in the media and popular culture is not an unfamiliar

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one and undeniablyis a sensitive topic to many. Respectively, onemust remember that not

everyone will agree with this. Furthermore, all this brings about questions such as, is there a

purposeful lack of diversity due to perhaps ideological ideas that have been set in the past? Or

is this lack of diversity simply down to acting ability and the cinematic choices of casting

directors? And most importantly, why has this only noticeably come into the light now?

There are many questions which this topic will bring. This a never-ending topic, filled with

research possibilities. However, it is easy to presume that there is a lack of diversity, but to

answer these questions, one must have a legitimate answer to if Hollywood is racist.

Therefore, this research project aims to discover the truth. This truth is if the absence of

various races and ethnicities truly exists and to quote the 2016 Oscar host Chris Rock, Is

Hollywood Racist? (Oscars, 2016).

It is important to note that this project will try and prove if there is a lack of diversity,

therefore it is critical that it takes the standpoint of the controversy that there is indeed a lack

of diversity. Furthermore, this essay will either support this claim or attempt to reverse it.

Understandably, without any research and with an intensive knowledge of Hollywood, it is

clear to see which is the dominant race in Hollywood. Without a doubt, the White race makes

up the majority of the worlds media. Therefore, this will be a project to compare and contrast

the inclusion and representation of other races and ethnicities, with particular focus on Black

and Asian races and ethnicities. These will both be compared to the White race and their

inclusion, with brief analysis on their representation. With this, it aims to highlight if the

controversy that the Whiterace features more prominently, is in fact true.

With this intention in mind, the research project will investigate media from its origins, with

primary focus on from 1910s and onward. The general area of research will be race and

ethnicity within the media from its beginnings to present times. As mentioned, it is only in

recent times and with the 2016 Oscars being in the forefront, that this discussion has been

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brought to light, with many even threatening to boycott the show itself as the nominations

lacked in diversity. The research project will investigate if this discussion is in fact only a

recent idea or has this been discussed over the centuries. This will be done by investigation of

the media from its origins to present, as mentioned. As the Oscars were the main source of

this controversy, it will be used in relation to race in Film. Ultimately, it will scrutinise all

nominees and winners of the Oscars from its foundations in 1927 to now. Albeit the show

was not televised nor broadcasted until 1953 so therefore it could not generate controversy

until recent. For this reason, the research project will explore all scholarly work and

discussions on the Oscars as well as other research done on this topic in order to come to a

conclusion. Moreover it is also important to discuss the Academy, who are those who decide

the nominations. We will delve into the past and the present to answer the questions of, if

racial and ethnic diversity in film a subject that has existed since the origins of cinema or has

there simply been a recent surge of discussion that a dominant race exists between us? It is

important to carry out an in-depth analysis of the Oscars, as it was the first year that the show

took place with such controversy around it. Furthermore, Black actor and this years host

Chris Rock was evidently paying particular attention to this issue, and his overall hosting was

one to take note of. Rock proclaimed in his speech that the Oscars should be named the

White peoples choice award and said if they nominated hosts, I wouldnt even get this

job (Oscars, 2017). Although said in a humorous fashion, this is all too much of a reality for

people and therefore it must be investigated. A project like this has never been completed in

such depth and it will aim to show, understand and come to a conclusion regarding the range

of diversity within Hollywood.

As with film, this essay aims to uncover the truth about TV shows, or perhaps a different

truth to that of the film industry. Firstly, It will investigate certain TV shows and the world of

TV from its history, for example the first presence of a Black character or an all Asian cast.

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As with film the inclusion of races will be studied as well as how they are represented. All of

this will be done by focusing on Hollywoods most rated and critically acclaimed shows, with

the help of a variety of sources.For both film and TV, certain quantitative and qualitative

analysis will be undertaken, which will provide a general idea of the range of diversity.

Furthermore, these results will be compared and contrasted with each other in order to note

any similarities and potential differences. Quantitative analysis is important for this project as

it will give the most accurate answer to the question of Is Hollywood is Racist?

Accompanied with this will be the inclusion of accurate historical information and a review

of other scholarly work around this subject. As this topic is quite broad and current, a lot of

valuable information from both past and present is easy to source. Books, web sources,

videos, and social media are valuable sources for this projects, with articles straight from

Hollywood being the most beneficial.

Rosebud

Rosebud, a quote from the cinematic masterclass Citizen Kane. A film that inspired many

film makers and the film industry itself. But before Rosebud there was a wave in the film

industry; a wave that would set the standards for many years to come. And like Rosebud and

childhood to Charles Kane, they physically cease to exist, however they will never been

forgotten in memory.

We look from the beginnings of cinema and television to present to achieve an accurate

understanding of how these two mediums function. Both began many years ago and have

changed in a variety of different ways since then, however there has also been a lack of

changes that we must look at. This project will briefly look at their beginnings and how these

mediums have evolved in the future. Primarily, it will focus on the experiences of different
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races, other than the White,and the diversity that may or may not be present from the past to

now. Christopher Williamss work Cinema: The Beginnings and the Future give insight into

how and when cinema began, with some reference to TV. This piece works with a variety of

different writers in order to get their perspective on different aspects of cinema. Cinema and

its origins are summarised in Luke McKernans section Sport and the First Films when he

states;

Moving picture film was an invention of the late nineteenth century for which we can
cite a few significant names; Edison, Dickson, Marey, Lumire. Cinema, however, is
an altogether wider phenomenon and its inventors are many more in number. Among
them we must name the entrepreneurs, the enthusiasts, the subjects of those first films,
and the first audiences. The invention of cinema was a collective activity by a broad
selection of late Victorian society, the first people to leave their mark to future
generations on moving picture film (McKernan, 1996).
Along with this is Roberta McGraths piece Natural Magic and Science Fiction, where she

summaries the depth of cinema in regard to a person;

From this movement [cinema] onwards, the image was not external and outside the
subject, but internal, private and within the subjects imagination. This takes us into
the realm of the optical unconscious, fantasy, desire. Within a short space of time
this would be achieved through the film and the phonograph and, eventually, the
worlds eyes and ears would come to be shaped by Hollywood(McGrath, 1996).
Both of these writers encapsulate the origins of cinema and how it has become a major

influence in peoples lives. Therefore, one could find diversity to play a major role in cinema.

If cinema controls our lives and influences us to think a certain way, does the exclusion of

certain races and ethnicities at the feet of a dominant race influence the audiences to think in

a way that is not diverse and just?

United States cinema and television, or more frequently referred to as Hollywood is noted

to have a profound effect on people and other industries. And as mentioned before,

Hollywood will be our core representative of the film industry during this essay it is

noticeable to have a hegemonic hold on the world. Hollywoodbecame the dominant force in

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histories emerging film industry and therefore, it is only suitable to use it as our primary

focus in our questionings on diversity. Classical Hollywood cinema, in its origins in 1917,

began a new revolution of cinema and is now the dominant mode of cinema. Classical

Hollywood cinema occurred in two different phases; the silent era and the sound era. From

Ben Hurrand The Poor Little Rich Girl to The Wizard of Oz and Citizen Kane, the artistic

visions of filmmakers have never changed. Classical Hollywoodwanted to create a form of art

that would appeal to audiences. David Desserin his work Consumerist Realism: American

Jewish Life and the Classical Hollywood Cinemanotes that this new movement in cinema

would so clearly reflect a new America (Desser,1996). When Classical Hollywood

Cinema was introduced, America was changing and this is what these films intended to

represent. Whether it be new lifestyles in the roaring 20s, the new man and woman or the

constant revolution of the United States, filmmakers aimed to make this new form of cinema

exclusive and one which would revolutionise the industry. It would, in turn, revolutionise the

industry. However,Hollywood has been consistently questioned about its diversity, especially

in more recent times. It is clear that back in times of the World Wars that a dominant race

existed; everything was White-washed, including art and popular culture. And as other

races and ethnicities began to be accepted into society more, the industry transformed in a

way that did not exist back when Classical Hollywood was brought to life. Thus, audiences

have become more aware of casting choices and how their race has been represented and

included in film and television.

With all that was previously said in mind and without bias judgement,we will begin at the

very foundation of Hollywood; Motion photography is noted to have begun as far as 1878but

in relation to 1Classical Hollywood, major films began in the Silent era from 1917 to the late

1920s. Films included Sherlock Jr. (1924), Within Our Gates (1920),Rebecca of Sunnybrook

1
Silentera.com. (2017). Silent Era : Progressive Silent Film List. [online] Available at:
http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/indexes/earlySoundFilms.html

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Farm (1917), The Poor Little Rich Girl (1917), Wild and Woolly (1917), Broken

Blossoms (1919), andGreed (1924).In its next period, the Sound era from 1920s to 1960s,

films such as The Jazz Singer, The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, The Hunchback of

Notre Dame, Stagecoach, Wuthering Heights, Only Angels Have Wings,, Babes in

Arms, Gunga Din, Goodbye, Mr. Chips,and The Roaring Twenties.Out of all these films

mentioned, only two films, Within Our Gates and Gone with the Wind feature diversity in its

cast, with the presence of African Americans. However, as the former deals with the racial

situation of the USA at the time, the latter has been criticisedfor its false portrayal of the

Black race. This could lead one to question whether Hollywood was setting itself up for

failure with the sure inclusion of Whites, and the lack of inclusion of other races since the

beginning. So, has this lack of diversity influenced the present and future film industry in a

negative way? The following chapters will explore this question and will also investigate

Black, Asian, and South-Asian (Indian), inclusion in Hollywood and their own respective

practices.

CHAPTER 2 The Race Card

Reminding ourselves of the history of cinema and television is important. In the previous

chapter, we explored the beginnings of cinema and television and came to the conclusion that

Classical Hollywood was overwhelmingly featuring the White race, and excluding those who

were not. However, other races and ethnicities such as Black, Asian, Indian also have their

own history, a history that is many of times not remembered as much as Classical

Hollywood. This being ignored immediately excludes them in Hollywood. This has happened

until recently. In the coming chapters, we will look at each of the races mentioned and we

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will uncover their history and roles in the film/TV industry. This is a history which has not

become important and has impacted Hollywood today with great force.

2.1 Black Entertainment History

Beginning with the Black race, which, in its own right, has had a controversial and unjust

past; will their history in the film and TV industry parallel their own history of exclusion and

belittling or will their history bring about a new way of thinking with a level of disbelief at

their achievements that are overlooked? It is noted that the first Blackactor seen on TV was in

1939 in The Ethel Waters Show. This show featured African American actress such as Fredi

Washington and Georgette Harvey performing dramatic sequences. Kwama Anthony Appiah,

an important figure in racial conversations, assured people that Ethel Waters very presence

led the way for everything of colour to come over the next half century (Bogle, 2001). Over

the centuries Black actors have struggled to make it in Hollywood, and have been

disillusioned from the film and TV industry.

Subsequently, Jennifer Thompson from Duke University created a timeline of events for

Black peoples involvement in the film and TV industry.Thompson begins with1910-1920

where many Black people were not featured in film, and as a result Black characters were

played by White actors with Blackface. For example, the 1911 film Hearts and Flags.

Blackface became an integral part of stage makeup at this time, and the look was achieved

using show polish or burnt cork. This act has caused much controversy over the years, and

still continues to do so. Furthermore, in the 1930s and 1940s diversity in film moved

forward as romanticised portrayals of the old south were introduced (Thompson, 2015).

An example of this is Gone With The Wind. Although this was a step in the right direction,

the films still held on to the typical Black stereotype which we will discuss shortly. Moving

forward to the 1940s to the 1950s, Black actors became what Thompson calls mainstream

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Hollywood. The presence of Black actors had increased ten-fold. This was helped further

by the NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People. This

organisation protested incessantly to acquire equality in this industry and it worked. In the

1950s, audiences were shown a majority Black cast in the 1957 film Edge of the City. This

development was accompanied by improved character portrayal and development of Black

characters in the 1960s. This was also an important time as the actor Sidney Poitier became a

prominent figure in Hollywood. Poitier was the most utilised Black actor in Hollywood and,

in turn, paved the way for many others to follow. Moving forward again to the 1970s, Black

actors were not the only ones that came into the spotlight; Black directors, writers and

producers made their way to mainstream Hollywood. This was followed by Blaxploitation

films which directly confronted the older stereotypes of African Americans as servants,

victims or criminals by envisioning African Americans as avengers (Thompson, 2015).

Blackface has become Blaxploitation and more room was being made for the Black film

industry.Thompson concludes by saying In all, the ways in which the motion picture

industry has portrayed African Americans over the vast majority of the 20th century have

evolved in a more positive direction; nevertheless, these portrayals have continued to be

fought with controversial images and stereotypical messages (Thompson, 2015). It is clear

to see from this timeline Thompson created, that Black people were becoming a bigger part

of Hollywood. Nevertheless, the 20th century has pulled this backwards in many ways.

Copious amounts of controversy now surround this industry, that once seemed to be

prevailing and is now returning to its oppressed history.

Not only was the exclusion of Black actors an issue, the way Black actors were represented

became an even bigger issue. This was all revolved around how White people watched the

television and putting what was acceptable to their standards on their screens. Isabel

Wilkerson reveals that the world had struggled to find a place for them [Black people] that

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White Americans could find comforting and digestible from their living room (Wilkerson,

1993). As a result of this necessity to keep aspects of life censored from White people, Black

people suffered with stereotypes. Black people were portrayed as docile buffoons in

shows such as Amos n Andy and Beulah(Wilkerson, 1993).Other stereotypes involved drugs,

weapons, and violence, and a more recent stereotype of the single mother (Wilkerson,

1993);"As long as it's in the ghetto and people are carrying guns and even the dog speaks in

four-letter words, they'll give it four thumbs up and nine stars," said Robert Townsend, who

directed the 1987 movieHollywood Shuffle(Wilkerson, 1993). Wilkerson adds to Townsends

argument by saying It seems a Black movie or television show is not considered "authentic"

without a rap score, a slack-shouldered teen-ager and drugs, violence or some other social ill.

Reality is the new buzzword. But some Blacks in television ask, whose reality? (Wilkerson,

1993). This is the content that is being portrayed to the world, therefore is it wrong to create

an image of Black people from this? The answer is no, because not only do we perceive TV

and film as a reality, it is the medium of great influence whether we like it or not. Therefore,

it is not the audiences that we must blame for this, it is the creators who are making a skewed

image of what the Black reality is. The stereotype is crushed by Wilkerson who announces

than of the 30 million Blacks in the country, less than half are male, a fraction of them are

teen-agers, and only a quarter of those have criminal records yet they are the lead

characters in most of the recent Black movies and many television shows (Wilkerson,

1993). TV and film have a certain control over its audiences, and the White industry most of

all. White people have always remained superior, therefore to those who believe in this

superiority will create false images of the Black reality in order to keep their

position.Moreover, Todd Gitlin stated that "Television is a poor place to look for guidance

(Wilkerson, 1993). This quote by Gitlin, a professor of sociology and director of the mass

communications program at the University of California at Berkeley, epitomises the problem

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with this industry. People rely too much on what they seen on a screen and as a result, other

people suffer. Another scholar is Joni G.V. Dubirelwho also explores this issue in his thesis.

Dubirel agrees with Wilkerson stating that many of the stereotypes African Americans

encountered in early television have been replaced by new, subtler representations (Dubriel,

2006). The stereotype of the dangerous Black male serves as a prime example as a subtle

stereotypical representation and this stereotype carries a subtle racial connotation in that it

is being seen on the news, as a non-overt source of racism (Dubriel, 2006). Although

stereotypes have become much subtler, it is impossible to ignore them as they still carry

racism and continue to oppress the minority.

However, not all is negative as the Golden age for Black actors began in 1960. This age is

where great achievements were realised. J. Fred Macdonald explores this era where up until

the 1960s very few shows featured Black actors. Furthermore, entertainers such as Billy

Daniels and Nat King Cole failed to gain popularity at the hands of White entertainers. Shows

featured Black actors yet only to resurrect stereotypes. However, in the 1960s, this Golden

Age, over two dozen shows featured Black characters. In fact, the show I Spy was the first

network drama series to star a minority actor. Not only was this surge of equality important to

the TV and film industry, it was also pivotal to civil rights movement; Speaking in July

1964, Frank Stanton, president of CBS, called upon broadcasters to launch a "mighty and

continuing editorial crusade" in support of civil rights (MacDonald, 2009). In an address to

the National Broadcast Editorial Conference of the Columbia University Graduate School of

Journalism, Stanton called for commitment and advocacy. President Lyndon B. Johnson

having recently signed the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1964, Stanton spoke now of the

"pivotal point in our history" and of the need for television to utilize its "editorial strength

boldly, imaginatively and with insight and wisdom" (MacDonald, 2009). Civil rights

movements encouraged television to use their position to make good and to influence others

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to change their way of thinking. This Golden Age where Black is beautiful also brought

about an important figure in TV history, Bill Cosby (MacDonald, 2009). Cosby was not

only an unknown dramatic quantity, his role could have been played by a White man. Casting

Cosby as Alexander Scott, the tennis trainer and traveling companion of Culp's character,

fellow agent Kelly Robinson, broke the color line as had no series in TV

history(MacDonald, 2009). Regardless of his recent controversy, Cosby was one of the first

to break this colour line and change TV for the better. It was a time where Black was

beautiful and it was a time to show and welcome diversity.

Consequently, 2Black people feature now more than ever, for example actors like Denzel

Washington, Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson, Will Smith, Angela Bassett, Queen Latifah,

Halle Berry and the late Whitney Houston. These actors have made a name from themselves

in Hollywood as some of the biggest in the world. Their films such as The Help, Selma,

Dreamgirls, Ray, The Blind Side, Creed and Straight Outta Compton have assisted this

change. Steve Rose of The Guardian proclaims that BeyoncsLemonade was one of the

most significant pieces of Black cinema of our time. All these films represent Black people

they way they should be. They represent their reality. So why would we write a piece like

this? It seems that all is well and fixed and Black people are accepted just as White people in

the film and TV industry. From reading the previous paragraphs this seems like the case.

However, over the last few years the problem of a lack of diversity in film and TV has

appeared one too many times in the news. Why? Because it still exists. Yes there were

improvements and Black people feature now more than ever, yet a controversy still clouds

the industry. This will be explored and concluded in the coming paragraphs, after we explore

Asian and Southern Asian in the media.

2
List Challenges. (2017). 100 Must-See African-American Films - How many have you seen?. [online] Available
at: http://www.listchallenges.com/100-must-see-african-american-films [Accessed 1 Feb. 2017].

17
2.2 Asian Entertainment History

Asian are people who descend from Asias population and are spread out vastly around the

world. Asian people are said to complete up to 60% of the worlds population, therefore their

share in Hollywood should be huge, right? However, Fusion magazine states that there are

more than 100 primetime scripted TV series on the five major U.S. networks. Cumulatively,

their main casts number nearly 800 actors. Just 52 of these performers are of Asian descent

(Fitzpatrick, 2015). This chapter has chosen to primarily focus on Asians in television. Of

course, Asians have featured in films, for example Jackie Chan, however TV is the industry

that has heard the most outcry from audiences and actors alike.

Asian history in TV and film is brief, however it does exist. Alison Herman in her work for

FlavorWire, an investigative website which documents on media culture, speaks of Asians in

television. Herman states that A successful film actress whod previously spoken out

against both the Whitewashing of Chinese roles and racial stereotyping in the industry was

Anna May Wong (Herman, 2014). Anna May Wong is known as the first Asian woman to

appear on Hollywood television. Wong appeared in a short-lived DuMont Network

mystery, centred on a crime-solving gallery owner in 1951, which was unfortunately

cancelled very shortly after airing and no copies of the show are said to remain (Herman,

2014). As mentioned, Hollywood truly began back in 1917 with classical Hollywood, and

one could ask why it took so many years for it to feature someone of Asian descent? Herman

mentions key moments in Asian history, and perhaps one of the most significant is George

Takeis role on the well-known sci-fi series Star Trek. This was a prominent moment for

Asians, as no Asian had been cast in such a huge role since Anna May Wong; Between Sulu

and Uhura, Star Treks use of three-dimensional, non-stereotypical characters of colour was

borderline revolutionary for the late 1960s (Herman, 2014). George Takeis character

18
Hikaru Sulu and African actress Nichelle Nicholss character NyotaUhura revolutionised

Hollywood as an industry now capable of diversity. This was further enhanced by the TV

show Mr. T and Tina. The show itself did not succeed to pass five episodes, however it was

their leading man which made the headlines. Herman yet again providing important historical

credentials, notes that in the 1970s Pat Morita became the first Asian-American sitcom star

in his role as Taro Takahashi, a Japanese inventor who takes a job in Chicago and clashes

with his American housekeeper (Herman, 2014). Similar to Jennifer Thompsons timeline of

history, Herman proceeds onto the following years and into the 1990s. This period was hard

for Asians, as Hollywood had increasingly began to ignore them and set them and their work

aside. An example of this is Margaret Chos series All American Girl, which also starred

fellow Asian actors Amy Hill and B.D. Wong. This comedy series was said to be a

breakthrough for television, however the twenty year gap from this and Mr. T and Tina did

not change Hollywoods perspective. Chos show was cancelled after just one season,

proving that television had yet to become a friendlier place for Asian-American stars

(Herman, 2014). Not only this, Herman proclaims that Cho did not have a healthy personal

experience. Cho was said to be forced to lose weight by television giant ABC and was also

told a variety of times that she was too Asian or not Asian enough (Herman, 2014).

This of course took a toll on Chos personal life and eventual struggle with addiction. Not

only was Hollywood excluding the Asian race, it was inadvertently harming those who were

a part of it.

Perhaps a real breakthrough in Asian history in television was the casting of Lucy Lu in the

TV series Elementary. Her character is said to be an iteration of Sherlock Holmes

originally White, male, English sidekick (Herman, 2014). This angered many people of the

Sherlock Holmes fan base, as it was a step away from the original. However, this tells us a lot

about Hollywood and its audiences. We previously mentioned how Hollywood had to censor

19
many things on TV, including its actors, all in the attempt to make White viewers

comfortable in their sitting rooms. Elementary premiered in 2012, and to much backlash.

Does this mean we are returning to times of censorship for our lesser open-minded White

audiences? Regardless of this, Elementary went on to earn copious amounts of success, even

passing out UK series Sherlock. Herman summaries this correctly when she writes thatLucy

Lu as the first Asian-American Watson, her unorthodox casting makes an important

statement in an industry rife with Whitewashing (Herman, 2014).

The casting of Asians seems to be on the rise in Hollywood, and in 2015 Anita Busch

summarised the current Hollywood climate in popular Hollywood critic Deadline;

American actors and those representing them are experiencing a sea change in the
number of roles available to them. The revolution is happening in a segment of the
acting population that has been widely underserved for years, they say. Perhaps it is
the concerted effort on the part of the networks and film studios, the writers who are
growing up with a different perspective, and the influx of international money into the
marketplace, but several people interviewed by Deadline noted a marked change in
the past year (Busch, 2015).

Regardless of how the change has come about, a change is seen and this has become a vital

change for many actors. This includes actor Will Yun Lee who Deadline interviewed in

2015;

Ive definitely seen a big change in the landscape, he said. I started in 1997 when
there were only three to four jobs that were meaningful to put food on the table, which
if you didnt get, you had to keep your day job, he said. Its truly been this year in
pilot season that you started seeing the breakdowns open to all ethnicities. All the
major roles seem to be really open to all. I dont know if its the influx of the Chinese
money or younger writers who grew up in a different way. To me, its interesting to
see the shift. To do the roles that werent originally thought of as being Asian is really
great. (Busch, 2015)

So, there has been a clear change and this can be seen with the wide variety of Asians used in

roles today. Asian actors can now be found as important characters in hit television series

such as Orange is the New Black, Elementary, Two Broke Girls, Heroes, Glee, The Wire,

20
Hawaii Five-0, Greys Anatomy, Law and Order. Hollywood has changed in regard to

Asians. This may seem like it is going in the right direction with shows not being cancelled,

actors not being scrutinised etc. However, and to reiterate the previous chapter, a

conversation has begun in recent years about the lack of diversity in Hollywood, and many

Asian actors have spoken out. However, and to quote the previous chapter controversy still

clouds the industry. We will analyse and retrieve accurate results for this in the coming

chapters. However, one cannot help being sceptical of Hollywood if so many actors have

spoken out in this controversy.

2.3 Indian Entertainment History

Although this previous section, 2.2, had focused primarily on East Asians, the following

chapter will focus specifically on South Asia; India to be exact. Unlike the previous sub-

sections, SouthAsian actors do not have a long history in Hollywood. This is due to their own

industry, the critically acclaimed Bollywood which is centred in Bombay or, now,

Mumbai; the industry gives credit to its location for conjuring its name. India is rich with film

and media industries. However, it is Bollywood that has made its mark on the world.

Mumbai.org, an organisation from Mumbai gave a descriptive definition of Bollywood on

their website;

Bollywood is just the part of Indian Film Industry, which also encompasses other
language film industries. The movies churned out here are the major source of
entertainment, with an audience of 3.6 billion people, which is more than half of the
world's population. Bypassing the reality, Hindi films are usually 'masala' (spicy)
movies that comprise all the ingredients like music, dance, violence and melodrama of
a good entertainer. The languages of Hindi, Urdu and English are extremely common
in Bollywood (2017).

Bollywood has certainly made a name for itself and is even ranked higher than Hollywood

itself with more than half of the worlds population (Mumbai.org, 2017). This industry

may have a different style to Hollywood, however this does not stop Hollywood from taking

21
influence from its entertaining and more often than not melodramatic films. These films

usually have features like unlucky lovers and angry parents, love triangles, family

attachments, sacrifice, crooked politicians, kidnappers, devious villains, courtesans with

golden-hearts, long-lost relatives, theatrical reversals of destiny and siblings estranged by

fate (Mumbai.org, 2017). Irrespective of what the films portray, Bollywood has become a

giant in the media world and is known to have produced many talent, whom much of the

world will never see.

Conversely, in Hollywood, Indian actors do not have the easiest time. Just like other Asians,

those from India have been rejected from Hollywood for a long time and this did not change

until the last 2000s. Returning to the FlavorWirearticle we previously looked at, we saw that

they analysed East Asians in Hollywood, however South Asian successes are not overlooked.

It has been the presence of Indian actors such as Mindy Kaling, Aziz Ansari and Dev Petal

that have changed the landscape of Indians in Hollywood. Kaling, in 2012, became the first

South Asian to be cast as a lead character in all of Hollywoods history. Kaling, who was rose

to stardom on the comedy The Office was offered her own self-titled show called The Mindy

Project. FlavorWire declare it asa smart, sweet addition to the network comedy line-up, and

an important part of Foxs dual initiatives of stealing NBCs sitcom crown and introducing

significant diversity to more of its primetime shows (Herman, 2014). With South Asians

featuring very little in TV and film, this a milestone for them. Respectively, it was a

milestone for Hollywood as it introduced a new range of diversity on it channels.

Another success for South Asians is Aziz Ansari who has made himself known in Hollywood

with his own show Master of None, which aired first in 2015. Not only is this another

breakthrough for South Asians and Hollywood, the show uses its screen time to bring to light

important issues in the world, and this includes diversity. Vulture magazine in their piece

2015: The Year Asian-Americans Finally Got a Shot on TV by E. Alex Jung, claims that

22
the show has deftly tackled the issues of race.Its easy, conversational tone belies how

cleverly it dismantles racial tropes (Jung, 2015). Moreover, it manages to acknowledge

systemic racism toward people of colour while refusing to be defined by it (Jung, 2015).

The show has received critical acclaim, not only for its comedy but also for its defiance of

Hollywood stereotypes and racism.

Both Kaling and Ansari have become important representatives of South Asians as of this

time period and has influenced the further inclusion of people of colour into Hollywood.

Kaling, especially, has not shied away from speaking out against Hollywood, which will be

discussed in further chapters. Consequently, her words and her work have made South Asians

visible in Hollywood.Whether South Asian actors remain in Bollywood with success, or if

they continue to break the wall Hollywood has built, it is certain that with people like Kaling

and Ansari in tow, South Asians are now welcomed in Hollywood.

Chapter 3 Results

For our analysis of whether Hollywood lacks diversity, we will explore film and TV in two

different ways. We will begin with film, and in 2016 the roars of #OscarsSoWhite rippled

through the Hollywood press and furthermore, all around the world. The Oscars became

under fire for having a severe lack of diversity in their nominations and winners. The Oscars

are the prime representative of what is the best f Hollywood films. Therefore, using the

Oscars own source we will investigate the Oscars on their Best Actor and Best Actress

nominees and winners since their beginnings in 1927 to present. The following table is split

into four groups; White, Black, Asian and Indian (South Asian). These are the groups that we

have already looked at their history. Therefore, this table will give a clearer picture of the

23
range of diversity in what is considered good in Hollywood. Will the hashtag

#OscarsSoWhite live up to its name?

It is also key to look at who the Oscar voters are. These people are called The Academy.

This elite club is made up of 5,783 people, all from film and media backgrounds. Not just

anyone can do this. One must have intensive knowledge and experience in the industry before

they can step into the Academy chairs. The LA Times studied the Academy in 2012 and

stated that their study of Oscar voters found that their demographics are much less diverse

than the moviegoing public(Kaufman and Zeitchik, 2017). The Academy has a much more

White voters than those of colour, and this contrasts the audiences who pay to see the film.

Only by looking at who was voted for throughout the years will uncover if the lack of

diversity in the Academy will affect our results.

The following tables, 1.1 and 1.2, study the nominees from the Oscars first show in 1927 to

present. Every year there is five nominees and these will be represented using tally symbols.

(five represented by | | | | ) For example:

Year White Black Asian Indian

1963 |||| | - Sidney

Poitier (Lilies of
the Field) *

24
The table above represents the nominees of the 1963 Oscars. Here four White actors were

nominated while one Black actor was nominated. The symbol * represents who won the

Academy Award this year.

Results of the study can be found on the next page.

Film Results3

3.1 Best Actor

in a
Leading
Role
Year White Black Asian Indian

1927 - 1957 ||||*

3
" Academy Awards Search | Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences". Awardsdatabase.oscars.org. N.p.,
2017. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.

25
1958 | | | |* | - Sidney
Poitier (The
Defiant Ones)

1959 - 1962 | | | |*

1963 |||| | - Sidney

Poitier (Lilies of
the Field)*

1964 - 1969 ||||*

1970 | | | |* | - James Earl

Jones (The
Great White
Hope)

1971 ||||*

1972 | | | |* | - Paul
Winfield
(Sounder)

1973 - 1985 | | | |*

1986 | | | |* | - Dexter
Gordon (Round
Midnight)

1987 - 1988 | | | |*

1989 | | | |* | - Morgan
Freeman
(Driving Miss
Daisy)

Year White Black Asian Indian

1990 - 1991 | | | |*

1992 | | | |* | - Denzel
Washington
(Driving Miss
Daisy)

1993 | | | |* | - Laurence
Fishbourne
(Whats Love

Got To Do With
It)

26
1994 | | | |* | - Morgan
Freeman
(Shawshank
Redemption)

1995 - 1998 | | | |*

1999 ||||* | - Denzel

Washington
(The Hurricane)

2000 | | | |*

2001 ||| | - Denzel

Washington
(Training Day)*

| - Will Smith
(Ali)

2002 - 2003 | | | |*

2004 ||| | - Jamie Foxx

(Ray) *

| - Don Cheadle
(Hotel Rwanda)

2005 | | | |* | - Terrance
Howard (Hustle
and Flow)

2006 ||| | - Forest

Whitaker (The
Last King of
Scotland) *

| - Will Smith
(The Pursuit of
Happiness)

2007 - 2008 | | | |*

2009 | | | |* | - Morgan
Freeman
(Invictus)

2010 - 2011 ||||*

2012 ||||* | - Denzel

Washington

27
 (Flight)

2013 | | | |* | - Chiewetel
Ejiofor (12
Years a Slave)

2014 - 2016 ||||*

2017 |||| | - Denzel

Washington
(Fences)

3.2 Best Actress

in a
Leading
Role
Year White Black Asian Indian

1927 - 1953 | | | |*

1954 | | | |* | - Dorothy
Dandridge
(Carmen Jones)

1955 - 1971 ||||*

28
1972 |||* | - Diana Ross
(Lady Sings the
Blues)

| - Cicely
Tyson
(Sounder)

1973 ||||*

1974 ||||* | - Diahann

Carroll
(Claudine)

1975 - 1984 ||||*

1985 ||||* | - Whoopi

Goldberg (The
Colour Purple)

1986 - 1992 ||||*

1993 ||||* | - Angela

Bassett (Whats
Love Got to Do
with It)

1994 - 2000 ||||*

2001 |||| | - Halle Berry

(Monster) *

2002 - 2008 ||||* |-

GaboureySidibe
(Precious)

2010 ||||*

2011 ||||* | - Viola Davis

(The Help)

2012 ||||* | - Quvenzhane

Wallis (Beasts
of the Southern
Wild)

2013 - 2016 ||||*

2017 |||| | - Ruth Negga

(Loving)
(results TBA

29
 Febuary 28th
2017)

3.3 Analysis of Results - Film

The previous results give us a clear indication of if there is indeed racial diversity featured in

Hollywood. Our answer? No. The hashtag of #OscarsSoWhite that the thousands upon

thousands of people wrote and searched, is seemingly correct. If anything, the results are no

short from shocking. This section will go through these results and analysis how inclusive

certain races are, and how a superior race needs to be put into question.

These results carry Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Actress in a Leading Role for the

purpose of uncovering diversity within leading roles in the best of Hollywood film. We will

begin with Best Actor in a Leading Role and with glance at the table above, our results are

clear; White actors are the most nominated, with little inclusion of any other race. From its

beginnings in 1927 to 1949, all nominees for this category were White. This was interrupted

by a Hispanic nominee in 1950. However, no other race got any recognition. Referring back

to chapter 3 where Jennifer Thompson claimed that in the 1940s and 1950s, Black actors

were becoming mainstream in Hollywood. However, the figures show this is not the case.

Also around this time, Asians featured in film and TV were unlikely to become successful

and many projects failed, as referred to in Chapter 3. Therefore, these results between these

years are expected. From 1951 to 1957, it was another all-White streak. Then finally, a Black

actor was recognised in 1958. The prominent Sidney Poitier was nominated for his work in

The Defiant Ones. However, what is ironic about his role is that he plays the part of a

prisoner who is serving time for beating a White person for aggravating him. So, although a

Black actor earned their first nomination, the role Poitier played did little justice for his race.

1959 to 1962, White actors dominated yet again, only to be broken by Poitier in 1963 once

30
again for his role in Lilies of the Field. Poitier won the Oscar here, making him the first Black

man to win a Oscar in this category. This was a monumental moment for Black people and

for the Oscars. However, White actors continued to win and be the sole nominees from 1964

to 1969, until James Earl Jones was nominated in 1970 for his role in The Great White Hope,

which was a film credited for tackling racism. Director Howard Sackler stated that what

interested me was not the topicality but the combination of circumstances, the destiny of a

man pitted against society. It's a metaphor of struggle between man and the outside world

(Lawson, 1982).Black actors were being pitted against White actors every year, only to fail.

However, the breakthrough of both Poitier and Jones was an important moment in Black

history. Subsequently, the Oscars went back to their old ways and from 1971 to 1985 no other

race, except White actors were nominated in this category. Moreover, from the table it is

evident that Black actors had a breakthrough in the 1980s and 1990s. This began in 1986

where Dexter Gordon was nominated for his role in Round Midnight. However, Gordon did

not win this year and the prize was awarded to a White actor. This was followed by Morgan

Freeman in 1989 for Driving Miss Daisy, Denzel Washington in 1992 for Malcom X

andLaurence Fishbourne in 1993 for Whats Love Got to Do with It. Freeman was nominated

again in 1994 for his work Shawshank Redemption, which is now credited as being one of the

best films ever made. A Black actor was not recognised again until 1999 with Denzel

Washington for The Hurricane. It is important to remember that all of these were only one of

the five nominees and no Black actor had won since Sidney Poitier back in 1963. This was

shattered by Denzel Washington in 2001 who won for his role in Training Day. Will Smith

was also nominated this year for his work as Muhammad Ali in Ali. This year was an

important moment also, as it was the first time that two Black actors were nominated in the

same category, with one of them taking home the prize. This was followed by a win for Jamie

Foxx for his role in Rayin 2004. Also nominated in this category was Don Cheadle for Hotel

31
Rwanda. This streak continued in 2005 and 2006, where Terrence Howard earned a

nomination for his role in Hustle and Flow and Forest Whitaker won for his role in The Last

King of Scotland. Will Smith was also nominated yet again in 2006 for his role in The Pursuit

of Happiness. Two Black actors being nominated in this category together became a trend,

only to be halted in 2007. An actor of a different race from White did not get another

nomination until 2009 with Morgan Freeman, yet again. Denzel Washington was nominated

once again for Flight in 2012, and followed by Chiewetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave. This

was the last inclusion of another race for this category at the Oscars.

These results speak volumes. White actors are dominant in the category, and while Black

actors feature in some years, there is no nominations for Asian or Indian actors in Oscars

history. One could blame the Academy, and one could blame the lack of films with these

actors as their main character. The Oscars have taken place for the last 89 years, and only 16

of those years have featured nominees who were not White. Moreover, only four of those

years were won by these nominees. A trend which is evident is the presence of the same

actors of a different race. For example, Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington, who

account for 8 of the 16 times another race was nominated. Another interesting aspect of these

results is that the majority of the films, with leading actors from another race, deal with racial

issues and as Howard Sackler said the struggle between man and the outside world, all in

an attempt to get their voices heard (Lawson, 1982). Yes, these films and actors get

recognition, however it seems only to be for the films that bring about controversy and tackle

serious issues. This, however, is a positive, yet if we look at the results we see no change and

racial oppression still exists. Audiences are not being impacted by the films as much as they

should, and if this ignorance was ceased, then we may start to see change.

32
Nevertheless, there is a prominent issue it is undeniably clear that there is a lack of diversity

in this category. Furthermore, we will break down the Best Actress in a Leading Role and

explore if these results differ in a positive or negative way;

Like the male category, the Best Actress category was and is even more severely dominated

by White actresses. From 1927 to 1953, all nominees were White, with no inclusion of any

other race. It is important to note that there is significant evidence to claim that women were

oppressed, therefore being a woman of a different race other than White was even more

difficult. This aside, White women dominant this category until Black actress 1954 where

Dorothy Dandridge was nominated for her role in the musical Carmen Jones, which featured

an all-Black cast. Unfortunately, this category was dominated yet again by White actresses

until 1972, where Diana Ross was nominated for her role in Lady Sings the Blues. This

followed by Cicely Tyson for her work in Sounder and then Diahann Carroll for Claudine in

1974. White actresses once again led from 1975 until 1985, where Whoopi Goldberg was

nominated for her role in The Colour Purple. This film was an important moment in history

as critic Richard Corlisssynopsises the film as a story of a young African American girl

named Celie Harris and shows the problems African American women faced during the

early 20th century, including domestic violence, incest, paedophilia, poverty, racism,

and sexism (Corliss. 1985). The film was about a woman finding her self-worth amongst all

those who see her as different. This is a subject relatable to our results, hence why its

recognition is such an important moment in Oscar history. In typical Oscars fashion, White

actresses were solely nominated from 1986 until 1993, where Angela Bassett was nominated

for Whats Love Got to Do with It. This was followed by Halle Berry in 2001 with Monsters

Ball. Berry won the Oscar for this role, and became the first Black female to win an Oscar.

This took a significantly longer time to happen, as opposed to the male category where

Poitier won in 1963. Furthermore, we jump again to 2009 where young Black actress

33
GaboureySidibe earned a nomination for her role in Precious, which features a majority

Black cast. Following this were nominations or Viola Davis for The Help in 2011, and for

Quvenzhane Wallis for Beats of the Southern Wild. Wallis became the youngest nominee in

Oscars history, which is not only a great achievement for her but also for Black actors.

These results are even more shocking than the male category. Yet this is expected. Similar to

the males, no other race other than White and Black have been nominated or won an Oscar.

Black actresses feature significantly less than Black actors, with only 9 nominations between

them. And similar to the male category again, the films that feature these Black women deal

with important issues of race and oppression. The women play significant characters who

either made a change in history, or attempt to repel the oppression they are drowning in.

These results are so important in showing how ignorant the film industry are other races. The

tables of results have given us our answer; Hollywood is racist and Hollywood must do

something. These results can be epitomised by Oscars winner Halle Berrys acceptance

speech where she says this moment is so much bigger than me. Its for the women that

stand beside me, Jada Smith and Angela Bassett. Its for every nameless face of women of

colour that now have a chance because this door tonight has been opened (Oscars, 2017).

Both tables show an absence of colour, and one breakthrough, like Black actress Halle

Berrys win, is enough to hopefully spark a fire. No actress of colour has won since Halle

Berry, and the last time a woman of colour was nominated was in 2012. So, based on these

results, Hollywood still has a long way to go.

3.4 Results TV

34
Taking a different approach with television, we will uncover the range of diversity in some of

Hollywoods biggest shows. Using a specific article from well-known media source 4The

Hollywood Reporter, we will focus particularly, and similar to film, on the main cast

members. This article named Hollywoods 100 favourite TV shows accounts for the most

rated and viewed shows in Hollywood. As this was written in 2015, it is recent and

appropriate for this topic. This article is a very useful source as it not only includes TV shows

from present, but also many from the past. This will allow us retrieve an accurate analysis of

the diversity in the TV shows that have taken over Hollywood and the world.

The Hollywood Reporters article, which was collected by all THR staff, lists 100 TV shows,

with the top five being Friends (1994-2004), Breaking Bad (2008-2013), The X-Files (1993-

2002), Games of Thrones (2011present), and Seinfeld (1989-1998). For these results,

analysis of all the 100 shows main cast were studied. Moreover, like film, shows with a range

of diversity in their cast were put aside, while all the others were deemed White. It was found

that only 15 of the 100 most rated shows in Hollywood had a diverse cast. All the other

shows only contained White actors and actresses in their main cast. The shows that displayed

diversity included BattlestarGalactica, Saved by the Bell, Hill Street Blues, Star Trek, Parks

and Recreation, and The Big Bang Theory. The others shows which stood out in particular

were Orange is the New Black, which has a variety of Black and Asian actors as part of their

main ensemble, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, which features an all-Black family, including

Oscar nominee Will Smith. Other shows such as Parks and Recreation and The Office,

brought Indian actors Aziz Ansaria and Mindy Kaling into Hollywood stardom. Another

popular show Scrubs has been credited for its diverse cast, as two of the main cast members

are Black. Perhaps one of the biggest achievements in Hollywood regarding diversity was the

4
The Hollywood Reporter. (2015). Friends - Hollywood's 100 Favourite TV Shows. [online] Available at:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/best-tv-shows-ever-top-819499/item/friends-hollywoods-100-
favorite-tv-821361

35
TV show Scandal, which comes in at #77 on the list. This show has been praised frequently

for its leading lady, Black actress Kerry Washington, who plays a hard-hitting, fearless leader

of a crisis management firm in Washington DC. Looking back at the history we mentioned in

chapter two, having a Black woman in such a commanding role is a big step forwardfor

diversity in Hollywood. Another show similar to this is How to Get Away with Murderwhich

features Black actress Viola Davis as their main character. Similar to Washingtons character,

Viola plays a high-profiled, tough defence attorney. What both of these shows have in

common is their creator Shona Rhimes, who is responsible for both of these female

characters. AttheHollywood Reporters annual Women in Entertainment Breakfast Rhimes

proclaimed, This moment right here, me standing up here all brown with my boobs and my

Thursday night of network television full of women of colour, competitive women, strong

women, women who own their bodies and whose lives revolve around their work instead of

their men, women who are big dogs, that could only be happening right now (Goldberg,

2014).Rhimes has become an inspiration for not only female filmmakers but for all

filmmakers, as she shows that actors of colour can hold their own in the of face hundreds of

other shows in Hollywood that do not show the same diversity.

With all that in mind, it is fascinating to see that the top 5 shows on this list are not included

as shows with a diverse cast. Yes, they have minor characters of colour, however they come

and go. For example, one of the only actors of colour in the #1 rated show Friends featured

for 9 episodes of the 236 episodes the show had in its 10-year reign. These results are not a

positive result for diversity in Hollywood, and Shonda Rhimes and the diverse shows aside,

Hollywood has a long way to go in diversity in the television industry.

36
 CHAPTER 4 - Hidden Figures

#OscarsSoWhite and the controversy of the lack of diversity in Hollywood did not just come

from anywhere, it came from the conversations of the public, and especially from those in the

industry. The following article from The New York Timesfeatures a variety of different actors

and others in the Hollywood industry, all from different races. These actors provided their

opinion on this topic, making this article valuable for this project.

The New York Times undertook a variety of interviews from those within the Hollywood

industry so discover what it really is like to work in this spearhead industry. This section will

take into account the perspectives of White, Black, Asian, and Indians who all toom part in

these interviews. Beginning with Lori McCreary, who is a White woman and a producing

partner of Morgan Freeman. McCreary stated if a script doesnt specify, a role is presumed

to be White and male(Ryzik, 2016). McCreary also noted that when Morgan Freeman was

set to play the president in a film role, someone on set announced were not making a

science fiction movie(Ryzik, 2016). Here, McCreary is implyingthat racism still very much

exists within the industry. When a script is produced, the heavyweights around the table all

presume the main character to be White and male, unless its specifies. This is a great

problem, McCreary believes, as if we begin to see everything as White, unless specified,

then we will never see all our worlds races as being equal (Ryzik, 2016). There should be

equal opportunity for all races, even in the minds of Hollywoods big leagues. We see blatant

racism when a person on set deems Morgan Freemans role as president as supernatural,

simply because he is not White (Ryzik, 2016). McCreary wants audiences to know that if

people onHollywood sets think this way, then Hollywood still has to progress a lot more.

Following McCreary is Indian actress Mindy Kaling, who rose to stardom on the hit TV

series The Office in 2005 and more recently has secured her own show The Mindy Project in

37
2012 which is still airing today. Kaling is a known activist for diversity in Hollywood and in

this interview, she stated that her role is not just artist. Its also activist because of the way

[she] looks (Ryzik, 2016). Being one of the very few Indian actresses in Hollywood, Kaling

has spoken out against Hollywood and the dismissal of actors of other races such as her own.

Kaling remembers a script she was writing where an actress for the lead role needed to be

considered. However, when Kaling presented her script to studio-heads, her idea of a diverse

lead was immediately shot down. The executives believed it would be too difficult to find a

lead of Indian-American or Middle-Eastern, and to Kalings dismay they announced

well look for a White woman(Ryzik, 2016) . This is not the first time within this project

that the people behind the scenes in Hollywood are the ones allowing racism to exist here.

And to completely shatter Kalings ideology of a more diverse Hollywood, the studio-heads

proclaimed that White women were more traditionally beautiful and, therefore, would be

more suited to the role that Kaling herself envisioned to be played by a woman of colour

(Ryzik, 2016). Similar to McCrearys words, Kaling describes a situation where actors of

different races are not being given the opportunity to even audition and this blatant racism

that exists shows that Hollywood need to not only change what they produce, but also who

produces them.

Another actor who features in this article, and who also wants their voice to be heard is Black

actor Wendell Edward Pierce, who is known best for his role in Suits, along with a long

resume of films and TV shows. Pierce experienced a similar situation to Mindy Kaling,

where a casting director cut Pierce from the role in a Shakespeare film. The casting director

told Pierce, I couldnt put you in a Shakespeare movie, because they didnt have Black

people then.Shakespeare couldnt just make up Black people (Ryzik, 2016). Not only

was the casting director dismissing Pierce from the role in the film, he was also dismissing

his race in its entirety. Yes, Shakespeare did not use Black actors in his plays, however, in his

38
plays Shakespeare did not make the race of a character a relevant issue. Therefore, this allows

the roles in his plays to be race-neutral. Similar to Mindy Kalings encounter with Hollywood

executives, the casting director believed a White actor would be more suited to the role, as

they its more traditionally suited (Ryzik, 2016). It is not made clear if the casting director

was trying to avoid controversy or if racism was at play here. Nevertheless, how we can

move forward from all that was imbedded in history, if we are not willing to change the

history. This is especially the case with a role that is capable of change. It is not the first time

we have seen racism on a set. Along with Kaling and Pierces experience, Pierce accounts for

another experience;

I was working on The Gregory Hines Show that depicted three generations of
Black men. It was on CBS in 1997. [After] the read-through, the studio and network
give notes. Gregory kissed everybody, and so in the show he would kiss his son,
Matty. This particular day someone from CBS said: I notice every time you come in,
you kiss Matty. so I wanted to ask, do Black people kiss their kids? (Ryzik, 2016).

This personal attack outraged all those on set and they proceeded to leave. From such a short

interview with these actors, the amount of racism seen behind the camera that is hidden from

audiences is featured too often. It would get one to question how understandable it is that

there is a lack of diversity from the examples of racism behind the camera.

Moreover, and as seen from our results previously, Asian actors also are neglected in

Hollywood. Ken Jeong, a well-known actor, who is best known for his roles as Ben Chang on

the acclaimed NBC sitcom Community and Leslie Chow in The Hangover trilogy, is all too

familiar with Asians being overlooked in Hollywood. Just as Jeong was starting off in Los

Angeles, he received valuable advice from his professor; Youre a good actor, which is why

Im telling you to stay the hell out of LA, followed by Go to Asia (Ryzik, 2016). Of

course, Jeong did not take this advice, and instead with as much Asian pride as he could carry

went into Hollywood and broke down the barrier. However, Jeong said his time trying to

39
make it in Hollywood was not easy, and was not without many disputes with Hollywood

executives about his race. One includes a conflict of opinion on Jeongs accent;

I was a guest star on a TV show maybe two years ago. Everyone wanted me to use
an accent, and I was like, No, I dont want to. Then [at] the table read, I didnt use
an accent, and the director took me aside and [said], Im not telling you not to do the
accent, Im not telling you to do the accent, just think about it. And I [said]: Ill tell
you right now, Im not going to do the accent. Im happy to walk away (Ryzik,
2016).

This was a liberating moment for Jeong, ass or the first time in his career he could walk away

from a job. He tells The New York Times that he was finally in the position in his career to

make this decision, and he credits himself for that. However, one cannot forget about those

who are just beginning their careerand the possibility that those novice actors may be treated

the way Jeong was. Nevertheless, Jeong had the ability to walk away from the job. Moreover,

one could question, while actors desperatelytry to get their break in this hard industry, will

they have to suffer through this manipulation, all because of their race?

From what we have previously said, Hollywood seems to undermine people of colour I

favour of White actors. And this is no different when it comes to Asian actress Joan Chen,

who is best known for her role in serial drama Twin Peaks, amongst many other credits from

Hollywood and her own country, China. Chen remembers when she first noticed Hollywood;

I never saw people like me on television in the States. there were a couple of people

playing butlers, maids. [The agent] probably thought I was telling fairy tales when I told him

I won best actress in China(Ryzik, 2016). We previously said that Hollywood undermines

people of colour, and this is a prime example. Chen herself does not share her achievements,

in fear of being undermined or even laughed at. The lack of Asian actors is noticed by Chen

and even when they do appear they play more degrading roles, such as butlers or maids.

40
Hollywood has no confidence in these actors. And, in turn, actors of colour or a different race

to White, expect the harsh treatment of towards due to their race.This treatment is not equal

nor is it just. This article has informed audiences of how those of colour are treated in

Hollywood, straight from the source. How they are treated cannot be stopped by them, all

they can do is continue to do what they love, in the hope that the treatment of other races will

improve and that the lack of diversity that we have discovered will end.

CHAPTER 5 - Hollywoods White Flag

Did you know that there are four statues called "The Four Ladies of Hollywood" in

Hollywood, one of a White woman, a Black woman, an Asian woman and a Mexican woman

to represent the acceptance of diversity in Hollywood? On top of these women is a steel

gazebo with the word Hollywood written down it.The Smithsonian Inventory describes it

more in-depth:

"Sculptural four-sided gateway is an art-deco style gazebo with four stainless steel
full-length portraits of Hollywood actresses supporting an open roof structure. The
actresses portrayed are Mae West, Dorothy Dandridge, Anna May Wong and Dolores
Del Rio (Waymarking, 2014).

Mae West, is a White actress, among many other talents. Dorothy Dandridge, whom we have

discussed earlier, is Black actress. Anna May Wong is one of the first Asian-American

actresses to achieve international fame. And Dolores Del Rio is a well-known Mexican

actress from the 1920s. These statues stand tall beneath a smaller statue of White actress and

model Marilyn Monroe. One could either seen this as ironic or an advancement for

Hollywood. Erected in 1994, Hollywood was still going through a drought in diversity in its

films and TV shows. And this is clear from the results in Chapter 3. However, things had

improved from 1994 since its previous years and therefore, these statues can be seen as a sign

41
of hope that one day all races in Hollywood will be seen as equal and the lack of diversity in

the media will not be an issue.

Hollywood has not only tried to literally solidify their quest for diversity, they have also

began making changes that may help this cause. We mentioned prior to this that the Academy

themselves play a vital role in making Hollywood diverse. We remember that the Academy

are those who create the Oscar nominations, and ultimately decide a winner. This group of

elite actors, producer, director, and many more had been majority White. This was the case

until 2016. The Hollywood Reporter were the first to break the news that the Academy were

to issue 683 invitations to new members. The Hollywood Reporter announced that As the

Oscar-granting organization makes a push for more diversity, it reaches out to the largest

number of new members ever, and these members were not subjected to one race;

The new invitees are heavily weighted to favour women (46 percent) and people of
colour (41 percent). If all elect to join, it will begin to shift the demographic makeup of
the Academy, which has been criticized in the past for being too old, too male and too
White. According to the Academy, its membership was 75 percent male before this year's
new members were recruited, and could move to 73 percent male once they join.
Similarly, the Academy was 92 percent White before the latest list and could become 89
percent White in its wake (Kilday, 2016).

For years Hollywood overlooked many actors of colour. However, in 2016 Blackactors such

as Idris Elba, Michael B. Jordan, John Boyega and musicians such as Mary J. Blige and

Will.i.am, were made members of this exclusive group.Asian actors such as Daniel Dae Kim

and Indian actors such as Frida Pinto were also invited to use their voice in The Academy.

Consequently,The Academy had concurred that in order for the Oscars to be more diverse,

then more invitations need to be sent out. And since the backlash of #OscarSoWhite, which

we spoke about previously, the Academy needed to act. It is the hope of The Academy, it

members and audiences that this change will allow more recognition of other races and shine

a light on work that was once overlooked.

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Furthermore, the Emmy Award show, which is strictly specific to TV, has also changed its

ways. In 2016, Forbes editor Madeline Berg wrote an article called This Year's Emmy

Nominees Are the Most Diverse Yet, But Hold Your Applause. This article details how the

Emmys have seen a significant shift in the number of actors of colour in it nominations.

Television Academy chairman and CEO Bruce Rosenblum was pleased to announce thatAt

no time in the past 70 years has our industry achieved the vibrancy, relevancy, consistent

creative excellence, and diversity we are experiencing at this very moment (Berg, 2016).

The following results that Berg accumulated does correspond with Rosenblums statement;

At least in terms of race, this diversity is most obvious in the on-screen talent: 24.6%, or 18

out of 73, of the acting nominees in major categories are people of colour. This is up from

21.9% last year and only 9.7% in 2014 (Berg, 2016). The nominees for this year included

shows such as Black-ish, Master of None, How to Get Away with Murder, and the second

highest nominee The People vs OJ Simpson. This includes also a variety of actors from these

shows. However, and with the results in mind, Berg does not think this is something to

celebrate. It is factual that there has been an increase in the diversity in the nominees,

however, there is still a monumental difference between races. Moreover, Berg was quick to

note that Other than Aziz Ansari, the creator and star of Master of None, there were no

Asian or South Asian actors nominated (Berg, 2016). Subsequently, there was change yet it

is not enough to send shockwave throughout Hollywood and one could see that in the results.

Without reference from Forbes about the history if the Emmys, one would see the above

results as unjust and unfathomable. Therefore, it will be a long time until this is reversed. Yet,

and with the optimism that is needed, Hollywood is on its way.

Moving on to 2017, Hollywood has recently announced its Oscar nominations, and they are

better than ever before. And to quote Business Insider, it shattered records for diversity

(Schrodt, 2017).

43
Nevertheless, our question was answered; Hollywood, as of right now, was and is in fact

racist, whether intentional or now. Yes, there were improvements, but not enough to consider

Hollywood an industry of equality. This may seem harsh, yet the results of analysis of

different elements of Hollywood prove this. This all runs much deeper than #OscarsSoWhite,

so it is clear that Hollywood needs to make a change and over the past few years, since

#OscarsSoWhite-gate, Hollywood has slowly made an effort to change their ways. This can

particularly be seen this year, 2017. After two years of overlooking actors of colour, and after

three years of overlooking women of colour, which we saw in table 3.1 and 3.2, the Oscars

nominations now showcase a much more diverse and multicultural selection, both on-screen

and off-screen.

the Oscars also nominated a record six Black actors this year. Denzel Washington and
Ruth Negga received nods for lead acting in "Fences" and "Loving," respectively, while
Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris of "Moonlight," Viola Davis of "Fences," and
Octavia Spencer of "Hidden Figures" all took supporting nods. Seven of the 20 acting
nominees are people of colour (Schrodt, 2017).

These results are in direct opposition to the previous years results we saw in table 3.1 and

3.2. We see the addition of two Black actors in both categories, and further nominations for

actors of colour in the Best Supporting category. Consequently, this year was an important

year for actors and films of colour as there are non-White actors in every acting category and

with a record number of films being recognised and accoladed. These films include Hidden

Figures, which stars three Black actresses as its leads. And The Huffington Post even

declared that it was the first movie with multiple female leads to remain No.1 since 2011

(Jacobs, 2017). This is an achievement for women, and an even bigger one for women of

colour. Along with this, Black actress Viola Davis has become the first Black actress in

history to earn three Oscar nominations. Therefore, 2017 has been a year of diverse success.

Moreover, it is not just women of colour who have been recognised, men have also broke

records, specifically Dev Patel. English-born Patel has never showed shame for his Indian

44
roots since his breakthrough role in Slumdog Millionaire. Unfortunately, looking at our

results we see that no South-East Asian actor has been recognised for their work. This all

changed for Patel, as, as of 2017 Patel smashed this and was nominated for his work in Lion.

2017 has been the breakthrough that Hollywood needed, and it looks like now more than ever

that it may be on its way to breaking the wall of uniformity.

This is a stepping-stone for Hollywood. And even with the current political climate,

Hollywood is emerging strong. One cannot deny the surge of protest and resistance since the

presidential victory of Donald Trump, and this has foremost encapsulated Hollywood. Award

shows such as the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards have been used as

platforms by its attendees to address millions across the world about the necessity and

importance of diversity. And with a president that is refusing to acknowledge this, actor have

used their voice to rally behind protests and influence those who still need convincing. An

example of this was 5Meryl Streeps acceptance speech at the Golden Globes. Streep listed

out a variety of actors and illustrated where each of them came from, in an attempt to show

how diverse people in Hollywood are. Another example of this comes from Orange is the

New Blackstar Taylor Schilling, who used their Best Ensemble Cast win as a chance to

condemn the voice of Donald Trump.

We stand up here representing a diverse group of people from places like Nigeria,
Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Columbia, Ireland. And we know that it is going to
be up to us and all of you, probably, to keep telling stories that show what unites us is
stronger than the forces that seek to divide us (TNT, 2017).

Schilling is not the first person to highlight the diversity that exists in Hollywood, and she

will not be the last. It is up to Hollywood to keep pushing for the diversity that it needs and

5
YouTube, (2017). Meryl Streep powerful speech at the Golden Globes (2017). [video] Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV8tsnRFUZw

45
like Schilling said, to keep telling stories that allow audiences see this diversity and how it

will not be broken or tampered by anyone. Hollywood is not quite where it needs to be, and

they all know this. However, they will not let any force come between their quest for equality

and will not stop speaking until this happens and only when Hollywood can correctly call

themselves diverse.

Conclusion
Hollywood is racist and a lack of diversity exists. This is without a doubt true, and with our

results and analysis of Hollywood, the industry needs to continue to improve and not let race

be a factor in film or TV roles. Every race should have equal opportunity and no race should

fear Hollywood, like so many do.

Subsequently, we found that #OscarsSoWhite was true. Since the beginning, the Oscars have

favoured White actors and actresses more than any other race, and popular TV shows have

featured more White actors and actresses than any other race. There needs to be a change and

people are letting their voices be heard. And from the progression of the results and analysis,

Hollywood seems to be listening. Whether this will last or not can only be found out in years

to come. We hope to see a Hollywood where all races are accepted and not excluded because

of the colour of their skin or where they come from. This is a controversy that has been

clouding Hollywood for decades, yet it is only coming into the spotlight now. This could be

due to the advancement in technology and as a result people have more platforms to express

themselves. Regardless of the reason, the conversation made its way to the front page and has

embedded itself into the minds and keyboards of millions around the world. This includes

people of all races, even the race which has come out dominant in this research project.

Everyone has an opinion on the matter. We have discovered throughout the course of this

project that there were no false facts or alternative facts in these conversations. This

46
project aimed to discover if Hollywood was racist and if a lack of diversity exists in

Hollywood media, and we got our answer: Yes. People can argue this, and without a doubt,

they will. But one cannot deny the facts that this project has shown. So, what does one do

when they have got this answer? They move forward with it. This is what millions in the

world are doing, for example, Black Lives Matter. And these people will not stop voicing

their feelings until something has changed.

We would conclude by saying Hollywood has a long way to go, but it is an important

journey. There is no denying that Hollywood is a great influence for many people, all of

different races and countries, across the world. We have found that no matter how famous

you are, no matter how much people know your name, that does not mean you will be

represented in a positive light by Hollywood. Even the best actors of colour have suffered

exclusion from Hollywood. There will be no certain explanation for the lack of diversity that

is so clear in Hollywood, but acknowledging it is the first step. We cannot analyse each

member of Hollywood and question them as to why more people of colour do not feature.

Thousands and thousands make up Hollywood, therefore, the only way for them to hear you

is to speak louder and prouder. And this is what people are doing. It is about nipping it at the

bud. Ending it before it begins. This means it is all about casting decisions and treatment of

talent on set, which we have seen is an issue for many. Once everyone is treated justly and

humanely, and all are considered a reasonable amount, the Hollywood can call itself diverse.

Until them it would be wrong for Hollywood to utter the word diverse in relation to

themselves. All of this, we have learned from those who have spoken out, and namely those

who have had the worst treatment in Hollywood.

Finally, Hollywood has an absurdly tough task ahead of themselves if they are to change this

and the minds of millions. However, with open minds and justified decisions made from the

47
forefront, Hollywood can do it. It is one of the most powerful industries in the world so if it

cannot do it, then no one can. It is important for Hollywood to alter the results we found in

Chapter 3 as it defines how we act and how we see the world. Hollywoods aim is to create a

world where even the youngest children see all races as equal. Not as one. But equal.

Hollywood must produce roles with different races and genders showing off their unique

cultures and ways of life, and not have races being subjected to roles such as the maid and the

butler because their race is only suited to these demoralising roles. Hollywood has been

White-washed since it began and now, with the results we found in mind, it is time to

make Hollywood a unified, integrated industry, in which people are proud to take influence

from. People continue to fight for their rights and this can be seen in recent award shows.

And hopefully, Hollywood will continue to listen. This project has reiterated the words

Hollywood has a long way to go many times, and its the truth. Hollywood has a long way

to go, but it is on its way.

48
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