A couple of weeks ago I saw various social media posts and articles celebrating the fact that 72 of the pilots for 2015 had African-Americans in starring, leading, or supporting roles!
But then...a couple of days ago...I started seeing social media posts and articles about an article written by Nellie Andreeva for Deadline, "Pilots 2015: The Year of Ethnic Castings - About Time or Too Much of Good Thing?"
So today, I decided to give it a read, before reading what others had to say about the article. Reading it made me think about arguments against affirmative action ("But replacing one set of rigid rules with another by imposing a quota of ethnic talent on each show might not be the answer.") and Patricia Arquette's rant backstage at the Oscars ("They were grossly underserved, but now, with shows as Empire, Black-ish, Scandal and HTGAWM on broadcast, Tyler Perry's fare on OWN and Mara Brock Akil's series on BET, they have scripted choices, so the growth in that fraction of the TV audience might have reached its peak.").
There are so many things one can say about this article, but I want to focus on her last statements, as it hits on the relevancy of the Black Media Review Collective.
While they are among the most voracious and loyal TV viewers, African-Americans still represent only 13% of the U.S. population. They were grossly underserved, but now, with shows as Empire, Black-ish, Scandal and HTGAWM on broadcast, Tyler Perry’s fare on OWN and Mara Brock Akil’s series on BET, they have scripted choices, so the growth in that fraction of the TV audience might have reached its peak.
As the broadcast networks are looking to add a number of new series targeting black viewers in the fall, we will see if that viewership can further expand (Empire and Black-ish have managed to successfully co-exist in the same time slot this midseason). Since broadcast TV is historically reactive business, that will determine whether the trend of ethnic casting will come back with vengeance next season.
It's like she's saying, "Yes, I know African-Americans watch way more television than other groups in America, but they still only make up 13% of the entire population. So ignoring the percentage of the viewing audience they make up, we should only give them 13% of the shows. They have plenty of options to watch. So there's no point in giving them more options. They are such a small percentage of the population they wouldn't be able to watch any more shows with characters that look like them."
It acknowledges, and yet seems to ignore, that African-Americans watch more television than other populations. Nielson reports, "...African-Americans show a strong preference for television shows starring and/or featuring Blacks or multi-cultural casts..." So her statement is equivalent to going to a Polka festival in Jamaica and insisting they play mostly Reggae, despite most of the people in attendance being there to hear Polka. #IJS
But I'm just mostly bothered by her suggestion that we have enough scripted choices, and don't deserve more. This seems to ignore the fact that non African-Americans watch shows with African-American casts, as well. What is the need for this statement anyway, if her focus is on not denying Caucasian actors opportunities for roles? I have no problem with the best actors getting cast in a show. To me, as an African-American, my biggest issue with African-American representation on television has not been the number of African-American actors on television shows. Yes that is an issue...
BUT...the biggest issue regarding African-American representation on television is about the roles, not the number of actors, because I like to see myself and story lines that sometime deal with issues I deal with as an African-American woman. The biggest issue is wanting to see African-Americans portrayed in a variety of activities, careers, and lifestyles. I enjoy Being Mary Jane, not simply because the lead actress is Gabrielle Union, but because I relate to Mary Jane and share some of those same experiences (some as a human, some as a woman, and some as an African-American woman).
So, indeed, “we will see if that viewership can further
expand,” Ms. Andreeva. Caucasian people are not the only ones with experiences
that can span the hundreds of channels on television! The African-American
population that makes up 13% of this country is composed of a plethora of life
experiences. And with that, I am sure African-Americans, and non
African-Americans alike, will be tuned in for shows that feature
African-Americans from all walks of lives and encountering a variety of situations!