Representation Matters!
When I was a little girl, there were a paucity of minority women in film, on radio, and in overall positions of power. Fast forward to the age of “Black Panther”, “Shang-Chi”, and The “Eternals” where difference is celebrated and highlighted in a very natural and normal way. Marvel has created a world where Black women and men are autonomous, strong, independent, progressive, and beautiful. This expression of Blackness is a counter-stereotypical version that is not often seen in the media. Missing were negative tropes of angry, lazy, hypersexual, singing and dancing, and drug addicted black people. Instead, they were replaced with wonderous displays of culture, community, family, and ingenuity that little Black girls and boys could be proud of. In “Shang-Chi”, Asian traditions were demonstrated in a way that did not support stereotypes of docile women and effeminize men. The “Eternals” showcases a gay man as a superhero, husband, and father, normalizing LGBTQ+ families as everyday parts of society.
With the release of “Cyrano”, cinema has now provided differently abled people the opportunity to be included, and not just as an extra, but as a sexy leading man. Peter Dinklage, a twenty year veteran actor and little person, has stepped in to the role of Cyrano. Originally “Cyrano” was a stage classic about a big nosed poet who pined for a woman he felt unworthy of because of the size of his nose. The reimagining of the character has traded a big nose for short stature as the reason why the main character doesn’t feel he’s worthy of the object of his affections . Similarly, Rance Nix plays a happily married sexy CFO of a Black owned vineyard on OWN’S, “The Kings of Napa”. In the past, little people have been casted in stereotypical roles such as clowns, magical beings, leprechauns, elves, or in reality TV shows.
This is the beginning of the process of creating a more diverse and inclusive landscape for minority groups to thrive and succeed. Furthermore, a larger success rate means more visually positive counter-stereotypical representations of marginalized groups and enable representational social justice, a term coined by my colleague, Dr. Mia Zamora at Kean University. Being positively represented in media promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in a manner that conveys normalization of marginalized groups of people who have traditionally been disguised, dismissed, disrespected, and forgotten. Representational social justice calls for diversity, equity, access, participation, and the right to see your self, and have your stories and life experiences included in every aspect of society. Representation matters!
