But streaming shows also were more likely than films (but less likely than TV) to sexualize female characters, by having them dress in revealing clothing or showing full or partial nudity. Only 2% were identified as LGBT.
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10,000 directors, writers and show creators. “This is an inclusion crisis”, she said. “And it doesn’t match the norms of the population of the United States”. Even many of those, like Spike Lee, who have criticized the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, have insisted the issue goes far deeper than Oscar nominees.
Gender ageism is also alive and well.
Amid the uproar, studios and TV networks have faced mounting pressure to deal with the lack of diversity in the entertainment industry.
Now, a new study by the University of Southern California is breaking down the problem by the numbers-and the findings are truly unsettling. Research covered speaking characters, writers, directors, show runners and media company executives. Less than one quarter, or 22.6 percent, of series creators across broadcast, cable and streaming content were of the female sex. Only two of the 53 underrepresented directors in film and television/digital series were Black women.
Studio movies featured relatively few minorities in front of the camera, according to the report.
Just one third, or 33.5 percent, of the speaking characters surveyed were female, while a mere 15.2 percent of directors and 28.9 percent of writers across film and every episode of television and digital series were female. But blacks and women in prominent acting roles are the exception not the rule, according to a diversity study from USC. Sony’s slate benefited from ensemble comedies like “About Last Night” and “Think Like a Man Too”, while Paramount had the civil rights drama “Selma” and the Chris Rock picture “Top Five”.
Those companies encompass all the major ways consumers watch film and television.
“When we turn to see where the problem is better or worse, the apex to this whole endeavor is: Everyone in film is failing; all of the companies investigated”, Smith told AP.
So, while there has been some improvement over the years in terms of who is being portrayed on TV, it’s clear that there’s still much work that needs to be done. Women made up less than 20% of entertainment companies’ corporate boards, chief executives and executive management teams. “Organizations can take steps to solve inequality”, Marc Choueiti , one of the study authors, stated.
TV One’s NewsOne Now has moved to 7 A.M. ET, be sure to watch “NewsOne Now” with Roland Martin, in its new time slot on TV One.
However, the TV world is making more significant strides than the film industry. Of the 50 tests conducted, seven Fully Inclusive and nine Largely Inclusive scores were awarded across the 10 companies evaluated on TV/digital content. The Walt Disney Company and The CW Network were the strongest performers in television, while for streaming content, Hulu and Amazon tied.
The study calls major companies to the carpet, measuring their record of inclusion across the programming and films they produce, as well as the behind-the-camera talent they employ.
TV has been held up as a model for studios looking to better reflect the audience at large.
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Martin pointed out the fundamental problem with advancement in the entertainment industry when he said, “You can’t become a show-runner on television, typically, unless you’ve been in the writing room”.
