Aarya Patil Week 11: The Power of Media Representation
In the ever-changing world where media plays a crucial role in forming social perceptions and norms, representation is essential. It’s not just about being able to see yourself on the screen, but also about feeling understood and accepted. For many teens of color, especially those of Asian heritage, there is a lack of representation, or they feel misrepresented in the media. When they do see characters that look like them, going through similar challenges and accomplishments, it can be affirming. In a survey conducted by Variety, it was found that “63% of respondents said they feel TV series and movies are more accurately reflecting daily life” now that there are “portrayals of diverse characters being on the rise.”This showcases the power of representation in media.
For example, Mindy Kaling's hit TV shows like "Never Have I Ever," have played a large role in enhancing brown representation in the entertainment industry. The show focuses on the life of a brown girl named Devi Vishwakumar, navigating the ups and downs of high school, relationships, family dynamics, and cultural identity in a predominantly white environment. Through Devi's character, played by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, fans are looking at the experiences of many brown girls of color who often feel like outsiders in their communities.
One of the greatest impacts of shows like "Never Have I Ever" is that they create safe spaces for teens of color. By depicting authentic experiences, these shows validate the actual experiences of their audience. They send a powerful message that their stories are worthy of being told and heard. For brown girls who may have felt invisible or marginalized in mainstream media, seeing characters like Devi can be transformative. It allows them to see themselves not as outsiders but as protagonists in their narratives.
However, while great strides have been made in recent years, there is still much work to be done. For example, in the recent remake of Mean Girls, Avantika Vandanapu plays the role of blonde main character, Karen Smith. While Avantika's portrayal of Karen in "Mean Girls" stands out as another significant example of representation in media, it comes with its issues. Even though her character brought diversity to the cast, being one of the few South Asian actors in a predominantly white film, Avantika faced criticism and backlash for playing a stereotypical "dumb blonde" character.
Overall, the power of representation in media cannot be overstated. It has the potential to shape perceptions, empower individuals, and foster a more inclusive society. As we continue we need to always push for greater representation in media, let us remember the profound impact it can have on the lives of young people who deserve to see themselves reflected positively in the stories they consume.
Hi Aarya! I found this blog post to be a refreshing read because of how it supports diverse representation in media—you mention that many instances of diverse representation in shows and movies face “criticism and backlash” for their replacement of stereotypically white characters. On social media, this criticism is very apparent, and it gets tiring seeing so many people completely opposed to the increases in representation in modern-day media. In this blog, you focus mostly on South Asian representation, which is something I appreciate since the media often focuses on more prominent racial groups when they discuss diversity in movies and TV shows. I can relate to the ideas in the paragraph you wrote about the significance of Aryan Simhadri as a breaker of stereotypes—South Asian males are typically portrayed as nerdy and unathletic in media, but Simhadri defies these stereotypes by playing a character who is “heroic.” Another prominent example of racial diversity that you could have discussed in this blog is the movie from last year, The Little Mermaid—the main character, Ariel (who is typically played by a red-haired, white woman) was played by a black woman for the first time. Many people applauded Disney’s progress towards increasing the diversity and representation of all races in their historically all-white stories, but others also criticized how Disney changed a classic piece of its history. Because it is so well-researched and organized, this blog post is a valuable resource that helped me reflect on the controversy surrounding diversity and representation in media.
ReplyDeleteHey Aarya! Your mention of Aryan Simhadri’s role in the new Percy Jackson TV series has actually been on my mind recently because his acting as the character Grover is such an enjoyable portrayal! As someone who has finished the entire book series in middle school, I remember watching the first ever movie adaptation a couple of years ago and feeling like there was something missing with the way Grover was depicted. Although there were definitely a multitude of reasons as to why the director cast a black American actor for the role of Grover back then, I’m assuming that the main reasons were because the character’s last name in the book is Underwood, and there were much fewer prominent actors of color in the industry back then. Nevertheless, when I saw Aryan Simhadri as Grover for the first time, it just felt right! The way he portrayed this character—embodying all of the original personality traits while also adding on his own unique touch—is undoubtedly the perfect representation. What I remember noticing on the first pilot episode wasn’t his skin color or any of the other actors’ skin color (the other lead was played by a black American, but the character is written as a white person in the book), but actually how amazingly they were able to bring these characters to life through their acting. It makes me happy to see talent being discovered across all different types of skin colors, since this country’s acting industry has been largely dominated by one type of race. Additionally, I feel like it is important to realize that in these TV shows and movies, it really comes down to the actors themselves and how they embody the character instead of what their original skin color means. It is truly amazing to be able to witness the industry spreading out and encompassing a much broader demographic. Therefore, I feel like the power that the media holds surrounding representation is significant in not just the way it breaks stereotypes, but especially in the way that it is slowly but surely erasing the lens through which people view actors as only ethnically different. In the near future, I hope to see more people disregard the color of an actor’s skin and only see them for the way they act.
ReplyDeleteHi Aarya! Your discussion of the importance of media representation to our current society holds tremendous weight. Today, despite the vast leaps toward equality in the US, there is still a deep-rooted influence of racism. I have not personally experienced it, but my friends have shared testimonies of facing racist remarks and the harmful impacts it had on their lives. I like how you mentioned that many people feel outcasted and underrepresented, because, for those people, it often feels like they are trapped and lack a voice. This leads to the exigence of speaking out on this issue. The rise of portraying diverse characters, as you have noted, is certainly on the rise in the entertainment industry in recent years. However, certain issues come with it. While mainstream media’s impact is powerful and placing a large emphasis on the experiences of the marginalized has had beneficial implications, the “narrative” is often perverted for monetary motives. Casting minority characters is not only a trend but also a societal pressure towards film studios. The entertainment industry needs to be careful in catering to the needs of the audiences, but because some minority casts are included solely in response to that pressure, the quality of the story writing has often been sacrificed. It also exemplifies the shallowness in which society handles these serious social issues.
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