There has been a sea change in the past decade in entertainment, some of which has been for the better. Instead of American filmmakers simply drawing inspiration from other cultures, they have been consulting members (and therefore, experts) of other cultures in an attempt to create a work of art that honors those cultures.
Disney’s Moana is a great example of this. Disney spent five years researching Polynesian culture to make this film, and it was well worth it, in my humble opinion. Disney Pixar’s Coco is another animated feast for the eyes that celebrates Mexican culture, while Encanto brings the richness of the Colombian culture to the big screen.
Even live action films like To All the Boys I’ve Loved, which featured a biracial Asian-American protagonist, create opportunities to showcase other cultures in accurate and favorable ways. And I think this is great. Besides the China-approved propaganda that was the live-action remake of Mulan, these films enrich all Americans in the ways they show us the beauty of other cultures.
But it seems that some cultures don’t deserve this kind of treatment. It would appear that in the age of multi-culturalism, in which all cultures are supposedly of equal value, some are more equal than others. This is evident in the diversification of only European-inspired films and series.
So, what’s going on and why should we care?
Tokenism in European-Inspired Media
John Daniel Davidson recently wrote a compelling piece in The Federalist, in which pointed out that Amazon’s new Lord of the Rings prequel series, “The Rings of Power,” has prioritized tokenism over Tolkien. While I’m a Tolkien fan, I don’t have nearly the depth of knowledge on Middle Earth as Davidson clearly has, but I do know that Tolkien was a British writer (re)creating British myths. As such, while there are a variety of races (dwarves, hobbits, men, etc.) in Middle Earth, these races are would all be considered “white.” But Amazon doesn’t seem to care because having a cast of all white people (like the original Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films) won’t bode well among woke consumers. One does not simply walk into Mordor… with a cast of white actors.
While it’s somewhat easier to justify racial tokenism in a fictitious world, the need for racial diversity has captured some of our modern selection of European period pieces. Take the live action Disney remakes of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, both of which I loved, that are French stories set in all white hamlets. And Netflix’s Bridgerton, a series I have not watched, but based on its trailer is another a clear representation of the check-all-the-diversity-boxes mindset. Because that’s never condescending.
Some of the best European period pieces I have seen don’t bend over backward to coddle our modern moral superiority… I mean calls for tokenism… I mean diversity. Instead, these pieces focus on realistic and complex characters, capture the real conflicts and drama of their times, and tell captivating stories against a historically accurate backdrop.
These series include: Poldark, Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, and Turn: Washington’s Spies. And instead of glossing over racial and social issues, these shows portray them in an honest, thought-provoking way. Those are stories worth telling. Tales of the human condition can be fascinating without infusing political agendas into them. But maybe Hollywood is more interested in the latter, anyways.
White Supremacy is Bad, but European Culture is Not Inherently White Supremacist
Because nothing goes without saying anymore, white supremacy is an evil ideology. In fact, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, all forms of racial superiority are wrong. So, to be clear, what I am saying has nothing to do with any of that.
There is a tendency for people to value their own culture and heritage above that of others, and when people do so while still respecting others for their differences, that’s fine. If someone grew up in bilingual home and is proud of the family’s connection to its mother tongue, there’s nothing wrong with that. If someone else carries on Christmas traditions from their great, great, great grandparents who immigrated from another country, I think that’s admirable. And if another person wants to pass their cultural traditions down to their children and grandchildren, that’s wonderful.
The problem some of us have created in 21st-century America is that some people are allowed to be proud and celebratory of their heritage and culture while those of European descent must shoulder all the burdens of the sins of civilization. As such, most Americans of European ancestry are afraid to embrace parts of their cultural and historical identities because they will likely be labeled a racist or white supremacist.
This hardly seems fair, especially when non-European Americans are extolled for their historical backgrounds and encouraged to express their traditions publicly, none of which is something to which I object. These groups are told that their heritage is an important part of their identity, which to some extent is true. So why can’t the same be said for European descendants, especially when every race has enslaved and been enslaved throughout human history, all people groups developed some kind of restrictive hierarchy, and every culture has excluded others?
I remember feeling like I had to be ashamed of my heritage after being taught in high school that all white people are inherently racist. Like every race and culture, members of mine had done some evil things, but I was told the sins of my forefathers made me guilty by genetic association. It wasn’t until I went to the Smithsonian’s American History Museum in Washington, D.C. and saw what my forefathers and foremothers had done that I felt like I could be proud of where I came from without being racist.
While my lineage is far from perfect, this is a legacy worth knowing and even celebrating. And I believe all Americans should know where they came from and be proud of what sets their families apart without feeling any racialized shame.
And if we’re going to celebrate all cultures on the big screen, which I am all for, filmmakers need to stop diversifying European culture for political purposes while keeping homages to non-European cultures free of “white faces.”
It’s Bad Storytelling
Let’s switch gears for a moment. Think about your favorite books, shows, and movies. Then consider which movies have topped the box office. How many of the main characters in all those forms of media represented all of your identities? Let’s take a look at Harry Potter, arguably the most popular protagonist of my generation. And he’s popular not just among white British boys.
The Potter-world fandom extends across age groups, genders, race, sexuality, etc. Why? Because J.K. Rowling is brilliant at writing complex characters who live in a captivating setting engulfed in a compelling high-stakes conflict. Stories like this transcend our individual identities and differences and reveal something deeper about our shared humanity.
Yes, there are certain franchises geared towards certain audiences, and there’s nothing wrong with that. As much as I enjoyed The Hunger Games, it was sold to young teen girls, although some of its content is too mature for that particular age group. Even so, I remember sitting in a packed, 21+ theatre with my brother watching the second movie. Again, stories like that touch what unites us.
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with creating characters with specific identities because those stories have not been told. And I get that kids may need to see someone like them on the big screen. I loved Belle from Beauty and the Beast(and still do) because she reminded me of myself.
The problem lies in crafting a story and creating a cast that does not move past the identity checklist. Regardless of who the main characters are, stories worth experiencing go beyond stereotypes and tropes. These stories recognize and develop the differences in these characters while uncovering human universals. A good writer can make any character real and relatable to a broad audience, regardless of their identities.
Unfortunately, too many stories today cannot get past tokenized identities and point to something beyond themselves. This makes them hollow and forgettable, so we move on to the next blockbuster.
What if we demanded better stories, untainted by identity politics, with accurate historical references, and transcendent in their themes? Then I’d sign up for a movie theatre membership. Bring on the popcorn!
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