Thoughtful Thursdays: Producing Diversity
So... besides Leo finally winning his Oscar, the other big piece of news to come out of the ceremony was Chris Rock's jabs at Asian Americans by using young children to represent the accounting firm PriceWaterhouseCooper.
Being a Filipino American, I realize that this joke was aimed more at the mainland Asian ethnicities, BUT it still isn't funny and presents a reflection of an obvious problem not just in front-of-camera situations in the entertainment business, but behind-the-scenes on the production side too.
Yes, Chris Rock made this joke.
Yes, he wrote it.
Yes, it did come out of his mouth.
HOWEVER, do you think something like this would have made it to live national television without a producer saying OK to it? Probably not. (Read about it in the Washington Post)
I will admit, when it comes to producing my own shows it is extremely difficult to find non-White talent in a pool that is overwhelmingly White, but it doesn't mean that as a producer I throw my hands up. I don't just submit to creating only opportunities that showcase that community which leaves my community to being the butt of their jokes just to be represented.
Let me break that down... I'm not saying "No White People," but what I am saying is "More colors!" AND to put it plainly: just because you made Cinderella African American does not mean you've done it.
The charge for us should be to open the doors to all minority and underrepresented communities to be involved in events and entertainment that brings us all to the same level rather than pushing one down to make the other more visible.
Producers - like I do - need to make a bigger effort to stop forcing diversity into already established structures and break the mold by creating new arenas that will foster it naturally. We also need to stop saying yes to permitting harmful bits like the Chris Rock joke to be presented on such important national public stages.
So that's that. If you wondered what I thought about this whole scandal, there it is. Now I ask you: If you were a producer at the Ocars... what would you do?
Photo Credit: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
DISCLAIMER: This is the first in a series of weekly posts where I give my opinion on current hot-button issues in the production world. They will always be my opinion and are always meant to spark conversation!
