Dynamic Characters: The Influence Of Minorities In The Media

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Today’s television is lacking in both quality and quantity when it comes to characters that are minorities. There is a distinct deficiency these characters, and an even bigger lack of dynamic characters that are minorities. In television today we rarely see people of color, people of different sexualities, and people of different genders being portrayed with accuracy. It is time for American television and the media in general to start diversifying their casts, and to stop only trying to appeal to such a narrow demographic. The media needs to stop feeding consumers generalized, stereotyped characters and start giving them the diverse, fleshed out characters they deserve. One of the biggest problems we face today in the media is the lack of characters represented by minorities. According to Vadim Rizov, a reporter for The Dissolve,” Across 100 top-grossing films of 2012, only 10.8 percent of speaking characters are …show more content…

One of these shows is a popular kids television show on Cartoon Network, Steven Universe. Steven Universe initially aired on Cartoon Network in 2013 and is a show about a young boy growing up with his three alien “mothers”. Along with writing many important characters as people of color, the show also equally represents and praises many different body types. The show even has representation of many different sexualities. One of the main characters, Garnet, is in a lesbian relationship and another, Pearl, was in love with Stevens mother. This is a big step in television considering how diverse the characters are, especially for a children’s show. One drawback to this show, however, is its small audience. Although this show is hitting and teaching many people, its audience is still small. Once the audience of this show expands, it will effect a greater variety of people and have a greater impact on the world

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