Minority representation on broadcast TV

There was a time when there was considerable consternation at the under-representation of minority groups on television. Of course, nowadays, when minority groups are a bigger portion of the viewing audience of over the air television than their percentages of population at large. African Americans are roughly 1 out of 8 Americans.

Let's look at six Fox dramas: Empire | Rosewood |Sleepy Hollow | Minority Report |Gotham |Bones | Scream Queens

Empire seems to have only one white series regular (Kaitlin Doubleday)


Rosewood, Sleepy Hollow, Minority Report have the mixed starring cast.


Gotham has mostly white cast with a strong role for an AA villain.


Bones has mostly white cast with a strong role for an AA executive director


Scream Queens has mostly white cast with a role for an AA sorority diva


What do you think? Are different ethnic groups being fairly represented? Should there be an Asian in the lineup somewhere in the network?

I suppose the roles could go to the strongest actor independent of their ethnicity, but the idea of that actually happening is pretty laughable.

There is a part of me that thinks that good/bad or over/under representation of any ethnic group has become meaningless. It's all about marketing. If Japanese boys want to imitate hip hop culture it's just a market. The days when the networks worried about Captain Kirk kissing Lt Uhuru are long gone.

Quote: Pacomartin

There was a time when there was considerable consternation at the under-representation of minority groups on television. Of course, nowadays, when minority groups are a bigger portion of the viewing audience of over the air television than their percentages of population at large. African Americans are roughly 1 out of 8 Americans.

There is a part of me that thinks that good/bad or over/under representation of any ethnic group has become meaningless. It's all about marketing. If Japanese boys want to imitate hip hop culture it's just a market. The days when the networks worried about Captain Kirk kissing Lt Uhuru are long gone.

The first problem is when you try to achieve "balance" it looks silly. You have to have the black this and the asian that. Only so many actors to cast. If you typecast them then you have complaints left and right. So in reality most series will be off-balance.

The other question is, do minority viewers rather want to watch a good actor with known star presence or do they want someone who "looks like them?" White viewers tuned in for "The Cosby Show" in huge numbers, they did because they liked the show. No reason to believe minorities will behave different.

Of course, I will never notice, having tuned out years ago.

Quote: Pacomartin

Empire seems to have only one white series regular (Kaitlin Doubleday)

The woman in the white chair is black? Says who?
She's whiter than anybody in my family.

Quote: Evenbob

The woman in the white chair is black? Says who?
She's whiter than anybody in my family.

Quote: Empire star, Grace Gealey immigrated to the U.S. from the Cayman Islands at the age of 18

In her latest interview with Details magazine, she explains the culture shock she experienced as a woman of color:

For me personally, it’s the whole light-skinned/dark-skinned dynamic {for women of color}. I mean, there’s competition among women everywhere you go. But back home we understand that you can look like a variety of things and still be from the same culture. What I’m saying is that I’ve never felt like I was a light-skinned black woman. Never felt that way because we shared the same culture back home. But when I came to America, that’s when I started to feel that there was a lot of push-back from women. I was definitely made aware that I am light-skinned. I realized that was a thing here.

Bob, Redd Foxx explained it best, but this video left off one color. Saw REDD do this routine in Baltimore strip club in the 60's. last shade is CAN PASS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHMXp5qyY00

Quote: buzzardknot

Bob, Redd Foxx explained it best, but this video left off one color. Saw REDD do this routine in Baltimore strip club in the 60's. last shade is CAN PASS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHMXp5qyY00

Nobody can talk like that now, it's racist.

Redd's show Sanford & Son was ground breaking. Laid the way for Good Times, Cosby, Bernie Mac, etc. He died penniless. Eddie Murphy paid for the funeral. Redd was one funny ****** .

http://www.taxhelpok.com/blog/the-day-the-irs-caught-up-with-redd-foxx.cfm

Quote: AZDuffman

The first problem is when you try to achieve "balance" it looks silly. You have to have the black this and the asian that. Only so many actors to cast. If you typecast them then you have complaints left and right. So in reality most series will be off-balance.

Your probably right in that shows don't try to copy the census reports. But I think TV executives want to see a mix that will somehow increase ratings. I didn't list the sitcoms, but "The Grinder" is a FOX show with any African Americans. Natalie Morales is Cuban who plays what seems to be the only normal person in the show who is not amazed by Rob Lowe's character's celebrity.


Pilots 2015: The Year Of Ethnic Castings is a widely read article on the recent explosion of ethnic casting in TV.

Quote: AZDuffman

The other question is, do minority viewers rather want to watch a good actor with known star presence or do they want someone who "looks like them?" White viewers tuned in for "The Cosby Show" in huge numbers, they did because they liked the show. No reason to believe minorities will behave different.

I don't think that is true, but I don't have the hard research to prove it.

Quote: buzzardknot

Redd's show Sanford & Son was ground breaking. Laid the way for Good Times, Cosby, Bernie Mac, etc. He died penniless. Eddie Murphy paid for the funeral. Redd was one funny ****** .

http://www.taxhelpok.com/blog/the-day-the-irs-caught-up-with-redd-foxx.cfm

Foxx died broke because he refused to pay his taxes. He was not a guy who had an accountant rip him off, he was just a racist old grouch who would not pay.

Quote: Pacomartin

Your probably right in that shows don't try to copy the census reports. But I think TV executives want to see a mix that will somehow increase ratings.

Of course, TV Execs will screw it up. They always do. I swear hit shows happen in spite of them.

I think what must be realized is only so many "good" scripts come along. Everyone knows that some shows are throw-aways, used to fill the slot until the new season settles. The good scripts will get filled with more competitive actors, the throw-aways will get filled with affirmative-action hires for the right demo. Over time the minority actor ranks should fill with better actors.