The Value of Representation for Viewers of the Non-Represented

Due to the wokeness brigade that has flooded the media and Hollywood’s mission to eradicate stereotypes and typecasting, an unprecedented push has emerged to broaden the spectrum of ethnic representation within mainstream entertainment. The primary desired effect is for the groups that have felt either under- or misrepresented in the past is they will feel as though their voices are being heard. They wish to galvanize the creators of tomorrow as future artists see and hear people on their screens that look, and sound like them.

 

Perhaps equally as important is the effect that takes place for those watching who do not belong to the particular group being portrayed. For example: how useful is the film Straight Outta Compton for those who do not listen to nor understand rap music? How eye-opening is this movie for us that did not live during the golden age of hip-hop and witness the scale at which the N.W.A. influenced contemporary music? SOC was no doubt made for those that embraced the African American culture and experience of this time. Simultaneously, it presents an opportunity for those who do not fall into this category to appreciate and see the world through their eyes. Imagine the problems that would be solved we as individuals took the time to understand our social counterparts?

 

Representation in Understanding Different Cultures

 

In the early 2000’s, comedic stage performer Nia Vardalos released a heartwarming romantic comedy which raised to the surface the nuance of Mediterranean-American life. It brought to the public’s attention a class of people living in the United States that most did not know existed. My Big Fat Greek Wedding is not only a love letter to the Greek, family life, it is an open letter for Americans of non-Greek background (that’s 99.6% of America in case you were wondering). Nia Vardalos’ masterpiece of a love story became and still is the highest grossing romantic comedy of all time.

 

Diversifying the genre of movies, you watch and music you listen to will help you break the chain of being a one dimensional [insert your identification preference].

 

Representation in Understanding Different Ideologies

 

When foreign and opposing concepts arrive and evoke an array of strong emotions, there are two ways to react this cognitive dissonance. I like to call these  a squinty-eyed approach and an open-eyed approach. Those who seek information with squinty eyes are motivated by skepticism. Consuming material with open eyes promotes curiosity. Radicalism has bred a society where a civil discourse between opposing sides is seen with disgust, even if you do come with an “open-eyed,” approach. Perhaps the safest and most educational route would be to participate in the mediums that personify antithesis of your own ideologies.

 

A staunch conservative might be better off watching season 1 of Dear White People to better understand the views of their fellow citizens on the other side of the aisle. A stalwart liberal could find themselves enveloped in a documentary following the right-wing perspective in order to find similarities between parties as oppose to scouting out reasons for disparity. If you miraculously make to the end of your movie, consider measuring your preconceived notions with your newfound research and see if your views or maybe even just your attitude has shifted at all.

 

Takeaway

 

Watch movies and listen to music that are outside of your current frame of reference. It may even allow you to sympathize with an ideology that you disagree with. It may open your cultural chakras and evoke a new taste in artistic preference. Hell, you might find yourself bumping music you never new existed prior to your sociological expedition. Such results, of course, can only be achieved through the prerequisites of an open mind and a distinct curiosity to learn and understand.