Netflix’s newest campaign sheds a light on the lack of diversity in the entertainment industry.
Speaking with prominent Netflix actors and directors, such as actors Jackie Cruz and Selenis Leyva from Orange is the New Black and director Spike Lee of She’s Gotta Have It, the video campaign asks people of color when they first saw themselves represented on film, TV, and the media.
[googleapps domain=”drive” dir=”file/d/0B0NKcX5d9_IQdWlTeGFqdDMyTlk/preview” query=”” width=”640″ height=”480″ /]“…the black exploitation era hit and I was not really a big fan of those exploitation films, you know? I didn’t wanna grow up to be a pimp,” Lee said, touching upon how people of color have been depicted in the media throughout the years.
Although people of color have been included in film and on television, many of those interviewed said there were very few accurate or relatable portrayals of these characters.
“The Cosby Show was a show that I saw people who were the same hue as me. But my father wasn’t a doctor, my mother wasn’t a lawyer. The last ten years is when I’ve seen more representations that feel like folks in my real life behaving in a way that feels familiar to me,” said 13th director Ava DuVernay.
[googleapps domain=”drive” dir=”file/d/0B0NKcX5d9_IQOTRYclFsOFJTYnc/preview” query=”” width=”640″ height=”480″ /]The campaign also drew attention to Netflix shows and films such as Orange is the New Black, Dear White People, and Naked for their dedication to diversity and accurate depictions of different races, genders, and sexualities.
“I think the major goal of the show with all of us involved was to tell these stories in the most honest, truthful, and authentic way,” said Dear White People actor Marque Richardson. “That was the root of everybody’s intention. Everybody sees themselves in somebody on the show.”
