Draft Proposal for Semester Project

Gabrielle Mendoza

Convergence

Cacoilo

October 8, 2015

Women of Color in TV and Film

Draft Proposal for Semester Project

Cast of Orange is the New Black TV Series
Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

         Women of media, as well as in general, have been conquering obstacle after obstacle in the 21st century. They have been fighting their ways, tooth and nail, to get the parts that have always been created for white males in the industry. With films such as Mad Max: Fury Road where the film focused more on the female characters and even the new action film Sicario where the main character is a female, women have been debunking the old aged myths that women are not as good as men, but rather they can be just as good and maybe even better. These films as well as television shows like Orange is the New Black have shown the female successes in the media industry and how people are fighting for more films to pertain to this subject. Even though the women still have a long way to go, the recognition for change has been noticed more than ever. Even with all this said, some questions come to mind. What about the women of color in television and film? Where are they?

Fresh Off the Boat TV Series

Image Credit: Representation Project

         Although women are being seen more and more on television and film, diversity is still considered an issue in the media. Award shows like the Academy Awards and the Emmys even show how the industries still recognize mostly white men and women as opposed to more diversity. Even white feminists fail to see the issues of diversity and the scarce opportunities for women of color in media. Even though an article in mic.com has shown that “just 6 of the top 500 box office films of all-time feature a protagonist who is a woman of color” (Mercer), it is still not seen as a significant issue the the film and television industries. Even for this, some articles seem to state otherwise. In the article “No diversity among 2014’s top-grossing films, new USC Anneberg report finds” in USC News states, “There were 17 films with no black or African-American characters and over 40 movies featured no Asian characters. Hollywood continues to marginalize or exclude certain members of society” (USC Annenberg staff). This shows that the characters of color in movies in 2014 have been rather bleak and that it is still an issue in today’s world.

         My semester project will focus on the theme of “Women of Color in Film and Television”. Through a video, I will try to convey the progress of film and television in featuring women of color and how the lack of female diversity is still and issue today. I will be able to tell this story efficiently with gathered videos of interviews, examples, and other relevant archival footage. I will also provide a voice over that ties the footage in my video more coherently and with a ending connection. With all this said, I hope to bring awareness to this theme of Women of Color in Media as an achieving progression into a more equal future, but the still lack of is seen as a firm social issue in our society.

Viola Davis during her Emmys speech
Source: Mic/AP

Bibliography:

Mercer, Amirah. "Hollywood's Problem With Women of Color Is Even Worse Than You Realize." Mic. 12 Mar. 2014. Web. 8 Oct. 2015.

Strasser, Annie-Rose. "How Movies Left Out Women And People Of Color In 2013." ThinkProgress. ThinkProgress, 11 Mar. 2014. Web. 8 Oct. 2015.

Caputi, Jane, and Lauri Sagle. "Femme Noire: Dangerous Women Of Color In Popular Film And Television." Race, Gender & Class 11.2 (2004): 90-111. Alternative Press Index. Web. 7 Oct. 2015.

Shepard, Julianna. "Hollywood Diversity Report Reveals a Grim, Obvious Reality for Women of Color." Jezebel. 3 Sept. 2015. Web. 8 Oct. 2015.

Kaplan, E. Ann. Looking for the Other: Feminism, Film, and the Imperial Gaze. New York: Routledge, 1997. Print.

Hollinger, Karen. "The Female Friendship Film and Women of Color." In the Company of Women Contemporary Female Friendship Films. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 1998. Print.

"No Diversity among 2014's Top-grossing Films, New USC Annenberg Report Finds." USC News. 5 Aug. 2015. Web. 8 Oct. 2015.