diversity in hollywood essay

‘We can do better’: How Hollywood’s diversity awakening hit a speed bump in 2021

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The audience for the 73rd Emmy Awards erupted in cheers when Michaela Coel, the creator, star and key force behind the bold HBO dramedy “I May Destroy You,” was announced as the winner for writing for a limited or anthology series or movie.

The jubilant response at the September ceremony signaled a deep appreciation for Coel’s semi-autobiographical story of a young influencer wrestling with the trauma of sexual assault, not to mention the series’ distinctive backdrop, the African and West Indian immigrant communities of modern London.

But Coel’s eloquent acceptance speech also alluded to the challenges that come with telling, as she urged, “the tale that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain, that isn’t comfortable.”

After all, despite a record-setting number of nominees of color, for such acclaimed programs as “I May Destroy You,” Barry Jenkins’ literary adaptation “The Underground Railroad,” and the topical horror anthology “Lovecraft Country,” conventional fare with mostly white casts — “Ted Lasso,” “Mare of Easttown,” “The Queen’s Gambit” and “The Crown” — dominated the night’s top prizes.

A little more than a year after the murder of George Floyd ignited worldwide protests for racial justice, Coel’s moment in the Emmy spotlight underscored the halting progress and continued struggles of Hollywood and the entertainment industry in their efforts to embrace diversity and the value of inclusion after the reckonings of 2020.

“Diversity” may have become an even more popular buzzword in show business circles since the summer of 2020, but the goal of attaining full and meaningful multicultural representation remains elusive.

If 2020 was the year of awakening, then 2021 was the year of accountability, as observers and consumers looked to cultural institutions, corporations and individuals to make good on their promises.

2021 in review

From the Capitol riot to vaccines and climate change, a look at what dominated the news and conversation in 2021 as the world began to move past the pandemic.

Major awards shows illustrated the industry’s still-spotty record.

After a Los Angeles Times investigation published in February found that the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn., the organization behind the Golden Globes, had no Black members , powerful entertainment publicists announced a boycott of the group and NBC canceled its telecast of the 2022 ceremony — leading the HFPA to induct its largest class of new members and accept other reforms in an attempt to diversify its ranks.

The first Tony Awards since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic came under fire for leaving the most-nominated production — Jeremy O. Harris’ “Slave Play,” set at a retreat on a former Virginia plantation and featuring provocative treatment of interracial relationships — empty-handed. Latino playwright Matthew López, whose “The Inheritance” won for best play, called for more diverse stories on Broadway, as did honoree the Broadway Advocacy Coalition.

“We can do better,” said Kenny Leon, who won for best revival of a play (“A Soldier’s Play”), repeating three times the names of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, a Black medical worker killed by Louisville, Ky., police in early 2020.

Having doubled the number of women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) in the group since the #OscarsSoWhite firestorm of 2015, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded best supporting actor and actress Oscars to Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) and Yuh-Jung Youn (“Minari”); Chloe Zhao became the first woman of color to win best director , for best picture winner “Nomadland.” Still, the ceremony was clouded by disappointment when the late Chadwick Boseman lost out to an absent Anthony Hopkins in the best actor category — the last of the night — for his performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”

And after being criticized by Drake, Frank Ocean and others over what they complain is the mishandling of hip-hop and R&B at the Grammy Awards , the Recording Academy is introducing a number of initiatives designed to increase the racial and gender diversity of a membership widely believed to be mostly older white males.

As evidenced by the nominations, if not always the winners, it’s undeniable that the spectrum of pop cultural offerings showed promising forward momentum when it came to diversity in 2021 — and more hopeful indicators are on the horizon.

A painful chapter of Black history that had been ignored by broadcasters and history curricula alike until HBO’s Emmy-winning “Watchmen” highlighted it in 2019, the centenary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre received intense exposure. Documentaries on CNN, History, National Geographic and other networks explored the story of the destruction of “Black Wall Street,” in which a prosperous and independent Black community called Greenwood was savaged by angry white people who killed hundreds of Black residents and set fire to numerous homes and businesses.

NBC’s wall-to-wall coverage of the Tokyo Olympics, which turned athletes into household names beyond the realm of sports, highlighted the triumph and significance of Hmong American gold medalist Sunisa Lee in the women’s gymnastics all-around competition . But it also captured the intense pressure, often fueled by racism, facing tennis champion Naomi Osaka and gymnast Simone Biles, whose openness about the mental and physical toll of being young women of color at the top of their respective sports made them objects of both adoration and conservative attacks.

Native Americans, who have been historically shortchanged and misrepresented in Hollywood, had a landmark year for representation, led by two TV comedies: Peacock’s “Rutherford Falls” — whose co-creator and co-lead are both Native American — and FX on Hulu’s “Reservation Dogs” — made by all Native writers and directors, and with an all-Native main cast.

Asian Americans also scored a central place in the pop culture landscape, courtesy of the smash hit “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and the superhero epic “Eternals,” directed by Zhao. The excitement surrounding those two projects — both Marvel productions — was welcome news, particularly in the wake of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Progress can also bring unforeseen controversies, though, as audiences eager to see themselves in pop culture bring new scrutiny to film, television, pop music, media, literature and more.

That became clear when “In the Heights,” the film version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical, was released in early summer. One of the first major studio releases to appear in cinemas — back when it seemed that the pandemic was finally on the decline — prognosticators wondered if the phenomenon of Miranda’s “Hamilton” might help the film’s theatrical box office, and early reviews gave the film a thumbs-up , with critics insisting that the dazzling production numbers needed to be seen on a big screen rather than being streamed at home.

But blockbuster audiences never showed up, and soon after it appeared in theaters, the film faced backlash from those who said the large Latino cast didn’t feature dark-skinned Afro-Latinx performers. Instead of the film being a celebration of Latino representation, Miranda wound up apologizing for not being more inclusive — setting the table for even closer examination of Steven Spielberg’s modernized update of “West Side Story.”

Of course, the most vociferous backlash to diversity efforts came from opponents of multiculturalism, including the vocal and increasingly dangerous white nationalist forces whose violence culminated with the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Former President Trump and conservative politicians, as well as Fox News commentators, consistently trashed critical race theory, an academic legal framework that views American history through a prism of systemic racism.

Many of the same figures also attacked “The 1619 Project,” New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones’ Pulitzer Prize-winning project exploring chattel slavery’s foundational influence on what would become the United States. The controversy shows no signs of abeyance, with “The 1619 Project” published as a book in November and currently in the works as a Hulu docuseries.

For supporters of the multicultural project, then, the challenge in 2021 was both beating back the forces of white supremacy and advancing the conversation about diversity and inclusion beyond checking a box by adding more nonwhite faces to the mix. In order to succeed, we learned in 2021, inclusion has to be organic and meaningful, and the support and endorsement of those efforts have to be front and center. Otherwise, the efforts can come off as empty and shallow.

That scenario was vividly illustrated during the most recent season of ABC’s popular, long-running dating show “The Bachelor” when Matt James was named as the franchise’s first Black lead . The producers for years had resisted casting a Black “Bachelor,” including amid a contentious legal battle. But James was quickly swept into the role in the wake of the explosion of support in the summer of 2020 for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Soon, though, James’ milestone season unraveled: In a television interview, veteran host Chris Harrison strongly defended a contestant who was accused of insensitive racial behavior in her past, causing a backlash that ultimately led Harrison to depart the franchise altogether. Yet neither ABC nor its parent company, Disney, officially acknowledged the reasons for Harrison’s exit or the problems with “The Bachelor.”

The most recent season of “The Bachelorette” featuring Black lead Michelle Young made history when the four finalists were all Black. The upcoming landmark season of “The Bachelor” will feature a new host — Jesse Palmer — and a new lead — Clayton Echard.

Both are white.

Despite numerous pledges and programs by entertainment companies designed to improve multiculturalism, many advocates contend that the playing field is still far from being level, and that lasting change is not happening fast enough.

As Darnell Hunt, dean of social sciences at UCLA, told The Times in an analysis of the progress Hollywood has made on its 2020 diversity pledges, the system won’t be reformed until there is increased representation for people of color in the executive branches of entertainment companies, “where the real power lies.”

With the entertainment industry already gearing up for the holiday season, it might be 2022 before the efforts toward achieving meaningful diversity and inclusion are boosted with fresh energy and focus.

Coel has helped pave the way forward. Whether others will follow her remains an open question.

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A lifelong Los Angeles resident, Greg Braxton has written for the Los Angeles Times for more than three decades. He currently is a staff writer covering television for the Calendar section, and has also written extensively about trends and cultural issues in the entertainment field.

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Diversity in Hollywood, Essay Example

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One of the most long-running and controversial issues in media is still the emergence of diversity and the recognition of cultural and individual differences in the industry. Through the years, it could be observed that learning through history has not completely changed the nature of how Hollywood is being run and how the white still dominate the number of individuals working and recognized in the industry. In a way, seldom does it happen that the people of color run the front line office or even the front-line operations. To note the facts, there are only a few programs that fully utilize the available number of artists of color while there are some that does create a distinct adaptation to the changing pattern of culture in Hollywood, seldom do these artists play the major role in the said programs.

Sony Pictures, one of the top contenders in the media industry in the United States, is one of the Hollywood operators expected to follow such form of cultural accommodation. Welcoming the real meaning of diversity and embracing the benefits it could give the industry is what is being pursued herein (Luther, 2011). True to its sense, Sony Pictures need to give attention to hiring color-skinned individuals and placing them at the top positions so as to make sure that they may make an impact on the programs and movies being created by the company. Doing so is expected to increase the marketability of the programs that the company produces. Investing on hiring and training new and upcoming artists that are not necessary white shall give the company a chance to influence individuals coming from the larger scale of population in the United States, the immigrants.

As a resolution to the emergence of this issue, it is proposed that a 200 million dollar investment be established in order to produce 10 films that would practically feature diversified members of the US film industry while distinctively creating a connection that makes it easier for the people of color in Hollywood to get the break they need to be recognized in the industry. In these movies, the culture of rehiring the same old faces in the industry shall be avoided accordingly. Noticeably, it is with this approach that the concept of extensive growth could be considered accordingly especially in relation to how the modern film industry embraces diversity as part of its major culture.

CBS, ABC and NBC are also hoped to take the same initiative (Luther, 2011). Giving an option to the world to see all of their national and cultural representatives on television, getting the recognition they deserve could create a more effective sense of environment right in the work places where they are to work, as it would also develop a better sense on the perception that the world has towards diversity in the general population of the people living and existing in their own local communities. This way, television programming in Hollywood would be more efficient in supporting social diversity rather than promoting cultural singularity.

Works Cited

Media Smarts. Diversity in Media .  http://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/media-issues/diversity-media. (Retrieved on January 30, 2015).

Luther, K. (2011 ). Diversity in U.S. Mass Media . Wiley Publication.

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Diversity and representation in TV and movies and why it matters

The world is extremely diverse which is why representation is so important. There are people of different colors, different cultures, and different backgrounds everywhere. Yet when we take a look at some of the highest-grossing movies of the last decade, or the most popular television series on streaming services such as Netflix, we can not always find this diversity translated back on the screen. This lack of representation has consequences on our society and the people that can not find themselves back on the screen. In an interview with PBS, a high school junior said, “I do think it’s powerful for people of a minority race to be represented in pop culture to really show a message that everybody has a place in this world” (Elbada, 2019). This essay aims to analyze the representation of minority groups in popular media and the effects this has on our multicultural society. 

Representation and diversity in numbers

The Annenberg Foundation, a philanthropic foundation dedicated to funding charities and building communities, released a study examining the portrayal of, among other things, race and ethnicities in over a thousand films released between the years 2007 and 2017 (see Figure 1). They found that in the top 1100 most popular films, only 30% of the speaking characters are non-white actors. Of those 1100 films, 20 did not have any Black or African American speaking characters, 37 films had no Asian speaking characters, and 43 films had no Latino speaking characters. These statistics include both men and women.

Figure 1: Percentage of different ethnicities in Hollywood movies.

Taking a look at the numbers for women of color in the most popular movies produces even more staggering results. In the top 100 films of 2017, 42% did not include any black women. Asian or Latina women appeared even less, with respectively 65% and 64% of the films showing no women of that background. The Annenberg Foundation study also compared these numbers to the percentage of the Latino population in the United States. Whereas Latino speaking characters only reach 6% of all speaking characters in the top 1100 movies, they make up almost a fifth of the American population (The Annenberg Foundation, 2018). 

The effect of Representation

We live in diverse societies, yet Hollywood does not represent our reality accurately. Not only is this unfair, but as Sara Boboltz and Kimberly Yam state in an article for HuffPost, “It’s unfair that just over a quarter of speaking roles went to people of color in 2015’s top movies ― that Asians and Latino nabbed tiny slivers. It’s unfair that women made up less than one-third of protagonists in top movies in 2016. It’s unfair that black, Asian, and Latinx actors were completely left out of acting categories in the Academy Awards last year, and the year before that.” (Boboltz & Yam, 2017). It is also a vital issue to address in terms of consequences. The media people consume, the movies they watch, and the television series they follow, are not just entertainment, it also has an impact on the way people think and view other people. Television and movies have the ability to normalize events and phenomena that they show on the screen, and this can both have negative and positive results.

Representation has an impact on the way people think and view other people

Darnell Hunt, the director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA, said, “We’re pretty confident that, the more TV you watch, the more media you consume, the more likely it is that media ― almost like radiation ― builds up. And the accumulated effect is to make you feel that what you’re seeing is somewhat normal.” This notion is supported by Ana-Christina Ramón, the assistant director of the Bunche Center, “What you see often becomes a part of your memory, and thus a part of your life experience.” (Boboltz & Yam, 2017). This means that films and television can influence the views of the watcher on certain people or different cultures. In addition to this, people of color or characters with different backgrounds can also shape how underrepresented people view themselves. 

Symbolic Annihilation

As The Annenberg Foundation established, many people of color will not see themselves in the majority of the popular films; this can lead to symbolic annihilation. As Cole Bowman explains, “the term “symbolic annihilation” refers to the erasure of people—specifically categories of people like women, people of color, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community—from popular media” (Bowman, 2021). The representation of people belonging to minority groups, or the lack thereof, is not only a narrative issue. It is an issue that is social, political, and psychological. As Coleman and Yochim explain in their article on the subject, “symbolic annihilation points to the ways in which poor media treatment can contribute to social disempowerment and in which symbolic absence in the media can erase groups and individuals from public consciousness” (Coleman & Yochim, 2008). Simply put, symbolic annihilation occurs when a lack of representation of a specific group begins to affect their experiences in real life (Bowman, 2021). The term symbolic annihilation was first coined by George Gerbner in 1976 to describe the absence of representation of certain groups in the media. He states, “Representation in the fictional world signifies social existence; absence means symbolic annihilation" (Gerbner, 1976). 

Figure 2: Lovecraft Country, HBO, 2020.

Multiple studies are showing the psychological effects of poor or non-existent representation. For example, a study by The Opportunity Agenda concludes that the way black boys and men are represented often adds to negative stereotypes such as aggression. Furthermore, the study argues that these stereotypes, the negative ways in which Black males are perceived, are especially harmful when the black males are dependent on others’ perception of them, for example, a judge in the court of law. Research shows that this can lead to “less attention from doctors, harsher sentencing by judges, lower likelihood of being hired or admitted to school, lower odds of getting loans, and a higher likelihood of being shot by police” (The Opportunity Agenda, 2011). 

In 2019, Vice Media interviewed eight black women on how they are portrayed in popular culture. With black women being underrepresented, and considering the black women we do see in movies and on television are often shown in a negative light, Essence, a magazine and lifestyle organization conducted a study on the representation of black women, finding that the majority of images encountered regularly on television, social media, music videos, etc. are overwhelmingly negative. They will often fall into stereotypical categories such as gold diggers, baby mamas, or angry black women (Walton, 2020). To the question, “What is still problematic about the way Black women are represented and/or portrayed in pop culture,” visual artist Armina Mussa responded, “Where white women are said to be standing up for themselves, Black women are seen as wanting a fight. We are still unseen, and society has successfully exploited the cultural psyche of Black women. I hate how much pain everyone feels we are still capable of enduring. We are a glimmer of light, spirited and gentle, too.” (Vice Media, 2019). Mussa’s response notes the social and psychological impacts on-screen representations have. 

Emily In Paris: a case study

A very recent occurrence of harmful representations having a direct real-life impact is the second season of the Netflix series Emily In Paris. The series follows the titular Emily as she moves from the United States to Paris, France, for a job at an elite fashion magazine. The series focuses, among other things, on the cultural clashes Emily experiences in the European country. 

Soon after the first season of Emily In Paris, a controversy followed. The video essayist known as Friendly Space Ninja on YouTube analyses the issues in the series, specifically the casual racism, xenophobia, and offensive representation that appears in the video “ Emily In Paris: Romanticizing Ignorance .” This video is currently the most viewed video concerning Emily In Paris on the entire internet, even beating the official trailer for the show on Netflix’s YouTube channel. 

In December 2021, Friendly Space Ninja made a follow-up on the Emily In Paris video, discussing the controversy surrounding the second season of the series. He argues that the xenophobia that was rampant in the first season, is still a big issue in the second season. In the second season, Emily begins to take French lessons, where she meets and befriends a Ukrainian woman named Petra. Petra’s character is highly one-dimensional; the audience only learns her name, that she is from Ukraine, and, most importantly, that she shoplifts. After the episode where Petra tricks Emily into shoplifting, she is never seen again. 

This harmful stereotype of Eastern European women as criminals caused a significant backlash. Many Ukrainian celebrities have taken to social media to speak out against this negative portrayal of Ukrainian women. Ukrainian influencer Eugenia Havrylko wrote an open letter on Instagram to express her disappointment in the series. She says, “@emilyinparis I’m speaking here on behalf of all the Ukrainian women around the world. And I feel like this cannot be ignored. Being the most successful @netflix show in 2021, knowing your influence on millions of minds and hearts all over the world, there is still a place for such ignorance and intolerance? The way you treated the image of Ukrainians in your second season, 4th episode is such a low cost trick, absolute scandal and a shame. And I cannot believe this is still happening in 2021. Time, where we show respect to all the nations and genders. Time, when we fight all the stereotypes that are ruining peace and cross-cultural relationship. Time, when nobody is laughing at such miserable things. Despite of that, you expose Ukrainian woman as a person without any feeling of taste and dignity. Stupid, ignorant thief. Come on. are you even serious? Such a shame for such a scale and this is happening when there are so many talented Ukrainians, who are influencing worldwide market of technology, fashion, art, sustainability, science, sport, etc.? In case, you didn’t know. Just some of thousands absolutely cosmic Ukrainian women. Just In art and fashion as an example.” (Havrylko, 2021). Havrylko’s caption perfectly encapsulates the issue people, especially Ukrainian women, have with the series, how this negative portrayal of someone like them in a remarkably popular series can be harmful and insulting. 

Figure 3: Emily and Petra in 'Emily in Paris'.

The public backlash did not end with a handful of Instagram posts. Instead, it became a conversation amongst large press institutions as well. The Ukrainian branch of Cosmopolitan and Vogue spoke out against this offensive representation. Even the Ukrainian Minister of Culture and Information, Oleksandr Tkachenko, condemned the show’s portrayal of Ukrainian women. He said, “We have a caricature image of a Ukrainian woman that is unacceptable. It is also insulting. Is that how Ukrainians are seen abroad?” (Abbott, 2022). 

The importance of representation

In November 2021, the Disney movie Encanto was released. It was an instant hit with audiences. The movie follows a multi-generational Colombian family with magical powers (Smit, 2022). Soon after, a mother, Kaheisha Brand, posted a picture of her son standing in front of the TV playing Encanto. Her son, who bears a striking resemblance to the animated character of Bruno, stands proudly next to Bruno. Brand tagged the post with #RepresentationMatters. With the addition of a repost on Twitter, the photo received over one million likes and more than eight thousand retweets. The virality of this picture proves how important people find it to be able to see themselves in the media they consume and how touching it is to see a young boy experience that. In an interview, Brand said, "The image of him sitting and staring was actually the first picture I took. He seemed to be in awe. He would stare at the screen and turn around smiling. [...] I think there is empowerment in positive representation. It is important that he see images that reflect him. I’m grateful for the creativity behind this movie and the diversity amongst the Black and brown characters." (Valdivia, 2022). 

Figure 4: Real-life example of why representation matters.

Michael Morgan, former professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, said, “Stories matter, stories affect how we live our lives, how we see other people, how we think about ourselves.” (Boboltz & Yam, 2017). Diversity in popular movies and television series matters because an accurate portrayal of society affects both the over-and under-represented groups of society. Whereas an inaccurate, often offensive portrayal is harmful to both entire communities and also individual people. Representation matters. Representation impacts people. Everyone deserves to have their story told.  

Abbott, K. (2022, January 3). Ukraine’s culture minister blasts Emily in Paris over ‘unacceptable’ stereotype.

Coleman, R.R.M., & Yochim, E.C. (2008).  Symbolic Annihilation . The International Encyclopedia of Communication.

Friendly Space Ninja. (2021, February 4). Emily In Paris: Romanticizing Ignorance [YouTube Video].

Gerbner, G., & Gross, L. (1976). Living with Television: The Violence Profile. Journal of Communication, 26(2), 172–199.

Havrylko, E. [eugeniahavrylko]. (2021, December 23). Emily In Paris [Instagram].

katchingupwithkenzo. (2021, December 31). #RepresentationMatters [Instagram].  

Rawan Elbaba, Student Reporting Labs. (2019, November 14). Why on-screen representation matters, according to these teens.  

Smit, F. (2022, January 19). Diversiteit gaat in Encanto verder dan alleen uiterlijkheden, vandáár die monsterhit.

The Annenberg Foundation. (2018, July). Inequality in 1,100 Popular Films: Examining Portrayals of Gender, Race/Ethnicity, LGBT & Disability from 2007 to 2017.

The Opportunity Agenda. (2011, October). Opportunity for Black Men and Boys: Public Opinion, Media Depictions, and Media Consumption. Tides Center.

Valdivia, P. (2022, January 10). This 2-Year-Old’s Reaction To Seeing Himself Represented In “Encanto” Is Why These Movies Matter .

Vice Media. (2019, February 4). 8 black women on how they’re portrayed in pop culture.

Walton, D. (2013, October 7). ESSENCE’s Images Study: Bonus Insights. 

• Gender and Racial Socialization Words: 568
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• Sex, Gender, and Inequalities Words: 1957
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• Gender Pay Gap for Women: The Main Causes Words: 2229
• Is Gender Natural or Acquired? Words: 2815

Racial and Gender Diversity in Hollywood

Although racial and gender disparities are still widespread in the United States, Hollywood has made remarkable strides in expanding inclusivity in the film industry. Hollywood’s television and film production depict a problematic pattern of bias in opportunities and the overall representation of women and ethnic minorities. As a result, the trend has escalated the prevalence of stereotypes, further worsening the lack of on-screen and off-screen diversity. However, the institutionalized racism and sexism are declining gradually as the breadth of representation for women and people of color continue to expand. With the changing racial and gender norms, the white-dominated and patriarchal structures are becoming receptive to inclusivity.

In today’s world, racial and gender norms are changing in Hollywood. Erigha notes that narratives from roles played by racial minorities and women are fewer in the mainstream film industry. However, more women and racial minorities are increasingly featuring in leading and important roles than in previous years. For instance, 39 out of the 100 highest-grossing films had a woman as the lead or co-leading actor, up from 33 the previous year, and 20 in 2007 (Shoard). Additionally, racial minorities, including Asians and African Americans, are playing pivotal on-screen and film-making roles in Hollywood as part of the changing demographics (Molina-Guzman). Moreover, film studios are enchanted to produce films that defy the existing stereotypes due to the success of various women and racially-diverse movies, such as Black Panther and How to Get Away With Murder . Thus, the prevalent racial and gender homogeneity is being replaced with a more diverse community than previously witnessed.

Hollywood is rapidly becoming diverse in response to evolving viewership, demographics, and growing criticism. Women and minority ethnic groups are getting listed for high-profile roles. Although tremendous progress has been achieved in on-screen representation, diversity in behind-the-camera and directorship has been relatively static. Therefore, eradicating barriers that impede the entry and growth of women and racial minorities into the film industry remains a critical priority.

Works Cited

Erigha, Maryann. “ Race, Gender, Hollywood: Representation in Cultural Production and Digital Media’s Potential for Change .” Sociology Compass, vol. 9, no. 1, 2015, pp. 78-89.

Molina-Guzman, Isabel. “ #OscarSoWhite: How Stuart Hall Explains Why Nothing Changes in Hollywood and Everything is Changing .” Critical Studies in Media Communication, vol. 33, no. 5, 2016, pp. 438-454.

Shoard, Catherine. “Gender And Racial Diversity on the up in Blockbuster Films, Study Finds.” The Guardian , 2019, Web.

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Here's Why More Diversity In Hollywood Is Really Important

Diversity is an important topic of conversation from the boardroom to the courthouse, but one arena where the discussion has really gained momentum lately is in Hollywood . A recent study by the University of Southern California found that out of a sample of over 11,000 speaking characters in film, TV, and digital video only 33.5 percent were female and about and 28 percent were minorities. With hashtags like #OscarsSoWhite and #WhitewashedOUT , viewers are demanding that the faces they see on screen reflect the melting pot that is America.

And at a recent event for Clinique, SELF had the chance to talk to three actresses who are completely blowing the typical Hollywood stereotypes out of the water. The brand’s Difference Makers campaign is meant to empower women to make a change in the world. And these three ladies are doing just that. During the conversation, the ladies talked a bit about the importance of diversity on the big and small screen.

“Growing up, I didn’t see myself on screen,” said Gina Rodriguez , the Golden Globe award-winning actress from Jane the Virgin . “Characters were few and far between that represented diversity in a positive light. They were so often the pregnant teens, the gangbangers, the gangbangers’ girlfriends.” Rodriguez grew up in a family surrounded by accomplished women, but yet that reality wasn’t reflected on TV. “I know what that did to my psyche as a young girl. It limited me,” she said. “I felt a certain way about myself when I looked in the mirror.” Rodriguez, a proud Puerto Rican, fought against the typical Latina stereotypes by turning down roles that perpetuated the Hollywood norm.

South African actress and activist Jessica Nkosi also had doubts of her natural beauty when she was younger. “I was always teased as having a deep voice and a ‘white’ nose,” she said. “I’d try to camouflage my voice to make it squeakier.” But she found a place of comfort and acceptance in the theater. “I started doing drama where I had to project my voice, and my voice would hit the back. And I’m like, ‘You’ve been teasing me my entire life about this but the joke is on you.’ You need to accept yourself the way you are knowing that you were made perfectly to fulfill your purpose.” She has worked to help other children find this feeling of support and acceptance through her charitable work with Clinique.

The lack of diversity in Hollywood doesn't just have an adverse effect on the viewers. Even though each of these actresses has reached success, there are still obstacles to face behind-the-scenes of the industry. For example, Eréndira Ibarra, who is currently starring on Netflix series Sense8 , hasn’t always found it easy as a Mexican actress because she doesn’t fit into the stereotypical mold. “My name is Eréndira Ibarra, and I’m ethnically ambiguous. So I’m either too white to be Mexican or not white enough," she said. "I don’t feel like I have to represent that sexy bombshell all the time.” But Ibarra has felt inspired by Rodriguez and other actresses who have put cracks in the mold for how women of color are portrayed.

“I think representation in TV and in storytelling in general is so necessary for us to create a more just world and more equal world," she says. "That just allows us to finally turn on the TV and not necessarily feel completely identified with but to know that there is a space in the world for us.” And there is good news. Currently, there are strides being made to make Hollywood more diverse. Just this year, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences welcomed a new class of 683 members that was 46 percent female and 41 percent people of color. And for children—like Rodriguez—who didn't see realistic representations of themselves growing up, this is a step in the right direction.

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The Two-Way

Hollywood has a major diversity problem, usc study finds.

Eric Deggans

The world-famous Hollywood sign in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. Chris Sattlberger/Getty Images hide caption

The world-famous Hollywood sign in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles.

A newly released study suggests diversity in TV and film is so bad, the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite should probably be changed to #HollywoodSoWhite.

That's because of an "epidemic of invisibility" cited by researchers at the University of Southern California, who analyzed more than 21,000 characters and behind-the-scenes workers on more than 400 films and TV shows released from September 2014 through August 2015. They tabulated representations of gender, race, ethnicity and sexual status.

"We're seeing that there's not just a diversity problem in Hollywood; there's actually an inclusion crisis," Stacy L. Smith, one of the study's authors and founding director of the Media, Diversity and Social Change Initiative at USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, said in an interview.

The study, titled "Inclusion or Invisibility? Comprehensive Annenberg Report on Diversity in Entertainment," found just one-third of speaking characters were female (33.5 percent), despite the fact that women represent just over half the population in America. Just 28.3 percent of characters with dialogue were from non-white racial/ethnic groups, though such groups are nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population.

With less than a week before an Oscars ceremony that has already been criticized for an all-white slate of acting nominees, the study shows the film industry does worse than television.

Just 3.4 percent of film directors were female, and only 7 percent of films had a cast whose balance of race and ethnicity reflected the country's diversity. In broadcast TV, 17 percent of directors were female and 19 percent of programs were ethnically balanced.

Broadcast TV also saw a number of TV shows featuring characters of color debut during the study's tabulation period, including Black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat on ABC, Jane the Virgin on The CW, and Empire on Fox.

Still, when researchers looked at all TV shows — including broadcast, cable and streaming services — they also found underrepresentation, noting that women of color over 40 were deemed "largely invisible" and just 22 percent of TV series creators were female.

Overall, the study found half the films and TV shows they analyzed had no Asian speaking characters and more than one-fifth of them had no black characters with dialogue. Just 2 percent of speaking characters were identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual, and more than half the LGBT characters in all the films they examined came from two movies.

"The film industry still functions as a straight, White, boy's club," the study states. In the interview, Smith says, "I think we're seeing, across the landscape, an erasure of certain groups; women, people of color, the LGBT community ... this is really [an] epidemic of invisibility that points to a lack of inclusivity across [film and TV]."

When looking at how women are depicted, the study found female characters were four times more likely to be shown in sexy attire, three times more likely to show some nudity and nearly four times as likely to be referred to as physically attractive.

But their results also indicated films and TV shows with women or people of color in the important jobs behind the scenes — director, producer or writer — tended to have better diversity numbers.

Across TV and film, the underrepresentation of non-white characters falls mostly on Hispanics. Among more than 10,000 characters whose race could be identified, proportions of white, black and Asian characters came close to U.S. population figures. But Hispanics were just 5.8 percent of characters, despite being about 17 percent of the U.S. population, according to Census Bureau data.

Researchers examined 109 films and 305 TV series across broadcast, cable and digital platforms. They also looked at more than 1,500 executives and graded 10 media companies for their onscreen and behind the scenes representation of women and people of color.

None of the six film distributors evaluated — 21st Century Fox, NBC Universal, Sony, The Walt Disney Company, Time Warner or Viacom — received a passing grade for inclusion. But among the TV companies they examined, Disney and The CW performed best, at 70 percent.

The study's authors also suggest solutions for the lack of diversity, including creating target goals for inclusion that would be public and drawing up lists of potential hires for writing and directing jobs that would be 50 percent female and 38 percent people of color.

"It's about who is greenlighting those decisions and who is giving the okay for certain stories to be told," Smith says. "When a very narrow slice of the population is in control of power and has the ability to greenlight a project, then we are going to see products and stories that reflect that narrow worldview."

It’s Hollywood’s biggest night; will diversity win out?

April 25, 2021 Although the entertainment industry has made some strides toward bolstering diversity and inclusion, it could reap an additional $10 billion in revenues annually if it addresses persistent racial inequities. As Hollywood's awards season wraps up, explore our insights on actions organizations can take to advance racial equity in the workplace, or revisit our research for a deep dive into other challenges the media and entertainment industry faces and how to address them, including:

• Boosting Black representation on- and off-screen
• Recruiting top talent and doubling down on capabilities
• Remaining competitive in a digitally disrupted world
• Creating and committing to a culture of accountability
• Realizing the value of AI in storytelling
• Addressing unconscious bias in media

Black representation in film and TV: The challenges and impact of increasing diversity

Mapping the Black experience in film and TV

How tech, media, and telecom winners use talent to stay ahead

AI in storytelling: Machines as cocreators

Staying one step ahead at Pixar: An interview with Ed Catmull

Shattering the glass screen

When the content consumer is king

Addressing unconscious bias

The Differences Between A Gentleman in Moscow the Book and the TV Series

Amor Towles's hit novel has been adapted for a gorgeous series starring Ewan McGregor. Are they the same?

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In the 1932 all-star film Grand Hotel, a sage observer of the human condition intones “What do you do in the Grand Hotel? Eat. Sleep. Loaf around. Flirt a little, dance a little. A hundred doors leading to one hall…And when you leave, someone occupies your room…that's the end.”

Count Rostov was first introduced to audiences in Amor Towles’ 2016 boffo bestseller A Gentleman in Moscow . Now, it’s been adapted into a Showtime limited series and the eponym is played with old-world panache, charm, and sparkle by a mustachioed Ewan McGregor .

In both iterations of A Gentleman in Moscow , you’ll find much to marvel at. But, it’s not all joy. There is death, contemplation of suicide, famine, the onset of war and other very heavy topics especially given the news today. But coupled with that, and embodied by the singular Count Rostov, is a commitment to finding beauty in the commonplace. That even amidst sadness and privation, there is a persistent glimmer of possibility to cling to. Start by reading and watching the life of Count Rostov unfold. By the time you’re done, you’ll want to, as he does, reach for Tolstoy.

There are, of course, differences between the book and the limited series—and some are of greater import than others. Here are the most important.

Adapt or Die Ben Blackall/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Anna Urbanova in A Gentleman in Moscow.

Both the novel and the series, airing now, begin with Count Rostov as he is charged by a Bolshevik tribunal with house arrest. Fortunately for him, the luxurious Hotel Metropol is home. Unfortunately, the suite he has long been accustomed to is swapped for a very small room, many stories up, at the top of the hotel. Over the course of eight episodes, and several decades, we watch as his life changes inexorably, with the introduction of surprise, surveillance, comedy, catastrophe, and, most unexpectedly, love.

The fidelity to the novel, unspooled over each episode, is really quite something. As you might expect, that fidelity is best exhibited by the attention paid to the hotel. I’m not the only one who felt that way. I had a chance to ask Amor Towles, who is also an executive producer on the series, about his thoughts.

“When I visited the set in Manchester, England for the first time last March, I was a little anxious," he says. "I was met in the parking lot by Sam [Miller, a director and executive producer], Ben [Vanstone, writer] and the production designer, Victor Molero, who wanted to personally introduce me to the set. Entering the vast sound stage… we turned a corner and found ourselves before the façade of the Metropol. We passed through the revolving doors. And looking around the beautifully realized lobby, my first thought was: Everything is going to be just fine. ”

Who’s That in the Painting? Ben Blackall/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME A view of Count Rostov’s room in the Hotel Metropol, where a portrait of his sister—who plays a larger role in the novel—is on display.

In the book, Rostov carries regret over the death of his sister, which occurred while he was exiled from Russia after defending her honor in a duel. She, and her legacy, are also featured far more prominently within the pages. There are toasts on the anniversary of her death, frequent reminiscences and an unshakeable grip of guilt around Rostov’s heart. In the show, she is the stuff of indeterminate flashbacks and the subject of a painting which resides in Rostov’s room. "To have one’s book taken up by a large and talented team who share the aim of faithfully translating your story to a visual medium, that’s a whole different level of having a life beyond the binding," Towles says. "Needless to say, it was an exciting development."

A Color-Conscious Cast Ben Blackall/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME Lyes Salem as Andrey with Ewan McGregor in A Gentleman in Moscow.

The Metropol is peopled with a variety of characters who come in and out of Rostov’s life as time passes. In the series, they are brought to vivid life by a cast that reflects the world we live in more than the one of period Russia. This is most evident in three of the characters who enrich Count Rostov’s life at the Metropol: Fehinti Balogun who plays Rostov’s longtime friend Mishka, Marina as played by Leah Harvey and Andrey, touchingly brought to life by Lyès Salem.

Wait, He Still Has a Mustache? Ben Blackall/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME One different between A Gentleman in Moscow the book and its small-screen adaptation? The fate of the title character’s impressive mustache.

Early on in the book, Rostov is accosted in the barber shop and ends up having to cut his mustache as a result. Later, after being seated in the hotel restaurant, a young girl, Nina, the precocious daughter of a diplomat, approaches him and inquires after it. Nina’s acute perception, curiosity and possession of a skeleton key which opens any room in the Metropol bond the two together from that day forward. In the series, he has the whiskers when he meets Nina—but not for too long.

The Truth About Nina Ben Blackall/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME Ewan McGregor as Count Rostov and Alexa Goodall as Nina in A Gentleman in Moscow, streaming now on Showtime and Paramount+.

A gentleman in moscow.

The young girl with the skeleton key grows from a desire to share mischief to an intense love and trust for Rostov, even as she becomes increasingly pro-Stalin, which is definitely at odds with Rostov. In both the book and the series, Nina leaves her young daughter, Sofia, at the Metropol in order to follow her husband to Siberia, where he is sentenced to a labor camp. Like her mother before her, Sofia and the count became inseparable. Unlike the book, however, we find out explicitly what happened to Nina when we see her body in a mass grave. "Most of the texture of A Gentleman in Moscow springs from the marriage of my imagination with this 30-year interest in Russian culture," Towles says. "In fact, when I began writing the book, I had only been in Russia for a total of 10 days and had never spent the night in the Metropol Hotel. But once I finished the first draft, I flew to Russia and moved into the Metropol where I began the process of revision."

Whose Voice is That? Ben Blackall/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME Daniel Cerqueira as Vasily with Ewan McGregor in A Gentleman in Moscow, the new series based on Amor Towles’s novel.

The book is narrated by an omniscient narrator and peppered throughout with poems and transcripts. The show, however, is narrated by a woman’s voice. It isn’t until the tragic conclusion of the fifth episode that you find out it is a grown-up Sofia who is speaking.

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• How to Write a Diversity Essay | Tips & Examples

How to Write a Diversity Essay | Tips & Examples

Published on November 1, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on May 31, 2023.

Table of contents

What is a diversity essay, identify how you will enrich the campus community, share stories about your lived experience, explain how your background or identity has affected your life, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Diversity essays ask students to highlight an important aspect of their identity, background, culture, experience, viewpoints, beliefs, skills, passions, goals, etc.

Diversity essays can come in many forms. Some scholarships are offered specifically for students who come from an underrepresented background or identity in higher education. At highly competitive schools, supplemental diversity essays require students to address how they will enhance the student body with a unique perspective, identity, or background.

In the Common Application and applications for several other colleges, some main essay prompts ask about how your background, identity, or experience has affected you.

Why schools want a diversity essay

Many universities believe a student body representing different perspectives, beliefs, identities, and backgrounds will enhance the campus learning and community experience.

Admissions officers are interested in hearing about how your unique background, identity, beliefs, culture, or characteristics will enrich the campus community.

Through the diversity essay, admissions officers want students to articulate the following:

• What makes them different from other applicants
• Stories related to their background, identity, or experience
• How their unique lived experience has affected their outlook, activities, and goals

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Think about what aspects of your identity or background make you unique, and choose one that has significantly impacted your life.

For some students, it may be easy to identify what sets them apart from their peers. But if you’re having trouble identifying what makes you different from other applicants, consider your life from an outsider’s perspective. Don’t presume your lived experiences are normal or boring just because you’re used to them.

Some examples of identities or experiences that you might write about include the following:

• Race/ethnicity
• Gender identity
• Sexual orientation
• Nationality
• Socioeconomic status
• Immigration background
• Religion/belief system
• Place of residence
• Family circumstances
• Extracurricular activities related to diversity

Include vulnerable, authentic stories about your lived experiences. Maintain focus on your experience rather than going into too much detail comparing yourself to others or describing their experiences.

Keep the focus on you

Tell a story about how your background, identity, or experience has impacted you. While you can briefly mention another person’s experience to provide context, be sure to keep the essay focused on you. Admissions officers are mostly interested in learning about your lived experience, not anyone else’s.

When I was a baby, my grandmother took me in, even though that meant postponing her retirement and continuing to work full-time at the local hairdresser. Even working every shift she could, she never missed a single school play or soccer game.

She and I had a really special bond, even creating our own special language to leave each other secret notes and messages. She always pushed me to succeed in school, and celebrated every academic achievement like it was worthy of a Nobel Prize. Every month, any leftover tip money she received at work went to a special 509 savings plan for my college education.

When I was in the 10th grade, my grandmother was diagnosed with ALS. We didn’t have health insurance, and what began with quitting soccer eventually led to dropping out of school as her condition worsened. In between her doctor’s appointments, keeping the house tidy, and keeping her comfortable, I took advantage of those few free moments to study for the GED.

In school pictures at Raleigh Elementary School, you could immediately spot me as “that Asian girl.” At lunch, I used to bring leftover fun see noodles, but after my classmates remarked how they smelled disgusting, I begged my mom to make a “regular” lunch of sliced bread, mayonnaise, and deli meat.

Although born and raised in North Carolina, I felt a cultural obligation to learn my “mother tongue” and reconnect with my “homeland.” After two years of all-day Saturday Chinese school, I finally visited Beijing for the first time, expecting I would finally belong. While my face initially assured locals of my Chinese identity, the moment I spoke, my cover was blown. My Chinese was littered with tonal errors, and I was instantly labeled as an “ABC,” American-born Chinese.

I felt culturally homeless.

Speak from your own experience

Highlight your actions, difficulties, and feelings rather than comparing yourself to others. While it may be tempting to write about how you have been more or less fortunate than those around you, keep the focus on you and your unique experiences, as shown below.

I began to despair when the FAFSA website once again filled with red error messages.

I had been at the local library for hours and hadn’t even been able to finish the form, much less the other to-do items for my application.

I am the first person in my family to even consider going to college. My parents work two jobs each, but even then, it’s sometimes very hard to make ends meet. Rather than playing soccer or competing in speech and debate, I help my family by taking care of my younger siblings after school and on the weekends.

“We only speak one language here. Speak proper English!” roared a store owner when I had attempted to buy bread and accidentally used the wrong preposition.

In middle school, I had relentlessly studied English grammar textbooks and received the highest marks.

Leaving Seoul was hard, but living in West Orange, New Jersey was much harder一especially navigating everyday communication with Americans.

After sharing relevant personal stories, make sure to provide insight into how your lived experience has influenced your perspective, activities, and goals. You should also explain how your background led you to apply to this university and why you’re a good fit.

Include your outlook, actions, and goals

Conclude your essay with an insight about how your background or identity has affected your outlook, actions, and goals. You should include specific actions and activities that you have done as a result of your insight.

One night, before the midnight premiere of Avengers: Endgame , I stopped by my best friend Maria’s house. Her mother prepared tamales, churros, and Mexican hot chocolate, packing them all neatly in an Igloo lunch box. As we sat in the line snaking around the AMC theater, I thought back to when Maria and I took salsa classes together and when we belted out Selena’s “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” at karaoke. In that moment, as I munched on a chicken tamale, I realized how much I admired the beauty, complexity, and joy in Maria’s culture but had suppressed and devalued my own.

The following semester, I joined Model UN. Since then, I have learned how to proudly represent other countries and have gained cultural perspectives other than my own. I now understand that all cultures, including my own, are equal. I still struggle with small triggers, like when I go through airport security and feel a suspicious glance toward me, or when I feel self-conscious for bringing kabsa to school lunch. But in the future, I hope to study and work in international relations to continue learning about other cultures and impart a positive impression of Saudi culture to the world.

The smell of the early morning dew and the welcoming whinnies of my family’s horses are some of my most treasured childhood memories. To this day, our farm remains so rural that we do not have broadband access, and we’re too far away from the closest town for the postal service to reach us.

Going to school regularly was always a struggle: between the unceasing demands of the farm and our lack of connectivity, it was hard to keep up with my studies. Despite being a voracious reader, avid amateur chemist, and active participant in the classroom, emergencies and unforeseen events at the farm meant that I had a lot of unexcused absences.

Although it had challenges, my upbringing taught me resilience, the value of hard work, and the importance of family. Staying up all night to watch a foal being born, successfully saving the animals from a minor fire, and finding ways to soothe a nervous mare afraid of thunder have led to an unbreakable family bond.

Our farm is my family’s birthright and our livelihood, and I am eager to learn how to ensure the farm’s financial and technological success for future generations. In college, I am looking forward to joining a chapter of Future Farmers of America and studying agricultural business to carry my family’s legacy forward.

Tailor your answer to the university

After explaining how your identity or background will enrich the university’s existing student body, you can mention the university organizations, groups, or courses in which you’re interested.

Maybe a larger public school setting will allow you to broaden your community, or a small liberal arts college has a specialized program that will give you space to discover your voice and identity. Perhaps this particular university has an active affinity group you’d like to join.

Demonstrating how a university’s specific programs or clubs are relevant to you can show that you’ve done your research and would be a great addition to the university.

At the University of Michigan Engineering, I want to study engineering not only to emulate my mother’s achievements and strength, but also to forge my own path as an engineer with disabilities. I appreciate the University of Michigan’s long-standing dedication to supporting students with disabilities in ways ranging from accessible housing to assistive technology. At the University of Michigan Engineering, I want to receive a top-notch education and use it to inspire others to strive for their best, regardless of their circumstances.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Transition words
• Passive voice
• Paraphrasing

 Communication

• How to end an email
• Ms, mrs, miss
• How to start an email
• I hope this email finds you well
• Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

• Personal pronouns
• Conjunctions

In addition to your main college essay , some schools and scholarships may ask for a supplementary essay focused on an aspect of your identity or background. This is sometimes called a diversity essay .

Many universities believe a student body composed of different perspectives, beliefs, identities, and backgrounds will enhance the campus learning and community experience.

Admissions officers are interested in hearing about how your unique background, identity, beliefs, culture, or characteristics will enrich the campus community, which is why they assign a diversity essay .

To write an effective diversity essay , include vulnerable, authentic stories about your unique identity, background, or perspective. Provide insight into how your lived experience has influenced your outlook, activities, and goals. If relevant, you should also mention how your background has led you to apply for this university and why you’re a good fit.

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Bill Downs, War Correspondent

October 17, 2016, 1943. stalin previews the hollywood film "mission to moscow".

Since its release early last month, Warner Brothers and Joseph E. Davies's "Mission to Moscow" has thrived on controversy ( Newsweek, May 10). Vociferously attacked on the one side as a whitewash of the Soviet regime, and just as staunchly defended on the other as a worthy tribute to a gallant ally, the film has currently split Hollywood leaders into two sharply divided camps on the advisability of making films with political implications. The following dispatch from Bill Downs, Newsweek correspondent in Moscow, survived a three-day delay at the censor's desk to add an international huff and a puff to the storm in a samovar. The Russian premier of "Mission" was staged at the Kremlin, following a banquet for an international audience of diplomatic elect. Flanked on one side by a translator, and on the other by a beaming Joe Davies (then on his return engagement as missionary to Moscow), Stalin sat poker-faced throughout the two-hour tribute to his people and regime. The next night the print was loaned to the United States Embassy and run off for the staff and a group of newspaper correspondents. In each case the audience reaction is best summed up in one word—squirm. And alternating with the squirming was the self-conscious tittering of those who had to sit in the Presence while an onscreen Joe Davies held forth on the subject of Joe Davies. On occasion there were cinematic touches that provoked outright laughter. A bevy of Russian girls tricked out in ski-and-skating costumes looked just like what they were—Hollywood extras. Frieda Inescort , playing Madame Molotoff , attempted a spot of Russian dialogue that gave the Moscow natives a bad moment. And when the camera faded in on a Muscovite restaurant featuring the soulful strumming of a gypsy orchestra, several young army officers at the preview enthusiastically volunteered to withdraw on the off-chance of finding the place. Stalin's poker face may have derived from the fact that the film's portrayal of the Soviet Premier was judged the least adequate in a roster of generally excellent characterizations. Playing Stalin for sweetness and light, Manart Kippen missed the strength and power and twinkling humor with which Stalin invariably impresses foreign visitors. There was less of the dead-pan among members of the British diplomatic legation, with some officials pointedly hinting that the film's unfriendly, inept, and undiplomatic conception of His Majesty's representatives to Russia was ill-advised. No one doubts that "Mission to Moscow" will be a sensational success in Russia, if only because the Soviets are anxious to see how they look to a foreign, though friendly, observer. At the same time, it was unanimously agreed that the Warner film was excellent propaganda for fostering better relations between the United States and the Soviet Union, although a number of changes are indicated if the film is to obviate a tendency of the realistic Russians to laugh out loud at the wrong places.

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Guest Essay

Jennifer Lopez Is Becoming an Elizabeth Taylor for a New Generation

By Jennifer Weiner

Ms. Weiner, a novelist, writes frequently about gender and culture.

Nothing gold can stay .

Children grow up. Parents grow old. Summer’s warmth gives way to winter’s chill. Add to this list of sad inevitabilities the Jennifer Lopez-Ben Affleck breakup.

After months of speculation and internet chatter, on Wednesday the news broke that Ms. Lopez had officially moved to dissolve her union with Mr. Affleck — on the anniversary of their 2022 wedding ceremony at a recreation of a Georgia plantation, no less.

“She was done waiting and the date she did it speaks a ton,” a source told People magazine.

This marriage was, of course, the second time around for Ben and Jen, who’d first been engaged in the early aughts, and who had found their way back to each other in 2021. It was a love story for the ages — or, at least, for second-chance-loving pop-culture fans of a certain age seeking pandemic-era distractions. Had romance conquered all? Or was another of J. Lo’s relationships destined to take a turn on Fortuna’s wheel? The reports that the couple did not sign a prenup suggest they were of the former belief. Call it the triumph of hope over lawyers.

This will be Ms. Lopez’s fourth divorce, which puts her at risk of becoming an Elizabeth Taylor for a new generation: a multitalented female celebrity who is best known not for her vast creative output nor even for her undeniable beauty and charm, but, instead, for her many marriages.

Over her eight decades, Ms. Taylor was married eight times to seven men (the discrepancy owing to her two walks down the aisle with Richard Burton). At 55, Ms. Lopez has married, in addition to Mr. Affleck, the producer Ojani Noa, the backup dancer Cris Judd and the singer Marc Anthony; she was also once engaged to the baseball player Alex Rodriguez. Which means she’s just a few Larry Fortenskys away from hitting what future historians may refer to as the Taylor line, where what gets covered is your love life, and not your life’s work.

But there’s a big difference between J. Lo and La Liz.

Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, I was too young to know Ms. Taylor as the violet-eyed phenom who first dazzled in “National Velvet” and went on to be perhaps the most famous, the most glamorous movie star in the world. I was, however, just the right age to experience her as a pop culture mainstay and occasional punchline. This was Ms. Taylor’s frosted-tips-and-caftans era, when she appeared in front of a camera only to make soft-focus perfume ads, parodied by “Saturday Night Live.” It was the time of her union with Mr. Fortensky, a construction worker she’d met in rehab, and whom she married at her friend Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch.

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