Representation in Media

Which characters in film, TV and books do you most identify with?

Why? What traits do you share with them?

How are they different to you?

Harry Potter and the Lack of Diversity

JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series intricately weaves myths and legends with a World War Two/Holocaust analogy that sends a message of love and tolerance…

…but it’s come under criticism for a lack of diversity in its characters and in the films’ cast

Do you think this criticism

is fair?

Diversity and representation

What characteristics do you think make up the most common type of characters in fictional

media?

The most common traits of characters in fictional media are: white, male,

cisgender, heterosexual, able bodied, no mental illness…

Women: TheBechdel Test

Bechdel says she was inspired by a friend, who in turn was inspired by Virgina Woolf. Woolf argued that fictional relationships between women

“are too simple” and that women are only “shown in their relation to men”.

It has to have at least two women in it,

who talk to each other, about something besides a

man

Created by cartoonist Alison Bechdel, the Bechdel Test assesses the representation of women in film.

Seems fairly simple, right?

Do your favourite films

pass?

Transgender representation

Eddie Redmayne has been cast as a transgender woman, Lili

Elbe, in a biopic film about the painter

This simply reinforces damaging views about trans women, as well as taking

work away from trans actresses

“I know as a trans woman that when we’re misgendered, that is

an act of violence for us. It’s a part of the violence that lead to

Islan’s death.” – Laverne Cox, actress

[Islan Nettle, a trans woman who was beaten to death in a transphobic hate

crime]

Racial representation

“…And most hauntingly, a twelve-year-old girl from District 11. She

has dark brown skin and eyes, but other than that's she's very

like Prim in size and demeanor…”

Reactions to the portrayal of Rue’s race in The Hunger Games film were

poor:

Despite this description from the books:

The Harry Potter films seemto have a problem with race…

Lavender Brown in her second year herbology class, as played

by Kathleen Cauley

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Jennifer Smith played the role of Lavender- a keen student of

divination

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,

Lavender’s role went from that of a

background character, to a major secondary

character, playing Ron’s first girlfriend. She was played by

Jessie Cave

Disability

Glee’s Artie Abrams is portrayed as physically disabled, and uses

a wheelchair.

The writers of Glee have been criticised for making Artie have frequent dreams where he can

walk, dance and play football, as well as a plot line where his

girlfriend asked Santa to “fix” him.

Why do you think this is problematic?

How many disabled characters can you think of who have

positive representation?

Sexuality

I always saw Dumbledore as gay…Dumbledore fell in love

with Grindelwald…. Don’t forget, falling in love can blind us. [He] was very drawn to this

brilliant person. This was Dumbledore’s tragedy.

Why do you think many fans were angry that

Rowling never

included this in the

books?

Well, the books are from Harry’s

perspective- and why would

Dumbledore tell Harry he’s gay?

We should just choose the best actors for the job- so what if they happen to be white, male

and able bodied…?

It’s a children’s book! Why would we

expose them to LGBT issues?

Maybe there are loads of

disabled people at

Hogwarts- we just haven’t heard about

them, because we’re focused

on the Wizarding

War!

Why do we need a minority character?

The story’s not ABOUT that issue!

People like to make a lot of excuses for a lack of diverse representation

in media

How would you respond

to these excuses?

Why is Rachel Rostad angry at

JK Rowling’s portrayal of Cho

Chang, a Chinese girl who is Harry’s first

girlfriend?Think about a part

of your identity that could be

stereotyped. What stereotypes do people assume

about that aspect of your identity? How does that make you feel?

Why is positive representation so important?

“So many students have said, trans students have said, “Now I can have a point of reference when I talk about who I am. My friends are like, ‘Oh, like Sophia from Orange is the New Black?

and they’re like, ‘yeah,’ and then they just move on and it’s not an issue.” I got a letter

from a young, from a trans youth’s mother who said that he transitioned because of me and

because of seeing me on the show it gave him the courage to talk to his parents about who he was and they’re supportive and loving and now he’s started his transition. It’s really beautiful.”

#WeNeedDiverseBooksBecause

Fandoms, canon and AUs

• Fandom: a community- often online- which shares an enthusiasm and passion for a particular TV show, book or film.

• Canon: something which happens within the story. • Sometimes extended to things not explicitly in the story but

confirmed by the writer/s. Eg. Dumbledore being gay.

• AU: alternative universe, sometimes known as a headcanon, in which members of the fandom adapt elements of the story, often to address issues of representation and diversity.

Why do you think AUs are popular in

fandoms?

• Think of a TV show, film or book that you enjoy

• What’s the representation like? Remember:

• Inclusion of one form of representation does not mean it’s necessarily fully diverse.• Eg. A piece of fiction can be good at showing race, but not show

diversity in sexuality

• Not all representation is positive

• What headcanons and AUs would you include to make it more representative?