haha, no i meant to write the white population.
i readily agree that in regional houses, color blind casting is considerably more rare.
but again, the larger issue to me is restricting access.
when we talk about distribution of product, i would argue that the left side of the ideological spectrum, upholds the racial status quo as much as the right. by limiting the number of minority writers that are produced, regional houses mete out to the public and to artists the impression that the company is embracing diversity without actually wading in too deeply into the cultural quagmire of racial politics.
i would also assert that some minority writers to some extant react to this by tempering their work to the tastes and views of artistic directors - so that the work we do see tends to be less adventurous than it may have been.
one need only look to the cosby show to see an example of this hegemony. i would agree with those who argue that the show didn't really reflect african american life. yet is hailed as a landmark in television history for it's depiction of the african american family. when really, i would assert, it doesn't challenge african american stereotypes as much as it presents a vision for what african americans should grow to be, virtually indistinguishable from white american families. at least as presented on prime time television.
Reena Mistry argues that the influx of african american sitcoms, but the lack of dramas is another example of the white population conceding the african american middle class as a reality, yet still perpetuating the 'black clown' stereotype.
on the other hand, to use Bell Hooks' example of Crooklyn, which is a Spike Lee film about a dying black mother, it was slammed in the media and was a 'box office failure.' when some would argue it's just another instance of a solid minority craftsperson/artist hitting the glass ceiling.
this is all by way of saying that media representations are not only the responsibility of the artists who create, but those who distribute the work; in the theater this means productions. this means building audiences who are receptive to works outside their 'cultural comfort zones.'
lately when i read something about the role of the artist, i am often confronted with a line from aaron sorkin's the west wing, about how an artist only wants to capture the audiences attention for a moment.
i actually believe and have written elsewhere that in reality the job of the artist is to reflect the state of the culture. the work allows us as a community or society to examine aspects of our culture in an objective metaphoric way as what we're experiencing isn't necessarily real. so we can critique it from an emotionally safe distance. psychologically safe.
Namaste
