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So, uh, can we go back to the subject of this thread or whatever. It seemed to get lost in false equivalencies and discussions about an average film that's made people scream at each across the Internet. Talking about either seems to be a waste of time.
Anyways, I think representation game is indeed an creative equation that involves both quantity and quality. Suicide Squad*, for instance, was a film that had a diverse cast with a black lead. Unfortunately, I didn't give a damn about that representation, even as an African Canadian, because the quality of that film was substandard in my opinion and had dull stereotypes that made my eyes roll. I'll take my lily white Avengers and their trio of black male sidekicks over that, if only because those characters are actually engaging and of quality.
That being said, I still do feel that if you want an actual change in how people are represented in media filling out an affirmative action checklist is not the way to go about it. As already mentioned in this thread having writers, consultants or whatever from the people you are actually trying to represent is both useful and insightful when it comes to avoiding some of the typical pitfalls that can arise when you are creating a character from a demographic that you don't personally identify with or have any experience with in real life. Also, more cynically, people on the Internet to tend to pat creators on the back and watch their film, show, or whatever when its found out that their at trying to diversify their creativity team. So there's that.
Lastly, and this is kind of divisive in out of itself, I feel that a creator isn't morally obligated to diverse their works. If some white male straight guy creator doesn't really have a sincere drive to diverse their work than don't think that a corporate mandate or Internet slapfight is going to breed great representation from them if that is case. Such actions are well-intented but I question their effectiveness. People write what they know and because of that most of the films by white male straight guy creators have white male straight guy protagonists. I'm less annoyed with the individual creator and more annoyed with a system that refuses to acknowledge that minorities are a powerful market in the West that would totally support works from people that they identify with.
Just look at Tyler Perry and millions he's made. Honestly, studios are just leaving money on the table at this point.
* Damn, I began this rant by talking about a divisive film that isn't worth everyone's anger and then start taking about a DC film. Hypocrisy is awesome isn't.
Whelp. Pretty sure you just won the thread right there.
Good job. I feel delightfully properly mansplained.
Good job. I feeldelightfullyproperly mansplained.
Well, actually...