Since the mid-1920s, the creation and rapid development of the box we know as a television set has become a necessary part of our lives. People can become informed on news channels, cheer for their favorite teams away from the stadium, and entertain themselves with thrillers and family sitcoms.

However, we as a population still run into barriers called media representation. For many minority groups, there is the concern of proper representation in television series and movies. Movies like Gods of Egypt are an important example of the lack of representation, wherein the big, main roles were not taken up by people-of-color, but Caucasians, who were made to look like people-of-color; the only semblance of ‘minority representation’ is in the slaves, played by black people.

“But how does that prove that there is a lack of representation in media? Most people like to choose those with the ‘best ability.’” would be a common response to people arguing for proper and equal representation. However, there is a flaw to that response. By saying that, there is the thought that minority groups are not good enough to play the role of their own ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Who else would better portray the role of an ethnic or LGBTQ+ character than those who are in the same exact shoes? This concept of placing Caucasian actors in roles that are of a different ethnic nature is known as white-washing, and it’s more common than you’d think. While seemingly little, it brings erasure to other races and ethnicities.

Minority groups also commonly encounter token characters, where a certain character is there for the writer or producer to claim that their cast does have diversity, when in fact, they aren’t truly treated like other people and will probably be killed off for shock value. Stereotypes are equally harmful, enforcing toxic ideas that people of a certain race, gender, or sexuality should act a certain way in order to be recognized of their identity. A very well-known type is the ‘model minority,’ in which Asian-Americans are represented as over-working and serious individuals. This might be positive at first, but actually harms those who don’t fit the criteria, who are then harassed for “not being Asian enough.” Females may be commonly portrayed as subservient and the traditional homemakers. Men are expected to be traditionally masculine and tough, although they are not pressured into certain roles by society. But stereotypes are a two-way street. If you conform to them, people will often be picked on for perpetuating the stereotype. People are made the way they are; if you conform to the stereotype, it’s perfectly fine because it’s a part of your identity.

Lack of media representation and inaccurate portrayal lowers self-esteem in minority individuals who are unable to identify and find characters of the same identity, such as gender and race. Poor representation allows for racial and religious profiling and doesn’t give room for appropriate presentation of social commentary. An improvement can reverse those effects, decreasing stereotypes and creating a flourish of cultural diversity.

However, slowly but surely, the entertainment business is embracing diversity. With the release of family sitcoms like Fresh Off the Boat and Modern Family, as well as dramas like Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder, character roles are being given to people-of-color. It normalizes them and challenges stereotypes.

Hopefully, studios will continue to diversify their television casts to reflect the actual melting pot that is our society.