Connect with us

Entertainment

Michael B. Jordan Launches Initiative to Increase Diversity in Hollywood

Published

3 years ago

on

  • Actor Michael B. Jordan partnered with nonprofit Color of Change to create an initiative called #ChangeHollywood, which aims to promote anti-racist and Black storytelling in the industry.
  • The initiative sets out a roadmap for leaders to follow, including hiring more Black creators, divesting from police, changing the way the criminal justice system is represented, and supporting the Black community throughout production.
  • Hollywood’s history of racism and poor representation is no secret. According to UCLA’s 2020 Hollywood Diversity Report, less than one-third of lead acting roles go to people of color, while less than 1.5 out of 10 directors are people of color.
  • This initiative comes as many actors are calling for change in the industry, and as other facets of Hollywood are pledging to increase diversity on set.

#ChangeHollywood Initiative

As many facets of Hollywood are reckoning with the systemic racism that has permeated the industry for years, actor Michael B. Jordan has created an initiative to promote diversity and anti-racist storytelling in film.

The “Creed” and “Black Panther” star partnered with the nonprofit Color of Change to start the effort, which is called #ChangeHollywood. One of the main initiatives of #ChangeHollywood is to create a roadmap that leaders in the industry can turn to when working towards increasing representation on their sets. They hope that their concrete suggestions will lead to real actions that Hollywood can take in the fight for racial justice. 

“The history of racism in Hollywood is long and unforgivable,” Jordan and Rashad Robinson, the president of Color of Change wrote in a statement.

“We can break the pattern, and change that trajectory,” the two added. “The understanding of Hollywood’s impact on society has never been more widespread, and the demand for addressing systemic racism in Hollywood has never been greater. We must answer the call to action.”

The roadmap breaks down into four recommendations. The first encourages the entertainment industry to divest from police and instead use that economic power to advocate for Black communities. In order to do this, #ChangeHollywood recommends that studios hire independent security instead of police officers, turn to authorities other than the police when it comes to shaping content about the criminal justice system, and put pressure on local governments to move funding to Black communities. 

When it comes to storytelling, #ChangeHollywood recommends that the industry invest in anti-racist and authentic Black content and voices. This could involve hiring cultural consultants and Black executives, as well as changing the way the criminal justice system is represented on screen. 

The roadmap further suggests that Hollywood invest in Black talent both in front of and behind the camera. One of the biggest suggestions is that filmmakers adopt inclusion riders in their contracts, which are clauses that mandate a certain level of diversity in productions. #ChangeHollywood also recommends anti-racism training, transparency about staff diversity, and proactive recruitment of Black industry workers. 

The last suggestion encourages studios to work with Black-owned businesses and other companies that value social justice. 

“Hollywood should use its economic power to support Black communities in all the cities in which it operates,” #ChangeHollywood’s website explains. 

“This roadmap is just the beginning of the journey to racial justice. We are all accomplices in the fight to transform Hollywood, and we invite content creators and industry leaders to join us in working together to #ChangeHollywood,” Jordan told the Hollywood Reporter, which first broke the news about this initiative. “We look forward to including a variety of voices in doing what we do best: telling authentic stories, bringing people together, partnering with influential artists, and changing the rules of the game.” 

Hollywood’s History of Racism

Representation has long been an issue in Hollywood. UCLA’s 2020 Hollywood Diversity Report found that people of color are underrepresented in every level of the industry. Roughly three out of every ten lead actors are people of color, while only 1.5 out of ten directors are people of color. 

When it comes to film executives, diversity lacks even more. Around 91% of chairs or CEOS are white and 82% are male. Senior executives are similarly white and male. 

When it comes to the Academy Awards, the absence of representation follows. In the last 50 years, only 10% of acting nominees have been actors of color. Only six Black directors have ever been nominated for Best Director.

In recent months, calls for change have increased. More stars like Kerry Washington, Anthony Mackie, and Viola Davis have spoken candidly about racism in the industry as well as the need for Black voices to be centered. 

There have also been calls for more representation in hair and makeup departments, which some studios have vowed to listen to. ViacomCBS in the U.K. set new standards for diversity in front of and behind the camera across the pond, and in the U.S., CBS announced plans to diversify their writers’ rooms. 

In other cases, Hollywood has done a cleanse of white people taking up space that they should not be. White actors like Jenny Slate and Kristen Bell opted to step away from projects where they were providing voices for Black and biracial animated characters. In reality television, several stars have been dropped from shows for past racist behavior.

See what others are saying: (The Hollywood Reporter) (The Wrap) (USA Today)

Related Topics:

Entertainment

Max to Agrees to “Properly” Credit Writers and Directors After Facing Backlash For Lumping Them in As “Creators”

Published

1 week ago

on

May 24, 2023

By

The company said the credits were laid out incorrectly due to “an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max.”

After film and television writers slammed Max for crediting all writers, producers, and directors as general “creators” on its platform, the company said it will be adjusting its credits display.

“We agree that the talent behind the content on Max deserve their work to be properly recognized,” the streaming service said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. 

Max — the new rebrand of HBO Max that incorporates Discovery content — launched on Tuesday to much criticism. Amid glitches and app-switching confusion, the biggest backlash it faced was over the choice to lump creative roles into one credit section called “creators.” As one viral tweet noted, if a user were to select the film “Raging Bull,” the service’s display would not specifically credit Martin Scorsese as the director, rather, his name would be included at random with half a dozen other people, including writers and producers. 

The decision was condemned by many in the industry who argued it minimizes writers and directors by not properly giving them credit where it is due. Especially amid the ongoing writers’ strike, and with directors and actors starting negotiations with studios, some took it as a slap in the face. 

“The studios don’t want anyone to know our names,” writer Christina Strain tweeted. “It’s easier to pay us nothing if we’re faceless.”

“Another move from studios to diminish the role of writers, directors, actors and other craftspeople. Miss me wit this nonsense,” Jorge Rivera, the Vice-Chair of the Writers Guild’s Latinx Writers Committee, added. 

In a statement, Directors Guild President Lesli Linka Glatter said that Warner Bros. Discovery’s choice to “collapse” these roles into one credit “while we are in negotiations with them is a grave insult to our members and our union.”

“The DGA will not stand for it,” Glatter continued.

WGA West President Meredith Stiehm claimed the move was “a credits violation,” as well as an insult “to the artists that make the films and TV shows that make their corporation billions.”

On Wednesday, Max said it would rework its crediting. 

“We will correct the credits, which were altered due to an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max and we apologize for this mistake,” the platform said.

See what others are saying: (Gizmodo) (The Hollywood Reporter) (The Los Angeles Times)

Continue Reading

Entertainment

A Quarter of Young British Men Support Andrew Tate’s Thoughts on Women

Published

1 week ago

on

May 22, 2023

By

U.K. residents at large, however, do not view him favorably.

Even under house arrest in Romania, misogynist influencer Andrew Tate still holds substantial sway over young men. 

According to data from YouGov that was obtained by The Independent, 26% of U.K. men between 18 and 29 years old who know of Tate agree with his views on women. That figure was largely the same for men between 30 and 39, as 28% agreed with Tate’s opinions on the subject. 

Men in their 30s were slightly more likely to agree with Tate on his thoughts about masculinity. Three out of ten supported those views, compared to just a quarter of men 18 to 29.

Those statistics only include the thoughts of men who have heard of Tate, but per YouGov, most have. In the 18 to 29 group, 93% were familiar with him, and 86% of men in their 30s knew of him. 

The U.K. at large was less aware of Tate, with just 63% of British adults having heard of him. Of that group, only 6% held a positive view of him. 

Tate has faced substantial backlash for his sexist rhetoric over the years. In the past, he said that men should have “authority” over their wives or girlfriends, and that women should “bear some responsibility” for being raped. He was previously banned from Twitter over his extremist views on women but has since been allowed back on the platform. 

He is currently being investigated in Romania for organized crime and human trafficking. He was arrested and held in custody in December but was released to house arrest earlier this year. No formal charges have been filed against him yet and he has maintained his innocence. 

Tate currently boasts a Twitter following of 6.7 million. It has grown significantly since he was enveloped in legal controversy, and many of his supporters have demanded his release. 

See what others are saying: (The Independent) (Glamour U.K.)

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Involved in “Near Catastrophic” Paparazzi Chase

Published

2 weeks ago

on

May 17, 2023

By

“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” a spokesperson for the couple said.

“Aggressive” Paparazzi Chase Couple in New York

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a “near catastrophic” paparazzi car chase Tuesday night in New York City, according to a spokesperson for the couple.

In a statement, the spokesperson described the photographers as “highly aggressive.”

“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” the statement added.

“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” it continued. 

Details of the incident are still emerging, but BBC News reported that there are claims the chase involved roughly six cars driving recklessly by running red lights, driving on the sidewalk, carrying out blocking moves, going backward on a one-way road, and taking pictures while driving. 

The chase happened after Harry and Meghan were leaving the Women of Vision Awards with Meghan’s mother, Doria. They did not want photographers to learn where they were staying and attempted to avoid them in what turned into a 75-minute chase on a main road in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. They eventually ducked into a New York Police Department Precinct to hide out before getting into a different vehicle.

The NYPD released a statement confirming that they assisted in protecting the couple as “numerous photographers” hindered their transport. Officials said they made it to their destination and there were no collisions, injuries, or arrests. 

The couple’s spokesperson is asking the public to not share or post footage of the incident. 

“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved,” the spokesperson said. 

Memories of Princess Diana

The chase evokes the brutal press hounding Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was subjected to throughout her life. The paparazzi’s obsession with her ultimately resulted in her death in 1997, when she was killed in a car crash after being chased by photographers in Paris. 

Since marrying Meghan and later bowing out of the Royal Family, Harry has made it explicitly clear that he fears those events could happen again. Meghan has been the subject of endless tabloid scrutiny, enduring racism and harassment from the press. Part of the reason they left the Royal Family was to keep their family protected from such attacks.

Mayor Eric Adams brought up Diana’s tragic passing while speaking about Tuesday night’s chase. 

“I don’t think there’s many of us who don’t recall how [Harry’s] mom died,” Adams said while speaking to reporters. “And it would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this and something to have happened to them as well…I think that was a bit reckless and irresponsible.” 

Adams also questioned whether or not he believes a chase could go on for two hours in a city as congested as New York, but noted that even a 10-minute chase would be dangerous. He said he will be briefed on the exact timeline and details later. 

See what others are saying: (BBC News) (Associated Press) (Yahoo News)

Continue Reading