The more diverse the cast, the more money a TV show or movie makes
It is a pretty well documented fact that Hollywood is a predominately white industry. But, in a comprehensive study on diversity in the media, UCLA’s Ralph J. Bunche Center African American Studies determined how disconnected the TV and film industries are from the United States as a whole.
Typically, women and minorities remain underrepresented in Hollywood. Their numbers range as low as 1/12th to 1/2 their general population figures.
This is pretty much old news. People have been complaining about Hollywood’ lack of diversity for the past twenty to thirty years. However, this study examined over 1,061 TV shows. “In television, we looked at 1,061 shows,” said Dr. Darnell Hunt, director of the Bunche Center. “We literally looked at everything on TV. Everything.”
One of the most interesting parts of the study was the “cost” of diversity. It is assumed that movies and TV shows that feature a predominately male and white cast generate more profits than projects featuring women and people of color. However, the study found that diverse casts actually receive higher ratings, while diverse movies make way more money. For example, movies with a large amount of minority involvement made $160.1 million in global box office earnings in 2011. Meanwhile, movies that did not have a lot of diversity made only $68.5 million.
It is hard to deny the impact diversity has had in the TV industry in this year alone. Fox’s Empire was the most watched TV show in 23 years. In fact, N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton demonstrated that audiences are extremely interested in diversity. The N.W.A hip-hop biopic is the number one movie for two weeks in a row earning nearly $100 million in two weeks. There are now reports of a Master P biopic, and a sequel to the Straight Outta Compton.
Numbers don’t lie. If Hollywood is interested in making money, than it would be in their best interest to include more women and minorities in their TV shows and movies.
Source: Mic.com
