In the entertainment world, there have been countless eye-catching surprises and shocking plot-twists throughout the years. From the on-screen deaths, to the secret love triangles and the amazing acting moments, film and television have both provided us with many memorable moments in our lives. However, one surprising element that’s recently become a factor trumps all the aforementioned aspects - the element of diversity. Yes, that’s right, it’s 2015 and the casts of shows and movies that we watch are just now beginning to develop some real diversity. From the ABC shows "How to Get Away with Murder," "Scandal," "Fresh Off The Boat" and "Black-ish," we’re finally getting a chance to see more people with different skin tones, cultures, sexual identities and lifestyles - in other words, people from the real world.
Many within our culture don’t realize the importance of diversity for entertainment. In our day to day lives, we’re constantly exposed to beautiful actors, pop stars, models and performers - almost always with the same “perfect” skin tone and the same “perfect” features. Many of us idolize these stars and aspire to be like them, only to be disappointed in the long run. Many children’s dreams of being that singer, actor or dancer are thrown away because they’re different from the “beautiful and perfect” stars on TV, despite how talented they may be. Showing more diversity within entertainment gives people the inspiration that they need to continue with their dreams and for the career they truly want. Children especially benefit from seeing diversity in the recent string of cartoon hits such as "Steven Universe" and "We Bare Bears." Thanks to shows like these, children can see that it’s okay to have a different skin color, a different culture or that it’s okay to accept people of various sexual orientations. Diversity doesn't just affect the people in the world of entertainment - it affects those who watch it as well.
Despite the recent success with diverse shows and films, our society still has a long road ahead. Our concept of beauty and perfection is still set in stone and the diverse shows that are known are simply a small handful. What we can do as viewers, however, is to continue supporting these shows by watching them, sharing them and expressing our favorite aspects about them to our friends and acquaintances. Having more diversity in entertainment won’t change everything in the world, but it can still make our self-views more positive and help us become more accepting of others.
