Marvel Whitewashing Effect
A decade ago, the first of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Iron Man was released.
Since then, Marvel has produced several films and TV series. Captain America,
Thor, Hulk, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Spider Man are some examples. If
anyone has been up to date with Marvel Cinematic Universe, then it s not so difficult
for him or her to figure out that all protagonists and most supporting roles have been
of Western ethnicity, or played by white actors/actresses. Until recently, it was
essentially considered that the superheroes had to be white . That does not only
apply to Marvel, but also to its rival, DC. In fact, this statement is not only limited to
superherofilms. According to the study, from Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the Media,
Diversity,... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Why does the trend of white washing not disappear in Hollywood despite the
controversy and public outrage it causes? To simply answer the question, it is the
appeal to the white audience. The U.S., for instance, has grown to become a nation
of diverse ethnic backgrounds. According to KFF.org, 12%, 16%, and 6% of U.S.
population are of black, Hispanic, and Asian ethnicity, respectively. In total,
approximately 40% of U.S. population is of a non white background. Yet, the white
population remains to occupy the majority, more than 60%, of U.S. population.
Hence it is without the doubt that Hollywood remains to target their movies on a
white audience. In addition, many actors and actresses of Hollywood are of Western
ethnicity. Among those are renowned actors or actresses like Tom Cruise, Tilda
Swinton, Matt Damon, and Scarlett Johansson. These actors/actresses have fame and
popularity. For producers of the movies, it may be more than obvious to use popular
actors/actresses to sell their movies. Especially in this capitalistic society, and the
centre of the entertainment industry, making movies that sell is more paramount than
making movies of art. Behind all of this, however, has inevitably been some racial
ties between the white actors/actresses and the white