OPINION COLUMNS

By Sam Jasenosky November 07, 2013

Printer-friendly version
More in Columns
More minority representation needed
SNL producers need to act rather than mock.
Last weekends episode of Saturday Night Live delivered its highest ratings of the year since March. Using host Kerry Washington, SNL
skewered recent criticism of the shows diversity.
Washingtons hosting perhaps drew viewers, coming at a pivotal time in the debate over the shows diversity. In October, longtime SNL
cast member Kenan Thompson told TV Guide the casts lack of black women was due to the small number of talented black comediennes,
rather than holding the producers responsible.
Though the increased audience may not be aware, Washington, star of ABCs Scandal, is the first black female lead on a prime-time
network drama since the 1970s.
Washington began last weekends show in a skit as first lady Michelle Obama. Eventually, the skit called for Oprah Winfrey to appear. The
camera focused awkwardly on Washington in an attempt to satirize the shows need for Washington to play all of the black female roles.
When Washington left for a third black female character change (Beyonc), text appeared on the screen apologizing for the shows lack of
diversity.
The apology mentioned the producers habit of hiring white male comedians for the cast, which they said is not an ideal situation. Six
white, male cast members impersonating Matthew McConaughey then jokingly dominated the stage.
Though there is value in recognizing the problem, the skit was a lazy attempt to avoid responsibility for the lack of diversity on the show.
In an interview with the Huffington Post, Miriam Petty, professor at Northwestern University and black popular culture expert, said while she
doesnt think theres a conscious attempt to exclude black women from the SNL cast, the fact that most of the men making the casting
decisions are white suggests that racial and gender bias is going to happen.
I agree with Pettys observation. However, I dont think the seemingly inevitable prospect of gender and racial bias justifies the lack of
representation on television.
University of Connecticut sociologist Gaye Tuchman coined the phrase symbolic annihilation to mean medias neglect to represent
minority groups at all, which ultimately reinforces their minority status within society. Tuchman found that medias inaccurate portrayal of
certain groups may play a part in limiting those groups chances at success, which is symbolic annihilation at work.
Im not blaming SNL producers for the distress of all black comediennes, but they are fostering their struggle.
Its counterproductive for Thompson to assign blame for the marginalization of a group to that groups lack of ready talent. Rather,
Thompson, other cast members and SNL producers should consider that perhaps there would be more prepared black female talent if
there was representation of that talent on TV in the first place.
Talented comediennes of color do exist: Consider up-and-comer Issa Rae. Rae has nearly 150,000 YouTube subscribers, and her videos
have more than 20 million views.
Producers need to seek cast members like Rae to diversify roles on TV.
There is not any one person responsible for the lack of representation on SNL even the producers arent solely to blame.
But they are the people with power to shift representation in the future. They should be working to implement change, rather than mocking
that power.
A job takes more than a diploma
SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2014
SECTIONS