Paving the Way to A More Inclusive Hollywood

A couple weeks ago, Jordan Peele released his second black horror movie, "Us", to critical acclaim. Peele has rocketed to fame in recent years for his first horror movie “Get Out,” which was also released to rave reviews and currently holds a 98 percent  rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Both films are revolutionary in cinema history, not just because of their success, but also because they feature African American and Black leads. 

However, this has caused some controversy. Recently, Peele said to a crowd of about 200 improv comedy students at the Improv Comedy Brigade Theatre that “[he] didn’t really see [himself] …casting a white dude as the lead in [his] movie. Not that I don't like white dudes. But I've seen that movie." At first glance, this might seem like an example of blatant inequality to some. However, there is an important distinction to make. In "Get Out," many of the characters are white, as is in "Us." The problem with this quote is not that it exemplifies inequality. The problem comes when people challenge it. What Peele is saying is that he doesn’t want to cast a white lead. He is not saying he doesn’t want to cast white people, period. And I agree with his reasoning. 

There are so many movies, not just horror, with white leads. It’s not black superiority to cast a black lead in a movie, it’s equality. It’s giving someone like Lupita Nyong’o the same chance that Matt Damon would have. And most importantly, it is teaching the audience a lesson in ethics. It allows people to see characters who they can see themselves in and whose experiences reflect their own. Simultaneously, it also allows others who are not of the same racial background to expand their view beyond the stereotypical roles that actors of color are generally cast in. This is the real lesson that Hollywood needs to learn, and what Peele is trying to spearhead. 

For decades, Hollywood’s problem has been that they are only willing to pander to a certain audience through their films– an audience of white people. Take Disney, for example. In the 20th century, it was rare for a movie to be centered around a non-white princess. Jasmine, in 1992's "Aladdin," was the first. And the first black Disney princess did not appear on the big screen until 2009, with the "Princess and the Frog." Hollywood is too set in their ways, and more importantly, they've allowed their audiences to become accustomed to seeing only white actors in major films. 

People have been pushing for concrete progress for years, and we have finally begun to witness changing media representation for people of color. Idris Elba being considered for James Bond and Noma Dumezweni for Hermione in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” are two examples of how we, as a society, have started to shift into more inclusive casting for prominent roles. However, as much as we have grown, Hollywood has ingrained into the collective American psyche, the belief that white people should always star in films. Just as we as a society need to change our mentality of who we deem worthy to occupy these roles, it is up to Hollywood to make a greater effort for true racial equality on the movie screen. This is what Peele is doing, and hopefully other directors and producers will follow suit. Film is a medium which many people observe on a daily basis, and it has the power to change people's minds about issues. We can't and shouldn’t blame Peele for effectively using it as a platform to advocate for greater inclusion.