Inclusive Screen Weekly: SHOES... MORE SHOES!
This week: A surprise song from Bridgerton actress raising money for LGBTQ+ charities, Gaming companies driving change in the industry and the world, A look at religion and horror movies... And more!
I’m posting a bit later than planned this week due to some well deserved holidays. Lots of good and less good news about representation this week but I’ll start on a positive and hilarious note.
Spotlight read of the week:
Bridgerton actress Nicola Coughlan is raising money for LGBTQ+ charities by releasing her hilarious Real Housewives inspired music single “SHOES… MORE SHOES”. This story embodies everything I love about the internet and pop culture!
Read More: THEM
DEI Media Business & Industry News:
🤨 Jeff Vaughn sues CBS for anti-white discrimination: Jeff Vaughn, a former CBS anchor, is suing the network for age and racial discrimination. He claims CBS fired him in favor of a younger minority candidate to meet diversity quotas. This lawsuit is part of a larger trend challenging the legality of diversity initiatives. (Read More: Variety)
📰 Men dominate news reporting on social media but why? There is a lack of diversity in news reporting on social media, with men dominating the top influencer spots. According to Juliana Pamiloza’s article for PressGazette, this is due to a combination of factors including fewer women in senior news roles and women journalists facing online harassment. (Read More: PressGazette)
🎮 Gaming professionals talk about how to fight sexist mobile game ads: Mobile game ads often use sexist content to grab attention. This tactic is successful in the short term, but it's harmful and reflects poorly on the industry. Industry experts propose various solutions, including user education, developer self-regulation, and platform intervention. (Read More: Pocket Gamer)
🤵🏾♀️ Winners of this year’s AAFCA TV Honors were announced: The AAFCA TV Honors celebrate achievements in television with a focus on Black stories and creators. This year's winners include Ayo Edebiri, Wendell Pierce, and the miniseries "Genius: MLK/X," highlighting both established and rising Black talent. (Read More: The Hollywood Reporter)
🇪🇸 Comcast news Spanish language streaming offering called Now TV Latino: It seems like someone listened to The Ankler’s article from last week about the Latinx opportunity! Comcast's launch of Now TV Latino, a $10/month streaming service with over 25 Spanish-language channels, caters to Hispanic viewers and expands access to diverse content. (Read More: The Hollywood Reporter)
🇬🇧 Tubi launches in the UK with a special mention of Bollywood and Nollywood inclusions: Tubi, a free streaming service, is launching in the UK with a diverse content library. This includes Hollywood films, modern British classics, Bollywood, Nollywood and Arthouse Cinema, catering to a wide range of interests. (Read More: Tubi)
🗺️ Netflix & Amazon focusing on non-US content: The two streaming giants ordered more than half of their Q1 originals from countries outside the US. This includes European countries like the UK, Germany and Poland but we’re also seeing an increased focus on Asian content from India and South Korea. (Read More: Deadline)
🏳️🌈 Nielsen webinar about building brand loyalty with the LGBTQ+ community: The webinar is co-hosted with GLAAD and definitely worth a look as we exit Pride month. (Watch: Nielsen)
🎮 Games for Change festival winners: The festival focuses on games that make a positive impact on the world and included winners like “Headlines and High Water” focusing on a journalist navigating a town just impacted by a flood or “It's Ukraine - not a Game” focusing on the current situation in Ukraine. (Read More: Games for Change)
Representation Opinion Pieces:
🏳️🌈 Why are queer kids drawn to role playing games like D&D: D&D's character creation allows young LGBTQ+ teens to explore their identities in a safe space, while the game itself can be a fun and supportive environment to build confidence and friendships. (Read More: Matthew's Place on Medium)
⛪ Are horror movies promoting Christianity? Many American horror films, from iconic titles like "The Exorcist" to modern franchises like "The Conjuring," use Christian themes of good versus evil. These movies often feature religious figures defeating demonic forces, raising questions about the role of religion in American society and if horror reflects anxieties about faith. (Read More: Cinemania on Medium)
Diverse Representation on Your Screens:
😢 Netflix scraps Horizon Zero Dawn series: I was really sad to learn this week that the planned Horizon Zero Dawn Netflix series appears to be on hold. This follows a report by Rolling Stone detailing allegations of a negative work environment on projects overseen by the planned showrunner. Thankfully, the Horizon franchise itself is alive and well with upcoming Lego sets and a separate online game in development. (Read More: Games Radar)
👩🏻🦰 Hacks and the difficulty of being a woman comedian: Alice Cutler writes about how HBO Max's Hacks tackles the dark humor of sexism in stand-up comedy. While fictional, Hacks reflects the real struggles women in comedy experience, from constant under-representation to a culture that prioritizes male voices. Can you believe there is still only 1 woman with a late night show? (Read More: Fanfare on Medium)
🏳️🌈 Orphan Black: Echoes is as inclusive as the original show without being an imitation: The show offers a refreshing alternative to the current trend of reboots and sequels that simply rehash old ideas. By introducing new (a lot of them queer) characters, exploring fresh themes, and maintaining a focus on diversity, Echoes stands as a worthy successor to the original series. (Read More: David B Morris on Medium)
The Inclusive Social Media Corner:
Feeling behind at the game of life! Netflix shared this touching clip from America’s sweethearts: Dallas cowboys cheerleaders of Victoria and her mom having a conversation a lot of us can relate to…
We should all start celebrating our periods. Apple shared this gem of a clip from their movie Fancy Dance.
What’s new and gay to stream in July? Autostraddle got your back with this Instagram post
What about what’s new and Black on Netflix in July? Netflix got your back with this instragram post on their strongblacklead profile.
How about some strong queer black characters? Netflix got you once again
Imagine a world where women are the one womenspreading… This is the promise of the short film promoted in the Tiktok below
Young men are becoming more conservative and it’s worrying. The Financial Times posted a summary of stats I’ve seen circulating a lot lately showing that young men are becoming more conservative while women continue to become more liberal.
Amazing way to address past problematic content. Actress Kim Rhodes who played the mom in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody addresses a problematic line from the show in the best way possible: “I have learned. I am sorry.”
Last but not least, a clip of Trixie Mattel playing Nicola’s new single. Because this news deserved to be mentioned first and last in this newsletter!
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Thank you for reading and see you next week!