Wilson – media and self-identity

We’ve seen that we aren’t representing race in the right way. We’re not representing a more fulsome group of people on camera, or on screens, that we would like to see. And so, there was a real disproportionate amount of white characters versus nonwhite characters. And then when we started to see, as we did more studies, we started to see an increase, and we actually got to a point where it’s like, we’re like 51, 49, we’re there. But then you still notice there’s some tremendous absences. So Middle Eastern characters are absent, hardly represented at all. South Asian characters are hardly represented at all, Indigenous characters, less represented. And those, by the way, are big groups in terms of profile in Canada.  

Twenty two percent of Canadians have a disability of some sort right now. And we actually found two characters in a study we did that was on animated shows that had disabilities, and there was no neurodiversity. And that research is a few years old now. But so, you’re seeing some content, but still, again, we’re seeing not what we’re seeing in the real world.  

2SLGBTQ representation is similar to disabilities, we’re just not seeing it enough. I know that anybody who watches this will say, “Oh, I saw this on this show or I saw this”, but I think I brought this up when there was a database that was created about every perceived 2SLGBTQ+ member, or onscreen member, in a children’s show. And I thought the fact that, I think there was 257, and a lot of them were like, we think, kind of maybe. I, you know, the fact that you had to create a database says a lot already that, and we think and we think and we think. It’s just not a normal part of the shows we’re seeing. Well, it is a normal part of children’s reality. And kids today approach diversity, inclusion, 2SLGBTQ issues, disability in a very different way. Especially kids who grew up in cities, which is where most kids are growing up. They are more exposed, this is part of their day-to-day reality, and we’re kind of lagging behind in terms of representing them. Being afraid of taking risks sometimes.  

Like that’s what I want to see more of, where it’s just organically in, and when we don’t get so excited because there’s the one character. We want to see it on, so it becomes, that it’s normalized, that it’s in shows just like it is in the real world for kids. Because the more we don’t reflect what they see in real life, the more they question, am I, is my, I’m non-binary, I’m questioning my sexuality, I’m Métis, I’m whatever, and I’m not seeing myself reflected. What’s wrong with me, which is something, the media is a powerful tool in self-identity.