Business Insider: "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" has one of the most diverse writing teams in television. And in order to achieve that, the show had to get creative during the hiring process.
"I was bound and adamant about having a diverse writers room," "Full Frontal" showrunner Jo Miller told Business Insider. "And they're the best writers I could ever imagine. They're all fantastic."
2 comments:
I have yet to watch this show, but this article definitely makes me want to. I've watched Trevor Noah on the Daily Show, though, and I always find it super compelling because as someone from South Africa, his perspective on what's going on in America is always at least slightly nuanced, which makes for much more entertaining comedy. I think a diverse writing team and/or cast is necessary. It's so important to hear new things instead of the same story every time, especially in comedy because the same jokes over and over will never be funny. Political satire in general can maybe benefit the most from diversity because in terms of the political issues that exist in our country today, minorities are disproportionately affected. Furthermore, the term "minority" itself is interesting because if you add up all the groups that could fit into "minority" categories, they far overtake the traditional non-minority category of the straight, white male. Having diverse writers or cast members would actually more effectively reach much wider audiences. I really commend Samantha Bee's show, and I'm really looking forward to watching it when I get the time!
I think it's important that people realize, like Samantha Bee did, that diversity doesn't just "happen." That's why "colorblind casting" doesn't work- the bias towards white men (not just in entertainment, but in most industries) means that other people are less likely to apply for the same jobs. "Well, I'm not not hiring PoC/women/LGBT/etc" doesn't cut it- employers and directors need to intentionally hire those people if they truly believe they deserve a chance in the entertainment industry. I think Samantha Bee's model for employment is interesting because it is similar to the college application process. The applicants are reviewed on a (theoretically) unbiased assessment of their ability, then those who meet the acceptable standard are reviewed holistically. And, through Affirmative Action, this holistic review includes race, socioeconomic class, and sometimes gender as one of its factors in order to ensure minority students the chance for higher education. Both of these standards are one method of allowing minorities to become successful in spaces they have previously been gatekept from.
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