In “Racism and the American Way
of Media,” Ash Corea uses television as a platform for an examination of the
depiction of African Americans in American media culture. In an effort to
illuminate the topic, Corea expands on how statistics in the media industry
show a lack of African American representation both on camera as well as on the
production side of things. While the argument may be a dated one, the principle
of the matter is definitely one to be considered. Do minorities by nature of
being minorities, have less representation in media due to sheer numbers of
minorities in the workforce or is there some “glass ceiling” being perpetuated
in the corporate world of media that stifles their presence in mainstream
culture.
I wanted to find an example that broke the barrier and I stumbled upon director/producer Paris Barclay. Barclay started his career in music videos in the early 90’s by directing for recording artist LL Cool J. He was subsequently offered the directorial position for some predominantly African American films such as “House Pary” and “White Men Can’t Jump.” After these films he began a venture into television directing and focused on primetime dramas. He directed regularly for ER and NYPD Blue, eventually becoming a producer the latter. He went on to create the series City of Angels which was a medical drama with a primarily African American cast (it received to NAACP awards). In his recent career, Barclay has directed episodes of Weeds, Glee, Smash, The Goodwife, and Sons Of Anarchy (producer and lead director).
I wanted to find an example that broke the barrier and I stumbled upon director/producer Paris Barclay. Barclay started his career in music videos in the early 90’s by directing for recording artist LL Cool J. He was subsequently offered the directorial position for some predominantly African American films such as “House Pary” and “White Men Can’t Jump.” After these films he began a venture into television directing and focused on primetime dramas. He directed regularly for ER and NYPD Blue, eventually becoming a producer the latter. He went on to create the series City of Angels which was a medical drama with a primarily African American cast (it received to NAACP awards). In his recent career, Barclay has directed episodes of Weeds, Glee, Smash, The Goodwife, and Sons Of Anarchy (producer and lead director).
Barclay success is a rare occurrence for any director, but specifically for an African American director. He has managed to direct both media focused primarily on African American audiences as well as mainstream media for huge broadcasting companies. There is still a disparity between African American and white Americans in the media workforce, but there are signals that indicate things are changing and blending together for the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment