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[Deleted member 47027]

Here's the text version:
only 8% of films star a protagonist of color
of the 8 protagonists of color, all are men; 6 are played by Will Smith and 1 is a cartoon character (Aladdin)
0% of protagonists are women of color
0% of protagonists are LGBTQ
1% of protagonists are people with a disability

Reminder: This is a study of the top 100 domestic grossing sci-fi & fantasy films.

A goddamn shame. 0% of protagonists are women of color.

 

[Serrato]

Wow I really didn't expect so low percentage. 0% of Women of any color? This is really bad.

 

[RangerX]

Whats the Q at the end of LGBTQ stand for?

 

[cubicle47b]

Whats the Q at the end of LGBTQ stand for?

Queer (or Questioning, I guess).

 

[Serrato]

Whats the Q at the end of LGBTQ stand for?

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/LGBTQ

Queer or Questioning.

Edit : Beaten.

 

[Angelus Errare]

So what they're saying that in the future; Most black men are Will Smith clones, white women are an endangered species, minority women went extinct, disabilities no longer exist and everyone is heterosexual?

This is a future I do no want.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Ah, come on, that's a bunch of horse shit! Lando Calrissian was a black guy. You know, and he got to fly the Millennium Falcon, what's the matter with you? Lando Calrissian is a strong role model in the realm of science fiction and fantasy.

 

[Senator Soufflé]

I'd quite like to know what the top 100 are first.

 

[Serrato]

Ah, come on, that's a bunch of horse shit! Lando Calrissian was a black guy. You know, and he got to fly the Millennium Falcon, what's the matter with you? Lando Calrissian is a strong role model in the realm of science fiction and fantasy.

Yes... but he isn't the protagonist in any way. Read again.

 

[whatsinaname]

This is Ged in the Earthsea TV mini-series...

LeGuin's response.

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2004/12/a_whitewashed_earthsea.html

 

[negreenfield]

Ah, come on, that's a bunch of horse shit! Lando Calrissian was a black guy. You know, and he got to fly the Millennium Falcon, what's the matter with you? Lando Calrissian is a strong role model in the realm of science fiction and fantasy.

Who said that???

 

[DY_nasty]

Someone name a black elf

 

[Deleted member 47027]

I'd quite like to know what the top 100 are first.

Before you look at the stats? Uh, okay. Have fun
http://imdb.com

This is Ged in the Earthsea TV mini-series...



LeGuin's response.

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2004/12/a_whitewashed_earthsea.html

Goddamn, they butchered it.

 

[Serrato]

Someone name a black elf

Tuvok

You didn't specify Fantasy or Sci-Fi elf

 

[agrajag]

Yes... but he isn't the protagonist in any way. Read again.

Pretty sure his post was sarcasm.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

I'd quite like to know what the top 100 are first.

Here is IMDB's list for sci fi: http://www.imdb.com/search/title?genres=sci_fi&sort=boxoffice_gross_us,desc

Among the top 26

1. White male, straight
2. White male, straight
3. White male, straight
4. White male, straight
5. White female, asexual
6. White male, straight
7. White female, asexual
8. White male, straight
9. White male, straight
10. White male, straight
11. White male, straight
12. White male, straight
13. White male, straight
14. White male, straight
15. White male, straight
16. White male, straight
17. White male, straight
18. White male, straight
19. White male, straight
20. White male, straight
21. White male, straight
22. White female, straight
23. White male, straight
24. White male, straight
25. Will Smith, straight
26. Will Smith, straight

Yes... but he isn't the protagonist in any way. Read again.

Who said that???

Bitch you almost made me laugh.

Someone name a black elf

There was that one guy in Bad Santa and the other one in Thor 2.

 

[agrajag]

This is Ged in the Earthsea TV mini-series...



LeGuin's response.

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2004/12/a_whitewashed_earthsea.html

Yeah, I refused to watch that. The Studio Ghilbi adaptation is trash too.

 

[Angelus Errare]

Someone name a black elf

Amazing! lmao. God his face just kills it for me.

 

[Serrato]

Pretty sure his post was sarcasm.

Hard to say on the Internet sometimes.

 

[DY_nasty]

Tuvok

You didn't specify Fantasy or Sci-Fi elf

Dat 2 for 1

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Jada P Smith could carry a movie. Who else?

 

[erawsd]

This is the top grossing. Does that mean the movie makers are racist/sexist or are movie goers racist/sexist?

 

[turtle553]

So who was the handicapped one? Avatar?

 

[sphagnum]

This is the top grossing. Does that mean the movie makers are racist/sexist or are movie goers racist/sexist?

Both, although often subconsciously.

 

[negreenfield]

Bitch you almost made me laugh.

What's a nubian?

 

[teruterubozu]

LeGuin's response.

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2004/12/a_whitewashed_earthsea.html

Ursula K. LeGuin is very vocal about this subject in general. I remember she said most women in sci-fi are depicted as "hags and whores".

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

This is the top grossing. Does that mean the movie makers are racist/sexist or are movie goers racist/sexist?

Why not both?

 

[Deleted member 47027]

Ursula K. LeGuin is very vocal about this subject in general. I remember she said most women in sci-fi are depicted as "hags and whores".

It's true, too. It sucks.

 

[Intheflorsh]

Someone name a black elf

 

[Abounder]

A huge problem in successful scifi/fantasy is that the "diversity" is made up with aliens and elves, but all honesty I am not surprised at the numbers since it's been a white middle+ class world for the entertainment industry and Co. Even the Wachowskis still feature the typical white stars.

Hopefully diversity will be embraced

 

[Angelus Errare]

This is the top grossing. Does that mean the movie makers are racist/sexist or are movie goers racist/sexist?

Well to be fair, most movie goers won't be able to relate to the character if he's black or female and black

What that you say? Black movie goers have no problems watching movies with white protagonists? Well obviously, I mean who doesn't want to be white?! No one wants to be black!

I watched Star Trek ITD and could totally relate to the character as a black male. But my friend watched Blade and couldn't relate to the main character.

 

[Serrato]

This is the top grossing. Does that mean the movie makers are racist/sexist or are movie goers racist/sexist?

I don't really know but I'm sure it has to do with demographics.

AKA : I use white people for white people because that's the best sure way to make money. Or something.

 

[Sketchbag]

This still won't change that quickly. Look at Intersteller (supposedly the best sci-fi film being released this year). 1 black guy is listed on IMDB but he has no role name yet.

 

[Shaanyboi]

Someone name a black elf

Kurse in Thor 2

 

[Abounder]

I don't really know but I'm sure it has to do with demographics.

AKA : I use white people for white people because that's the best sure way to make money. Or something.

It's true though, people relate to stars like that. Larry Bird, Steve Nash, Yao Ming, Jeremy Lin, etc. added popularity for such demographics in the NBA

 

[Volodja]

Someone name a black elf

The elves in the Dungeons and Dragons movie!

 

[Toa TAK]

Goddamn, even video games have had at least one woman of color as a lead in a sci-fi game.

 

[robertsan21]

This has never bothered me at all. I just want good movies with a compelling storyline, I dont really care if they are black or white, the current formula works fine IMO.

Watching action flicks with a female lead is very hard. Gravity kind of films work fine, but watching a Die hard movie with a female lead....yikes.

I like Alien, those kind of movies work great with a female star.

 

[FortuneFaded]

This is the top grossing. Does that mean the movie makers are racist/sexist or are movie goers racist/sexist?

To claim the latter would be to claim there is a large group of sci-fi/fantasy movies with non-white and/or female protagonists that are released every year which cinema goers choose to ignore in favour of lesser films involving white male protagonists.

 

[Camwi]

Who was the protagonist with a disability?

 

[captainpat]

Who was the protagonist with a disability?

Avater? I think. the dude was wheelchair bound

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Why not both?

Movie-goers haven't really been given a choice though. Gravity and Hunger Games have been huge successes (as well as crap like Twilight and Resident Evil, really), but how many sci-fi/fantasy films have a female protagonist? In the 80s you had Terminator and Alien, but they skewed more towards horror, with the later entries in the Terminator series drifting away from Sarah as they got more action packed.

Will Smith, Sam Jackson, Denzel, Jamie Foxx, and The Rock have been the only actors of color given leading rolls in big budget films in probably the last 15 years, unless you count Chris Tucker in the Rush Hour films or Morgan Freeman's constant supporting roles.

This has never bothered me at all. I just want good movies with a compelling storyline, I dont really care if they are black or white, the current formula works fine IMO.

Watching action flicks with a female lead is very hard. Gravity kind of films work fine, but watching a Die hard movie with a female lead....yikes.

The current formula "works fine" but isn't all that representative of the society that we live in.

 

[Kinokou]

Here is IMDB's list for sci fi: http://www.imdb.com/search/title?genres=sci_fi&sort=boxoffice_gross_us,desc

Among the top 26

1. White male, straight
2. White male, straight
3. White male, straight
4. White male, straight
5. White female, asexual
6. White male, straight
7. White female, asexual
8. White male, straight
9. White male, straight
10. White male, straight
11. White male, straight
12. White male, straight
13. White male, straight
14. White male, straight
15. White male, straight
16. White male, straight
17. White male, straight
18. White male, straight
19. White male, straight
20. White male, straight
21. White male, straight
22. White female, straight
23. White male, straight
24. White male, straight
25. Will Smith, straight
26. Will Smith, straight

You got the asexual bit wrong.

 

[sphagnum]

This has never bothered me at all. I just want good movies with a compelling storyline, I dont really care if they are black or white, the current formula works fine IMO.

Watching action flicks with a female lead is very hard. Gravity kind of films work fine, but watching a Die hard movie with a female lead....yikes.

#1 fly (for a white guy) fisher

 

[Senator Soufflé]

I wasn't trying to take away from the topic and I realise that it is quite important.

I was just curious what would be classified as Sci Fi. Austin Powers and Ice age count apparently.

 

[Frog-fu]

Lack of sexual diversity amongst characters doesn't bother me since that hardly matters and it's a lot less overt than ethnicity and gender, which I think are well overdue for a change in all mediums of entertainment. Female protagonist are on the rise, somewhat, but there is still a serious lack of ethnic protagonists.

 

[Toa TAK]

This has never bothered me at all. I just want good movies with a compelling storyline, I dont really care if they are black or white, the current formula works fine IMO.

Watching action flicks with a female lead is very hard. Gravity kind of films work fine, but watching a Die hard movie with a female lead....yikes.

I like Alien, those kind of movies work great with a female star.

What? Have you seen Salt at least? Kill Bill?

What do you think of Sarah Conner?

 

[Fuchsdh]

This is the top grossing. Does that mean the movie makers are racist/sexist or are movie goers racist/sexist?

I think it undercuts the argument that audiences demand more diversity. Most don't care. That is of course separate from the question of whether they should, but it doesn't seem like there are market pressures to force them.

Edit: wait, they're just using the top 100 list with no year stipulations? Of course that's going to crater the total. Give me the top grossing films of the last ten years and then we have a number that's relevant for talking about the problem.

 

[DY_nasty]

Lack of sexual diversity amongst characters doesn't bother me since that hardly matters and it's a lot less overt than ethnicity and gender, which I think are well overdue for a change in all mediums of entertainment. Female protagonist are on the rise, somewhat, but there is still a serious lack of ethnic protagonists.

Its really just comical that guys can ponder up talking dragons, living mountains, mythical languages and bloodlines based on all kinds of shit

But a brown person, woman, or blind guy leading the charge is just asking for too much lol

 

[Abounder]

The current formula "works fine" but isn't all that representative of the society that we live in.

If box office trends are of any indication then I think we'll be seeing Asian stars and movie involvement to make more money in China, but I'm not sure if Asians are reflected in the OP's chart (or I suppose that could have been the point)