Course:ANTH213/2024/topic/Representation in Media
Introduction
This wiki page unpacks the topic of representation within specific aspects of modern day media such as marketing, social media, television, movies, and music. Each subsection looks specifically at each of these areas of media and further develops them through the use of a specific case study. The marketing section of queer representation in media consists of the history of queer marketing from its advent to the present. The section describes the perpetual struggle for representation in marketing. The section also includes an analysis on contemporary understandings and importance of queer marketing for the queer community. The social media subsection looks at Queer representation on social media and how it has become a pivotal force in challenging stereotypes, fostering understanding, and empowering LGBTQIA2S+ individuals. Through platforms like Twitter and Instagram, visibility and awareness within these communities have expanded, breaking down barriers and misconceptions in society. The film, television, and music sections all also look at representation within those respective spaces.
Representation in Film
Media representation today is discussed as modern, cutting edge, and unique, particularly representation including intersectionality. Representation in film, however, dates back as far as the art form of filmmaking does, with pre-Hays Code media being far more open and explicit with discussions and representations of gender and sexuality. The first ever onscreen queer kiss in a movie was seen in 1922’s Manslaughter, and the first female queer kiss in 1930’s Morocco. The introduction of the Hays Code, or the Motion Picture Code, severely limited the discussions that were permitted to be held about gender and sexuality on screen; it was “an early attempt to censor the content of American films based primarily on religious and moral grounds for what could be considered offensive or inappropriate content.” (Timothy Jay, “Hays Code”, pg 182). The Hays Code was in effect from 1934 to 1968, and introduced the ability for intense control from production companies over depictions of sexuality: portrayals of heterosexuality became incredibly conservative, while portrayals of homosexuality disappeared completely.
In the twenty-first century, now over fifty years removed from the Hays Code, representation in film has increased and individualized. In heated political climates, the discussion of “good” and “bad” representation is still a hot topic at every level of the film production industry. This includes questions such as who is allowed to write, star in, and produce queer films, as well as the personal lives of actors, which are often scrutinized if they choose to perform queer roles. In addition, work for trans actors can be incredibly difficult to find, and discrimination in the industry is rampant against virtually all marginalized individuals. Intersectionality is incredibly difficult to balance as an actor, and actual representation of intersectionality is even more difficult to find. This leads to many queer and trans actors hiding their In the simplest terms, filmmaking is a cis, hetero, white, colonizer institution. That makes the representation in media that is seen today all the more important, as films begin to fight their way outside of the barriers they were previously trapped within.
Gender and its relation to sexuality are not lost on filmmakers, particularly the indie writers and producers who are often marginalized themselves and reflect their own histories in the stories that they tell. 2016’s Moonlight is an example of a film that grew out of virtually nothing–an independent film on a shoestring budget, depicting the experiences of a queer Black man growing up in close proximity to addiction and gang activity. It details the brutality and hardship of a life lived facing these realities, but it also saves room for the joy, companionship, and love that is found within marginalized communities. As Jessica Walter says in Aspeers Journal, it “uncovers various aspects of queerness, kinship, and masculinity that open up opportunities beyond shame and secrecy.” (pg 1). In essence, it is a perfect example of “understanding sex and gender as a developmental dynamic in which the social, the cultural, and the body are so intertwined that if we try to disentangle them we end up losing the forest amidst the trees.” (pg 3, “Pink and Blue Forever”, Chiron, the film’s main character, finds camaraderie and peace with a friend, Kevin, which eventually becomes something more. The sweet, gentle way that the film portrays masculinity and sexuality is unique, without robbing these characters of their manhood. The intersection of Chiron’s Blackness and queerness is integral to the story, opposing prevalent cultural norms such as those discussed in “Making Empire Respectable” by Ann Stoler: “Gender specific sexual sanctions demarcated positions of power by refashioning middle-class conventions of respectability, which, in turn, prescribed the personal and public boundaries of race.” (pg 3). Without outright dialogue, the film discusses the fine lines that these men walk between their professional and private lives, the internal conflict that arises from their identities. It does not portray queerness as weakness, but does show the cruelty in homophobic bullying; it is a story of first love, familial love, and platonic love, while also examining the cruellness of addiction, drug dealing, and gang activity. It shows the beauty and honour in masculinity, the multifaceted qualities that are often ignored, even by men themselves. Moonlight won Best Picture at the 2017 Oscars, and it is no mystery why: the balance between poignance and reality, strength and beauty, is pictured in this film in a captivating, well-paced environment. It is not a movie about masculinity for queer Black men; it is a movie about masculinity for everyone.
Where there are beautiful portrayals of gender and sexuality, however, there are also subpar ones. Ammonite (2020) is an example of one of these, a movie with ambitious ideas that fails to fully express them, perhaps as a result of the production team behind the film. Ammonite is a period piece following Mary Anning, a paleontologist in Victorian England, and the suggested romance between her and a geologist’s wife, Charlotte Murchison. The film is long and drawn out in a way that had the potential to be sentimental and cutting, a love story set against the harsh environment of the English coast in winter, but the actors, both straight women (Saorise Ronan as Charlotte Murchison and Kate Winslet as Mary Anning) lack chemistry or drive in their relationship. It seems as if they simply exist within the same spaces, until they come together in intensely explicit sex scenes that often lack any sort of buildup. The film attempts to challenge sexual and gender roles in similar ways and with similar issues that are described by Danielle Currier in “Strategic Ambiguity”: “men and women protect their sexual and social identities by relying on some historic/traditional definitions of gender while simultaneously challenging the concept that women should not be sexual beings.” (pg 7). There is a question here on how the gender of the main characters factors into the representations of their sexualities: are these sex scenes simply fodder for the male gaze? The force of their explicit scenes has no buildup and seemingly no real attraction. In addition to the poor representation of sapphic relationships, the film is also far from historically accurate; for example, as Thomas Goodhue points out, “Charlotte Murchison was not a depressed young lady when she came to Lyme Regis to study with Anning, but rather a vibrant, experienced geologist eleven years older than Mary.” (The real woman behind Ammonite, pg 1). The film is written and directed by a queer man, but the seeming lack of involvement of queer women points towards this movie being an awkward portrayal of female sexuality by a cisgender man in over his head.
It is impossible to make broad, sweeping statements about representation in film. In the case of Ammonite and Moonlight, both films were created by and for queer people, but in that specific intersection between gender and sexuality, the integrity of representation in Ammonite seems to have been lost or generalized. But the production team’s ability to relate to the material presented in a film is not always a dealbreaker for the quality of representation in the film; movies such as Brokeback Mountain (2005) or The Favourite (2018) were both films starring straight actors that received praise from the communities they were representing as well as the film community as a whole. Overall, it is simply crucial to understand stories about gender and sexuality as the incredibly nuanced, delicate material they are, and to treat them accordingly. It is also important to take into account the reasoning behind the film and the people involved: why did they chose to be a part of this project, or why were they chosen? Was this just another job for the people involved, or a cash grab, or did they have real ties to the source material?
Representation in Social Media
Queer representation in social media refers to the visibility, portrayal, and amplification of LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, communities, and issues across various digital platforms. This representation encompasses a diverse range of identities and experiences within the LGBTQIA2S+ spectrum, aiming to reflect the richness and complexity of queer lives. Through social media, queer representation plays a crucial role in challenging stereotypes, combating discrimination, and fostering understanding and acceptance among broader audiences. It provides a platform for queer individuals to authentically express themselves, share their stories, connect with others who share similar experiences, and access resources as well as support networks. Moreover, queer representation in social media contributes to community building, activism, and empowering LGBTQIA2S+ individuals to demand visibility, rights, and social change.
In the past, many discriminatory opinions and laws existed because of the lack of visibility and awareness society had towards different communities. An example of such laws was the criminalization of HIV in regions like Michigan. HIV criminalization laws perpetuate stigma and discrimination against those living with HIV, fueling fear, prejudice, and social exclusion within LGBTQIA2S+ communities (Hoppe, 2013). With social media in the 21st century, society has a broader look into different communities, and is a powerful tool for advocacy and awareness-building within queer communities. Social media platforms serve as vital channels for queer individuals to authentically express themselves and share their experiences openly, contributing significantly to visibility and awareness within LGBTQIA2S+ communities (Frank, 2021) and beyond. This visibility is crucial in breaking down stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding LGBTQIA2S+ identities, fostering greater understanding and acceptance among broader audiences. With the strategic utilization of hashtags like #Pride on platforms such as Twitter has paved the way for achieving various objectives, including awareness, donation, and protest (Frank, 2021).
Social media platforms serve as invaluable tools for community building within LGBTQIA2S+ circles, facilitating connections between individuals who share similar experiences and identities. Platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok have emerged as vibrant hubs for queer communities to come together, share stories, exchange resources, and offer mutual support (Kojima, 2014). Jessica Fish, a researcher at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, emphasizes the significance of social media in providing a lifeline for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, offering them a sense of connection and belonging (Miller, 2023). Particularly during times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, online communities played a pivotal role in offering solace and acceptance to LGBTQIA2S+ youth, many of whom found themselves isolated with unsupportive families (Miller, 2023). Through these digital spaces, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals can seek out friends, emotional support, and vital information about their identities and health, reaffirming the importance of social media in fostering a sense of community and inclusion within the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
In society, we always approach life in a similar way and it's been dictated. To a large extent, the concept of gender was followed by the work of John Money and Anke Ehrhardt because they were the only people who have published, at least in medical literature, any data, or any guidelines (Kessler, 2003). With social media it facilitates the spread of information and education about LGBTQIA2S+ identities, as well as promote community support and activism that play vital roles in fostering queer acceptance, where LGBTQIA2S+ organisations, social groups, and advocacy efforts work tirelessly to promote visibility, understanding, and acceptance of queer identity. These efforts are crucial in challenging societal norms and prejudices that may marginalised LGBTQIA2S+ individuals within these communities. Research indicates that social media also plays a significant role in connecting LGBTQIA2S+ youth with peer support networks and activism opportunities (Berger et al., 2022). Qualitative data found that LGBTQIA2S+ youth social media use provide avenues for anonymous connections with peers, in which a total of 20% of the studies noted that approximately 80% of 6178 LGBTQIA2S+ youths followed LGBTQIA2S+ celebrities and communities (Berger et al., 2022). Moreover, a substantial portion of LGBTQIA2S+ youth actively engage with LGBTQIA2S+ celebrities and communities on social media, indicating the importance of online spaces in facilitating exposure to diverse experiences and fostering understanding and acceptance of one's identity (Berger et al., 2022). Through these community support networks and online activism, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals can find solidarity, empowerment, and validation in their identities, contributing to broader social change and acceptance.
In conclusion, the impact of queer representation in social media on LGBTQIA2S+ communities is profound and multifaceted. These platforms serve as vital spaces for visibility, community building, as well as offering connection and support to individuals who may otherwise feel isolated. These platforms offer these resources with the promotion of community support and activism, facilitating connections between individuals and organisations working towards queer acceptance and societal change. As we continue to navigate the complexities of identity and inclusion, the role of social media in amplifying queer voices and fostering solidarity remains indispensable in shaping a more equitable and accepting world for all LGBTQIA2S+ individuals.
Representation in Marketing
Queer representation in marketing has seen drastic changes in recent years. A population once disregarded in the field of marketing now represents common mainstream companies. However, these changes did not happen overnight. To discuss the queer presence in marketing, we must look back to the 1970s.
Some of the first queer inclusive marketing came from alcohol companies such as Absolut or Jagermeister. Due to the large queer populations in bars and nightclubs, liquor companies began advertising their products in queer newspapers. This is regarded as the first leap into the queer market (Telford).
The 1990s were very influential in the development of queer marketing. The decade brought with it the first breakthrough into TV queer marketing. One of the first companies to air a queer targeted advertisement on TV was Ikea. In 1994 Ikea aired an advertisement depicting a gay couple shopping for furniture. Though this breakthrough was met with heavy criticism. The advertisement was taken off air shortly after due to threats of boycott and even bomb threats (Telford).
After learning how the public would react to queer marketing, companies began employing “gay vague” ads. Gay vague ads attempt to attract queer customers with queer marketing that is subtle enough that the heterosexual majority would not notice its queer directed content. This would be done, for example, by not disclosing the relationship of depicted actors in ads. Volkswagen aired an ad which depicted two men driving in a car together. While the queer community interpreted the men as a gay couple, the heterosexual audience interpreted the pair as friends (Telford).
With a strong push for marriage equality in the early 2000s, companies also followed suit, supporting the movement. The Washington Post states, “[c]ompanies such as Nike, Time Warner Cable, Boeing and Microsoft expressed approval for same-sex marriage amid escalating political tension.” As the decade progressed, the acceptance of same-sex marriage increased and with that, commercials depicting gay couples increased. However, this time, rather than having the gay component of the ad being the “punchline”, what was now being depicted was regular gay families and couples (Telford). These gay families and couples were depicted in the same manner that heterosexual relations were depicted in any other ad, “normal”. Still navigating the possible backlash, this era of queer marketing was marked by the question of “[h]ow many straight people do you lose if you gain a gay customer?” (Telford).
The 2015 national legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States kicked off the beginning of the drastic changes in queer marketing we see today. The legalization of same-sex marriage encouraged companies to more openly display queer directed marketing. Along with this shift, the increasing use of social media created new spaces for queer marketing. With much of the younger queer population using social media as a safe space/community, companies began displaying openly gay directed ads through social media. This greatly increased the number of queer marketed ads that were being displayed (Telford).
Despite these drastic movements in queer marketing, trans marketing was still and is still a huge challenge to be overcome. With the strong presence of anti-trans sentiment, trans marketing has been the center of controversy in queer marketing. One company which has tried to make a breakthrough in trans marketing is Bud Light. In 2023, Bud Light collaborated with a trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, for a social media post promoting Bud Light in commemoration of her transition. This collaboration sparked huge boycotts among conservative parties. Dylan Mulvaney also received massive amounts of transphobia and bullying for her part in the collaboration. Bud Light is said to have not addressed the abuse Dylan Mulvaney has received (Telford).
Queer marketing has come a long way since the first queer directed advertisement. However, the story is the same. The constant backlash from conservative parties remains queer marketing's greatest challenge.
Why is the push for queer marketing important? Queer marketing, in the mainstream context, promotes a more inclusive society in a heteronormative world. The lack in queer marketing creates alienation and marginalization for the queer community. Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of GLAAD, an organization monitoring the portrayals of LGBTQ persons in media, argues that “[s]ixty percent of non-LGBTQ adults agree that seeing LGBTQ people in ads make them more comfortable with people who are different than themselves” (Hayes). Proper representation of queer people in marketing leads to a more inclusive community.
This alienation and marginalization of the queer community pushes queer people into the “other” category. The “other” is a label which describes the position of minority groups as inferior to the dominant group. As Queers in Palestine suggests “[they] have been othered as queers.” Dai Kojima describes his experience in studying queer individuals: “Throughout my fieldwork, I was importantly reminded of the harsh realities of [...] displacements my participants confront in relation to [...] exclusionary processes within mainstream queer communities and the wider public sphere” (34). The marginalization of queer people is a real problem that can be combated with queer representation in marketing.
As Fausto-Sterling suggests in Pink and Blue Forever, there is an obvious sex segregation in clothing marketing. One example of this is colour coded clothing for children. The colour blue is often tied to boys clothing while the colour pink is tied to girls clothing. Not only that, there is a clear binary boundary in clothing selection. Brands like Uniqlo have incorporated extensive collections of unisex clothing in their catalogue as well as their marketing (Uribe).
What is being done to promote queer marketing? Brent Miller, the Senior Director for Global LGBTQ+ Equality at P&G, lists four issues concerning queer marketing: “(1) do the messages reach LGBTQ+ people and their allies; (2) are the messages representative of LGBTQ+ people; (3) how relevant the messages are to LGBTQ+ people’s lives and experiences; and (4) how much resonance its messages have with LGBTQ+ people and members of the general population, in order to make a lasting impact and create sustained conversations about the issues, needs, and concerns of the community.” Miller argues that the marketing strategies they use today aim to reflect the population authentically and ethically. This is contrasted to the queer marketing of the 80s and 90s, as described above, where companies are simply trying to attain the largest portion of the queer market.
What kind of queer ads are productive in demarginalizing the queer community? Sarah Kate Ellis argues “[w]hat they’re actually looking for are displays of empathy and humanity, followed by realistic storylines, like families sharing meals or couples holding hands. People want to see the everyday, human stuff. It’s realistic stories over celebrity endorsement” (Hayes). Rather than the “punchline” style queer ads of the early 2000s, queer people feel more comfortable seeing realistic depictions of queer people.
Representation in Television
To further expand on the other sections of representation presented in this wiki page, this subsection will focus on queer representation in television shows. Specifically looking at young adult television. This section will use Heartstopper, the Netflix show released in 2022 as a case study to illustrate queer representation in television (Netflix). Queer representation within TV shows has been a struggle for many minority groups for decades. Communities of these minority groups have been fighting for representation and to be seen within all forms of media, not just television.
Queer and minority communities have been attempting to find representation and space where they feel represented and seen. For example, in Dai Kojima’s journal article Migrant intimacies: mobilities- in- difference and Basue tactics in queer Asian diasporas in which they studied several gay migrant men living in Vancouver they illustrate how these men make space for themselves as well as seek representation. Throughout the article Kojima shows how these men struggle to find spaces in which they feel they belong. This leads them to find unconventional places where they are able to gather with men like them where they can all feel safely represented (Kojima). Moreover, with a TV specific example, during the Aids epidemic, members of the Act Up activism group formed their own TV channel in order to control the narrative that was surrounding Aids at the time and to ensure that they were being represented within the media. By doing this they were able to take back the narrative and have control over it (Act up documentary).
It is so important for young people to see themselves represented on screen. The television industry has become increasingly more diverse in terms of casting in the last ten years or so..It is important to have TV shows with main characters who are a part of the LGTQ community as well as characters that “just happen to be gay” (Marks 1.2 ). As well as have all types of representation. Having characters that “just happen to be gay” shows that people in the real world also “just happen to be gay” and it isn't a huge plot point in their life. It is important to have both types of shows where being LGBTQ is the whole story and television shows where being LGTBQ is a small plot point.
Diving into the case study of this subsection, we will use the show Heartstopper to illustrate representation within television.. Heartstopper, now a smash hit among teens on Netflix is based on a graphic novel books series by Alice Oseman. The five volume book series has been adapted into two seasons each with eight episodes (Netflix). The show follows the story of two teenage boys at a grammar school in the United Kingdom. It follows Charlie who identifies as gay played by Joe Locke and Nick who identifies as Bisexual played by Kit Connor. They navigate the everyday struggles of being teenagers, mixed with the added struggle of coming out and navigating their first relationship.
The storyline follows Charlie who is out as gay, at an all boys grammar school. He develops a crush on a rugby playing jock named Nick, who eventually comes out as Bisexual. Heart stopper is not hypersexual and is written for a younger audience. Scholar Mellisa Allen writes that there is no burying of gays or use of other harmful queer media tropes in Heart stopper’s storyline. There is simply the story of two boys falling in love, one of whom happens to be bisexual (Allen 220). Her journal article unpacks the depictions of bisexuality within the Heartstopper graphic novels, however the writing can also be adapted to reflect the television show as the story lines are virtually the same. She further writes that “the media often struggles to portray bisexuality from a positive perspective (Allen 224). Within TV there can often be “damaging tropes and depictions that rely on stereotypes” regarding bisexual characters (Allen 199) . We as a society often place people in binary boxes. From infancy it is decided by our families or caregivers whether we wear pink or blue based on our gender, whether we are going to play sports or dance, and whether assumed right or wrong that we are going to like boys or girls (Fausto-Sterling). Heartstopper rejects the concept that Mellisa Allen describes as “compulsory binarization” that is found in youth literature and TV. Heart stopper instead embarrasses diversity beyond binary boxes with its portrayal of bisexual characters. Allen further writes that “the media often struggles to portray bisexuality from a positive perspective (Allen 224). Within TV there can often be “damaging tropes and depictions that rely on stereotypes” regarding bisexual characters.
The show sports a diverse cast showing a wide range of different sexualities and ethnicities including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender characters; basically the entire LGBTQ acronym is represented. The show has a narrative of young queer love in a world where queer love is seen as an “adult thing”, something not for a younger audience. Charlie’s crush on Nick eventually materializes into a relationship with him. They then publicly come out to the school. It shows that innocent queer high school relationships exist and are just as valid as straight high school relationships.It helps show and normalize queer youth and provides queer kids normalcy in the media. Kit Conner co-star of the show alongside Joe Locke, in an interview with Altitude magazine acknowledged the representation and diversity within the show saying " the representation in modern day media is getting better, but there are never enough queer stories being shown on screen" (Altitude Magazine Interview). Joe adds to this by saying that the diversity of the show adds to the level of truth to the story (Altitude Magazine Interview). Television still has a long way to go but Heartstopper is one show making real change by providing authentic representation.
Overall, the show provides steps towards more inclusive television watching where people are able to see themselves represented within the characters they are watching. The diverse cast including BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ characters creates a show that many people are able to see themselves represented.
Representation of Music
Traditionally, the mainstream music industry has been predominantly heterosexual, white, and male-dominated. However, changes have been seen as years go by, as we start to see people of different gender, culture, and sexuality entering the scene. In this section, we are going to focus on representation in mainstream music from the 2000s to the modern days and explore where our society is currently in the progress of representation in music.
Traditionally, the mainstream music industry has been predominantly heterosexual, white, and male-dominated. However, changes have been seen as years go by, as we start to see people of different gender, culture, and sexuality entering the scene. In this section, we are going to focus on representation in mainstream music from the 2000s to the modern days and explore where our society is currently in the progress of representation in music.
Gender roles, like in a lot of different aspects of life, also exist in the music industry. Men are expected to be in music genres like Rock, Metal and Rap, that show traditional masculine qualities like “loud, aggressive, rebellious and strong,” (Hartman 56). While women are expected to be in music genres like Folk, R&B, Adult Contemporary, which show traditional feminine qualities like “submissive, nurturing, patient, and emotional” (56). Additionally, as “ emphasized femininity is often theorized as a response to hegemonic masculinity,” a lot of women in the industry are sexualized, and have to perform songs related to romance, seduction, and sexuality (Currier 706). This limits a lot of musicians to making music that truly represents them artistically.
In recent years, limitations on gender seemed to slowly loosen up, as we started to see artists of different genders and sexual orientations, no longer only heterosexual, men and women, perform in different genres. Although we are still far from full representation in these genres, changes are showing. Although men and women still mainly dominate the music industry, stars from the LGBTQ + community, like Sam Smith, Lil Nas X, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Halsey and Kim Petras are going mainstream. But this doesn’t mean that people of all gender and sexuality are being seen in the industry. Also, women still don’t get as much recognition as men, and people in the LGBTQ+ community don’t get as much recognition as women.
There’s also more attempt for the artist to step out of their gender roles. Contradicting to hegemonic masculinity Harry Styles was dressing in traditional feminine clothes while performing, and Frank Ocean, where he explore the vulnerable side of men in relationships in his music. Artists like Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa are making songs about female empowerment. However, some are still being limited by their gender and gender orientation. For example, LGBTQ+ singers sometimes feel limited as they are constantly being expected to sing about their experience as a members of the LGBTQ+ community, which might not be something that some of these singers want to be limited by (Parahoo 25). Heterosexual musicians sometimes also fear dressing themselves up in a way that is beyond “normalcy” in fear of audiences misinterpreting their sexual orientation or being accused of queer baiting (Karkazis 7).
Sex segregation, an act that uses different measures to create binaries between genders, also impacts music listeners (Paoletti 109). Female and male listeners are often expected to listen to specific genres. For example, people will be shocked when a woman says that she enjoys rap, or when a man says that he enjoys musical music.
In the past decades, music in english from America and the United Kingdom, in english, are the two dominant countries that are being represented globally. From 2000-2024, especially after the 2010s, we can see a trend of globalization in the Western music media hemisphere Take Kpop as an example, although Kpop did have its moment from time to time, for example, Nobody by Wonder Girls in 2008, and Gee by Girls Generation in 2009, Kpop was still not considered as “mainstream”. Korean Singer PSY’s global sensation "Gangnam Style," marks an important stepping stone of K-pop going mainstream in the Western music media, by being the first K-pop song to reach the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. From that onwards, K-pop groups like BTS, Blackpink, and Twice, were starting to be loved by listeners in the Western media, and a lot of people, including Koreans, see reaching Western audiences as going global. K-pop singers and bands also started to incorporate more English lyrics in their songs, or even released full English songs, to enter the Western market. (Yoon 379). Other songs from different cultures, like Latin music, Jpop, and French music, are also slowly entering mainstream Western music media, and are starting to put Western music media in mind when producing music.
Although more representation is spotted in the Western music industry, it does not mean that there’s equal representation of people of all kinds. The Western music media is still an industry mainly driven by heterosexual, white males, from positions like producers to singers. This phenomenon can be seen in various award shows related to music. Using Grammy, one of the biggest music award shows in the Western media as an example, in 2023, only 14.2% of artists nominated for awards were women, compared to 85.5% of men. (Not everyone gets a prize?). Additionally, 58% of awardees were White Non-Hispanics, 21% of awardees were Black, 12% of awardees were Hispanic, 8% of awardees were Asian, 3% identified as mixed race or biracial, and roughly 6% of awardees were part of the LGBTQ community. (Multicultural and Inclusive Segments Shine at the 2023 Grammys, Yet Viewer Calls for Continued Improvement). The above shows that there is still a long way to go in terms of the representation of music in Western media. Representation baiting has also become an issue in the Western music industry. For example, popular artists that are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, or of POC would be invited to music award shows, to show audiences how “diverse” and “inclusive” they are, when in reality they are just using those artists for ratings and fake equality and has no intension to give them any recognition and awards for their contribution to the music industry. The BTS case in the 2023 Grammys is a good example of representation baiting, where BTS, a global phenomenon, arguably the most popular band in the world, was invited to perform in the award show, some guessed to boose ratings and show diversity but didn’t receive any awards despite their success (Rolli).
It is great to see the beginning of the representation of different gender, culture, and sexuality in the Western music industry, but the system of the Western music industry still clearly needs reforming. The current system is set up to make heterosexuals, whites, and males succeed easily, and harder for others to do so. People of some gender, culture, and sexuality are still underrepresented, and the issue of representation bait and performative representation is clearly still an issue in the industry. While changes are being made, it is also important to keep these problems in mind and make the music something that could truly represent anyone and everyone.
References
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