If I were to steelman the argument of people who advocate for affirmative action in Hollywood, I would say:
"Yes, people of any race can play characters of any other race. However, due to past racism, POC's have historically been disproportionately denied roles in film and television. As a result, now that society is less racist, whites should temporarily step aside to let POC's have more roles, to make up for this previous injustice."
My response:
a. It's insulting to suggest that POC's aren't able to compete unless whites "step aside". Suggesting that POC's can't successfully compete unless someone puts a thumb on the scales for them is itself a form of racism.
b. There's no evidence that the people who are being pressured to give up their jobs because they're the "wrong" race were selected for racist reasons, rather than because they were the best of all the applicants. In general, it's considered wrong to harm someone who has done nothing wrong.
c. Many people have suffered from racial injustice in Hollywood, no doubt. However, the world is unjust in many ways, not just along racial dimensions.
For example, some people are born ugly. Others are born to alcoholic psychopaths. Still others suffer from chronic illness. Why should those who suffer racial injustice be singled out for special treatment? How do we know that, in doing so, we're not causing equal or greater injustice?
d. No one is "owed" a job in Hollywood, or anywhere else. It's the right of the people who put up the money to finance a movie or TV show to make hiring decisions. If they want to hire a middle aged women to voice a 12 year old boy, that's their right. They shouldn't be forced to follow strict racial/gender codes in hiring just to avoid being attacked by some woke mob.
#racism
#affirmativeaction
"Yes, people of any race can play characters of any other race. However, due to past racism, POC's have historically been disproportionately denied roles in film and television. As a result, now that society is less racist, whites should temporarily step aside to let POC's have more roles, to make up for this previous injustice."
My response:
a. It's insulting to suggest that POC's aren't able to compete unless whites "step aside". Suggesting that POC's can't successfully compete unless someone puts a thumb on the scales for them is itself a form of racism.
b. There's no evidence that the people who are being pressured to give up their jobs because they're the "wrong" race were selected for racist reasons, rather than because they were the best of all the applicants. In general, it's considered wrong to harm someone who has done nothing wrong.
c. Many people have suffered from racial injustice in Hollywood, no doubt. However, the world is unjust in many ways, not just along racial dimensions.
For example, some people are born ugly. Others are born to alcoholic psychopaths. Still others suffer from chronic illness. Why should those who suffer racial injustice be singled out for special treatment? How do we know that, in doing so, we're not causing equal or greater injustice?
d. No one is "owed" a job in Hollywood, or anywhere else. It's the right of the people who put up the money to finance a movie or TV show to make hiring decisions. If they want to hire a middle aged women to voice a 12 year old boy, that's their right. They shouldn't be forced to follow strict racial/gender codes in hiring just to avoid being attacked by some woke mob.
#racism
#affirmativeaction