The MCU and diversity

[Username taken]

Really? I find it amusing. The MCU has black characters in all corners, from small cameos to big roles, lead characters (Falcon & Winter Soldier), and even the full casts of Luke Cage (2 seasons) and Black Panther (2 films). And, yet, nothing seems to be enough, not unless all lead and popular characters are black. Well, someone has to say it: 57.8% of the US are white and 12.1% are black. The "representation" quota is more than enough already.

By the way, latinos in the US are 18.7%, more than the blacks, and the number of latin american characters is abysmal. But I don't go around asking for more latino representation in the MCU: when I want to see latinos in fiction instead of Americans, I simply see films and series from Latin America

If "the blacks" in America want more representation they should settle for films and series made outside of America

[Ultimate Captain America]

The Blacks? Is that how you describe us on a regular?

Yes. In my country it's just an adjetive, it has no positive or negative meaning in itself. It's just like "fat", "blonde" or "left-handed". So I just use it without issue, because usually nobody has any.

Which other word should I use? Afroamerican? That leaves out those who are not Americans, such as most Wakandans. Negro? I hate it when people mix languages within a sentence. Non-white? Too poser. Colored? Seems wrong, is everybody else devoid of color? Diverse? Too silly. I just use the simpler term, and go on with what I was saying.

[Darkshadow]

LoL at all the knights in shining armor blindly clamoring to the diversity cause in here without realizing they were insulting someone of a different culture. This stuff writes itself.

[phonogram12]

Say you hate people clamoring for more diversity without saying you hate people clamoring for more diversity.

[Darkshadow]

Say you don't even understand what diversity means as you ridicule someone different than you.

[Username taken]

Yes. In my country it's just an adjetive, it has no positive or negative meaning in itself. It's just like "fat", "blonde" or "left-handed". So I just use it without issue, because usually nobody has any.

Which other word should I use? Afroamerican? That leaves out those who are not Americans, such as most Wakandans. Negro? I hate it when people mix languages within a sentence. Non-white? Too poser. Colored? Seems wrong, is everybody else devoid of color? Diverse? Too silly. I just use the simpler term, and go on with what I was saying.

You were referring to Americans (you literally provided statistics) so you should have used African-American.

Calling black people "the blacks" without any sort of context does appear casually racist. Note, I am not calling you racist but without any additional context, it appears quite offensive.

Lastly, Wakandans don't exist. If you're referring to Africans, then call them Africans or Sub-Saharan Africans for black Africans.

[Ultimate Captain America]

Diversity is pointless. It is right to ask for rights for minorities and make sure they have the same rights and obligations than any other citizen. But representation within works of fiction, that's neither here nor there. It changes nothing in the real world. Adding characters of diverse backgrounds to a work makes it relatable because the world itself is diverse, yes. But when we go beyond that point, when we ask for a work set in the US to include more [insert politically correct word] than the real US has, then that's completely out of place and has to stop.

[Steroid]

Diversity is pointless. It is right to ask for rights for minorities and make sure they have the same rights and obligations than any other citizen. But representation within works of fiction, that's neither here nor there. It changes nothing in the real world. Adding characters of diverse backgrounds to a work makes it relatable because the world itself is diverse, yes. But when we go beyond that point, when we ask for a work set in the US to include more [insert politically correct word] than the real US has, then that's completely out of place and has to stop.

Not even getting into the diversity is pointless debate but it's definitely not out of place for any minority to want to be represented in a medium for the world to see and asking to see that come to light. And I get that you have your statistics regarding the US but some of us actually live here and see all manner of different ethnicities everyday working together in the real world. No one's asking for a complete takeover of fiction but yes we do have the right to ask to be seen and heard.

[Ultimate Captain America]

"No one's asking for a complete takeover of fiction". The OP is doing exactly that.

[Steroid]

"No one's asking for a complete takeover of fiction". The OP is doing exactly that.

Actually no they weren't and there's nothing from the original post that suggests that but that's something you can take up with the OP.

[Galerion]

"No one's asking for a complete takeover of fiction". The OP is doing exactly that.

Im not. I never have and never will. I don't even usually involve myself in these kind of topics but like I clearly laid out in the OP certain comments inspired me to make this post. Considering the nature of the discussion in this thread so far, the point clearly got lost somehow though and I don't feel the discussion here is currently going anywhere productive.

[Username taken]

Not even getting into the diversity is pointless debate but it's definitely not out of place for any minority to want to be represented in a medium for the world to see and asking to see that come to light. And I get that you have your statistics regarding the US but some of us actually live here and see all manner of different ethnicities everyday working together in the real world. No one's asking for a complete takeover of fiction but yes we do have the right to ask to be seen and heard.

Agreed 100%.

It looks very,very strange when any media situated in a country as diverse as the US doesn't reflect said diversity.

The problem is that some people don't want diversity at all. That now is a different discussion that people need to have with themselves, it's not on comic book sites folks will sort out their personal issues.

[Reviresco]

I like how the diversity question is immediately framed by race and a breakdown by racial / ethnic percentages in the US. And yet, women make up roughly 50% of any population anywhere, yet that isn't even mentioned. I wonder what country's films women are supposed to watch for 50% representation?

[ed2962]

Diversity is pointless. It is right to ask for rights for minorities and make sure they have the same rights and obligations than any other citizen. But representation within works of fiction, that's neither here nor there. It changes nothing in the real world. Adding characters of diverse backgrounds to a work makes it relatable because the world itself is diverse, yes. But when we go beyond that point, when we ask for a work set in the US to include more [insert politically correct word] than the real US has, then that's completely out of place and has to stop.

Not to go off on a tangent, but we can look at any number of media examples starting with minstrel shows and going up TV shows like "Will and Grace" that show that representation in media good and bad does effect things in the real world...

[jwatson]

Really? I find it amusing. The MCU has black characters in all corners, from small cameos to big roles, lead characters (Falcon & Winter Soldier), and even the full casts of Luke Cage (2 seasons) and Black Panther (2 films). And, yet, nothing seems to be enough, not unless all lead and popular characters are black. Well, someone has to say it: 57.8% of the US are white and 12.1% are black. The "representation" quota is more than enough already.

By the way, latinos in the US are 18.7%, more than the blacks, and the number of latin american characters is abysmal. But I don't go around asking for more latino representation in the MCU: when I want to see latinos in fiction instead of Americans, I simply see films and series from Latin America

i actually feel sad for you you feel this way, this is exactly why you aren't represented because you don't expect it. This is exactly why there is a Hispanics for trump despite him debasing them and not hiring any in his cabinet. I don't want to be like that.