Lack of Diversity No Laughing Matter

By Drew Kirtley

Arguably one of the funniest shows on TV today, NBC's The Office is known for being extremely politically incorrect. It features an office full of people of different cultures and race, and thrives on racial and ethnic slurs as a form of comedy. The comedy comes from moments when the boss, Michael Scott, shows his ignorance by making jokes about one of the minorities in the office. The result is often awkward silence, embarrassment and often hilarity. But as much fun as it is to see Michael make a complete fool out of himself by using offensive and rude comments toward virtually every race and culture in existence, The Office may very well be one of the most diverse shows in all of television.

In 2008, Kweisi Mfume, who is the CEO and President of the NAACP, called our four major television networks for their lack of diversity not only in their programs, but their staff as well. Mfume was quoted calling the fall program lineups of the ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox networks "a virtual whitewash." Those four networks combined released 26 news shows that season and a grand total of zero had a minority actor in a starring role. There have been major changes in those networks since then, whether they are a direct result of criticism or not.

While television is improving, the film industry is well on its way to being as diversified as any industry in the world. Some say that it will only get better because of the election of Barack Obama, but it has been improving for many years, now. Actor Will Smith has been one of the biggest box-office stars in the world for a couple years in a row and he isn't going anywhere soon. Halle Berry and Denzel Washington both won Academy Awards in 2002 and several black actors have won the coveted award since. Those names include Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Forrest Whitaker and Morgan Freeman. This year Penelope Cruz became the first Spanish woman to ever win an acting Oscar.

Yes, this issue is taken extremely seriously, and rightfully so. This country is improving and, at the same time, has a long way to go. But until that day, we can turn to the entertainment business and people like Michael Scott who said, "Abraham Lincoln once said, 'If your are a racist, I will attack you with the North.' And those are the principles that I carry with me in the workplace."