The broadcast networks: straight shooters
This week GLAAD released its “Where we are on TV” analysis showing how many series (on both the broadcast networks and cable) feature members of the LGBT community.
On the broadcast networks the number of characters dropped to 1.3% from last season’s 1.4% (presumably with the cancelation of Will and Grace). The figure that is often thrown around is that 10% of the population is gay. Now,it’s no surprise that minorities are underrepresented on television. Hollywood, which is constantly blamed for being a godless, liberal empire that will eat your children, has always been one of our most conservative institutions. But in this particular case I think the problem isn’t so much lack of diversity in the characters on broadcast television, but in the lack of diversity in the shows on broadcast television.
Each network’s line-up is chalk full of the same three shows: police procedurals, courtroom dramas, and family sit-coms. I’m not apologizing for the lack of character diversity (though I do question whether adding a token minority is really doing any good, socially). What I’m arguing is that the networks should be ashamed of their lack of programming diversity. It’s hard to have one without the other.
