Are You Whitewashing Your Own Story? | Create A Diverse Writers Voice

It's a word I don't especially love to say, mostly because I was doing it myself (without realizing.) I was pre-emptively casting my characters by not creating any cultural relevance in even the tiniest of ways. This isn't necessary either! But it makes a story stronger and helps create a balance in storytelling with diverse casting if you live in a diverse country.
So here are four tips to diversify your characters and cut whitewashing at the script level!
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[@intersexcryptid]

This is so cool. I've literally just finished a novel where one of the main themes is pretty much this to the most extreme extent, that separation from your culture, from your heritage. Because I wasn't raised in mine at all. Though specifically, I'm Ukrainian Jewish, so it's about that. But it's nice to see someone else talking about this sort of thing, about how hard it is to try to do any of that representation accurately. 'Cause you're right. We DON'T talk about that. And we should.

[@PikaLeeMedia]

I love hearing that!! It makes me so happy to know another writer is bringing their own experiences with this subject into their work. 🙌

[@intersexcryptid]

@@PikaLeeMedia 😁

[@shetinkers]

I loved this take, love the transparency and the creative growth that'll come from it! I watch any and everything but I can say when I see a poc in a show or movie, it does make it more interesting to me!

[@PikaLeeMedia]

Thank youuuu!! I learned so much from those old Hollywood movies and their actors 💕 YES! I love reminding myself I have the option to bring some POC into a story to see what that story looks like.

[@mantronixtube]

love your videos 🙂

[@PikaLeeMedia]

THANK YOUUU! 🫶

[@ExpatRiot79]

The term "whitewashing" is really insensitive, even racist. I hope you do some soul searching and find a better way to talk about this issue.

[@PikaLeeMedia]

Thanks for your comment! I did much soul searching previous to releasing this video with thoughts of using this term. It is still quite frequently used by the industry trades although becoming less common with the introduction in recent years of Diversity and Inclusion departments to solve this problem.
The departments were created because audiences wanted more diversity away from a specifically white stories or only using white actors. I made the choice to use the term because of its definition as set by Miriam Webster, and the history that Hollywood in America has with this term:
“to alter (something) in a way that favors, features, or caters to white people
a: to portray (the past) in a way that increases the prominence, relevance, or impact of white people and minimizes or misrepresents that of nonwhite people.”
I understand many may not like the term or find it taboo because it has negativity attached to it. This is why I think we should talk about it. But I do think that people with objective minds will understand the context I used to explain why I wrote stories the way I did influences from growing up watching and working in American Cinema. As well as gain perspective on their own writing. 💞

[@ExpatRiot79]

@@PikaLeeMedia Well you wouldn't say "blackwashing" or "yellowwashing" or "colorwashing" would you? Would you say we're gonna get it all colored up in there? So what's the difference? Racism is racism. I don't care what it says in some dictionary.