No one is immune – we live in a time when our politics divides us from our peers and shapes our decisions, both personal and professional, more than ever before. Whichever side of the line you’re on, the arts are under particular pressure to take a stand one way or another – so anyone working within the industry must do so too.
In large and small ways, political opinion must now be taken into account – but how do you deal with this schism when your deep-held moral and political views are challenged?
Just ten years ago, a lot of the questions now being asked were a non-issue for many, so there remains a lack of consensus around how to handle certain issues that arise on a day-to-day basis for young creatives. Here are some things to consider:
The roles you take
If you feel a role might be damaging or offensive, there are a few things to think about off the bat. The first is why you think this, and whether others will share your view. The second is more selfish – how might this impact your career? There’s nothing wrong with thinking about yourself here.
For example, if you’re a black actor and you believe that a role perpetuates harmful stereotypes, the best thing to do may be to turn down the work rather than compromise yourself.
Another issue comes with appropriation, and the question of whether able bodied actors should be allowed to take disabled roles, or whether straight people should portray members of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s one decision that can’t solely come down to personal taste or opinion, and must also take into account the feelings of people outside of your lived experience.
Cultural appropriate has presented a particular problem for Hollywood in the past couple of years, with actors such as Scarlett Johansson coming under fire for playing an Asian woman in the recent Ghost in the Shell remake, and then pulling out of a film in which she would play a transgender man.
While the handling of both of these cases was less than ideal, a similar instance in the upcoming Hellboy reboot was handled better. Ed Skrein was cast as Major Ben Daimio – a Japanese-American character, but Skrein withdrew following fan concern and Daniel Dae Kim was cast in his place.
There’s no strict rulebook here, and more often than not it is the actor who comes under fire for decisions not entirely their own. Can we really blame actors for taking jobs where they can find them, especially in high-profile projects? Perhaps figures like Scarlett Johansson are in a position to turn down work, but younger actors may not have the same luxury.
Whichever side of the debate you occupy, people will try to weigh in on your decision and, as you perhaps become more well-known, the decisions you make early on can absolutely come back to haunt you.
The people you work with
Another unfortunate aspect of working in any job or career is learning to work alongside people who hold views – or have even committed acts – that you fundamentally disagree with.
#MeToo and other political movements of the last few years have put a microscope on many powerful figures in the industry. It has also proved, however, that it’s almost impossible to tell the moral character of a person you work with, and we must simply do our best to make a decision based on the information we’re given.
If you believe that art and artist should be kept separate from one another as much as possible, then this will be less of a question than the actual content of the work, but if you think these things are inexplicably linked then it’s likely to be more of a deal-breaker.
Hearsay can be just that – hearsay, and should always be taken with a pinch of salt when forming opinions of your director, producers, co-stars or even theatre owners and studios. A bigger problem arises when something is said – or when there is an open secret on set. Find someone you trust, build a community of like-minded individuals in your industry, and follow their lead.
The grey areas
Interpretation is everything, and even the best of intentions can lead to work that is morally objectionable or in defiance of an individual’s political beliefs. A lot of hands and minds go into making anything of note, and creatives must decide for themselves whether the risk is worth it.
The best alternative is to create our own stories and our own work, which is something that many women and minorities have chosen to do over the past decade. The arts thrive on different perspectives from a diverse group of people, and so to avoid the dilemma of having to engage with work that presents a worldview not just different from our own, but damaging to it, the industry must welcome more voices to sit at the table.
You are a creative – so your job is primarily to bring a particular vision to life for your audience. If you’re an actor, it’s arguable that your job is simple and politics shouldn’t come into it at all. All acting is an exercise in being someone else, someone who isn’t you, and so it’s debatable whether what you believe about society and its problems matters at all.
No matter what, it’s important to conduct yourself in a way that will not hurt you or others in the long-run, and to carefully decide when and how it’s appropriate to take a stand.
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