Is America so focused on divisiveness that the focus has become part of the problem? We constantly categorize people in news polls, infographics and the media. News organizations and politicians love to give introspect into the black vote, the women’s vote, the disabled vote, the veteran vote, etc. Doesn’t the division of these groups of people, in a sense, dehumanize them into simple numbers? More importantly, what role does the media play in encouraging minority inclusion, and who is to blame when it all goes wrong?

It goes without saying that the best production should contain the best actors for the job, regardless of their race. Last year, the Oscars came under fire, accused of racism for their lack of minority nominations and awarded contestants. This year, despite Best Picture being awarded to a predominantly black cast with a LGBTQ protagonist, the Oscars have been scrutinized once more for their lack of female inclusion. Are the Oscars perpetually doomed to make the same racist, sexist or otherwise bigoted choices year after year, or is it the public’s fault for trying to find race and gender issues in everything?

It’s the media’s job to avoid exclusion. This means having a diverse cast of employees and an open mind. The idea of media consumption is not to focus on black, white, female and male characters; it’s to see them as nothing but talented individuals who should be judged based on merit. The media, both in news and entertainment form, should therefore emphasize inclusion to the best of their ability. Many people feel the media shares blame for this segregation.

“It’s time to stop adding labels,” senior Nikki Kammer said.

The public plays a large role in the portrayal of racial and sexual tensions. Consumers of content claim to be colorblind, but at the same time call shows racist or sexist for their lack of minority inclusion. There is a comfortable middle ground to be found between labeling every movie producer as a bigot and simply ignoring racism. Most media producers aren’t intentionally racist and/or sexist, yet not all introspect as much as they should. If the public wishes to be truly colorblind, we can’t see race in everything.

“I think that in order to advance beyond racism, we have to stop looking for racial motivation in everything,” senior Maddie Edder said.

The goal then, is to be truly altruistic. It’s unethical to cast a white actor to play Martin Luther King Jr., but a show cannot be labeled racist simply for having a mostly white or black cast. As a consumer, it’s important to look past diversity; it’s something that should come naturally out of human decency. Therefore, people shouldn’t watch a show, movie or channel because there is an underlying message, but because of the quality of content.

Differences in upbringing, background and personal taste all contribute to what you watch. In order to advance past adversity, it’s the media’s role to avoid labels and stereotypes. Race, gender, sexual orientation, these walls separate us. In an ideal society, the media, along with everyone else in society, will look past them and focus solely on quality content. It is our duty as consumers to advance to that society.