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Date:
September 28, 2022

The Eye of the Beholder

How DEI brings out the best and worst of people

The late comedian Robin Williams was fond of reminding people that "No movie is real" whenever someone questioned whether something in the film was plausible or not. Williams' warning is good counsel for those upset about People of Color (POC) casting decisions and recently released movies.

The Power of The Little Mermaid

To a storm of criticism, Disney recently released the trailer for the live-action version of "The Little Mermaid," featuring a black actress in the lead role. While the casting of 22-year-old African American Halle Bailey and her appearance in the trailer as Ariel thrilled millions of adults and children worldwide, millions of others have found offense.

For example, a host from the Daily Wire, responding to a comment about "white erasure," remarked on camera that "From a scientific perspective, it doesn't make much sense to have someone with darker skin who lives deep in the ocean." He went on to say, "the Little Mermaid should be pale." But it does not matter what color skin the actor has since mermaids don't exist in reality, much less science.

For some, verbal criticism wasn't enough. An "anonymous scientist" used AI to whiten Bailey's skin so she looked like a "white-skinned ginger" and posted it on Twitter. Facing backlash and despite a follow-up message that attempted to defuse the situation by saying, "This is purely for educational purposes; please do not misinterpret this in a racist way," Twitter suspended the account. Sadly, the post's deletion hasn't stopped its spread, as it is still online .

As of this writing, 23.3 million people have viewed the trailer on YouTube. Before the platform disabled the counter , the trailer amassed 1.1 million "likes" and more than 2 million dislikes , making it the most disliked movie trailer ever released. Paraphrasing an old quote, "Hate gets halfway around the world before the truth gets its boots on." Nevertheless, parents worldwide have posted videos of their daughters reaction to seeing a "brown Ariel" for the first time. They are the images that bring tears of happiness to a parent's eyes.

Bringing visibility through storytelling

Another example is " The Woman King ." The film is based on female warriors, known as "Agojie," in the African Kingdom of Dahomey, one of Africa's most powerful states in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although the Kingdom's role in the slave trade is a key component of the film, it centers on its unique women warriors, also known as "Amazons," who protected the Kingdom after the men were forced into slavery.

The film's director, Gina Prince-Bythewood, told Essence , "It's about honoring the Black women who have been in the struggle, who have died nameless, and it ends with a specific name that embodies our struggle of being invisible, of being unprotected. So, it was a callout in honor of us." Yet, some critics dismiss the film saying it " isn't historically accurate ." Others on social media are clamoring to boycott the movie because the writers are white .

Responding to the criticism, Viola Davis told Variety , "First of all, I agree with Gina Prince-Bythewood's saying you're not going to win an argument on Twitter. We entered the story where the Kingdom was in flux, at a crossroads. They were looking to find some way to keep their civilization and Kingdom alive. It wasn't until the late 1800s that they were decimated. Most of the story is fictionalized. It has to be." Julius Tennon, one of the film's producers, added , "We have to entertain people. If we just told a history lesson, which we very well could have, that would be a documentary."

Diversity is all around us

There are plenty of examples where a character's race or nationality is changed to make it more relatable to audiences. A dozen versions of Santa Claus exist worldwide, many appearing as men and women of many races and colors. Anyone traveling through the Christian world will see Jesus depicted as someone who looks like the local population , even though he was a Middle Eastern Jew. Yet despite wide acceptance of these depictions with little complaint, critics of "The Little Mermaid" and "The Woman King" accuse the directors and studios of being "woke."

Have you ever wondered why the Bible contains no physical description of Jesus? Stories cannot be so sacrosanct that they can never be changed. From a storytelling perspective, what matters is the stories are relatable and meaningful to audiences. For that to happen, the stories have to be able to travel to other cultures and peoples, which means it is necessary to change characters and stories to resemble the intended audiences.

We should celebrate stories and storytellers who make an effort to bridge divides and bring people together.

That's as real as it gets.

Related Insights

The Future of Advertising: Why Cultural Intelligence Matters More Than Ever

In today's borderless media landscape, where streaming platforms deliver films and TV shows to over 200 countries instantly, advertisers face a critical challenge: ensuring their ads resonate with diverse audiences while maintaining cultural sensitivity and brand safety. Traditional advertising approaches, relying on demographics, basic localization, and keyword filtering, often fall short. These methods fail to capture the emotional and cultural nuances of different markets, leading to misplaced ads that miss the mark.

To navigate these challenges, brands must go beyond surface-level strategies and adopt a deeper understanding of how content resonates emotionally and culturally across markets. This is where innovative approaches come into play, offering a way to not just reach global audiences, but truly connect with them on a profound, culturally aligned level.

Emotional Arbitrage: The Key to Better Ad Targeting

A groundbreaking approach called "emotional arbitrage" is revolutionizing how brands connect with global audiences. This strategy identifies moments of cultural tension and resolution within content, enabling advertisers to strategically place their messages for maximum impact.

When viewers encounter cultural dissonance—a scene that challenges their deeply ingrained values—they unconsciously seek resolution. Research indicates that brands offering this resolution through culturally aligned messaging achieve significantly higher engagement, recall, and positive sentiment.

Consider a scene in a TV show where a young woman defies her family's expectations by pursuing a career in the arts. In some cultures, where familial respect and tradition are paramount, an ad for an educational institution that helps young people find their passions might be appropriate. Conversely, in cultures prioritizing individual expression and self-discovery, an ad for a bank that helped a young woman open a clothing store featuring her designs could resonate more effectively.

By strategically placing ads that align with cultural expectations, brands can forge deeper emotional connections with viewers, ensuring their message is not just seen, but genuinely felt.

AI-Driven Solutions: The Next Frontier of Cultural Intelligence

Imagine a technology that can analyze video content, not just for keywords or demographics, but for the subtle nuances of cultural and emotional context. This technology could identify moments of tension, humor, sadness, or joy, and pinpoint exactly where an ad would resonate most effectively with a specific audience. Such AI-driven solutions are transforming the advertising landscape, empowering brands to tailor their messages with unprecedented precision and cultural sensitivity.

How AI-Powered Advertising Enhances Performance

By leveraging AI for cultural intelligence, brands can achieve:

  • Strategic Ad Placement: Ads are placed at moments when viewers are emotionally primed to engage, increasing effectiveness.
  • Brand Safety Assurance: Prevents ad placement in content that could be misaligned with brand values or culturally sensitive.
  • Higher Engagement & Recall: Ads become part of the storytelling experience, reinforcing brand messages rather than disrupting them.
  • Scalability Across Global Markets: AI-driven insights allow brands to optimize campaigns for diverse cultural contexts without manual intervention.
The Future of Culturally Intelligent Advertising

As digital content continues to transcend borders, understanding how different cultures react to media is no longer optional—it's essential. Advertisers that embrace cultural intelligence and leverage AI-powered solutions will not only protect their brand integrity but also forge stronger, more meaningful connections with global audiences.

In a world where content is universal but cultural experiences are unique, the brands that adapt will be the brands that thrive. The future of culturally intelligent advertising starts now. Click here to learn how SpherexAI can elevate your advertising strategy.

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Spherex Classification Tool Now Approved for Home Entertainment Content in Australia

The Albanese Government has updated the Spherex Classification Tool approval to include ratings for theatrical releases, home entertainment, and streaming content in Australia. Spherex was previously approved to classify online films.

The update underscores the Australian Classification Board’s confidence in Spherex as a tool to help Australian viewers make informed choices about the content they consume. This means Australians can now access a range of new films sooner than they might across all formats and windows.

Spherex has a longstanding relationship with the Australian Classification Board. Since 2020, Spherex has collaborated closely with the Australian Government to ensure its technology reliably generates classification decisions that meet Australian standards and viewers' expectations.

As the world’s only commercial provider of local age ratings, Spherex has successfully produced classification decisions for high volumes of online content in over 100 countries. Since 2018, Spherex has issued over one million age ratings for digital content, including films, TV shows, and trailers, distributed by its clients worldwide.

Spherex customers, including Umbrella Entertainment, Madman Entertainment, and Sugoi Co., rely on its AI-based platform to obtain local age ratings in Australia and significantly improve efficiency, cost reduction, and market reach.

Discover how Spherex's cutting-edge AI-based platform can streamline your content classification process and enhance your market reach while reducing costs.

Visit spherex.com today and see how we can support your content distribution needs.

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Spherex Featured in the DPP's IBC 2024: Demand versus Supply Report

Spherex was featured in the DPP’s IBC 2024: Demand versus Supply Report, a comprehensive look at how the M&E industry is meeting key customer demands. The report focuses on the topics of empowering creators, understanding audiences, engaging users, and innovating the newsroom. It also highlights many of the technical innovations seen at the recent IBC Show.

An article by Spherex’s CEO Teresa Phillips titled "Navigating Cultural Resonance in Global Media: The Art and Science of Culture Mixing" was featured in the report, exploring how Spherex is pioneering the future of culturally informed content.

Teresa shares how cultural mixing has become a critical strategy for creating content that appeals to diverse audiences in today's global media landscape. This phenomenon involves blending elements from different cultures to craft films and television shows that resonate globally while adhering to local regulations.

However, the process of culture mixing is fraught with risks. Superficial or stereotypical representations can lead to accusations of cultural appropriation or insensitivity, alienating audiences and damaging a company's reputation. For example, imposing Western concepts on Eastern content without proper context can feel inauthentic and jarring to local viewers. These missteps highlight the need for a nuanced understanding of cultural elements to ensure that content is respectful and engaging.

To address these challenges, M&E companies are increasingly turning to data-driven solutions. Platforms like SpherexAI utilize artificial intelligence to analyze visual, audio, and textual elements, providing insights into how well content aligns with cultural and regulatory standards across over 200 countries and territories. This approach helps media companies understand the "cultural distance" between a title's origin and its target market, enabling them to make informed decisions about global distribution.

By leveraging these advanced tools, M&E companies can go beyond traditional content localization. They can create media that actively engages and resonates with diverse audiences. As the industry continues to evolve, those companies that embrace culturally informed, data-driven approaches will be better positioned to succeed, fostering cross-cultural understanding and trust while delivering globally appealing content.

Download the report here.

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