blindspotting

When studio executives are asked about the lack of representation in chief creative positions like writer or director, a common Hollywood response is something along the lines of: there was no one other than a white guy who was qualified (phrased more diplomatically… usually). More recently, however, as it becomes more and more clear just how much money there is to be made by giving big-budget opportunities to more diverse creators, Hollywood studio executives have gotten better at reframing the idea of “qualified,” a term that has historically been used as a way to prop up systemic inequality rather than…