I was represented in (nearly) every show I watched growing up,
What do Cinderella, Elle Woods, Luna Lovegood, Quinn Fabray, Cassie Howard and Sophie Whitehouse all have in common? They are all blonde white European female blonde characters. I’ve just picked six characters that I grew up with across film and tv. I assume that you will struggle to think of a show or movie made in the western world without a white European blonde female character as either the lead or supporting role – I mean, they do have them in Disney films like Aladdin and Mulan, but they aren’t widespread. I know most of these shows are American, but the American/British film and tv industry overlaps and people in both countries should be represented. In the UK, there is a solid connection to India – this is why a show like Bridgerton is groundbreaking, and this is why a show like Skins and Bend in Like Beckham did so well back in the day. They managed to connect to people who aren’t represented in the media even though they make up a large part of our population.