Why do minority characters need a justification for existing, but white male characters can exist without needing justification?

[Anonymous]

An artist could create a story in which a white person dies and goes to a fictional and magical Japan or a fictional and magical Africa, and it wouldn't be a problem because there are no limits to fiction. But if they made a story in which a Mexican person dies and goes to a magical and fictional Europe, there would be problems. Why are there no limits for white people in fiction, but are there limits for minorities?

[MrOracle]

If I was telling a story set in China, I would expect to populate that story primarily, if not exclusively, with Chinese people. If I was telling a story set in Argentina, I would populate that story with Argentines, or at least with South Americans. If I was setting a story in Africa, I would populate it with mostly Africans. Why? Because that's what makes sense. It's how things actually are.

If I was creating a story set in the US in the modern day, it's going to have a mix of European and minorities, because that's what it's actually like. BUT, if I'm creating a story about Western Expansion in the US in the 1870s-1890s (I. e., cowboy stories) I'm going to populate it with almost exclusively white Europeans, because that's who actually participated in the Western Expansion. If I was making a story about the Vikings, there wouldn't be any Africans, or South Americans, or Native Americans, because they simply weren't involved.

The fact is that American movies and TV shows feature a majority of white people of European ancestry because America is mostly white people of European ancestry. That should be a surprise to no one. Did you know that French cinema features mostly French characters? And that Italian cinema features mostly Italian characters? Or that Chinese cinema features mostly Chinese characters?

This is normal and fine and not racist or bigoted. What would be racist is if minority people weren't allowed to make movies about minorities and featuring minorities - but in the US, they ARE allowed. True, they still must work within the bounds of the market, and less mainstream works usually need smaller budgets to reflect their more limited appeal, but otherwise, there's plenty of minority characters and actors and directors and writers and stories. The market reality is that big budget projects must have very broad appeal, because they have to earn a ton of money to be profitable, and that means having characters and casting actors with broad appeal. That's simply business reality.

[Asker]

It would make sense if stories centered on minority characters in the US weren't attacked by right-wingers anyway. It's not necessary to change the race of an existing character for right-wingers to attack; the mere existence of a story focusing on minorities is already a problem. An artist could create a story based on African mythology where all the characters are Black, and right-wingers would still say it's woke and DEI. Obviously, if a film is set in Japan, most of the characters will be Japanese, but if an author creates a story where a white person becomes the hero of Japan, there would be no complaints or accusations of Woke and DEI. There are literally numerous examples of stories where white characters are in a region where they are a minority and are still the most relevant in the story, just as there are also examples of original stories centered on minority characters that are attacked by right-wingers.

[findacure4wokeness]

Because DEI has been shoved done our throats so much It's annoying now where it once wasn't. Traditional white people acting in traditional white acting rolls have been swapped out with colored people and we are told if you don't like it your racist. Also White people aren't allowed to have a majority white country anymore. White countries are for everyone and we are discriminated against by POC and 2 tier justice systems in the countries we built.

[Asker]

What would a white country be? Europe? The United States has been a multiracial country from the beginning.

[findacure4wokeness]

The towns and cities where built by whites and everyone else moved in with them. Be the first leftist to answer this question. how many white people showed up to native tribal camps to move in with them? that would be a fairer question to ask wouldn't it? Most whites want there own spaces when they say things like that. Our laws, culture and values protected against the savage racial hatred of other groups.

[Asker]

Do you mean cities created by slave labor?
I really don't know if you have cognitive problems or are deliberately obtuse. White people didn't move in to live with Native Americans, they just killed and raped them. Anti-racist laws were created to protect minorities, not white people. Throughout human history, it has been white people who have killed and exploited minorities, not the other way around. humanity, the events of extermination of a human group have been carried out by white people: apartheid, the Holocaust, the Congo Genocide, the Native American Genocide, etc.
Your question is just stupid and illogical.

[findacure4wokeness]

What is Stupid is you trying to convince people that only white people did those sort of things. Which races are committing most of those atrocities today? the answer to that question wouldn't be serving your self interests. But if whites were that horrible minorities would be embracing apartheid but instead they see access do almost anything to live with white people seeing this as some sort of universal human right and anyone that trying to deny them of that right are the most evil people that ever lived. segregation and self determination are human rights that everyone who wants it gets to enjoy except white people.

[Asker]

Do you have some kind of cognitive problem? Why on earth would minorities accept apartheid if apartheid was created precisely to benefit whites? Your logic is stupid. First example, apartheid in South Africa was a regime that aimed at the extermination and limitation of the rights of black South Africans. Whites are not native to South Africa, but blacks are, so why on earth would black South Africans be in favor of an apartheid that gave privileges to an invading group? Whites are not native to the USA, they simply invaded and killed the native group.

What you think about human rights is irrelevant, as it doesn't align with logic. Black people were brought to the US and worked for free for centuries; Native Americans are the first Americans. No group owes favors. No decent human being supports apartheid, as apartheid has always been a method of extermination used by malicious white people. Do you really think before you write, or do you just regurgitate what you read on Twitter?

[findacure4wokeness]

That's right no group owes favors yet you don't respect apartheid because you don't want white people to stop including you into the societies we built and your people can create for themselves. Leave us alone. we owe you nothing. you are nothing but an ungrateful charity case.

[Asker]

Repeat the same old spiel all you want. Leave who alone? It was white people who invaded America and disturbed Native Americans, and it was white people who invaded South Africa. You simply don't make sense. What kind of society did they create? The society they created using slave labor and genocide. All I see from you is repeated rhetoric from Twitter; if you're going to be racist, at least use something of your own.

[findacure4wokeness]

There are a couple of people here that bring up the same arguments and double down on them, therefor you will get the same answers. I don't read twitter but I'm not surprised that others have noticed the same double standards. The Negros enslaved enemy tribes then sold them off if they were not genociding them outright which continues even to this very day. So take some responsibility for a change, but we know you can't, All you can do is blame others for things that POC is more guilty of and has never ever stopped doing and never will stop doing. Do they say that on twitter All the time? I can't be the only one that noticed those things. You say nobody owes anyone anything yet expect white people to look after you for ever with a sense of entitlement. refusing to leave people alone who don't want you around will only provoke a war one day and I don't want to see people die. But POC are to dependent on white people. If Twitter or X should have taught you anything is no body is buying this grift.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

Using an isekai genre to make your point does not make for a strong argument lol

[Asker]

In fact, it's not a weak argument. No one would question the existence of an isekai where all the characters are white, but if it were an isekai where the characters belong to a specific minority, then yes, there would be questions. Moreover, whether or not it's an isekai is irrelevant, because in most fictional settings it's possible to include white characters without any explanation, something that isn't possible with all minorities.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

So I wouldn’t use anime as your choice of argument for pseudo-racism, considering Japan’s racism is a rather infamous byproduct from their ethnic homogeny, simultaneously using genres of fiction they’ve heavily capitalized on (like seriously, I don’t think I haven’t seen some “new” anime that wasn’t an isekai in the last 3 years) to make your argument that the need to justify “minority” character creation just kind of makes you seem tone deaf to the arguments of diversifying one’s entertainment.

[egan3141]

Because you don't see that white people need justification too. If you made a movie that took place in a black village, and some random family had a blood related white child, and no explanation was provided, everyone would be annoyed because it doesn't make sense. It also doesn't matter what it is that doesn't make sense, people will still get mad at it. People want to understand what they see. As far as I'm aware, magic (the fake real life kind) is the ONLY exception to people being okay with not understanding what they see

[DextroShade]

Most people don't mind minority characters as long as they aren't annoying and are appropriate to the setting. The problem people have is when Netflix has black women being viking jarls or when they race swap historical figures who were absolutely 100% White like Isaac Newton.

[HighValue]

White men created almost everything in the world, so why don't "minorities" create their own things and stop trying to steal/race swap White characters?

[Asker]

Irrelevant argument. Stories centered on minorities are attacked even when they are original.

[Likes2drive]

It’s only in the USA they do that because it’s mostly white still in America but it’s not far off from being the minority soon , in other countries like Asia or black countries white would be the minority but still wouldn’t be able to say anything

[Pohjolan]

Its not fantasy movies issue (unless if they change a character) but movies marketed as historical where historical revisionism is not just a issue but a good indication that its a crappy woke movie anyway.

Though I suppose it enables people to make a more informed decisions as to what to watch.

[Staximus]

Go live in a country where most people are not white, and then you can complain about whatever race is always on tv there.

[EzraIsShy76028]

Probably because White male characters are seen as the "default" and anything else is labeled as "other."

[MrOracle]

That's going to be the case in every country that is predominantly European. Guess who is the default race in South America? It's not European. Guess who is default in Japan? How about China? Or India? Are you going to complain that Indian cinema features predominantly Indians?

[EzraIsShy76028]

@MrOracle My original comment is admittedly EXTREMELY vague but I didn't mean to imply anything you said was false. Because everything you said is true.

That still doesn't explain though why White female characters aren't also seen as "default" in European cultures. Women in most places are half the population. And somehow White males are still the default and White females need to be given a "reason" to be female.

[fonduegirl]

That's true

[EzraIsShy76028]

@anon1903 Yup. Unfortunately in almost all cultures (I think) male is the default and female is labeled as "other." At that point it's not a population percentage thing as most places are 50% women and 50% men.

[fonduegirl]

Its so irritating

[EzraIsShy76028]

@anon1903 Yup. 😔 When people are a minority (as in not referring to a specific race or anything just literally the group of people there's a minority of in any given place) it's understandable that they'd be underrepresented since there's less of their people in that place but for women there's literally no excuse. 🤷‍♀️ It's just irritating. 😑

Also funny/sad/frustrating that in 2025 going on 2026 some guys STILL act like women don't exist on the internet. Like the world population is something like 8 billion, 4 billion women, 4 billion men, and practically EVERYONE uses the internet these days from literal babies to elderly people in their 100s, so... where do they think the women go? 🙈

[MrOracle]

What you aren't factoring in here is that the entertainment industry is not the "equal representation industry". Entertainment is constrained, to a significant amount, by sales. Meaning, when you produce a piece of entertainment commercially, you are looking for a profitable return on your investment.

The Barbie movie is a recent example that a movie targeted overtly at women can be very profitable, so the idea that female driven content can't be successful is provably false.

That said, over the last two years, we've seen dozens of very expensive, mainstream focused movies and shows that have prioritized female representation fail in the market, often spectacularly so. And what's even more relevant is that of the people who did patronize those movies and shows, they were overwhelmingly MEN - women avoided these shows in droves.

Why is that? in my opinion, it's because the creators of these shows are far too focused on putting women in traditionally male roles (which are traditionally male for a reason) instead of putting them in traditionally female roles and having them succeed that way, AND because the creators were far more focused on projecting the idea that "women can do anything a man can do" than on good writing in general. Women did not relate to these shows and stayed away, and most men did the same, and these projects were huge commercial failures.

Barbie was a success because it didn't try to turn Barbie into a man, at least, not overtly.

[MrOracle]

The lesson, which many in Hollywood still haven't learned, is that in most cases, no one wants to see an unrealistic gender-swapped character. Instead, they want to see women in roles that women would realistically do, and play to their strengths. That means, for example, no female Delta Force operators, but yes to female detectives and investigators (things women do very well).

This may mean fewer roles for women overall, but it also means roles that are more relatable, bmuch better received and more likely to be commercially successful.

[EzraIsShy76028]

@MrOracle Your explanations are actually REALLY good I'll give you that. I'm still not personally a fan of men being the default over women in entertainment but for the reasons you described it actually DOES make sense. It's not just some random arbitrary thing. Nothing you said can be disproven because it's all 100% true.

And if the small chance my praise for what you wrote comes off as sarcastic/over the top through text that's really not my intention. It's just genuinely really good and makes a lot of sense.

[fonduegirl]

Oracleguy is sexist. Just saying

[EzraIsShy76028]

@anon1903 😮 He is? I don't really keep track of any user on this site (except for you hehe) or any other, especially doesn't help that my memory is terrible, so I wouldn't know if Oracleguy is sexist, but damn, that sucks, ESPECIALLY when I THOUGHT he was making some good points that made sense.

His points here SEEMED relatively reasonable (unless I didn't read through them properly) but if he's sexist elsewhere then damn... 😔

[fonduegirl]

He is sexist in general, Ez.

Oh well. Even broken calls are right twice.

[EzraIsShy76028]

@anon1903 Well thanks for letting me know, Rose! In general I hate anyone sexist, racist, homophobic, ableist, ageist, etc... discrimination is 100% wrong and it's not like you can control any of those characteristics. 🤷

"Broken calls" huh? Last time I remember it was "broken clock" but I'm really out of the loop on things. 😅 But yes, you are right! Even the dumbest person in the world will eventually saying SOMETHING that's right. The world is nuanced. It's not a TV show where there's a certain character who is always wrong no matter what 100% of the time. Broken call/clock analogy applies here. 🙏

[fonduegirl]

Must be typo. Pretend you never saw it

[fonduegirl]

South Park reference?

[EzraIsShy76028]

@anon1903 Gotcha. I NEVER saw it. 🙈

And no actually, not when I first wrote it at least, but it does make A LOT of sense now that you point it out. 😂👍 What I wrote DOES seem like something that'd be on South Park!

[fonduegirl]

Only a true friend can catch it

[fonduegirl]

The fact I haven't seen the show makes it even funnier

[EzraIsShy76028]

@anon1903 Haha. Touche Rose. 😉

And wow, that DOES make it even funnier. 💀 South Park in general and its humor is a mix of sarcastic, cynical, dark, crude, etc, so anything that reflects any of those qualities is probably reminiscent of South Park. 👍

[fonduegirl]

The biggest fan... Atp I recommend you build a fan web page with their name in bold

[EzraIsShy76028]

@anon1903 🤔💭 Hm that's not a bad idea! My only worry would be them suing me due to copyright. 😰 I'm sure you've heard of how bad Nintendo and Disney is with copyright, lol. Pokemon in general being especially strict with this. I don't know if South Park is as strict. I hope not. 🙏

[fonduegirl]

You can make fan owned websites. I have seen a few around. Just write in disclaimer you dont sh🧸t

[MrOracle]

Whoever the anon is, they have me blocked so I can't see, much less rebut, what they've said about me, but make up your own mind.

Do you really think it's sexist to say that, for example, a female Delta Force operator is unrealistic - note that there has never been one in reality? Is it sexist to say that men and women are physically different, as well as mentally different, and this generally means that there are jobs that are essentially men only because only one in a half billion women could physically do the job and those few women don't want to do it?

That truth doesn't make women bad, but generally, women have physical limitations that prevent them from doing things that many men can do. Feminists think that is sexist, but they also aren't lining up to do any of those jobs either.

But women can be very valuable in areas that play to their strengths. They make great doctors and nurses. They make great lawyers. They are very good detectives and investigators because they are focused on people and are great at figuring them out.

Women are also attracted to different things than men are, generally. Is that sexist, or is it just the truth?

[AngryCarl2]

A white man wouldn't have to die to go to Africa. He could go to Africa and be killed by the wildlife, or native tribesmen. These are all things you can consider putting in your story. Also include an academy for wizards.

[Awesomesauce2005]

Only when it is out of context and it doesn't line up with the story

[Awesomesauce2005]

Also the bigger issue I have with it is when they recast a character that was white in the script and try to play it off as okay. It's fine if they add a character of a different race or they make a movie with a character not specified in the script as white or a different race, but when you recast a white guy in a book like Harry Potter into a black guy that's not right for the black guy or the fans of the series

[beefcakebradybatson]

Whites write fiction, and we minorities are basically stereotypical tropes.

[Anonymous]

Because it's just fiction.