JJ abrams production company introduces diversity quota

[the game]

Mr. Abrams, a writer, producer and the director of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” sent a memo last week to studios and agents announcing a new policy at his production company, Bad Robot, requiring that any lists of writers, directors, actors and others to be considered for a project should “be at the very least representative of the country we live in. Which roughly breaks down to: 50 percent women, 12 percent black, 18 percent Hispanic, 6 percent Asian.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/03/mo...smtyp=cur&_r=0

[Deleted]

Mr. Abrams, a writer, producer and the director of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” sent a memo last week to studios and agents announcing a new policy at his production company, Bad Robot, requiring that any lists of writers, directors, actors and others to be considered for a project should “be at the very least representative of the country we live in. Which roughly breaks down to: 50 percent women, 12 percent black, 18 percent Hispanic, 6 percent Asian.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/03/mo...smtyp=cur&_r=0

Considering he does a lot of work outside USA that quota sounds BS

[Imnick]

Good on him.

[Deleted]

Too bad your genitals and skin color don't ensure skill in whatever it is you do. Then again, it's just movies, so who cares if they're the best they can be or not.

[oxymoronic]

he think he has the recipe to making more money

this guy has made tons of tv shows... that all bombed. lost was the best one and even that was rubbish. movies had big budgets that an ape could direct... dont get the hype at all.

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Considering he does a lot of work outside USA that quota sounds BS

considering he hates USA. who cares about him

[enragedgorilla]

It will be interesting when scripts that require ethnic accuracy come to his desk...see if that mandate holds up.
Then again, I don't think Bad Robot does anything other than SciFi fantasy stuff anyway so...

[xChurch]

Most of the time the quality of the actors isn't what makes or breaks a movie so this doesn't really seem like a big deal. I dislike the idea of quotas on principle though.

[Deleted]

Personally it seems pointless unless you're making realistic dramas which Bad Robot doesn't even do...

[Krawu]

Too bad your genitals and skin color don't ensure skill in whatever it is you do. Then again, it's just movies, so who cares if they're the best they can be or not.

This. Not being from the US, I doubt I'll ever understand or agree with this pretentious practice of having diversity quotas. Its like it's just being assumed that every employer is a racist who needs to be kept in check. In my mind, it means that a company will no longer hire based on skill and credentials but on race and gender instead. Isn't that more racist and sexist than to simply hire the best person who walks through that door of yours?

[ro9ue]

Cool best of luck to him. I don't really think quotas are good, I believe in more of a merit-based hiring system.

[Revi]

That's an interesting demand.

Careful though, you can't have more than 50% women, and if you already have 12% black people and another apply, you have to turn him away for being black. Otherwise it would not be representative of the country they live in.

[Svad]

This. Not being from the US, I doubt I'll ever understand or agree with this pretentious practice of having diversity quotas. Its like it's just being assumed that every employer is a racist who needs to be kept in check. In my mind, it means that a company will no longer hire based on skill and credentials, but on race and gender instead. Isn't that more racist and sexist than to simply hire the best person who walks through that door of yours?

+1

/10 chars

[xChurch]

Why wouldn't he just employ people he knows would give minorities a fair shake instead of mandating it? Almost seems like admitting he hires racists but is trying to show he can keep them in check.

[the game]

I just can't stand the idea of pushing diversity just for the sake of diversity. People should be hired based on merit and not the color of their skin or what's between their legs.

[Dextroden]

So, this just looks like a cry for attention.

Honest question for non-black people. Do you feel unable to watch movies or TV shows with a noticeable or primarily black cast? How about black writers, as I notice ethnicity and culture plays a part, although small, in what we consider comedy, romance and drama.

[Deleted]

If I was facing having to have brain surgery, I'd much rather have the best possible brain surgeon, even if that would mean it'd be an old white heterosexual man, rather than have a woman or someone of a minority who got the job because of affirmative action, but wasn't the best in the field.

Movies... Meh. Not that important.

[Revi]

So, this just looks like a cry for attention.

Honest question for non-black people. Do you feel unable to watch movies or TV shows with a noticeable or primarily black cast? How about black writers, as I notice ethnicity and culture plays a part, although small, in what we consider comedy, romance and drama.

Fresh Prince was probably one of my favorite shows as a kid, still watch and enjoy plenty of shows and movies with black cast. I couldn't tell you the race of the people behind the camera, only whether or not I think they do a good job.

[Hiricine]

Just needs like 4-5 people of Tiger Wood's ethnicity and hes over the quota.

I thought he was into making the best movies possible, go ask the NBA what they'd think about introducing diversity quotas. Maybe some people are better at playing basketball. Maybe some people are better at making movies.

[Jotaux]

Fresh Prince was a great show. At the time I never really considered that the cast was all black.

[Hif]

About time. Should do so in other fields as well.