Thread by @HIGHzurrer

Okay you gorgeous monsters it's my birthday so as a gift of self-immolation I'm going to talk about the mountain we have to keep climbing in this business and that mountain is: Cultural bias. BUCKLE UP. (thread)

This problem is often quiet but ever-present, and you can bet that studios are learning lessons from BLACK PANTHER and CRAZY RICH ASIANS but likely they're the wrong lessons. You'll want to pull your hair out when talking to some of them about why those films are huge hits.

Writers can also get tricked into thinking they're among allies, only to get shattered after they've done the work. One Asian-American writer I know is dealing with this now: He was hired for a pilot with a distinct AA character, the network prided itself on hiring him. But...

Now, after writing the pilot, the notes specifically attack the cultural aspects, minimizing the problems of the AA character because they don't seem like a "big deal." Their notes are couched as making the character "more accessible" which means here "less Asian."

So here are some lessons for any of you working or attempting to work in this business while battling this particular beast. These are lessons friends and I have learned mostly from failure.

This isn't a sermon. It's a showing of scars.

So how do you deal with cultural inclusion/integration as a TV or feature writer? First off, NEVER EVER DO THIS:

For real though.
1. As the writer, you typically have the least power in the room. You are the one asking for the job or the money to make the thing. Everyone else at the table has more power, most of all the People Who Write the Check and/or Own the Rights.

2. This means you are often one of a dozen writers competing for this job. You may use this time to educate the room on cultural sensitivity, point to the pitfalls of misrepresentation, etc.

You will feel good afterward.
You will not get the job.
(I've lost 6 jobs this way.)

Instead you'll read next week that it went to some dudebro who nurtured the room's worldview instead of challenging it. And if somehow that Thing gets made and the world rages against it, the studio will learn a lesson but again it will be the wrong lesson and ffffuuuuu--

3. If you are a writer whose culture is in the DNA of the character(s) in the project, talk about how nearly autobiographical the story feels to you. Entwine your life with the life of the protag. Remind them when you turn it in. Why? Well --

Often this will "bubble-wrap" the script from culturally-damaging notes because while the (typically benign) ignorant exec may not understand or like the protag's life, the exec doesn't want to come off as criticizing your ACTUAL life. Guilt can be a litmus test here.

4. "But Eric, I'm a white dude, what can I do?" Well, obviously, write the stories you want to see. Personally I'm drawn to characters who are better than me, and often that means they overcome more, without my baked-in bonuses, with grace and wit.

5. Instead, try turning up the volume slowly. Talk about what makes the story universal first. Or talk about how it will make you FEEL. Good art evokes feeling. Speak to that, treasure it. Mention how smart it is to have characters who need this feeling more than anyone else.

6. Next, if you land the job: HOORAY! The mountain ahead of you is climbable if you legit love this story. Some things to pack as you start your trek:
- The book Writing the Other, by Nisi Shawl and Cynthia Ward

- A list of real-life people you can reach out to for interviews and research about their culture, their lives, etc.
YOU: "This makes it seem like I'm writing a biopic."
ME: *shows deep scar* "EVERY DAMN ONE should seem like a biopic."

- If at all possible, BRING IN and PAY FOR the consulting and specific writing services on your story from people who have lived in the skin of your characters, be it linguists, teachers, Chinese lesbian engineers... whatever.

7. Okay. Now that you're in process, slowly engage with your higher-ups outside of specific correspondence about your page count or deadline. Mention how amazing Regina King is in BEALE ST, or Constance Wu in CRA, etc. Be a voice of fandom and positivity.

8. Develop a project Appendix of images, articles, links, TED talks, etc that will help show your work. If necessary, you can send this along to help bubble-wrap the cultural aspects of the narrative.

9. When you've done all that work and turned in a script and you STILL face terrible notes that demolish the viewpoint inherent in your protag? Then you FIGHT. And your ballistic weapon is EMPATHY.

Because at that point if you're not doing their notes you're likely getting fired anyway, and due to the way the credits system works your name may still be on this when it comes out (maybe even only yours), so make a stand.

10. Hell, I'm making this its own number. Empathy is what you need to take these swings and it's what you have to defend them. Anger and resentment go toxic too fast. Empathy makes you vulnerable, too, which is scary, but you gotta. Really, you gotta.

11. If at all possible -- and I have yet to make this work but keep trying -- bring in your trusted experts with you who can help course-correct the ship now that it's moving.

12. Lastly, when you've made leaps of faith or logic in the story or haven't had something battle-tested by a trusted expert, be honest about that. Flag it. Make it clear you aren't done and that it's important. Because it will fall away if you get momentum.

Will any of this work? Maybe! Sometimes! When you find people who embrace these kinds of stories in TV/film, in return you will embrace THEM and try to make more with them. It can happen.

And the best thing to do when you can is elevate the voices of writers who already represent other cultures than yours. But also know that you can't change hearts and minds overnight, and you gotta pay your family's medical expenses, so do your thing too. (fin)