That’s an awesome perspective. Media shapes the way people view others in the real world. We really need to encourage companies like DC to make sure they don’t portray people as bad or scary based on where they live or anything like that. Thanks for pointing this out. 
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On one hand I know I’m very well represented (possibly over represented, honestly) being a white straight dude. On the other hand, I have a brother with Down Syndrome, and I feel that aspect of my life is hardly ever represented. Characters with disabilities are just hard to come by, and when they do show up it usually feels like a charity case. Now I’m grateful for characters like Oracle and Doctor Mid-Nite who show that it’s possible to overcome their disabilities and live with them, but they’re about it. And Doctor Mid-Nite’s disability is also a super power, and Oracle found some sort of magic cure. And let me tell you, there is no magic cure.
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Man, I’m really starting to realize how little representation there is in the DC Universe overall. Thanks for sharing.
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I mean, compared to where we were ten years ago, there’s quite a bit. New characters like Naomi and Simon Baz have been introduced, and others like Harley Quinn and Batwoman have risen to prominence. And I can’t imagine a show like Doom Patrol releasing even five years ago with how far it goes in terms of representation. That being said, more is always better, and we’re a long way from having a universe that represents everyone.
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As far as representation goes, as a white dude I’m pretty over the whiteness. DC definitely needs some diversifying, the bad part is that new characters tend to wear it better than established characters, but they can’t even get new characters off ground. And there are plenty different characters they have to help diversify the landscape that they don’t use. Wonder Woman is greek but they make her look white. Black Lightning, Thunder, and Lightning are great black characters but they never get used in comics. Blue Beetle is hispanic if I’m not mistaken but where is he? Vixen, John Stewart where are they? There aren’t any asian heroes I’m aware of today except for that knock off Superman. They stay away from middle eastern characters all together…
As far as religion goes IDK I’m fine with them staying away from it cuz give a character a religion these day and whoever doesn’t agree with it is gonna raise hell and the best bet for everyone is christianity and even that’s a problem nowadays 
Sexual orientation is almost non-existent in DC. They could work on that. Utilizing Black Lightning and his family would help as his daughter Thunder is gay. The second Wally West was gay, but I think he’s dead now If I’m not mistaken. Changing any major/beloved character will raise all hell because the fan bases have their ships. Jericho was revealed gay and or bisexual during Convergence and the Deathstroke series. IDK they went back and forth from specifically stating he’s gay to discussing his relationships with women so IDK. And there’s absolutely no gender neutral or trans characters. I have no ideas for any of that.
I guess what I’m saying is they need to utilize the diverse characters that they have first, and go from there.
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It would be interesting to see more heroes with disabilities. I know people would point out Oracle, but there’s more to the spectrum of disability than someone being wheelchair bound. Thom Kallor had some pretty fun quirks, but he’s not really a spot on depiction of someone who is really overcoming a mental illness. I also agree with there being more heroes from the wrong side of the tracks. I’d like to read about a hero that turns out to be just your average joe with a day job. Wouldn’t you?
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I have thought this in the past. They show some Amazons with blond hair, white skin, and whatnot and I think “hey wait. Are’t you supposed to be Greek?” They tried to explain this in New 52 (I’m electing not to say how to keep this thread PG) but it felt like a weak and very un-Amazon excuse.
Another problem I’ve noticed with DC is that they often treat race and religion as the same thing. e.g. Huntress is Italian and therefore Catholic, Simon Baz is Arabic and therefore Muslim, Jewish-by-religion characters are of Jewish decent, etc. Sure you can be both but it’s not like it’s required for most religions.
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Yeah, great point. I wonder what ways DC could help solve these problems. My guess is probably ensuring that they have as diverse of people on staff as possible. Yes, DC will face backlash for adding diverse characters. Almost certainly there will be people who say, “Wow, DC is appealing to the PC snowflakes.” But, at the end of the day, who do they want to appeal to. Do they want to appease the people against a diverse cast, or do they want to represent the world as it is and gain new fans who feel appreciated and acknowledged in their world?
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this is what i was trying to get at which i think overcomes diversity for the sake of diversity. my mentality about it, be it comics, television, or movies, is a combination of the best person for the proverbial job and good story telling.
A sort of disclaimer: In the event I somehow offend, please let me know via direct message, preferably in a nice way. my intent is add to the discussion, not to offend and invoke outrage. I’m not very PC, but I see no reason to be offensive for the sake of it.
As long as I can come away with a “hey i never thought of that” moment or something not dissimilar, it should be very ‘all good’.
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Oh, I wasn’t trying to attack you. But you just used that point that see all the time come up when people discuss diversity. I don’t think we should treat the inclusion of someone who doesn’t fit into arbitrary societal norms being added as if it’s any different than a character who does being added. A black character for example shouldn’t be treated as any less of a character or seen as diversity points if we don’t treat white characters like that.
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@TheBatgirlofNML Well, I LOVE Cliff Chiang’s depiction of Wonder Woman because there she actually looked greek. Which, of course that artist that came after him made her look white again. But I know exactly what you’re talking about and IDRC about being PG for younger audiences. If it was clean enough to put in the comics or be seen on service it’s clean enough to read here. I know all about the Amazons hijacking military ships, raping the men, killing them, and then “killing” the infants if they were boys which all ended up being given to Hephetus who raised them and put them to work as slaves. I completely agree it feels very un amazon like and I wasn’t fond of the idea. But besides that little debacle I love Brian Azzarello’s run on Wonder Woman.
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I’ve missed a lot over the years
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I don’t like diversity for the sake of having diversity, what I like is, interesting and complex characters. I could care less what race, sexuality, religion or whatever other tag we like to put on.
Just because Jessica Cruz is latina and I’m latino I’m not gonna instanly relate to her, I relate to her because she is an introvert and always anxious in the start, the same way I can project myself into Superman when Im reading one of his comic. Because of human traits.
I’m up for any type of character, we are all humans after all 
, just don’t make the “diversity” the selling point of the character, that’s boring.
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Every aspect of every comic is a “selling point.” That’s how every entertainment industry works. You don’t add something unless you think it will sell. Why do we always say “diversity for the sake of having diversity?” Do you genuinely not believe that the artists, writers, etc. who develop a character that falls out of any “societal norms,” do so because they want to? The world is diverse, and thus comics should reflect this. Every comic you read with a diverse character do so because they want to.
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If they want to it, that ok with me, but just making a character latino because we are missing latino representation on our roster or is what is selling at the moment or to avoid backlash, that’s what I refer with diversity for the sake of diversity.
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So white is the neutral color of races? All other races are different and need a reason to be represented? When you see a white character on the page do you need justification for why they are white?
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I don’t like the concept of races, I don’t think any color of skin is the neutral one. when I see a character I just see it as an individual, don’t jump on how it personality is gonna be because of the fact the character come from certain race or the sexuality it have or what believe it choose too.
I now this is delusional and more in this time where the notion of individualism is enforce more than anything, but I want to believe that in a future, not mine sadly, really far future, we have drop the need to put tags on ourself in order to define our likes and dislikes and how to act.
When you write a character using diversity as the main focus of that character you are limiting it in a way, why ,because you have to make it certain way in order to represent, enforcing the notion that we are different because of it and have to act certain way. That’s why I said just write and interesting character, even talking animal can be a great character.
I was teach that each race is different, but choose not to believe or act on that. That’s why, when diversity is force and market, it reinforced the notion that we are different and some of the people that do it, do it with the purest of intention, but not notice that if you are doing for equality you are actually hurting your cause.
We are all different and the same. I don’t know if all of this make any sense, in my mind it does, but what doesn’t in your own mind lol
I guess that in the end it come to the point of thinking if race,sexuality,religion,diet etc define who you trully are and if so, if you want to see more of that in your favorite media.
Hope this clear my point of view.
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This clears it up a bunch. Thanks for expanding on your perspective. I agree that no race is different, which is why I was really struggling with the “diversity for the sake of diversity” argument. The problem I have with this is that it is used on every character I’ve read that doesn’t fit “societal norms,” even when race is never brought up by the character or story. This being said, it’s important to acknowledge that every race has their own challenges that deserve to be acknowledged.
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I’m glad I could clear that up, and thanks for asking question and giving me the space to express my opinion. It can be a spicy topic to tackle on, but I’m interested in reading what others think about it.
I agreed, and if you integrated into a character in a way that’s smart in enhance said character a lot. Example that come to mind, Magneto on the first X-men movie.
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Agreed, and no problem. Thanks for participating and feel free to stick around to respond to anyone else
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