So my friend Mary wrote on a similar subject a few months ago – and today I saw this post at the Post Game Show – All the Pixel Ladies:
“Lack of representation is a problem that a lot straight white men perhaps don’t understand. If you’re one of them, trust me when I say that, if you’re forever presented with a vision of the world that does not have you in it, where you can’t see any options or get any idea of where you might fit in, it does have an impact. And maybe if you’re, say, a redheaded guy, or a nerd, or a Canadian, and one day you see a hero up on screen who shares those qualities with you, then maybe you do understand the difference it can make, at least a little bit.”
There is a way to illustrate this to Straight White Men: have them watch Bollywood productions. Really. They say things like, “But what does this have to do with me?” And you say, “Now you’re getting it, just a little bit.”