Lights, Camera, Activism: Recognition Strategies in Hollywood and Comedy

Abstract

Against the background of the #MeToo movement and the national reckoning with American racism, we assess how professionals in two fields of cultural entertainment engage in strategies to promote recognition. We draw on seventy in-depth interviews with creatives working in television production in Hollywood and professional comedy to advance a three-part argument: First, we describe seven distinct recognition work strategies they highlight, which differ in their goals, methods, and intended targets. These are categorized into two types: 1) Narrative Strategies (“sparking thoughts and dialogue,” “reflecting reality,” “Trojan Horse,” and “emotional modulation”); and (2) Power Strategies (“see it to be it,” “redistributing power,” and “creative composition”). Second, we show how interviewees perceive that various constraints limit their capacity to pursue social goals through creative work. Third, we show that their recognition strategies operate in relation to these perceived constraints and how creatives conceptualize their micro-level actions as progressively creating broader changes. Many creatives believe their industry has the ability to transform society in small but cumulative ways; this study shows the ways in which they believe this process works, contributing to the growing literature on occupational activism.

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