A text is so much more than just a few pieces of paper, a few words, or a few videos. Texts have the power to unite, to divide, and absolutely everything in between. A successful and engaging text is one that you take into heart and have emotional reactions to, because ultimately, that is the whole point of consuming texts- to bring out and provoke emotions within us. There is nothing unintentional when it comes to texts, and nearly everything we see was part of the producer’s grand design, which is why we need to be constantly asking the all-important question- “Why did the producer make this choice?” If we don’t question the texts we consume, we become slaves to the media, and we lose our individuality. Similarly, if we don’t regularly question the actions of governments, we’ll soon find ourselves prey to the fangs of deceitful politicians and governments. Texts are open to interpretation, and ensuring that we form our own unique opinions as opposed to being sheep to the majority is critical to our understanding of the world.

Representation in texts is a rather contemporary issue, and what a touchy issue it is. The push to make sure absolutely everyone is being portrayed equally and accurately, be it in cinema, TV shows, literature, or others, is sweeping through the modern world. Studios and authors can no longer get away with solely pumping out white-dominated texts, as was the norm in the past. Now, diversity is a necessity for a text to have universal appeal, and to sell in an increasingly multicultural world. The example we looked at heavily in class was that of Crazy Rich Asians, the first major Hollywood production to feature an all-Asian cast and to be set in Asia. Some see this as a giant leap forward in regards to representation, while others merely dismiss it as a sellout that sacrifices authenticity for commerciality. After taking into account that the film is very close to the book that inspired it, I have to say that I lie somewhere in the middle on that spectrum. The film does tread on new ground and will open new doors for Asian/minority actors, but is limited by the producer’s choice to depict a highly-Westernised version of Asia and Asians, obviously made with a commercial audience in mind. I don’t see it as a giant leap forward, but rather a stepping stone.

Mind Your Language is another text that springs to mind when talking about representation. A British sitcom from the late 1970s dealing with the misadventures of an English as a foreign language class in London, made up of students all from different countries, and thrives on misrepresentation. This is a text that may have been seen as slightly controversial when it was first produced, but would be received with a biblical outcry in today’s world of sensitivity and political correctness. Stereotypes are embraced and utilized to the absolute maximum in Mind Your Language, with cultural appropriation forming the basis of nearly all its humour, and while most back in the day would see it as ‘humour tinged with a bit of racism’, today’s world (particularly leftists) would describe it as ‘a racist, failed attempt at humour’. This illustrates how important historical and cultural context is to the production of a text, and how interpretations of texts change over time. Personally, there are times when I feel the appropriation is a bit much, but I recognise the fact that this text is a work of comedic satire, and isn’t meant to be taken seriously. More sensitive people would simply not be able to digest Mind Your Language, and I definitely understand, but as someone who can have a laugh or two over issues that would be considered contentious, I don’t mind Mind Your Language at all.

As I alluded to before, a good text is one that makes you think. If texts were physical beings, a good text would be one you’d want to have a drink with or one that you’d want to punch, while a text that you’d prefer to ignore would be an unsuccessful text. I am different from many of my peers (at least I think so) in that I don’t enjoy contemporary texts as much as I do older ones, and that I don’t care much about representation. My favourite movie, Almost Famous, follows a fifteen year old kid who becomes a journalist for Rolling Stone and follows an up and coming rock band on their tour of America. I can’t seem to recall a single non-white character of significance in the movie, and while this would bother many (especially people of colour, as I am), it does not bother me, because I don’t consume texts based on how many cultures or nationalities it represents; I consume texts if I find the premise appealing or not, irrespective of the skin tone of the main characters. If consumption by representation is your thing, then the more power to you, but it isn’t mine. Representation in texts is an interesting dilemma in that too little representation will result in monoculturalism running rampant, while forced representation will end up sacrificing roles based on merit for roles based on colour. We shouldn’t strive for equal representation, but rather equal opportunities.