LGBTQ+, fat and disabled characters combined only make up a total 10% of the 100 highest-grossing U.S. films, according to a new study shared Tuesday by the Geena Davis Institute.
The institute’s 2024 GDI film study, titled “Charting Progress in Film Diversity,” examines children’s and family programming to “better understand the influence of media on young audiences who are most vulnerable to media effects.”
“Our goal is to drive industry change by providing creators with the data and insights they need to improve how gender, race, LGBTQIA+ identity, disability, body size and age are presented on screen,” the study reads.
The study was presented exclusively at TheWrap’s 2024 Power Women Summit in Los Angeles on Tuesday during a panel sponsored by the Geena Davis Institute. Featured speakers were Dr. Meredith Conroy, the institute’s VP of research and insights; Madeline Di Nonno, the institute’s president and CEO; Janine Jones-Clark, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group’s EVP of filmmaker and content strategies; and Ramsey Naito, Paramount and Nickelodeon Animation president. Ellie Austin, deputy editorial director of Most Powerful Women at Fortune, moderated.
Looking to films that were rated G, PG or PG-13, were made for $10 million or more, were English-language and were made for theatrical or streaming release, the study finds that LGBTQ+ characters accounted for 1.5% of film roles, disabled characters accounted for 2% and fat characters for 6.5%. Additionally, female characters make up 37.8% of screen roles and non-white characters make up 40.5%. The study additionally found characters that are 50 and older is an underrepresented group on screen, making up only 18.7%.
In regards to the study’s use of the word “fat,” the study clarified that it’s used as a value-neutral descriptor in order to differentiate from “obese” or “overweight,” as those terms are “rooted in medical practices that often reinforce stigma and bias against larger bodies,” nor is “fat” suggestive of being outside of some sort of “norm” or “average” (such as “plus size” or “bigger”).
Other key findings included that women are five times as likely as men to be objectified on screen and are three times as likely as men to be presented in sexually revealing clothing. Also, when it comes to the careers women have in film or TV, women are less likely to have an occupation, but are equally as likely as men to be a leader and equally as likely as men to work in business, blue collar professions, education, the arts and the government or royalty.
TheWrap’s Power Women Summit is the essential gathering of the most influential women across entertainment and media. The event aims to inspire and empower women across the landscape of their professional careers and personal lives. With the theme, “Aspire,” this year’s PWS provides one day of keynotes, panels, workshops and networking. For more information visit thewrap.com/pws. For all of TheWrap’s Power Women Summit 2024 coverage, click here.
