Sia’s new film “Music” and the importance of representation in the media

By Margot Camp ‘23

Everyday, we consume media. This media comes in many different forms such as movies, TV shows, music, images, and videos from social media platforms.

Within that media, we see a serious lack of representation of people outside of the dominant culture. 

Jasmine Love, the Director of Inclusion and Outreach at Catlin Gabel School (CGS), provides some perspective on the importance of representation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)  in the media. Representation alone is important but more crucial is the type of representation and how BIPOC are portrayed in the media.

“For the longest time, for instance, you would see Black people in just the very smallest roles or in servant roles,” said Love. “You would see Black men as criminals which informs the images people hold of those folks, so you don't have a three-dimensional set of images for one person.”

Representation in the media heavily affects how society views people, especially those who have been historically marginalized. 

Love gave an example of how people might be influenced by what they see in the media. 

“There used to be only doctors on television that were men, and so people were always shocked when there would be a woman that was a doctor in their real life,” she said.  

Not only does representation in the media affect how society views minorities, but according to Love, it also affects how people see themselves.

“It's important that everybody be able to see who they are in someone else, and to be able to identify with that person, to be able to connect with that person,” said Love. “If you have ever been a minority in that type of situation, it can be very isolating.”

Often when we think of representation, we think of it in regards to race, gender, and sexuality, but there are many other identities that aren't present and represented in the media. Specifically, neurodiversity is not often represented in the media, especially with media directed towards teens and children.

The well-known musician and creator Sia has recently released a trailer to her new film “Music” which features a young autistic girl named Music. Music is played by Maddie Zeigler, a neurotypical dancer and actress.  

Many members of the autistic community as well as their allies, have called Sia “ableist” for casting a neurotypical person for the starring role instead of someone with autism.

Sia engaged in fiery conversations on Twitter surrounding her casting of Zeigler. Sia stated that she attempted to cast a young girl on the spectrum but it was “stressful” and “unpleasant” for her so she cast Zeigler instead. 

A few young autistic actors felt that Sia’s responses to her criticisms were just excuses. “We all could have acted on a short notice.” 

To which Sia responded, “Maybe you’re just a bad actor.” 

Although there is a lack of representation of neurodivergent individuals in the media, some examples of books with representation in them are, “Fish in a Tree” by Mullaly Hunt, “Rules” by Cynthia Lord and “Out of My Mind” by Sharon M. Draper. 

Neurodivergent characters are represented in all three of these books in stories about overcoming challenges at school, struggling with the stigma around autism, and learning the power of language.

What are your favorite movies, shows, or books that represent your identities? Please share them below.