TV v. Movies

I just came across this article about how television is leading the movies in diversity.

Why Television Is Outpacing Film in Diversity
Wilson Cruz, Paris Barclay, Outfest Fusion's Taj Paxton, and Anjelica Huston weigh in on the growing divide between television and film in featuring LGBT people, especially those of color.
The Advocate
By Daniel Reynolds
March 10 2014
[…]
Despite these accolades, or perhaps because of them, the casting of a straight, cisgender man as a trans woman has generated controversy. At a recent California awards ceremony, Leto was heckled by a trans activist, who said: "You don't deserve an award for portraying a trans woman, because you're a man." Calpernia Addams, a trans actress and his voice and acting coach for the role, acknowledged that discrimination in casting trans actors in films is a problem, but came to Leto’s defense in an op-ed for The Advocate: "Please do hire trans actors for any role, especially trans roles. But please let's not shoot ourselves in the foot by attacking allies willing to open the door for us as we approach equality."

But there is an another facet of Leto’s casting that is a reminder to some of the systemic problems that continue to hinder the progress of diversity in Hollywood: his race. As an entirely fictional character, Rayon could have been cast with an actor of any background. In fact, Gael García Bernal, a Hispanic actor, was briefly in talks for the role, but the part ultimately went to a straight white celebrity, rather than a lesser-known minority actor.
[…]
"It's no coincidence that as Hollywood film has lost revenue and cultural relevance to television in recent years, TV has featured increasingly more diverse characters and groundbreaking stories,” Cruz says. “Meanwhile, the mainstream film industry has grown more ‘risk’ averse, but they desperately need to recognize that the real risk here is alienating a whole generation of moviegoers who expect to see the full diversity of their own communities and peer groups reflected in the media they consume.”

According to the article the main difference is cost; movies are on multi million dollars budgets while television shows are are made on a tenth of the budget and also movies are in theaters and television is in the home so they appeal to different audiences. Therefore, movies want to cater to the mainstream audiences (meaning white middle class) while television is more socially integrated. I don’t know if I believe that, but it does a ring of truth.