Part 6/14:

An underlying thread in these industry developments is how Hollywood and streaming services are handling representation and messaging. Historically, shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Office executed diversity seamlessly, embedding it naturally into narratives without making it overt. Today, efforts often feel forced or overly deliberate, with some productions featuring token characters or plot points that seem inserted solely for virtue signaling.

For example, in recent decades, attempts at race-swapping major characters or inserting identity-driven storylines tend to be heavy-handed. Conversely, shows such as How I Met Your Mother or American sitcoms from earlier eras incorporated diversity more subtly—and, critics argue, more authentically.