Over on RaceWire, Jonathan Adams posted the casting call for Beyonce’s new AMEX commercial. It’s worth reproducing here in full:

Seeking, Principles:

[BEYONCE’S ASSISTANT ]
Female / Caucasian / 30-34
Real people types. Non commercial. She is smart, sharp
and efficient. Rate: Sag Scale

[ HAIR STYLIST ]
Male / Caucasian / 28-33 Stylish. Real people types. Rate: Sag Scale

[ MAKE-UP ARTIST ]
Female / Asian / 25-33 Hip. Real people types. Artsy. Rate: Sag Scale

[ MUSIC ENGINEER ]
Male / African Am, Caucasian / 30-33 Real people types. Non commercial types. Rate: Sag Scale

[ MUSIC PRODUCER #2 ]
Male / African Am / 35-38 /A little bit older than Producer #1. Real people types. Should look natural working on a track board. Rate: Sag Scale

[ MUSIC PRODUCER #1 ]
Male / African Am / 27-33 /Real people types. Believable. Should look natural working on a track board. Rate: Sag Scale

[ PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSISTANT #2 ]
Female / Caucasian / 20-25 /SHE is an Italian hip and stylish Rate: Sag Scale

[ PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSISTANT #1 ]
Male / Caucasian / 30-33 /HE is an Italian hip and stylish. Note: Photographer #1 a bit older. Rate: Sag Scale

[ ITALIAN PHOTOGRAPHER ]
Male / Caucasian / 40-45 /HE is Hip and edgy. MUST know how to handle a camera. 40-45. Rate: Sag Scale

[ JAPANESE PARENTS ]
Male or Female / Asian / 35-40 /Real Japanese type parents for record store scene. Rate: Sag Scale

[ JAPANESE FANS ]
Male or Female / Asian / 15-22 /Real Japanese kids. Cool looking. Record store scene. Rate: Sag Scale

[ (6) AUSTRIAN REPORTERS ]
Male or Female / Caucasian / 25-45 /Interesting faces. Real people not commercial. No models. AUSTRALIAN TYPES. Rate: Sag Scale

[ (6) GERMAN REPORTERS ]
Male or Female / Caucasian / 25-45 /Interesting faces. Real people not commercial looking. No Models. GERMAN TYPES. Rate: Sag Scale

Several people have noted that the only black folks allowed in are music producers. Adams comments: “I never really thought of photographers or reporters or music lovers as specific races or ethnicities but this commercial seemingly attempts to define these for me.”

Yes, yes it kinda does.

When attempting to discuss the ways in which television and/or advertising decision makers either keep people of color out of view or assign them to stereotypical roles, many try to argue that it’s not the show/commercial’s fault, maybe there just aren’t enough actors of color around! A cattle call is just that–anyone can show up. While that seems like it should be how things are, Should and Is do not always match up.

If we consumers had never seen this casting call and just watched the commercial, how would we have assumed each of the roles were chosen? Would we think that they just chose the best person who gave an audition for hair stylist or a makeup artist, regardless of race or gender? Possibly. It’s not always apparent that casting directors are often given such specific mandates. Those mandates go out to agents or casting papers or wherever as we see them here. If a black man wanted to audition for hair stylist he, well, couldn’t.

It’s nice to see that they are looking for a lot of different ethnicities for this commercial(s). It probably has to do with Beyonce’s crossover appeal (words that translate into ‘She’s a safe black/beige person’). But Adams asks the million dollar question: “There has to be room for race in Hollywood casting, but how should it be executed? This casting call limits people of color to stereotypical roles, but there are many more casting calls that do not even call for people of color.”

Yeah.

Stuff like this shows, yet again, that the problem is a top-down one. It’s not that there aren’t enough actors of color around and it’s not that they can’t be bothered to show up for casting calls. It’s that they aren’t being asked to show up. They aren’t being asked to show up because parts that aren’t written for a specific race often default to white. Non-specific parts default to white because the director and producers and executives aren’t actively involved in making sure that attitude isn’t prevalent. Which executives/producers/directors are involved in such attitude-changing practices? I’ll leave that for you to figure out.