Beyond Selidor

The majority of my post was about authorial intention versus audience interpretation, so I feel that I can answer your comments about Glee by replying that what you say may have been the show's creators' intent, but it is not how I interpret it. Why do the 'stereotypical' cheerleaders and football players have to be the focus, if the show is about equal-opportunity stereotyping? Why are the 'minority' characters only the focus in episodes that deal with their 'minorityness' (Kurt's coming-out episode, the episode where all the characters had to ride around in wheelchairs etc)?

Your first footnote, I accept in part (and I defer in particular to your experience regarding Asian people working in the arts). However, just as I don't think it's always all some big white supremacist conspiracy, nor do I think that it's always entirely innocent reasons that 'mainstream' entertainment is so white. I'd point you in the direction of Justine Larbalestier's post (http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2009/07/23/aint-that-a-shame/) dealing with the debate over the cover of her book Liar (and more generally with the idea that 'black books don't sell'), but I know you never click on any of my links. Oh well...