Episode's 2017 Diversity Standards

We are barely seen and are minority’s within the app. Saying no one should be represented is just plain rude. We deserve to be seen just as any white character. White characters are shown way more than us. We deserve recognition too

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when i say everyone I literally mean EVERYONE I’m not excessively talking about LGBT or POC I am referring to everyone. Yes it is widely used I am fully aware of that. What I am saying is no one should be forced to represent anyone they are not choosing to represent.

meaning if LGBT writing do not want to represent straight people, they dont have to. and vice versa
if POC do not want to represent white people then they dont have to. and vice versa
If an aithiest doesnt want to represent a christian in a story they dont have to
if a woman doesnt want to represent a man in her story then she doesnt have to.

No one has to do anything really. They should want to do it, if they so chose.

is that clear? or did it come off rude?

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I understand how you feel. I am guessing mostly white people use the app or something. So write your own story and have it become super popular, show Episode what they are missing out on.

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That…makes no sense
The worlds not just one skin tone
Episodes is an app ppl world wide use it
Choosing to only show one race is fvckd up…
Not only white ppl use the app
World takes all kinds no ones forcing anyone to do anything.
And by force u mean…add people of color to a FICTIONAL work…its a story its entertainment

Also not everyone can direct on episodes some ppl are readers some creators and some are both

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Ah. I get it now. Yes they aren’t forced to. However, if you constantly ignore minority groups such as POC along with LGBT+ then that is messed up. That’s where we need to speak up. No you weren’t rude on that part. Now I got it with a better explanation. But with white, straight people being used constantly instead of others comes off as unrepresented and non diverse. I get it now what you mean though. You are somewhat right but we need recognition too. And Episode needs to be held accountable

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I do but people will be less interested in it compared to no diverse stories. Stories that have only white, straight people get more attention while the others that add diversity don’t. See what I mean?

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I am assuming they maybe used more because they may be majority readers idk, who knows how they decide these things. I personally Just won’t let this bother me. I know my worth and it isn’t measured in an app that is full of fictional stories.

I would have to disagree with your last point, simply because User stories are based on the amount of reads they get. That is how they become popular. So you are saying that the majority of readers are not interested in reading stories that are more diverse? if that is the case then the problem would be on the readers and not the company. Readers aren’t interested and not that the company doesn’t promote it.

However, my personal opinion is that the majority of episode readers do enjoy diverse stories, and that people are more interested in a GOOD story, well written and well executed. At least that is the case for me.

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Diversity isnt a genre

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yeah I’m aware, usually the stories have a description of what it is about, or an artwork, they let you know if you can customize your characters or not. the author lets you know if it is LGBTQ friendly or not. There are ways to know if you will be getting what you are looking for in a story or not.

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The point is…i shouldnt have to search for POC stories i like CC its my fav thing to read but being the only POC there (in a story) is what the issue is…my exp black ppl are the rude ones or the backround ppl or the sterotypical sporty agressive watever types…it should be a diverse group of ppl…(e.i. stuff like black loners/loud asians/ anybody really nlt just 1 token black girl in a sea of one race in some fictional place)

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:clap:t4::clap:t4:

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Yeah, I have noticed that. It sounds like the problem is mainly with the authors of the story. So what is the solution? force the authors to create the story the way we want it so that we can feel good? I guess my question is what is the best possible solution to something like this? For me it would be to have more POC writing amazing stories and publishing them.

Look when I customize my characters I usually make them of darker skin, well because they just look prettier to me. even if I am the only one that is dark skin. I make her and the love interest the best looking one out of everyone lol

so mind me suggesting the stories
forever yours
meet me at sunset (where you can even customize your friends)
Jealousy in high heels
why me?
tangled love
I have read many many stories where what you are talking about isn’t an issue.

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Read why me liked the MC hated the plot and the guy
Adding the rest to my readlist except jealousy in high heels(not my story type) and tangled love might be pushing it but well try it

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lol! I actually stopped reading why me after 21 chapters, cause i got bored. (story was dying)

I guess I am big on romantic dramatic stories.
yeah give them a read, I truly enjoyed most ones the ones on that small list, I know I have more, I would have to look on my phone and check.

I am also going to be starting on my own story (hopefully that works out)

hope that list helps and maybe leads you to more good stories. (happy choosing lol) :wink:

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I really don’t think you understand the power of stories. I don’t think you are really capable of seeing the bigger picture and understanding what stories do in society… and what companies are responsible for when it comes to society, so let me give you as much information as possible.

  • Why do you think propaganda exists? Why do you think much smarter people than we put their efforts into writing? Why do you think dictators are so concerned with the written word and censoring it? I can guarantee you that it’s not just because they’re paranoid. It’s because they realise how “just stories” can be used to spread new ideas – ideas that a dictatorship may not want to exist. That includes Episode because we live in the digital age where interactive stories are growing in prevalence.

  • If Episode’s featured stories don’t include diversity, how can we really expect the community stories to? They’re a professional company that has the power to hire professional writers. A lot of the community writers are new at this and could use all the good examples they get

  • Episode made us a promise that they didn’t keep. Several in this case. There is nothing wrong with us commenting on the fact that they set out to do something they didn’t end up doing, anyway.

  • Most of these stories are set in the US… where people are of different creeds and colours. American people aren’t all just white, so it’s a real issue for someone to not physically be able to add diversity in their stories as an American, that’s a real issue. I mean, it’s not like white and black people live separately, so for someone to actively avoid representation in their stories… it screams of ignorance or an actual avoidance of anyone who isn’t white.

  • Stories are how we come to terms with ideas that are complex. It’s difficult to speak about things that have actually happened or are happening, but say if we took a Stalin character out of the Russian setting and turned him into a pig called Napoleon. Suddenly we have the ability to see his actions for what they are and criticise him in a different setting. That’s why Animal Farm was banned in the USSR.

  • “It’s just a story” undermines every single person in the world studying literature or media or anything involving the study of how we represent ideas in different media.

  • Not being able to see how important stories are is the thing that makes you susceptible to their influences more. When you’re aware of the power that a story can have, you’re more likely to be able to avoid being influenced by stories negatively. You’re more likely to agree with Hitler in Mein Kampf if you aren’t aware of the fact that it’s written to persuade.

  • You may say “it’s not real life”, but where do you think people get their ideas for their stories from? Real life. Don’t you think it’s an issue if people can’t even humanise people from different backgrounds? It says a lot about their real-life experience.

  • Never read an Aesop’s Fable when you were younger? Remember the morals in them? Slow and steady wins the race? Do you actually think they just stop doing that in your books/stories/films//TV when you reach the age of ten? No. They just hide it better.

  • You might say “yes, real stories can influence people (because that’s the truth. They can and they do influence people and anyone who thinks otherwise is much more likely to be influenced because they’re not aware of it), but Episode stories are just for fun”. Well, that would be ridiculous. Don’t you think the same could have been said about books? TV? Film? What is the difference? That Episode is new and not taken seriously yet? That’s even more reason to be more aware of what’s happening with Episode stories.

  • When you’re not used to an experience and you want to imagine it, what do you turn to? Descriptions in books and events in TV and films. So imagine you’re someone who lives in a remote part of the countryside of Sweden where there are no POC. Imagine that every time you saw Arabic people on TV, they were portrayed as evil extremists. Then you found out that an Arab person was moving next door to you. What would you think? How would you feel? If you genuinely think that kind of thing wouldn’t affect you, I’m sorry but you think way too highly of yourself. It affects EVERYONE – even the smartest of people.

You claim you’re just stating an opinion, yet this is your actual honest attitude towards people who don’t share the same opinion as yourself:

Telling them to be silent and not complain about something they consider important. You didn’t just say “I don’t think it’s important.” You told people to stop finding it important themselves. That’s why you got a negative reaction. That’s not stating an opinion, that’s telling people how to think and react with regards to their own opinions. The “it’s my opinion” is just a backtrack from there.

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Im tired of this diversity talk. Literally.

Yes, Episode thinks they are diverse but they are not. Yes that IS a problem. However authors not including people from every single race is NOT a problem. Its their own story, they can add it or not. Its not just “go ahead search then add” not every thing on the internet is true. Literally all yall do is talk. No act. You want people to add in your race? Nice. Go make your MC from YOUR race and teach people about your culture while the story is moving on!

Theres not a single character from my race. Do you know what I do? Yeah, I make my own characters from my race! Im writing a romcom but I also add in my culture! Do you know why I do this? Because people want stories! If I wanted to learn about cultures I’d watch a documentary not an episode story. Everybody thinks the same. So, go ahead and put the culture and diversity in. But also have plot.

The least you could do is have a MC with a culture that you’re familiar with. Thats it. No talk, just act.

And, to all those who think their story is diverse because their characters have different skin colors, DING DONG! YOURE FUCKING WRONG!

Diversity: race, sexuality, religion, no-religion, not-able bodies and probably millions of things that I cant think rn.

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I think that’s a really unfair conclusion. Most of the people on this post write their own stories full of diversity. The person who just sits and complains and does nothing about it is largely a strawman Episode user.

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So what ever happened to our 2017 diversity standards it’s nearly 2019 and not much has changed :thinking:

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Every story has a culture to it because as soon as you put humans together, a culture is created. So what culture do you think is acceptable for a “normal” story and what culture is so weird and unusual that you have to learn about it through a documentary instead of just accepting it in a story?

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Ffs here we go again.

Theres nothing called “unusual” culture. Stop thinking everything is offensive and racist to you. People watch documentaries to learn about anything. I watch documentaries about cats, does that make me an animal abuser? Youre not making any sense. Documentaries, article, book, literally anything!

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