A NEWSPAPER recently ran an article about the new, more inclusive Lego line which sported the headline ‘Lego Goes Woke’.

Though presented by the much of the media as a hip new buzzword used to negatively describe anything even remotely socially conscious, the term woke actually originates from African American English, and was used to positively describe an awareness of societal inequality, particularly that perpetuated as a result of racism.

Like so many aspects of Black culture, the word has been appropriated in such a way as to divorce it from its origins, and it’s now often deployed as a pejorative.

Just what was it that made Lego’s new initiative so woke?

Its inclusion of disabled characters.

Lego is not alone in its endeavours; Barbie has featured disabled characters for quite some time. The character of Becky, a wheelchair user, was introduced in 1997, although there were some practical issues involved in the compatibility of mobility devices with existing playsets.

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Nowadays, Mattel, the creator of Barbie, have added characters who use prosthetics, hearing and mobility aids, in addition to more racial diversity, and dolls who promote more varied body types.

More inclusive toys can provide an excellent teaching resource to educate children about the different experiences of those around them, and give them the opportunity to celebrate those differences.

If you’re wondering how children feel about these toys, Lego already asked them, with 3/4 of kids surveyed saying they wanted more toys that represented them, and 93% saying that having friends with different life experiences can help you learn new things.

Kids might be disabled themselves, have disabled parents or friends, and finding a representation through their toys can promote a sense of self-esteem and pride in their experiences. To see yourself represented in media, to see people whose experiences, triumphs, and struggles to which you can relate, helps you to feel engaged.

The Herald: The Last of UsThe Last of Us (Image: free)

Likewise, seeing people who have different experiences can help promote understanding and empathy. Media can provide both an escape from and a mirror of society, and as such, we should aim to make it as diverse as possible.

Recently, there were plenty of people who took issue with the portrayal of the little mermaid by Halle Bailey and the upcoming reboot of Peter Pan featuring Yara Shahidi as Tinkerbell. Neither skin colour nor racial identity are relevant to the plot of the little mermaid or Peter Pan, and as for anyone mourning the loss of "realism", I hate to break it to you reading but mermaids and fairies are not, at the time of writing, confirmed to be real.

The backlash pales in comparison to the joy shown by kids and grown ups alike, who are excited to see a whole new kind of magic breathed into their favourite characters. Creating more diverse media expands the audience to which it can connect, and in doing so can bring a fresh perspective to outdated media.

Offering a more diverse cast isn't anything other than helping to redress a balance which for too long has been exclusionary.

People who wax lyrical about the accuracy of fantasy seem perfectly able to suspend their disbelief when it comes to dragons, or magic, or anything other than the presence of diversity within the cast.

Spells are okay, but heaven forbid there is someone non-white, LGBTQ+ or disabled casting them.

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These people have just as much right as anyone else to exist, and to have their presence in media represented and celebrated. Of course, barriers to representation in media still exist, and to ignore them or negate the harmful consequences they can have would be to discredit the incredible amounts of effort put in to make progress towards more diverse and fair representation.

The exclusionary nature of film and television was explored by actor and director James Hong in his Screen Actors Guild Awards acceptance speech as he stated, "The producer said the Asians were not good enough, and they are not box office. But look at us now."

He called attention to trends of "yellow face", white actors made up to look and act in a stereotypical Asian caricature, which served the dual purpose of fuelling anti-Asian xenophobia, and depriving Asian people of the opportunity to tell their own stories in an authentic manner.

In seeing such wonderful representation, people who might never have been able to see themselves pursuing a particular career can feel inspired to dream big and aim high.

Michelle Yeoh expanded upon this sentiment as she said, “This is not just for me. This is for every little girl that looks like me. Thank you for giving me a seat at the table."

For too long minority representation has been viewed as a replacement, or the removal of someone else's seat, but that perspective fails to consider that it's actually a metaphorical table, and there is no limit to the amount of people who can be represented.

The Last of Us was a groundbreaking game in terms of LGBTQ+ representation, at a time when visibility in the industry was sorely lacking, and it faced an incredible amount of backlash for its inclusion of gay and trans characters.

In its recent TV adaptation, which has the space, budget and time to develop and expand upon characters introduced in the game, there has been an expansion of a minor story arc from the game: the love story of two men who are (spoiler alert) able to live, love and die together in the middle of an apocalypse.

To see such a tender, touching story full of the everyday wonders of love, extraordinary in its mundanity, not made to titillate, or amuse the straight gaze, but to tell a relatable tale of life and loss was a beautiful thing to behold.

Watching it, I thought of my gay friends who once were, or still are, afraid to love, and to be loved; how much a story like that might resonate with them, and how necessary stories like that are in the current social climate of inequality and oppression. The need for more on-screen diversity was further emphasised by the backlash the episode received due to the ‘wokeness’ of showing gay love on screen.

When the majority is no longer the sole priority of media, it might feel like erasure or inequality for those not used to sharing the narrative. It's not nice to no longer have all of the pie to yourself, but considering that someone else helped make the pie, but has historically been denied access to it, and has just as much right to share in its deliciousness, sharing is most definitely caring.

Whether it's more diverse kids toys, or authentic representation and increased visibility for minorities who, for too long have been ignored, oppressed and excluded from the narrative, progress will always be viewed as unnecessary by those who are far too comfortable with the inequality of the status quo.

It's high time those who take issue with inclusion, and who dislike diversity, woke up.