Randall Park, Constance Wu, Lucille Soong, Hudson Yang, Forrest Wheeler, and Ian Chen in 'Fresh Off The Boat'.
Less than 1% of characters on TV in 2021 were paid care workers, even though demand for this field is skyrocketing. Show people what a world where easier access to professional care support could look like. Let’s manifest the future we’re all going to need!
- Tell a working class story: A main character in a show is a direct care worker (but that’s not the premise – “aliens who love to tap-dance move in next door” could be the premise!).
- A parent drops their child at a high quality publicly funded daycare conveniently located in their neighborhood. (This is the norm in some countries! Let’s import that idea to the U.S.)
- More than one care worker across aging, disability and child care appear in the same show – and they have names and dialogue. We love a Bechdel Test for care workers.
- An older character gets to remain at home because they have access to a care worker. That’s the Hollywood ending we all deserve.
A quick note: scenarios described here are generalized from information that Caring Across Generations has collected through focus groups, polling, and other research. They are generalized scenarios and are not any one individual’s story, and they are not meant to be comprehensive of all experiences having to do with care. This resource is intended to illuminate new storytelling opportunities that also contribute to a more authentic and holistic representation of care on screen.
