Read This: Hollywood insiders share their stories of the industry’s racism, sexism

There are numerous ways to talk about Hollywood’s embarrassing lack of diversity. One could, for instance, bombard readers with discouraging statistics about how few characters in film and television are anything other than white, straight, and male. There is certainly enough data for such a report. Writer Melena Ryzik, however, employs a different, more intimate strategy with an eye-opening New York Times piece entitled “What It’s Really Like To Work In Hollywood* (*If You’re Not A White, Straight Man).” Rather than being clinical or mathematical, the article is personal and anecdotal, with 27 industry insiders from both sides of the camera sharing their personal experiences of discrimination in Hollywood. Interview subjects here include Mindy Kaling (The Office, The Mindy Project), Ken Jeong (Community, Dr. Ken), Jimmy Smits (L.A. Law), Eva Longoria (Telenovela), and Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich).