A few years ago, the editor-in-chief of The Hollywood Reporter pitched a story to the newsroom. He had just come back from lunch with a well-known agent, who had suggested the paper take a look at the unintended consequences of Hollywoodโs efforts to diversify. Those white men who had spent decades writing scriptsโwhich had been turned into blockbuster movies and hit television showsโwere no longer getting hired.
The newsroom blew up. The reporters, especially the younger ones, mocked the idea that white men were on the outs. The editor-in-chief, normally self-assured, immediately backtracked. He looked rattled.
It was a missed opportunity. The story wasnโt just about white guys not getting jobs. Nor was it really about the economics of Hollywood. It was about the stories Hollywood...