Hollywood?s Dirty Secret: Why Your Favorite Show Is Teaching You Bias

How Dexter Resurrection turned entertainment into prejudice — and what we can do to fight back

Film has been engaged in proliferating the bias against those who are seen as somehow “abnormal.” Beauty rules the day in entertainment. We’ve seen this in Charles Laughton’s 1923 portrayal of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and in the Batman series, the Penguin, where this character was tossed aside at birth because of his physical abnormalities. Of course, some suffer disfigurement, which provides the central thesis for the work.

In the 1925 silent film, the “Phantom of the Opera” has as its main character a deformed man. Was that original? No, it was derived from a 1910 novel. Where else have we seen it?

Sure, it’s been in history books, and people have laughed at those who were the court jesters for royalty, where they would mug and be foolish, but were chosen for their short stature and unlikely features. Why do we enjoy making fun of people who have a hard life as it is in our “normal” world? Is it cruelty, or are we just so glad that this didn’t happen to us or our children?

A friend reached out to me via text after watching the latest episode of the Dexter television show. The newest iteration in the Dexter series has proven incredibly successful, topping all other shows on TV this season.

The villain’s unsettling nature was the subject of her casual observation. The way she spoke about him left a lasting impression on me. She avoided discussing the actions of Dexter but zoomed in on Leon Prater, the billionaire with a penchant for serial killers.

She focused on his physical appearance. And, true to form, the moguls of media have taught audiences which individuals to fear through their content. Should we be looking deeper into Prater and wondering how his twisted mind developed due to his physical form? I doubt most people will do this, but it’s a possibility.

The People Behind the Statistics

The discussion about TV villains should begin with understanding how these choices impact all of us, but especially those who have disabilities. The United States is home to approximately 30,000 people who have dwarfism. Accountants, teachers, mechanics, doctors, and parents are included in this group.

Community members who serve as sports coaches and volunteers also make up this group. The majority of people want to experience a typical life without facing public scrutiny or distrust because of their appearance. How often is that the case?

The viewing experience of television shows does not reveal this reality to audiences. There has been at least one show that has attempted to bring normal family activities into the world of little people, and it’s Little People, Big World.

The writers of Dexter Resurrection chose to cast an actor who has dwarfism for their billionaire villain role. Dwarfism is an essential element that makes this character both frightening and uncomfortable to watch. I wonder how that actor has responded to his fame from Dexter. He has an impressive catalog of work to his credit, and each utilizes his physical appearance.

Why We Keep Getting It Wrong

Hollywood writers’ rooms often utilize physical characteristics to create villains, as these elements provide quick visual triggers for audience discomfort. It may be a way to quickly establish the piece, rather than developing complex character backgrounds and motivations.

The practice of using physical differences as character development has become standard in 2025. It affects more than just little people. Every movie and television show features villains who get their scars or mental illnesses or disabilities to make their characters more frightening. Do we really not mind using this story ruse? Are we being led down a path that is emotionally injurious to others?

The message consistently shows that people who appear different from others are likely to be dangerous. This concept alone is frightening and highly disturbing to me.

Children under parental care have started asking TV characters about their mean behavior because of how these characters look. Adults who earn millions have created a character based on being different because they found it frightening enough to use as a basis for their creation and the prophet inherent in it.

I once knew an editor who was extremely successful in book publishing in the area of fantasy and science fiction. Professional publications and reviewers noted her extraordinary work. No one mentioned the fact that she was a dwarf. I didn’t realize it until she, her husband, and I had dinner one night before they were leaving to open a bookshop out West. Not once during the dinner did any of us stray off topic to her height. It didn’t make any difference, and it hadn’t made a difference in her success.

Little people have shared with me how their social interactions changed after particular television shows aired. Some people express shock when they encounter friendly behavior from little people. Job candidates have noticed their interviewers attempting to match the person in front of them to a villainous character from their favorite show. It’s an uncomfortable and unnecessary situation. Recently, I wrote about the height bias, but this is a bias of a different type.

Research confirms people display their fear responses when they encounter individuals who they may unconsciously believe share characteristics with the screen villains they have learned to fear. Unwise, foolish, and harmful to the individuals on both sides of the conversation. This explains why we need organizations to help all of us understand the discrimination and bias that are still present in our society.

People in the entertainment industry have shared with me their genuine reasons for this ongoing practice. The bottom line? The approach generates positive financial results for business operations. Haven’t we seen this in film historically, where persons of color or East Asia ethnicity have been depicted as dangerous and harmful?

Using someone’s physical appearance as a fear trigger proves more cost-effective than creating a believable villain through proper character development. I guess you might say this helps the bottom line by decreasing the time that needs to be spent on character development.

Think about that. The production costs for Dexter Resurrection reach into the millions of dollars. The production team has unlimited resources to hire top talent and create elaborate sets and special effects. Writers at Dexter Resurrection must use physical characteristics to create their villains because they lack the budget to develop complex antagonists. It may only be a way of moving the story along quickly. Perhaps I’m wrong, and if I am, I apologize to the writers and the production team.

What You Can Do Right Now

Your participation in this effort will be straightforward and simple.

Start noticing. When you watch Netflix or any other streaming service, observe which actors play the villainous roles. The pattern becomes visible to you after you begin searching for it throughout your viewing experience. Parents who have noticed this issue now inform their teenage children about it. And this new generation of viewers identifies lazy villain casting every time they witness it. The awareness we require exists exactly in this form.

Use your voice. When television programs display this type of content, you should express your disapproval through social media by posting tweets, Facebook comments, and writing negative reviews. The companies track social media trends, which become more significant when people express negative opinions.

Support the good stuff. You should watch television shows that shows normal people from different backgrounds and physical abilities because they present realistic characters instead of stereotypes. Share these shows with your friends and watch them repeatedly until you finish all available episodes.

The Stories We Could Be Telling

The television show Dexter Resurrection might have gained more impact if they made their wealthy antagonist appear as an ordinary tall and attractive person. However, the character’s evil nature stems from his actions, choices, and complete inability to feel empathy. Such a portrayal is more frightening to audiences.

Real-life criminals appear identical to ordinary people because they blend into their surroundings. The trustworthy coach along with the respected businessman and the friendly neighbor represent the typical appearance of evil people. I’ve always said that pedophiles don’t stand out in a crowd, but carefully blend in as the family friend. People who appear normal don’t display any visible signs that would indicate their evil nature.

Hollywood continues to present false information to audiences by showing that different people automatically become dangerous threats. And the media continues to present a message that different people should be viewed with suspicion because they don’t match our appearance.

People with dwarfism who want to live normal lives report their desire to work and spend time with their families while watching television like typical citizens. Yet, the entertainment industry forces these individuals to witness their own dehumanization through monster portrayals during their viewing time.

The Choice Is Ours

Our acceptance of physical difference as villainous behavior on television shows validates this practice. Our viewing choices determine which content will dominate future television programming. We have the ability to make different choices.

We should require media creators to develop better characters and more representative content. Teach our children to analyze media content instead of swallowing everything they see on television.

The friend who contacted me about the villain sent me a message. She re-watched the episode after our discussion and discovered that the character became an ordinary uninteresting villain when his height was removed from the story. The writers had used his dwarfism and the film industry’s history to create a more frightening character.

That’s exactly right. The moment you notice this pattern, you will never be able to ignore it again.

Better stories exist for everyone in the world. The television industry needs to stop portraying people with disabilities as monstrous characters because these individuals deserve to see themselves represented in a more authentic way.

Your power to transform this situation exists in your current situation. The real question now is what action you will take with this power.

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source http://www.expertclick.com/NewsRelease/Hollywoods-Dirty-Secret-Why-Your-Favorite-Show-Is-Teaching-You-Bias,2025312294.aspx