Forbes
Meet The Indian-American Host Of Netflix's STEM Series 'Brainchild'
By: Ruth Umoh
Netflix’s new show Brainchild offers a refreshing take on science “edutainment,” but with a twist: The lead is a woman of color.
In the 13-episode first season, released November 2018, the show’s Indian-American host, Sahana Srinivasan, explores STEM-focused topics, ranging from the science of selfies to the rationale behind the widely held “five-second-rule.” Created in partnership with hip-hop mogul Pharrell Williams, the show features a diverse cast that's intended to appeal to girls and minorities.
Srinivasan, 22, understands the gravity of her highly visible role, one in which she discusses STEM, a field where women and people of color have historically been scarce.
“It’s important, at a young age, to see a role model who looks like you, especially for kids who want to go into STEM,” she says. “When people don’t see themselves represented, they think, ‘What’s the point of even trying?’ and it becomes a cyclical thing with no real progress.”
Mounting evidence suggests that early exposure to STEM drives continued interest into adulthood. As a result, minority on-screen representation can have a strong impact on how children view their future career prospects.
Thanks to the success of Hollywood blockbusters and television programs that feature diverse casts, representation of women and minorities in leading roles has increased over the years. Yet these communities remain underrepresented in media across the board, according to the 2019 Hollywood Diversity report released by UCLA. Though minorities constitute nearly 40% of the U.S. population, they represent roughly 21% of broadcast scripted leads, cable scripted leads and digital scripted leads.
With STEM-forward shows, in particular, women of color leads are few and far between. The two most renowned science education shows for children, Bill Nye the Science Guy and Beakman’s World, feature older white men; popular cartoons like Dexter’s Laboratory and Jimmy Neutron follow the adventures of white, boy-genius inventors; and science-oriented sitcoms geared to adults, such as Silicon Valley and Big Bang Theory, have white, male leads. When women and people of color are introduced, they often adhere to clichéd cultural tropes, such as the nerdy, virginal Asian-American male or the socially awkward, unattractive female.
