Do Movies and Television Stifle Talent Development?

Are our careers influenced by the images we see and the things we hear?

I recall Eric Clapton once remarking that as a boy he used to listen to a BBC Radio program for children where he heard some of the great blues players and guitarists. He told how the image gave him the desire to be a guitarist - and so it came to be.
Gina Davis reports from her Gender In Media Institute that the number of women going into forensic science has blossomed as a result of television. Series like CSI tend to have more women in their casts than many other shows and movies. In addition the women play key roles in solving crimes through the application of science. By contrast in most movies and television shows the allocation of roles by gender is heavily biased towards men. In 1946 the ratio of male roles to female roles in movies was 3:1. The same ratio still applies.
Which leaves us wondering if we are somehow squandering some talent by virtue of the images created in the media. Not that we should be telling producers what to make but on the other hand a society thrives on its innovation and we need every bit of talent we can get.
A Clip Of The Gina Davis Interview