Poll: Whitewashing, yay!!!

[Uhura]

Why not pick actors like Daniel Henney for roles like these?

Spoiler

He's American (born in Michigan) so you wouldn't even need to cast a foreigner for the leading role. And it's not like Hollywood hasn't taken chances on relatively unknown male leads before. Sam Worthington wasn't a household name when he was hired as the lead in Avatar and Terminator Salvation and neither was Chris Hemsworth when he was hired to play Thor. And what was the celebrity status of Henry Cavill when he was hired to play the Superman? Or Hugh Jackman when he was hired to play Wolverine? Or Shia LaBeouf when he was hired to play the lead in Transformers. Studios don't seem to have any issue with hiring semi-unknown actors as the leads of their blockbuster movies... as long as those actors are white. As soon as we start talking about hiring non-white actors, the recognizability of the actor all of the sudden becomes an issue.

 

[mecegirl]

But in the kind of film like this, war action thing, I don't know any asian actors who would be good for the role. The two examples I used wouldn't be, and I don't know many others.

You need to expand your horizons.

Ken Watanabe would be a much better stand-in for a Japanese badass character than Tom Cruise ever could.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh! You silly! There are no good Asian actors besides Jet Li, Jackie Chan, and Bruce Lee. And Bruce Lee is dead! Don't you see! they had no choice but to cast a White man in the role!

Screw that noise!

What about Sonny Chiba? He was Hattori Hanzo for fuck's sake.

*fury*

Ha ha. Why not. Another face that needs more screen time.

 

[Dansen]

If anything, I'd be more mad at the upcoming adaptation of the 47 Ronin; a tale whose source material originally had all-Japanese characters but this adaptation took the liberty of putting Keanu Reeve as the lead role.
It's as if Hollywood is so frightened that a movie set in a foreign country wouldn't sell if there wasn't a caucasian person in it. That or someone was really eager to cast Keanu Reeves as a samurai.

Yeah that strikes me as wierd, but I dont mind it too much for a couple of reasons. Keeanu Reeves hasnt been in a movie for a while, and at some point in the trailer the mentioned that he is a halfbreed, which implies that he is at least partially asian. Of course I could be wrong about that. I know its based on an embelishemnt of a true story, so depending on when said story takes place it could be utter BS. Still I'm glad that hollywood is branching out a little with this film even though it is probably out of desparation.

 

[mecegirl]

People are far too used to seeing movies with majority white characters in "important" roles. Hollywood is used to using stories with a majority white cast and then realizing that they did so after the fact. Then they want to switch roles around because they know how it would look to not have at least one minority in these films. Especially if the film is set in a metropolitan area. Well that's their failing, they need to get better at picking stories with diversity built in. So to take a story like the OP's example and whitewash the cast seems unnecessary. We all know there is a good chance that only a handful of those roles will be left for Asian actors. Which is why there are so few big name Asian actors now. How the hell are they supposed to get well known if they aren't given the chance to shine? Even if the story is retold but in America there are Asians in America. Set the movie in certain parts of California and they would be set as far as realism is concerned.

The first Hunger Games movie demonstrates why I'm not cool with whitewashing. It was some fans reaction to the casting of Cinna (Lenny Kraviz) and Rue(Amandela Stenberg)that convinced me. They claimed that Cinna was "black washed" but the chracter has no physical description as far as skin goes. Even Katniss had a description of her skin tone, she is called Olive skinned. What is worse it that the writer of the books was there for the auditions. She was fine with Kravitz as Cinna, so why can't the fanbase be? She has said in interviews that Panem is not only a racially diverse place, but because it was in the future most people have mixed ancestry anyway. So for a chracter with no distinct racial markings why not cast whoever they see fit?

And the hubub with Rue was worse. Way worse. Not only was she explicitly described as being brown skinned in the book, but in an interview the writer states that the people from Rue's district were African American. But some were convinced that she was "black washed" because of their shitty reading comprehension. Rue reminded Katniss of her sister. (Her pale skinned, blue eyed, blonde haired sister Prim. Katniss looks just like their dad who has olive skin and dark hair, while Prim looks like their mom), but Rue was described as having brown skin twice. Add the 'I don't think that actress looks innocent enough' complaints to the mix and ugh... http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/racist-hunger-games-fans-that-failed-reading-com

 

[Something Amyss]

It seems that it was taken down. The video I found stated as much and that they put it up because of that. It's still needed, as the issue still comes up every so often. Hell, even I use to think that a lot of anime and video game characters looked white. Watching that video helped me realize my own misconceptions.

It's a shame it got taken down.

Thing is, Anime characters can be vague enough there aren't immediately obvious indications. Still, it's common for people to make media based on themselves and their culture as a reference point. I mean, it doesn't have to be that way, but to think pretty much an entire genre/medium of this scope in Japan was drawing mostly white people....Yeah, that should set off someone's Spidey-Sense.

I know he tends to appear in a lot of his movies in some minor role. In Signs, he was the man that killed Mel Gibson's wife, for example. Perhaps that's what you're thinking of?

Nah, MNS casting himself in mostly bit parts or doing wal-ons is nothing new or special. Hell, technically, he played a more messianic role in Signs, because he's the one to first directly point out the aliens' weakness to the main characters. Plus, the whole point of the movie appears to be that God intended it, therefore he's not really the bad guy.

And if I keep talking about Signs, I will end up in a frothing rage, so best to move on.

And yes, the bad acting is a problem. But looking at some of the other issues, like pacing, it could be bad directing more than bad acting. Seriously, they didn't even ask Aang his name until they reached the temple, and his backstory was explained without any of them showing onscreen. Everything was done poorly. The whole movie is a disaster. And it just makes the white washing stick out more.

I do wonder what they called him before then. "hey, iceberg kid!"

The worst part, is that there was so much potential in the concept. I don't think we ever really needed a movie, as we have the show, but the movie could have been amazing if done right.

There's something special about seeing something on the big screen, knowing millions of others will also see it. I think that's why gamers still go to see gaming movies, despite knowing they're usually ass. And despite the fact that it takes out player interaction, which is one of the main reasons I think most of us game. It's an interactive media. but still, there's that big screen allure.

And there will always be transitional issues, too. TLA had hours and hours to build up the characters, leading to one of the strengths of the show. They had to do that in two hours. I can understand that. But yeah. The way they just dumped all sorts of exposition on us...Some exposition was necessary. That wasn't just some. And quite a lot of it could have been shown instead.

Making Sokka funny might have at least made it watchable, though. Not that they got Katara's personality right either...

Almost nobody was adequately covered in the movie, but Sokka was a real travesty because he was the most...Colourful.

Also, he and Zuko have the best character arcs. Not the only good ones by any mean, but the best. That didn't give me strong hopes for the franchise even if they did continue it.

 

[RedRockRun]

Who gives a shit? It's an adaptation, and adaptations can change nationalities. Kurosawa adapted the novel "Red Harvest" and set it in Japan when it was originally in America. It seems like people only get offended when Americans adapt things.

 

[TheRiddler]

Race changing normally bothers me, but not enough to be a deal breaker. I mean, I'll be a bit annoyed and start tutting disapprovingly, but as long as the movie looks good, I'll still probably watch it. I liked Thor despite the fact that Idris Elba was playing Heimdall. And the whitewashing wasn't really my most significant problem with The Last Airbender (thanks to a multitude of other problems, courtesy of Shyamalan).

So, I'll say this: Race altering is a point against most movies that engage in it, but often not in and of itself something that will actively stop me from watching it.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

I don't know what you mean by justified to skip. It's a movie. You watch it or you don't, on whatever basis you want. You are always justified in not watching a movie whatever weak excuse you may have.

As far as whitewashing, I have no problem with white people being white characters in a place where that makes sense. I would have a problem with an all-Japanese character lineup becoming other races but still being in Japan and supposedly Japanese people, I would have a problem with a Japanese main character becoming white while other characters remained Japanese, etc. But if the adaptation is that the setting is culturally different then there you go. Although admittedly it's more likely that it wasn't artistic vision so much as they wanted Tom Cruise to be the main actor for reasons not necessarily related to him being white.

 

[Skull Bearer]

I?d only really care if their race was an important part of their character.

So if the plot had to do with their race it's okay for them to be POC, but otherwise they'll have to be white because white is default?

THIS is why whitewashing sucks balls. It establishes one ethnicity as 'default' and everything else as deviation from the norm.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

If the adaptation is made wholesale (ie. the entirety of the fiction is moved west), then I have no issue with casting whomever. The strange thing is when you have Jake Gyllenhal portraying a Prince of Persia, despite not looking or sounding remotely Persian (I still enjoyed the movie nonetheless). If the above is still set in Japan but a white actor is chosen to play the lead, then I'd be much more wary.

But why get up in arms about this? It isn't the first time it's happened and won't be the last. Fact is that big names help sell a film and men in general, perhaps American men in particular, apparently cannot relate to non-white non-male leads. Males in general do exhibit a gender bias with their choice of media, be they games, books, film or TV shows which women do not nearly to the same degree.

 

[EyeReaper]

Eh. I saw the trailer in theaters, it looked ok, A sci fi Groundhog day is a cool concept and all.

Do I have a problem with them changing the characters? not really. I mean, I didn't even know it was based on a light novel in the theaters, and I'll bet a lot of people who will see it probably won't either. If the actor is good at the role, let him have it. I was fine with black Nick Fury, I was fine with black Hiemdall, I would've be fine with black Human Torch, and I'm also perfectly fine with Tom Cruise being asian sci-fi Phil Connors.

 

[Snowbell]

Yes. They're bringing out a Black Butler film - an anime/manga about a British lord and his demon butler. And every single character will be Japanese.

I understand that they're doing a kind of alternate version, setting it in the future, but it won't be the Black Butler I love and I won't be watching it.

I've been told I'm casually racist for assuming that because I perceive anime characters to be white they should be portrayed in films as white, but in this case I am justified since the whole thing is set in Victorian London and the Phantomhives are a very longstanding British family, reducing the likelihood that they would be Japanese immigrants. All I can do now is hope to God that Lau, Ran Mao and Soma retain their identities as Chinese and Indian respectively.

 

[Playful Pony]

I can't see why he couldn't be asian though, even if the cultural setting is diferent. I have non-white friends here in Norway and I don't consider them any less Norwegian than me. They have lived here for as long as they can remember, and should be just as capable of portraying "modern Norwegian person" as I am.

So if the plot had to do with their race it's okay for them to be POC, but otherwise they'll have to be white because white is default?

THIS is why whitewashing sucks balls. It establishes one ethnicity as 'default' and everything else as deviation from the norm.

Well said...

Fact is that big names help sell a film and men in general, perhaps American men in particular, apparently cannot relate to non-white non-male leads. Males in general do exhibit a gender bias with their choice of media, be they games, books, film or TV shows which women do not nearly to the same degree.

I really REALLY don't understand this, cause I have absolutely no touble identifying with a character of a diferent race or gender than mine. I just can't get my mind around WHY someone would have trouble with that, it seems completely alien! Is it me not being a man that does it? Maybe because I'm not American? I kinda think (hope...) white male Americans are better than that.

The "big names sell films thing", now that I understand. I can also only asume that is why they made the change in the first place, they wanted a big-name American actor for the role. I guess thats fair enough...

 

[Sir Christopher McFarlane]

I am open to changes in race of a character if you make a previously white character be some other race. The other way about, given how much preference white characters receive already, I am not cool with. You have few quality characters to be played by POC.

 

[Ieyke]

Depends.
If the movie is unphased and still good, then it doesn't matter.
If you're whitewashing half the cast of a movie, like The Last Airbender, and the netire story revolves around battling nations, fuck no that's not okay.

Making Heimdall black despite that he really should've been white (since he's a viking god)was weird, but he was still great and the movie was great, so it's all good.

Just kinda depends on the movies and what the changes mean to the individual movie.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Fact is that big names help sell a film and men in general, perhaps American men in particular, apparently cannot relate to non-white non-male leads. Males in general do exhibit a gender bias with their choice of media, be they games, books, film or TV shows which women do not nearly to the same degree.

I really REALLY don't understand this, cause I have absolutely no touble identifying with a character of a diferent race or gender than mine. I just can't get my mind around WHY someone would have trouble with that, it seems completely alien! Is it me not being a man that does it? Maybe because I'm not American? I kinda think (hope...) white male Americans are better than that.

The "big names sell films thing", now that I understand. I can also only asume that is why they made the change in the first place, they wanted a big-name American actor for the role. I guess thats fair enough...

To give a perfect example of this kind of thing, think of the film "The Great Escape". It was (based on) a true story about British PoWs in WWII who got recaptured after successfully digging their way out of the camp. Why was Steve McQueen in it? For the sole reason that American audiences wouldn't watch the movie if he weren't.

To be honest, using "white" and "American" isn't necessary. Bearing in mind this is a broad, but quite fair generalisation, it's actually more simply a "male" thing. Boys and men (across the world, across different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds) are more inclined to look up to, watch films and shows, read books written by and play games starring, males.

Recently on Facebook, one of my favourite authors posted a link on her public FB page to an interview she did. One of the questions was about why she changed her name on her book covers from "Jennifer Fallon" to "JJ Fallon", to which she answered that gender bias, particularly among male readers, more so among male genre fiction readers means female authors don't get nearly as many sales or as much recognition as their male counterparts. I asked if that was true on her post and she replied to me directly (I must admit I was quite star-struck that she was engaging me in FB conversation!) and said it was. She said it's the reason Joanne Rowling wrote under JK Rowling and why Harry wasn't Hermione.

I actually read some interesting articles on the subject after she messaged me since it never occurred to me that such a thing happened. McIntosh, Fallon and Haydon, all female fantasy writers are among my favourites and I can't imagine why another man would pass up a book for no reason other than because it was written by a woman. But the sad fact is they do. In a way, it's the same reason the leading Hollywood male stars generally out-earn the ladies and an extension of the tiresome and ongoing debate about women in games.

As a woman, it likely doesn't occur to you whatever the gender is of the protagonist (or creator) in most fiction (at least it doesn't dictate whether or not you'll read, watch or play it). Women in general don't show nearly as much gender bias in terms of authors they'll read either and IMO when it comes to things like films, shows and games, because so much of them do generally put a male in as the "default", it's simply accepted.

 

[JetFury]

Yeah whitewashing is a real problem. It depends on the extent and the story of course but I find it hard to believe there are still so few non white leads on the scene in 2013.

 

[VanQ]

Seriously, who cares?
If a black/asian/other person plays a character that was originally white it's totally okay.
If a white person even dares to play a character that was originally any other race it's racist and whitewashing and bigotry and patriarchy and you get the idea.

Fuck that double standard.