The Big Picture: The Lone Ranger: What Happened?

[Bluestorm83]

Snip

It's not a matter of superiority, it's simply stating a fact. It's the effect of numbers, if there are lot more people of 1 race doing something than of any other race, as a consequence there's going to be more people of that race that are better at doing that thing than other races. Take a look at movies and T.V. shows made in Mexico and tell me that the few white actors out there are better than the countless more Mexican ones.

So, because a history of racism has made A-list acting a predominantly male/white job, we should just shrug and keep it that way?

By this logic, the best Presidents of the United States are white men, since they've all been white. We should never elect a minority again.

Yeah, you're right in that for every Denzel Washington or Morgan Freeman there are ten white actors of comparable skill. That's not a good thing. That's something to be changed.

No, what he's saying is that having a mass majority of White Presidents is no reason to go "Duh, it won't be fair unless we elect only blacks for the next 200 years!" Let whoever is better at the job do the job. What you look like is of NO CONSEQUENCE AT ALL.

 

[JimB]

I think this is all nonsense. Let actors act.

Let white actors act at the expense of racially appropriate actors, who tend only to get cast if a role specifically calls for a member of their race? No, thank you. I do not find that to be an egalitarian solution to the problem.

If a white man can act a role better than an Indian, why care?

Are you arguing that no First Nations actor could have done a better job than Johnny "watch me feed my kooky hat a peanut" Depp? Is that your position?

Why can't people get their jobs based on what they can do anymore?

Like they could back in the days of Jackie Robinson, whose ability to play baseball was totally never considered irrelevant in the face of his blackness?

Isn't it the very epitome of racism to tell anyone, "Sorry, your skin is wrong so you can't do this job?"

No, the epitome of racism is to tell anyone that one race is superior to another or that one race is more welcome than another. That is the message being sent by casting a white man in this role in an industry made almost entirely of white people or people who can pass for white.

No, what he's saying is that having a majority of white presidents is no reason to go "Duh, it won't be fair unless we elect only blacks for the next 200 years!"

Okay, but no one proposed that, so I'm not sure what you're arguing against.

 

[immortalfrieza]

No, what he's saying is that having a mass majority of White Presidents is no reason to go "Duh, it won't be fair unless we elect only blacks for the next 200 years!" Let whoever is better at the job do the job. What you look like is of NO CONSEQUENCE AT ALL.

Basically. Political correctness is taken way too far these days, to the point that it's becoming racism/sexism in and of itself. The ONLY issue with Depp playing Tonto is he's white, just that, screw his popularity and acting ability. Depp could be the most popular and best actor in the history of cinema and people would still be crying bloody murder over him playing Tonto. The funny thing? If Tonto was played by ANY other race besides white, nobody would be saying a thing. When a black/Asian/Mexican/whatever actor takes the place of a character who's traditionally been white, anyone who complains the same way the people here are complaining about Depp being Tonto would be told to shut up and get over it.

 

[endtherapture]

Oh great he had to bring up Spider Man again.

Done with your videos Bob. I'm not watching them again. Fair enough you don't like the film but you've brought it up in every single episode for about 4 months and I'm sick of it, especially as a fan of a film. The film's been out a year and you just look petty and unprofessional now.

I'm out.

 

[Hellfireboy]

Funny that The Lone Ranger was actually LESS racist in the 50s than it is now. That's progress for you.

 

[SimGrave]

I was hoping this movie to be good. Not for Depp, but for Armie Hammer.
This guys has interesting presence on screen and I seriously hope for him that he'll get his big break sooner than later.
I don't really mind Depp, but I mind him being at the forefront of a movie when he shouldn't based on his character.
Lone Ranger being a good example, but I can't help but think about Alice in Wonderland.
Mad Hatter is NOT a central character to the story and it sucked that they made the movie about him so that they can put Depp on the poster.

 

[Lieju]

No, what he's saying is that having a mass majority of White Presidents is no reason to go "Duh, it won't be fair unless we elect only blacks for the next 200 years!" Let whoever is better at the job do the job. What you look like is of NO CONSEQUENCE AT ALL.

Basically. Political correctness is taken way too far these days, to the point that it's becoming racism/sexism in and of itself. The ONLY issue with Depp playing Tonto is he's white, just that, screw his popularity and acting ability. Depp could be the most popular and best actor in the history of cinema and people would still be crying bloody murder over him playing Tonto. The funny thing? If Tonto was played by ANY other race besides white, nobody would be saying a thing. When a black/Asian/Mexican/whatever actor takes the place of a character who's traditionally been white, anyone who complains the same way the people here are complaining about Depp being Tonto would be told to shut up and get over it.

Unfortunately, we don't have a situation where 'whoever is the best at the job will get it'.

Do you honestly think a non-white actor has the same chances of playing important roles as a white guy?

You have a situation where white people get the best parts anyway, and then they don't cast non-white people even in roles meant for them.

Also, this is not the same as changing a character's ethnicity. This is not the case of taking a character whose ethnicity isn't important and changing their skin-colour, this is portraying a character that's supposed to be certain ethnicity with someone who isn't even close.
This is more akin Will Smith playing Captain America in whiteface.

Why can't people get their jobs based on what they can DO anymore?

Anymore? When was this magical timeperiod when your skincolour or ethnicity didn't matter and people deciding on casting movies like this didn't care about those things at all?

EDIT: I'd like to say that Depp playing Tonto seems to be the least of this film's problems. And even if you completely ignore the racism-angle, you still have a situation where Depp was cast not because they thought he'd be the best for the role, but because Depp in a silly hat = money. And I don't think that's an admirable practise. And it doesn't even work for them, seeing how this movie was a bomb.