Another pointless petition to sign

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JoePesci
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Re: Another pointless petition to sign

Post by JoePesci »

Avon Barksdale wrote:Oh man, I'm sorry don't take this personal, so many people just don't get it.

These people who you call "liberal" which includes a good chunk of people who live in west coast urban environments encompassing Hollywood are actually some of the least tolerant people you're ever likely to find anywhere in the world. Yeah, they're accepting of gays, and drug use, and whatever else. You know what they are not accepting of? Anyone at all who dares to disagree with them. Just witness the kind of shit that the Prop8 protesters were pulling, vandalising Mormon churches, intimidating black and latino neighbourhoods which were mostly in favour of Prop 8. Check out someone like Hayden who, hot though she is, makes completely brainless political statements and pours the hate on everyone who disagrees with her. She's just a kid too, they get 'em young, with both political messages (schools have basically become indoctrination centres) and race imaging;

The only shows I can think of off the top of my head that got regular Asian guy characters in them are Heroes and Lost, and no one watches NBC so Heroes doesn't really count, and of the 4 characters, 3 of them are playing foreigners. There are more Asian women, but typically they all either mysteriously don't know a single other person of their race or got really oppressive parents. Oh yeah, I remember Dexter has Vince who is usually in it. Well, except in the wedding scene which every single other frakking person in the cast was in.

Sean Penn is a fucking asshole. I really can't stand that sanctimonious fuckwit. Let me tell you about people in Hollywood. They're paid to look good and pamper themselves. Not just the actors and directors, pretty much everyone who lives in that world connected to celebrity. They don't live a real life! They can hardly be called real citizens and they do not have realistic views of their country. They'd rather save a rain forest than save a country.

Black people are doing better in Hollywood because as an entire group they get their rage on when they are disrespected, even if there's little to no basis for it. The Asian American community hasn't followed suit, they've been mostly content to slide into the background and get fucked in the ass by white rule.

M.Night Shyamalan directed the film but he doesn't appear on screen. I'd guess the average person doesn't know what he looks like. Yeah, yeah ok I know he's actually always making appearances in his own films but no one really pays attention to some one minute cameo. Ang Lee has made like hundreds of films and I still got no idea what he looks like. If it wasn't for the name and me thinking hm, that's an odd name, sounds east-asian, I wouldn't even know he was Chinese. I didn't know who Shyamalan was until Unbreakable came out and someone said it by the same guy who did Sixth Sense.
You're right, I don't get it. I don't get what you're saying when you say the, "protestors of Prop-8." Because you just lumped pretty much every person who agrees that gays should be able to marry in this radical anarchist group of protestors. Some people burned mormon churches or attacked Latino's and blacks you say, but is that all of them, or even most of them? I for some reason doubt the majority of people against Prop-8 destroyed and vandalized anything they came across that was disagreeing or working against them. There are radicals everywhere and for every reason. They are the only ones that made the news during prop-8 because most news stations are conservative. They don't want gay marriage. Just because you see a couple celebs ranting about things they don't understand doesn't mean that is how they all are. Like, you don't know any of these people yet you say things implying you do just because you see how the news portrays them or what movies they are in.

You say celebrities don't live a real life. I don't get that. They aren't humans capable of rational thought and forming their own opinions? They just support things well... Because? How do you know this? I would love for you to tell me about Hollywood, have you been there? You must know a ton of execs, actors and shit because of the way you write so passionately about their beliefs (or lack thereof).

So, saving rainforests, part of the lifeblood of this planet is not in a way doing a service to your country? I believe celebs get involved in these political things because they know their voices will be heard and they can affect things to the point of change. They probably know that if they get out there to support what they believe, their fans will listen.

Plus, it is just funny that you're fighting for Asian rights, when you basically just said they are content with what they have... Why fight their battle for them, no one did that for Martin Luther King or Malcom X, or Ghandi. Where the fuck is the Asian rebellion? From what I have read, the only dominant Asian counties in the U.S. are in Hawaii, making it near impossible to do anything but waste your time and breath. Until America becomes a place with a thriving Asian population, it is going to be impossible to cast accordingly.

And the kid that plays Aang looks exactly like the cartoon character. My chinese friend, who is a huge fan of the show is just completely excited for the movie. She tells me I have no idea how excited she is and she has everything Avatar from stuffed animals to bonus DVDs, etc. Why can't people just see past the race and appreciate the story? That is what I am going to do.

And answer me this: If being a celebrity isn't a real life anyway, why do you want Asians to be a part of that lifestyle?
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Re: Another pointless petition to sign

Post by Juanfran »

JoePesci wrote:You're right, I don't get it. I don't get what you're saying when you say the, "protestors of Prop-8." Because you just lumped pretty much every person who agrees that gays should be able to marry in this radical anarchist group of protestors. Some people burned mormon churches or attacked Latino's and blacks you say, but is that all of them, or even most of them? I for some reason doubt the majority of people against Prop-8 destroyed and vandalized anything they came across that was disagreeing or working against them. There are radicals everywhere and for every reason.
I'm just saying man. The other don't make excuses for what they are doing, they just come and say who they are what they are, they don't hide behind this facade of tolerance. These people protesting Prop 8 by blowing shit up are an extreme example what is the truth amongst people of that ilk who are as narrow-minded as the people they oppose.
JoePesci wrote:They are the only ones that made the news during prop-8 because most news stations are conservative.
Image



Wait... you are kidding, right?

JoePesci wrote:You say celebrities don't live a real life. I don't get that. They aren't humans capable of rational thought and forming their own opinions? etc etc
I think a lot of them that goes swanning round the globe talking about shit like Africa and global warming need to get out on the streets of the city they live in and see the problems you got there. While they off rapping about things that need to be sorted out by themselves, they got real problems on their doorstep but got too much of a messiah complex to care.

JoePesci wrote:So, saving rainforests, part of the lifeblood of this planet is not in a way doing a service to your country?
Don't get me started on global warming, but we on it, these celebs and political figures, etc who want you to freeze in winter and shit are hardly economical themselves.

JoePesci wrote:I believe celebs get involved in these political things because they know their voices will be heard and they can affect things to the point of change. They probably know that if they get out there to support what they believe, their fans will listen.
I think they do it for their ego, like I said, God complex.

JoePesci wrote:Plus, it is just funny that you're fighting for Asian rights, when you basically just said they are content with what they have...
They're not content, they're just sitting on their hands.

JoePesci wrote:Until America becomes a place with a thriving Asian population, it is going to be impossible to cast accordingly.
There are about twice as many Asians in California as African-Americans yet in half of every show going, the white protagonist has a black best friend.

JoePesci wrote:And the kid that plays Aang looks exactly like the cartoon character. My chinese friend, who is a huge fan of the show is just completely excited for the movie. She tells me I have no idea how excited she is and she has everything Avatar from stuffed animals to bonus DVDs, etc. Why can't people just see past the race and appreciate the story? That is what I am going to do.
You mean like the same way David Carradine looks like a chinese guy?

Image

I got no comment on your friend, I don't know her situation and I don't want to be mean or nothing.

You can't see past the race and appreciate the story because often stereotypical caricatures are used when asian actors do get cast. Also you get films such as 21 which was cast with white actors in the main roles when in the story it was based on, white men were specifically discouraged from being in the group because it drew attention from casino staff. Check out the recent Mummy film where two female mystical Chinese warriors have been waging war on an evil (chinese) warlord for two millenia yet a couple of block-headed white guys stumble along and defeat him in two days. Then for good measure, one of the women falls in love with the guy for (seriously) no apparent reason. It just gets real stupid seeing your people get stomped in the face again and again and again and again and again and again.

You know what, we live in a racialized society and race does matter. It is more comfortable for us to believe that it does not because that's politically correct or whatever but like and like do tend to stick together.
Joe Pesci wrote:And answer me this: If being a celebrity isn't a real life anyway, why do you want Asians to be a part of that lifestyle?
It's about perception. Whatever I or anyone else wants to say about the way celebrities live, a young black kid can look up to someone like Denzel (a good celeb) see the kind a varying roles he can get and feel proud to be represented.

When young kids don't get that kind of exposure, it has a developmental effect on them. Look >>>here<<< to see what I'm talking about
What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons. You're born alone and you die alone and this world just drops a bunch of rules on top of you to make you forget those facts. But I never forget. I'm living like there's no tomorrow, because there isn't one.
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JoePesci
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Re: Another pointless petition to sign

Post by JoePesci »

Honestly, to a certain extent I agree with you.

So all in all you don't care about authentically casting lead characters, but the effect it has on young Asian American children? So sacrificing one Asian's morality and civil, "real" life, so some children can be more motivated and have more confidence makes sense to you? More Asians in Hollywood = Less Asians living real lives, I would think... But that is according to your logic.

21 and the new Mummy film fucking sucked. I attribute that shit in those films to awful writing. Any kid, and I mean any kid who is hoping to feel a sense of ethnic pride heading into those films shouldn't expect any. I mean a fucking yeti talks in the new Mummy movie. It is hardly the standard of film making and acting a kid should look up to. Whether the roles were cast the way you felt they should or not.
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Re: Another pointless petition to sign

Post by Ryudo »

I know it's lazy to ask when it probably lies in the posts above but it's too much to read and I'm tired.

Wasn't Bruce Lee originally going to star in Kung Fu the series but the studios decided against it?
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Re: Another pointless petition to sign

Post by Juanfran »

Yeah, Kung Fu was Bruce Lee's idea to begin with and he was supposed to star in it.

I tell you what many of my kin are not living real lives right now. They think they're white or something, and go do fucked up shit like eyelid surgery and hair follicle replacement.
There's enough Asians in Hollywood right now; they just aren't getting any parts. It's not just about improving the image of Asians in the eyes of Asians, you have to figure that if watching certain things on TV affects children of one race, it's gonna affect all of them, right? There's a lot more negative imagery (not just in Hollywood productions, but just media in general, news, etc.) out there than positive and it influences everyone.
I had a strong suspicion films like those I mentioned were going to be crap beforehand but these get marketed as tentpole marquee attractions. People go to them like sheep, they don't know any better and they get led into certain patterns of thought. Whether the standard of production is good or not is irrelevant, the money behind it means that their insidious message still gets out there.
What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons. You're born alone and you die alone and this world just drops a bunch of rules on top of you to make you forget those facts. But I never forget. I'm living like there's no tomorrow, because there isn't one.
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Re: Another pointless petition to sign

Post by Ryudo »

:shock: Eyelid surgery and the hair thing..WTF!?

I like many Shenmue fans is one of those Japan nerds but be just as dumb if I died my hair black had my eyes altered to look more Asian.
Or When White guys try to act like a stereotype black guy to be "cool"
It's just silly.

Anyway I will step aside as you and Joe go about.

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Re: Another pointless petition to sign

Post by tao »

Wow I've never heard of hair follicle treatment before. Is that new? Well, maybe I shouldn't have been surprised as the whole white appeal has already pretty much infused in pop culture in many East Asian countries already. Whatever it is, it sounds unnecessarily painful.

And Ryudo, I'm surprised you never heard of eyelid surgery! But there are alternatives to eyelid surgery such as special glue and a plastic pronged stick to manually fold over a second eyelid of if you're being economical one can always use scotch tape :P There's also the skin bleaching facial masks which may or may not work I'm not really sure but a lot of them aren't sold in the US because they're basically being tested out in Asia first to see if anyone gets too sick from using it or something.

Slightly off-topic but still vaguely relevant: Meanwhile I'm lauding Pixar for having Jordan Nagai voice an Asian-American character in their newest movie Up. I've only watched some trailers of that movie and a few scenes but I can already tell they've done a very good job at characterizing a somewhat awkward, overweight Asian-American kid in a fictional Boy Scouts-- not a nerdy overachieving math whiz/pianist/scholar prodigy. I guess you could say Edna Mode is the first Asian character but she's a mix and was voice by Brad Bird. And there's also Peter Sohn who voiced Emile in Ratatouille but Emile is a brown rat :lol: I absolutely love the work Pixar's been doing. They stay honest and true to their craft of storytelling, yet they still manage to balance art with business. The fact that they are a closed studio means they don't have to follow the same trends and stereotypes Hollywood spews out incessantly for the sake of profit.
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Re: Another pointless petition to sign

Post by Juanfran »

Ha well I don't know the technical name for it, or the details but my friend was talking about it and it basically entails replacing your regular stiff, straight Asian hair which tend to be round strands with more oval shaped strands like Caucasians have so it's more wavy and doesn't stick up and all that kind of thing.

I like Pixar's work too. I heard some conversation about how they were irritated by stuff like Up and Gran Torino where old white guy teaches Asian kid how to live but that's just verging on silly, Gran Torino was pretty good. I think they probably just hate Clint Eastwood because he's conservative and most of the activists are die-hard left.
What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons. You're born alone and you die alone and this world just drops a bunch of rules on top of you to make you forget those facts. But I never forget. I'm living like there's no tomorrow, because there isn't one.
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Re: Another pointless petition to sign

Post by JoePesci »

Avon Barksdale wrote:Yeah, Kung Fu was Bruce Lee's idea to begin with and he was supposed to star in it.

I tell you what many of my kin are not living real lives right now. They think they're white or something, and go do fucked up shit like eyelid surgery and hair follicle replacement.
There's enough Asians in Hollywood right now; they just aren't getting any parts. It's not just about improving the image of Asians in the eyes of Asians, you have to figure that if watching certain things on TV affects children of one race, it's gonna affect all of them, right? There's a lot more negative imagery (not just in Hollywood productions, but just media in general, news, etc.) out there than positive and it influences everyone.
I had a strong suspicion films like those I mentioned were going to be crap beforehand but these get marketed as tentpole marquee attractions. People go to them like sheep, they don't know any better and they get led into certain patterns of thought. Whether the standard of production is good or not is irrelevant, the money behind it means that their insidious message still gets out there.
So, are the idiots that actually pay to see the garbage like Mummy and 21 worth trying to influence. I mean, those films go from your wallet to the box office and in one ear out the other. I don't think films like that leave a lasting impression on Asian Americans. But I don't know what to say. Like, I totally agree with you on some levels, and on others I don't. I think that Noah Ringer looks perfect for Aang. I think Sokka and Kitara are both the main issue, honestly. They should have definitely been cast differently. I am glad at least that Jesse McCartney was removed from the role of Zuko, he is many people's favorite character. And to have an Asian play that role I would hope leads to some inspiration. Even if it is a semi-antagonist role.
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Re: Another pointless petition to sign

Post by Juanfran »

It's not just crappy films like that, it's everything that gets shown in the theater or on television - He Who Controls Television Controls the Masses.

As for Noah Ringer, I don't know, to me he looks like a white kid cosplaying in a monk outfit. He just looks totally ridiculous. But that's just my opinion.

From a blog I was reading:
For me, as you have just read, Avatar casting is just another in a long line of disappointments I have learnt to identify, to articulate and to ultimately accept. It wasn't easy to learn to do that, to talk about my own powerlessness against racism. Avatar, now, is just another example I can bring up in a conversation about racism, cultural appropriation, whitewashing and white privilege. For my wee nephews, though, this is one of the first in a long line of explicit and unequivocal cultural cues regarding identity and race that will shape their view of the world and their place in it.

This is the manifestation of white privilege, white supremacy ideology and culture that many white people blithely continue to deny exists. White people can so blind to this privilege, it's so much the norm that they really do believe it really is only another movie, another book, another policy completely unrelated to each other. That it just so happens that the privileging of whiteness and white culture happens and ensures white cultural dominance and there are no repercussions.

My nephews will either have to succumb to it or untangle it later in life but they are already being cued to believe, to *know* that non-white people/PoC have no place as active protagonists in mainstream culture, cutural content or society. They are being taught that culture, society and the audience really means white culture, white society and white audience. The default is white and the desires and goals of mainstream white society and their identification with a product or a policy is the most important and most privileged.
Something else I was reading because I really don't know enough about Avatar but still know that Noah Ringer was a ridiculous choice:
Are you serious? Just because your going off of the way a picture looks, doesn't mean that he's not what he's portrayed as. Aang is a quintessential chinese name (usually with only one "A"). Aang was also raised at the Southern Air Temple, that was hidden in the Patola Mountain Range. Now, can you tell me that the Potola mountain range is not directly based off the Potola Palace of Tibet? Isn't Tibet in the west of China? Another point I'd like to make is, The Avatar has lots of martial arts. Every bending form is based of a type of martial art. Air bending is based off of Ba Gua, Water bending is based off of Tai Chi, Earth bending is based off of Hung Gar and Fire bending is based off of Northern Shaolin Kung Fu. Toph is the only bender with a unique style of bending, that is associated with her blindness. Her style is based off of Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis. All of these styles are again Wushu. Even the scenery and lore of Avatar is inherently Asian and Inuit inspired. It is true that Aang doesn't look asian. But that fact doesn't make him any less Chinese. I mean come on, can you really tell me that when you hear the name Toph Bei Fong, it doesn't denote an asian name? Hell, clothes, food and eating utensils are asian. It makes me think that people like you are really daft and small minded. Your probably one of those people that reads a book that was set in South America and says "Lets make a movie of this book, but lets have it set in Sweden and with Swedish actors." Get real buddy. Avatar is an asian conceptualized series that put America on the anime map.
What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons. You're born alone and you die alone and this world just drops a bunch of rules on top of you to make you forget those facts. But I never forget. I'm living like there's no tomorrow, because there isn't one.
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Re: Another pointless petition to sign

Post by JoePesci »

Avon Barksdale wrote:It's not just crappy films like that, it's everything that gets shown in the theater or on television - He Who Controls Television Controls the Masses.

As for Noah Ringer, I don't know, to me he looks like a white kid cosplaying in a monk outfit. He just looks totally ridiculous. But that's just my opinion.

From a blog I was reading:
For me, as you have just read, Avatar casting is just another in a long line of disappointments I have learnt to identify, to articulate and to ultimately accept. It wasn't easy to learn to do that, to talk about my own powerlessness against racism. Avatar, now, is just another example I can bring up in a conversation about racism, cultural appropriation, whitewashing and white privilege. For my wee nephews, though, this is one of the first in a long line of explicit and unequivocal cultural cues regarding identity and race that will shape their view of the world and their place in it.

This is the manifestation of white privilege, white supremacy ideology and culture that many white people blithely continue to deny exists. White people can so blind to this privilege, it's so much the norm that they really do believe it really is only another movie, another book, another policy completely unrelated to each other. That it just so happens that the privileging of whiteness and white culture happens and ensures white cultural dominance and there are no repercussions.

My nephews will either have to succumb to it or untangle it later in life but they are already being cued to believe, to *know* that non-white people/PoC have no place as active protagonists in mainstream culture, cutural content or society. They are being taught that culture, society and the audience really means white culture, white society and white audience. The default is white and the desires and goals of mainstream white society and their identification with a product or a policy is the most important and most privileged.
Something else I was reading because I really don't know enough about Avatar but still know that Noah Ringer was a ridiculous choice:
Are you serious? Just because your going off of the way a picture looks, doesn't mean that he's not what he's portrayed as. Aang is a quintessential chinese name (usually with only one "A"). Aang was also raised at the Southern Air Temple, that was hidden in the Patola Mountain Range. Now, can you tell me that the Potola mountain range is not directly based off the Potola Palace of Tibet? Isn't Tibet in the west of China? Another point I'd like to make is, The Avatar has lots of martial arts. Every bending form is based of a type of martial art. Air bending is based off of Ba Gua, Water bending is based off of Tai Chi, Earth bending is based off of Hung Gar and Fire bending is based off of Northern Shaolin Kung Fu. Toph is the only bender with a unique style of bending, that is associated with her blindness. Her style is based off of Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis. All of these styles are again Wushu. Even the scenery and lore of Avatar is inherently Asian and Inuit inspired. It is true that Aang doesn't look asian. But that fact doesn't make him any less Chinese. I mean come on, can you really tell me that when you hear the name Toph Bei Fong, it doesn't denote an asian name? Hell, clothes, food and eating utensils are asian. It makes me think that people like you are really daft and small minded. Your probably one of those people that reads a book that was set in South America and says "Lets make a movie of this book, but lets have it set in Sweden and with Swedish actors." Get real buddy. Avatar is an asian conceptualized series that put America on the anime map.

And I would totally agree with that blog if it weren't for the fact that people like Jackie Chan and Jet Li hadn't been pumped though the mainstream Hollywood system. Both of them sell very well here in America as the main character. Even though they arent Asian American they are still Asian. ANd I know it is just two guys, but they are very influential figures. It isn't that there is no place in Hollywood for Asians, and I don't think it is blatant intentional racism. I think that possibly on a subconscious level it is white washing. But I don't think it is a conspiracy to keep the Asian man down.

I completely understand where it could affect development of young Asian Americans self esteem wise and motivationally. I would like to see more authenticity in films but again, It's not like they are trying to portray Aang as white. They are trying to make the audience believe he is Asian. Otherwise, I would assume they would change the name, setting, and wardrobe to a modern day New Yorker or something. It isn't the same extreme as casting a white guy in an African role because the ethnic differences are so vast. Noah Ringer, in my opinion, is completely passable as the character.

But it is so hypocritical to have these dillusions of American stereotypes, because everyone has dillusions and stereotypes whether they want to admit it or not. I mean, The UK thinks of Americans as ''Wassup, Dude. Yah, I would like tottally love to go surfin' man. Yah."

Control T.V. control the masses. That is so true. But why should that maintain being the case. What should be changed is people letting T.V. influence them. Whether it is acting, reporting, directing, writing, or whatever, there is still prominence in Hollywood for Asians. I think that it is a small issue being blown out of proportion because no matter what people have to be outraged about something.

I totally get what you're saying but you have to admit the issue is debatable. Even though I am failing at what I am trying to say, lol
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Re: Another pointless petition to sign

Post by Juanfran »

Neither Jackie Chan and Jet Li have had a romantic lead (at least not one where they actually get to kiss their co-star) in a Western film to date and have merely played the most typical of Asian stereotypes, the kung-fu master. Also both were already established as big stars in Hong Kong before coming to the United States. As you said, neither is Asian and the roles they play always seem to involve them being FOBs.

Actually the UK stereotype of an American is not of surfer dude, but "fat ignorant redneck" of course in reality we know the US is a diverse place and "rednecks" themselves are diverse in nature. I don't get your statement of it being hypocritical, I don't really know exactly what you're driving at. I mean it's not a view I subscribe to.

I don't think the issue is debatable, the racism is clear and unabashed. Take the story behind "The Replacement Killers". Producer Terence Chang was told to change the race of the white villain in the script for the Chow Yun Fat movie, and make him a Chinese druglord instead. The logic: “If the hero is Asian then the bad guys have to be Asian as well.”
It's not like they are trying to portray Aang as white. They are trying to make the audience believe he is Asian.
I don't believe that's true, if it is, that's just stupid. Because a) he's not Asian and b) he doesn't look remotely Asian. I mentioned David Carradine before which is would be the same situation as what you describe there, trying to make the audience believe he is Chinese. Which is just ridiculous because he's not and that role was meant to be Bruce Lee's.
What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons. You're born alone and you die alone and this world just drops a bunch of rules on top of you to make you forget those facts. But I never forget. I'm living like there's no tomorrow, because there isn't one.
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Re: Another pointless petition to sign

Post by Kiba »

I don't get this. The races of the Avatar world are obviously fictional, unless you know of a group of Inuit or South Asian people with bright blue eyes, or young people with dark skin and natural white hair (like the Northern Water Nation princess in Avatar). Moreover, why not protest Japanese animation? It's totally absurd to call Hollywood exclusively racist when nearly every anime coming out of Japan has blonde and red-headed "Japanese" students with super powers. Want to talk about racism? I don't see anyone protesting the exclusive casting of Italians as sleazy mafioso types or effeminate artists or immoral casanovas or villainous cowards. You're talking about the World versus Caucasians, but that's not reality. People of northern European descent hold prejudices against people of southern European descent. There are east-west stereotypes among Europeans as well. If you don't have the English/German/Scandinavian look, you're an alien in the western world, especially if you also lack a British last name. Why? Because the Anglo-American clique has ruled the world for over two hundred years. Napoleon lost, Britain became "Great," America became rich, the Germans failed, the Japanese failed, the Arabs struck black gold, the rest went commie, ergo the present organization of humanity.

Will I sign the petition? Only if they can find real Water Nation people. As for the newly Arabian Fire Nation, that's just silly. They were obviously supposed to be World War II era Imperial Japanese in the cartoon.

I don't think a single problem in the world has ever been solved by giving an oppressor a list of signatures from all the people who disagree with him. You should become a great director or producer and make your own movies.
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Re: Another pointless petition to sign

Post by Juanfran »

That's a pretty asinine argument. There's nowhere in Lord of the Rings where it says every single character is white and English but the world is obviously modeled on medieval Europe. Likewise the world of Avatar and characters are clearly heavily based on east-Asian culture and to whitewash a live-action version to this extreme extent is simply racist.
What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons. You're born alone and you die alone and this world just drops a bunch of rules on top of you to make you forget those facts. But I never forget. I'm living like there's no tomorrow, because there isn't one.
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Kiba
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Re: Another pointless petition to sign

Post by Kiba »

Asinine? Hardly. It's the truth. Why not criticize the people who made the cartoon for giving characters "clearly heavily based on east-Asian culture" blue eyes?

Moreover, there was more to medieval Europe than everything north of France. The Lord of the Rings film stars exclusively northern European actors because Tolkien's world excluded southern European Mediterranean people, even though the reality of medieval Europe placed most of Middle Earth style art, culture, technology, and architecture in southern Europe. It's a fictional world. Similarly, the races of the Avatar characters are fictional in the sense that they adopt Asian art, architecture, and some superficial tradition, but it is not clear at all from the cartoon that they are all racially East Asian; and as I have said, some are clearly fictional races, such as the Water Nation people.

At any rate, it's not just white-washing. Hiring the guy from Slumdog Millionaire for Prince Zuko is clearly a case of brown-washing.

And I think you've got a chip on your shoulder.
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