WHOOPS SORRY. I have been enjoying life with the Shut Up Safari extension installed, and I didn’t even see your comment yesterday. SORRY, REALLY. GOTTA TURN THAT SUCKER OFF WHEN I’M ON MY OWN SITES.
Well, that makes more sense. It’s a sort of 'Italian Indians in 50s cowboy movies’ sort of thing, then? Which I get, actually.
I am always astonished by the racism and troglodytic ignorance rampant in the fan community. I remember once, long ago (probably 2007), there was a story out about Viz censoring the Hagane no Renkinjutsushi comic to remove a crucifixion, and the overwhelming fan response was YAAAAAAYYY!! WHOOO!!! JEEEEEBUUUUUS!!! [*DROOLS*] [*FINGERS IN MOUTH*] [*LOLLIPOP*]
So it doesn’t surprise me that Avatar fans would think an all-white cast was aces, just for the sake of being assholes.
I also get the "white privilege" at work behind the casting process, which — although I know 'privilege’ is merely a slightly more ordered, repulsive form of racism — always feels distinct to me from the classical, hate-and-violence-oriented variety. It’s quieter and more insidious, and it’s the thing that Photoshops skin tones and dislikes certain accents and casts googly-eyed blonde people as large-print heroes while simultaneously pointing out the Asian/black friend aaaaall the way in the back & saying, "What? You’re represented. I’M NOT A RACIST. YOU’RE A RACIST."
That Twilight guy is really, really icky-looking. Just on a strictly personal, non-racism-related level. He looks like my drunk Aunt Patty in a boy-themed Halloween costume.
Personally, unless there is a real, observable reason for a character to be white, I always go for brown when I cast my imaginary fantasy-novel movies. Like, when I was reading Tolkien, and he told me that elves were tall and gorgeous with light-reflective skin and luminous eyes, I thought: "Ah! Alek Wek!" I don’t see why every hobbit in Middle-earth couldn’t be played by a black, Hispanic, or Asian actor. I don’t see why Adam Beach can’t play Henry VIII. I don’t see why Alyssah Ali didn’t get to play Tits in the next Transformers movie. Racism is a real-world problem; it doesn’t have to interfere with fantasy casting in any way. Does it?
Which is not to say that I don’t love me some white actors! I was looking at my fanlist the other day, and as I’m sure you know, everybody on there is white. I feel kind of bad about that, but I actually sort of hate Denzel Washington and Will Smith, and aside from Halle Berry (who is loved by everyone with eyes) — what other black/brown actors would I add? No, I’m asking. You got any ideas?
There is a dearth of black/brown people in wizard hats, in other words. Someone needs to get on that.
But, thank you for the explanation. Now I get it. (I think.)
The Miyazaki Paradox is: I hate all of Miyazaki’s movies and I think they’re terrible and I think he’s massively untalented artistically and narratively and he might be a misogynist and he is definitely baselessly egotistical and a gigantic asshole who turns every story he tells — no matter how intricate, personal, and introspective — into 128 minutes of blarghing about the environment. And yet, everyone I know who’s smarter than me loves him to pieces and thinks the sun shines out of his ass. Including Roger Ebert! Who is awesome. I don’t get it? Paradox!
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Date: 2010-06-11 11:39 am (UTC)Well, that makes more sense. It’s a sort of 'Italian Indians in 50s cowboy movies’ sort of thing, then? Which I get, actually.
I am always astonished by the racism and troglodytic ignorance rampant in the fan community. I remember once, long ago (probably 2007), there was a story out about Viz censoring the Hagane no Renkinjutsushi comic to remove a crucifixion, and the overwhelming fan response was YAAAAAAYYY!! WHOOO!!! JEEEEEBUUUUUS!!! [*DROOLS*] [*FINGERS IN MOUTH*] [*LOLLIPOP*]
So it doesn’t surprise me that Avatar fans would think an all-white cast was aces, just for the sake of being assholes.
I also get the "white privilege" at work behind the casting process, which — although I know 'privilege’ is merely a slightly more ordered, repulsive form of racism — always feels distinct to me from the classical, hate-and-violence-oriented variety. It’s quieter and more insidious, and it’s the thing that Photoshops skin tones and dislikes certain accents and casts googly-eyed blonde people as large-print heroes while simultaneously pointing out the Asian/black friend aaaaall the way in the back & saying, "What? You’re represented. I’M NOT A RACIST. YOU’RE A RACIST."
That Twilight guy is really, really icky-looking. Just on a strictly personal, non-racism-related level. He looks like my drunk Aunt Patty in a boy-themed Halloween costume.
Personally, unless there is a real, observable reason for a character to be white, I always go for brown when I cast my imaginary fantasy-novel movies. Like, when I was reading Tolkien, and he told me that elves were tall and gorgeous with light-reflective skin and luminous eyes, I thought: "Ah! Alek Wek!" I don’t see why every hobbit in Middle-earth couldn’t be played by a black, Hispanic, or Asian actor. I don’t see why Adam Beach can’t play Henry VIII. I don’t see why Alyssah Ali didn’t get to play Tits in the next Transformers movie. Racism is a real-world problem; it doesn’t have to interfere with fantasy casting in any way. Does it?
Which is not to say that I don’t love me some white actors! I was looking at my fanlist the other day, and as I’m sure you know, everybody on there is white. I feel kind of bad about that, but I actually sort of hate Denzel Washington and Will Smith, and aside from Halle Berry (who is loved by everyone with eyes) — what other black/brown actors would I add? No, I’m asking. You got any ideas?
There is a dearth of black/brown people in wizard hats, in other words. Someone needs to get on that.
But, thank you for the explanation. Now I get it. (I think.)
The Miyazaki Paradox is: I hate all of Miyazaki’s movies and I think they’re terrible and I think he’s massively untalented artistically and narratively and he might be a misogynist and he is definitely baselessly egotistical and a gigantic asshole who turns every story he tells — no matter how intricate, personal, and introspective — into 128 minutes of blarghing about the environment. And yet, everyone I know who’s smarter than me loves him to pieces and thinks the sun shines out of his ass. Including Roger Ebert! Who is awesome. I don’t get it? Paradox!