Re: Avatar movie racefail...

[elementalhero]

I--I just want to see Dev Patel (on whom I have developed an enormous crush since Slumdog Millionaire) play Zuko...

Shameful confession time: I always feel awkward when discussing race on the Internet because I'm white and I'm afraid I'm going to have a "wrong" opinion.  I don't like the whitewashing in Hollywood.  I don't like Asian stereotypes in Western media, especially speaking here as a growing fan of anime and Eastern media in general.  I don't want to imply that I agree with any of these things.

But my friends and I want to see the movie, to see how they do.


I don't like that sometimes I'm afraid to make up my own mind, just in case I'm wrong.

Comments

[keepdreamingxx.livejournal.com]

lol white.

Why did they... do that. I mean they don't even look like the characters. :/ People were all "GRR" about not getting a Native American for Jacob Black at first, but at least he kind of looks... well, vaguely Native. But now they're fixing this by filling in all the wolf and La Push spots with Natives. Maybe the Avatar fans just aren't complaining enough, have a big enough fanbase, or, you know, probably won't be getting a sequel.

[tsukara.livejournal.com]

I think of it this way: Would I be hesitant to accept a guy as a feminist? Think that he had no right to fight for women's rights simply because he was not in possession of a vagina and couldn't possibly understand what it was like to be female? Hell no! I may be white, but I believe we should all be treated equally. And when the majority race in this country is no longer the majority (which...it isn't. It's the biggest minority still, but nobody has >50% majority of race in this country anymore--which I think is freakin' awesome), I expected this to be reflected in my media.

And when a kids' show is doing better than Hollywood? Geeez...

But, heck, I'm gonna see it too. Partly because, woo, it's avatar, and partly because, hey, they did cast some people of different ethnicities in there (Iranians not cast as terrorists? Holy shit Hollywood, maybe you are learning).

tl;dr WORD o3o

Major case of not judging here

[chocomarauder.livejournal.com]

Just don't get your hopes up too high since you know they are bound to ruin the live-action version. Well, except for Dev Patel.
To be fair, the movie is being filmed by Americans to be viewed by a mostly-American-fanbase. Logically, this would imply that the actors should be white in order for the viewers to relate to them better. I'm not saying this doesn't suck; it's just how things work.
Also, your post is pretty ADD worthy.

Re: Major case of not judging here

[okroginator.livejournal.com]

I thoroughly disagree with you. That implies that, as a white person, I can't relate to the Rwandan genocide we read about at the beginning of the year, or to Barack Obama when I read Dreams from My Father this month for college, or to any member of a different race than myself. The idea that Hollywood actors have to be white for white people to relate to them is, frankly, bullshit.

I'm not yelling at you; the fact that so many people believe this is what makes me mad.

Re: Major case of not judging here

[chocomarauder.livejournal.com]

Ironic icon is ironc...here, has a chill pill. You have a good point, though.

[dayadhvam-triad.livejournal.com]

ha, I saw the picture comparing Katara's actor to Avatar!Katara and just boggled, whuuut. O_O

[okroginator.livejournal.com]

don't even talk to me about her especially, aksaldjkaslfjksfjaskfsjkfsjak