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Racism in the movie "Avatar: The Last Airbender" ???
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wah wah wah.
If this game was made with white people, it would be called racist too. But since its for blacks, its A-ok.
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalo....aspx?product_id=74705
If this game was made with white people, it would be called racist too. But since its for blacks, its A-ok.
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalo....aspx?product_id=74705
herkulease
Diamond Member
Only goku and bulma were played by white actors.
Piccolo is a green alien so anyone could've played him.
Every other character was played by asian actors, atleast ones central to the story
I"m guessing there wasn't a big fuss about it because the show and manga really never had anything other than the fighting(which can't be exclusively asian) to only asian.
Except for Yamcha who was drawn to be obviously asian, everything else fit in a generic world.
Master Roshi was a dirty old hermit crab. They easily could've casted anyone one.
the only barrier was some of the names. LIke Yamcha and Chi Chi.
If some day hollywood decides to bring Ranma 1/2 to life which is literally 100% asian centered with white actors you'll probably see a big fuss made out of it. But I'm think it so far fetched it wouldn't make it.
sactoking
Diamond Member
Proof of original article rant being asinine:
Commander Zhao is from India. While that's part of the continent of Asia, I think that reasonable people concur that Indian != Asian.
Firelord Ozai is from New Zealand. He's freakin' Maori. That is not Asian.
So, while you may disagree about the validity of the protagonist casting the article and racism implied is null as neither of the antagonists is Asian and do not look Asian.
Commander Zhao is from India. While that's part of the continent of Asia, I think that reasonable people concur that Indian != Asian.
Firelord Ozai is from New Zealand. He's freakin' Maori. That is not Asian.
So, while you may disagree about the validity of the protagonist casting the article and racism implied is null as neither of the antagonists is Asian and do not look Asian.
Fern
Elite Member
Not familiar with the cartoon, but I looked at the pictures I don't see that the cartoon characters looked Asian (I recognize that a couple had darker skin tones, so maybe a couple of those actors will get a sun tan.)
I"m not sure how to describe this, but I see ethnic 'rivalries' featured in the cartoon story-line (inuit/Tibetian?Siberian etc), I think this distiction/storyline will be lost on the target market (American kiddies) so it's mostly been omitted (dumbed down).
Whatever, I think it's about the money.
Fern
I"m not sure how to describe this, but I see ethnic 'rivalries' featured in the cartoon story-line (inuit/Tibetian?Siberian etc), I think this distiction/storyline will be lost on the target market (American kiddies) so it's mostly been omitted (dumbed down).
Whatever, I think it's about the money.
Fern
calicandi32
Junior Member
There is only one lead character, and you cannot represent EVERY race in one character. That means everyone else is a supporting character. You keep saying the cartoon depicted all Asian people, what makes you think they're Asian? They don't have any of the typical Asian traits. The show was done in a sort of Anime style, and their religion is Eastern, but that doesn't matter when you're doing casting calls. They are trying to pick people that LOOK like the cartoon. Sokka and Katara have brown hair and blue eyes. Not an Asian trait. And Unlce Iroh is a good Guy, a hero in fact (played by and Asian). Prince Zuko is one of the main characters who starts off as Aang's main foe, but changes sides and fights with Aang to help defeat his own father. In fact, the only "bad" guys are the fire nation, which I think M. Night Shamalan decided to cast HIS OWN RACE for so no one could say he was trying to make some statement against whatever race had to be the Fire Nation.
trenchfoot
Lifer
In this virtual make-believe world of which we speak, the profit motive is, of course, the overt goal of it all. However, ProfJohn has got a point where the setting IS ASIAN, the clothes the characters wear IS ASIAN looking, the martial arts they employ, and of which provides all of the action sequences, is decidedly ASIAN in character. The music being played is decidedly ASIAN. The philosophical underpinnings that motivates the characters are obviously of ASIAN origin. The only thing in this cartoon series which is NOT ASIAN are the facial features of the main character, although his persona speaks to his ASIAN background. Even the main character's friend's features are caucasian except for their skin color.
I've seen movies that were made in the early 40's war years that employ the use of stereotyping to make very clear who the ASIAN enemy is and what they represent by exaggerating their physical characteristics into making them look like terrifying boogymen.
It was hilarious when those war year producers had to physically discern between the at-the-time Japanese enemy and our Filipino and at-the-time Chinese allies.
Same goes for the use of caucasian actors that were made up to change their ethnicity, of which American Indians and Charlie Chan comes to mind. It's just as funny when Sean Connery was made up into a half-assed looking Asian in one of his James Bond movies.
I see similarities in what the cartoon creators/movie version producers are doing and what those war year movie producers were doing. Most of all, they wanted to provide a clear physical delineation between the good guys and the bad guys. The critical difference in this particular instance is WHY the delineation is there.
IMHO, the cartoon creators have wholly different and obvious reasons than the war year movie producers for why the stereotyping both are using was put in play.
It's my sense that the producers of the movie version of this cartoon series had to prioritize their use of certain character types and what they saw as bringing in the best draw at the box office over whatever "unintended" consequences those priorites created. It may seem racist, and to some, in their eyes, it is blatantly racist, and I'm sure the producers of the movie version must have weighed very carefully how each factor would affect the margins they were shooting for.
Profit vs. political correctness - It's pretty obvious which will win in a boardroom brawl.
I've seen movies that were made in the early 40's war years that employ the use of stereotyping to make very clear who the ASIAN enemy is and what they represent by exaggerating their physical characteristics into making them look like terrifying boogymen.
It was hilarious when those war year producers had to physically discern between the at-the-time Japanese enemy and our Filipino and at-the-time Chinese allies.
Same goes for the use of caucasian actors that were made up to change their ethnicity, of which American Indians and Charlie Chan comes to mind. It's just as funny when Sean Connery was made up into a half-assed looking Asian in one of his James Bond movies.
I see similarities in what the cartoon creators/movie version producers are doing and what those war year movie producers were doing. Most of all, they wanted to provide a clear physical delineation between the good guys and the bad guys. The critical difference in this particular instance is WHY the delineation is there.
IMHO, the cartoon creators have wholly different and obvious reasons than the war year movie producers for why the stereotyping both are using was put in play.
It's my sense that the producers of the movie version of this cartoon series had to prioritize their use of certain character types and what they saw as bringing in the best draw at the box office over whatever "unintended" consequences those priorites created. It may seem racist, and to some, in their eyes, it is blatantly racist, and I'm sure the producers of the movie version must have weighed very carefully how each factor would affect the margins they were shooting for.
Profit vs. political correctness - It's pretty obvious which will win in a boardroom brawl.
eternalone
Golden Member
Gary Coleman hands in the air.
"Who Cares"?.jpg
/Thread
Also this should be in off topic, not politics. Also grown men shouldnt be watching Nickelodeon cartoons, to the point that you let them affect you emotionally.
"Who Cares"?.jpg
/Thread
Also this should be in off topic, not politics. Also grown men shouldnt be watching Nickelodeon cartoons, to the point that you let them affect you emotionally.
Pliablemoose
Lifer
Yeah, let's get all worked up over a bit of fiction.
I'm like old as dirt, and I watched every episode of the cartoon series with my daughter. IIRC, there was 1 Asian actor doing 1 character in the cartoon. The director of the cartoons calling the movie's casting racebending needs to look in the mirror. He could have found Asian voice actors for the series, that spoke English with an accent to make things more "realistic". Shit, I'm living in LA, I could throw a rock 100 feet in any direction and find him Asian accented voice actors for all of the roles.
I'm like old as dirt, and I watched every episode of the cartoon series with my daughter. IIRC, there was 1 Asian actor doing 1 character in the cartoon. The director of the cartoons calling the movie's casting racebending needs to look in the mirror. He could have found Asian voice actors for the series, that spoke English with an accent to make things more "realistic". Shit, I'm living in LA, I could throw a rock 100 feet in any direction and find him Asian accented voice actors for all of the roles.
GodlessAstronomer
Lifer
Not sure how you reached that conclusion, considering Indian people are in fact Asian. I'd argue that it would take a particularly unreasonable person to conclude that Indians aren't Asian. 😕 😕
jonks
Lifer
While it is possible to interpret his post as vague, I think he was rather clear in stating that while India is part of the continent of Asia, and therefore technically Indians are "Asian" in that they live in Asia, if one were describing a robbery to a cop, I wouldn't identify the suspect as Asian if he looked Indian.
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