Check out this Washington Post article on the growing racism of the Avatar casting. If you haven’t been following the controversy, you should look to the right and click on the several links under the title: “The Avatar Ain’t White”.
It just keeps getting worse and worse.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Solon L Quinn // Mar 22, 2009 at 1:17 am
This is a very simple case of “follow the money trail.” M. Night Shyamalan is an extremely intelligent filmmaker who believes in creating films that address social injustice. His previous films contain a wonderful amount of peace promoting, thought provoking, material. If I had to take a guess, it would be that the studio heads presented him with an ultimatum; You can do the film with white actors, or not do it at all. Unfortunately this does not clear Mr. Shyamalan of any responsibility. The only choice that could possibly be worse is hiring white actors and making them up to appear Asian, ie black face for the Asian population. In either case this is a shameful display of hollywood racism, and though it is not surprising, it is heartbreaking. Imagine the parents of Asian children, (I’m adopted myself with German-Irish parents) sitting through the truly wonderful experience of the cartoon, Avatar series only to later have to explain to their ten year old son or daughter, why the characters who they’ve fallen in love with and who look like them have now changed race. Mr. Shyamalan, I know that from your previous works you are a person who believes in fighting the good fight. I would like to remind you of the words a wise man once said. Simply put, “Be the change you want to see.”
2 Japanistic // Mar 22, 2009 at 6:34 am
My wife and I have an 8-year old son and we have had to have this conversation with him. It would have happened eventually, but it’s a shame nonetheless.
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