Representation in Art/Entertainment/Media • Page 7

Frank Ocean used the guise of Jenny from Forrest Gump to not-so-subtly write a song about a man

 

That Dr. Strange Trailer Sure Is Awful - Women Write About Comics

This trailer is less infuriating than it is a lazy, inconsiderate piece of cinema being offered to people who are much smarter than Marvel gives them credit for. It’s 2016, and we are still being fed orientalist stereotypes that are given free rein to continue damaging people with Asian heritage–for what? Reaffirmation that white narratives will always be more valued? A reminder that Hollywood still believes that Asian stories have no validity without a white person at the center, controlling and living that narrative better than any Asian person ever could?

It’s exhausting, yes, to see Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton slinking into roles that so clearly appropriating Chinese, Tibetan, and South Asian cultures. Their acting abilities aren’t in question here, just their acceptance that they have the right to tell these stories instead of Asian actors. It’s likewise exhausting to see all the nods to Asian art and motifs set in the background against white faces. But these are all unsurprising, uncreative choices that Marvel made, and that says far more about their mindset regarding their paying Asian audiences than it does about the people who protest those choices. They don’t care about me or people who look like me. So why should I or any other person with Asian heritage care to watch their films?

I’m pretty convinced at this point that any Cumberbatch role is just Sherlock in a nicotine-haze trying to solve some nefarious crime, because it’s the only explanation for a Cumberbatch Strange. A Victorian England setting would also explain the over-the-top mystic orientalism, because there’s no way that’s a reasonable thing to propose in 2016 after getting slammed with criticism for the usage and treatment of The Mandarin, Black Sky, the Hand, and Iron Fist.
And yet, here we are, and people are arguing on Twitter about how Strange needs to be white, but that the casting of The Ancient One is a problem, totally missing the point that a white person out-Asianing Asians is an issue no matter what character we’re talking about.

 

Chloe Bennet Discusses the Importance of Diversity to "Agents of SHIELD" & the MCU

When asked what her role in the Marvel Universe means to her, she shared, "It means everything to me! I genuinely believe that. I went to lunch yesterday with my friend, who's an actress, and she's also Japanese, and we talked about this. When we were kids, we truly did not feel we could be on TV unless we were blond… unless you were white. It just felt like that's how it was. Even when I got here, which was about six years ago… I was told that I wasn't Asian enough to be the best friend, but wasn't white enough to be the lead. I truly was like, 'Well, yeah. That makes sense.' I truly believed that! And just that that's something I believed and I nodded my head in agreement -- that's some kind of brainwashing!"

"In the cinematic universe, there's a lot of white guys named Chris. There's really no blacks or Asians in it at all. That's really disappointing! I don't think our show gets enough credit. I think we're quietly changing the game on our show on TV. I know it's not as big as the movies, but I think we're really doing big things here. You know, our showrunner [Maurissa Tancharoen] is an Asian-American woman, Ming-Na Wen is obviously incredibly talented and she's Chinese, I'm half-Chinese, we have Juan Pablo Raba and Natalia Cordova-Buckley, who are Mexican and Colombian. I think we really represent the world… I'm proud of our show and proud of what we're doing," she concluded.

The timing of this feels like thinly veiled PR, lol. Still, I do like this show, in spite of its freakin' fridging problem. Daisy and May are awesome.

 

How "Nina" Became A Disaster Movie

 

Hadn't really been following the development until that first still came out, but this Ghost in the Shell casting, ugh

 

Was this week International Asian Whitewashing Week and I just didn't know about it? Good god all the announcements this week were awful

 

I fucking hate people

 

...what.

 

Whie people continue to fucking astound me

 

fuck max landis

 

elaborate

 

he, a white dude who got his career because of nepotism and when his movies flopped keeps getting projects

he's also super misogynistic
http://jezebel.com/screenwriter-bro-just-might-be-hollywoods-biggest-fuck-1440597536

 

Did you watch the second video I posted? I think he's saying the complete opposite.

(And yes I'm aware of that gross interview. Not a fan.)

 

Oops someone didn't watch the videos

 

Landis is right in those videos but I think he lets the film industry off the hook a little too easily. Similarly to the #OscarsSoWhite stuff and how some people said don't blame the Oscars, blame the studios. No, blame both. Studios should cast actors of all races, especially when characters of color are being adapted, regardless of the reality of how the system works right now. But the Oscars should recognize the fantastic non-white movies that come out every single year. It is an unfortunate truth that Landis explains above that movies like Ghost in the Shell just flat out don't get made without established stars. So there should also be a push for smaller movies to cast non-white actors so that they can build careers and hopefully turn into stars that get cast in big movies.

Landis is also insufferable 98% of the time I see him mentioned so I'm glad I don't see much of him. Chronicle was dope though.

 

admittedly no because just the screenshot made me like no thanks, which is dumb of me I'm sorry

 

Know your enemy, friend

 

Why Max Landis is wrong about Scarlett Johansson's 'whitewashed' Ghost in the Shell remake

 

"So yes, we should probably have some sympathy for the screenwriter when he’s simply trying to explain the nonsensical decision-making process followed by studio bigwigs when making these utterly ridiculous decisions. But the idea that Johansson, Paramount, Dreamworks and the American film industry as a whole should be immune to criticism simply because studios can’t abide by common sense when casting a sensitive remake is idiotic."

Max Landis for problematic fave


Edit: Also they most likely didn't watch his videos because of the points he makes about Star Wars being incorrectly interpreted

 

http://www.vulture.com/2016/04/asian-bro-crazy-ex-girlfriend.html

 

Ah yes, the Asian bro. I am all too familiar with him.

 

I totally agree with the argument that there is more of an issue of under-representation in non-race specific movies. While whitewashing roles is odd and somewhat problematic, I think we should be more frustrated with the fact that ANY MOVIE USA is casting mostly white people.

But I also think that when a movie like this comes out, there's an opportunity to be had to CREATE a new asian superstar. I understand the idea of star power, but couldn't you fill the side characters with stars and have the lead be a new commodity. I don't know if there's a corrolation with superhero movie success and star power either. I'm sure the film industry might have metrics to back that up, but I'm not seeing it.

 

First Look: Elizabeth Banks Morphs into Mighty Power Rangers Villain Rita Repulsa for Big-Screen Reboot

 

Really great article. They touched up on a lot of great points, I feel like if you live or grew up anywhere on the Westcoast you would've definitely seen and encountered Asian guys like this