Support NeoGAF

[BigDug13]

I'm not sure what's going on here. Maybe they meant to categorize 4 types of women they were looking for and made the unfortunate mistake of making it seem like they were tiers instead of saying "model type 1, type 2, type 3, they went with A girl, B girl, etc.

But I'm also not sure if it's fully racist when A girl can be any race and full black is perfectly acceptable as A girl. I think they're just misogynistly approaching their casting call with zero racial sensitivity.

But it's a movie casting call. They are GOING to absolutely plug in the exact race and color tones they want to plug into each role, whether they write it all down spelled out for us in a casting call sheet or not. Every movie does it so I'm not sure why spelling out for us what happens in every movie casting makes it somehow unacceptable this time when we accept the rest.

It's time for an overall Hollywood shakeup when it comes to race.

 

[Kreed]

So I guess it should just be an open casting call. Let's disregard whatever "artistic vision" (and I use that term super loosely here) the director is going for, since racism.

Next thread: "George Washington biopic calls for a WHITE CIS MALE, WTF?"

The issue is how the casting call is worded, not the agency trying to hire specific women of different ethnic groups/hair types/builds. If the casting call was worded like this for example:

Women ages 18-30 only

Group A: Women with slender or athletic body types. All ethnic groups welcome to apply. No hair extensions.

Group B: Black women, light complexion only. Slender or athletic body type. No hair extensions.

Group C: Black women with medium to light complexion. Hair extensions welcome.

Group D: Black women. Average, curvy, and plus size body type. Medium to dark complexion. Hair extensions welcome.

...it wouldn't be a big deal.

 

[royalan]

I'm not saying this ain't incredibly fucked up. Because it is.

But it's also nothing new. What we got here is a rare glimpse at the racial/sexual/superficial callousness that permeates a looks-obsessed industry like Hollywood.

This is the shit we've heard hundreds of female and minority actors mention in countless interviews about the cuthroat, soul-sucking nature of Hollywood, but that we rarely see completely exposed like this.

Trust, they could have written the casting call in another, more open and inviting way. Casting call good-looking girls with acting potential! All races welcome! But make no mistake, the way those girls would have been categorized and chosen would be exactly what we see on that original casting call.

 

[op_ivy]

i wanted to say that perhaps the letters were not a ranking, rather just a poorly chosen classification... but yeah, reading on, this seems to be your standard A through F rating system. pretty terrible.

 

[terribletwo]

I don't see how this casting call is racist at all. The 'A' tier girls includes 'black', which is of course African American. The C and D girls would be reflective of Compton itself. How is this racist? I don't see it at all.

I studied Performing Arts, and it's true that some casting calls are racist as fuck, but this is definitely not one of them. It's just a movie with a lot of poor black people in it.

I'm guessing the group C & D girls are the girls in the background of Compton scenes, but the problem is the skin color gradation. The implication being that dark skin = ugly = poor

 

[Infinite]

The issue is how the casting call is worded, not the agency trying to hire specific women of different ethnic groups/hair types/builds. If the casting call was worded like this for example:



...it wouldn't be a big deal.

The hair extension thing still being there is rather questionable.

 

[CrankyJay]

I'm not sure what's going on here. Maybe they meant to categorize 4 types of women they were looking for and made the unfortunate mistake of making it seem like they were tiers instead of saying "model type 1, type 2, type 3, they went with A girl, B girl, etc.

But I'm also not sure if it's fully racist when A girl can be any race and full black is perfectly acceptable as A girl. I think they're just misogynistly approaching their casting call with zero racial sensitivity.

But it's a movie casting call. They are GOING to absolutely plug in the exact race and color tones they want to plug into each role, whether they write it all down spelled out for us in a casting call sheet or not. Every movie does it so I'm not sure why spelling out for us what happens in every movie casting makes it somehow unacceptable this time when we accept the rest.

It's time for an overall Hollywood shakeup when it comes to race.

They could have saved some grief if they just put out a casting call for "female models and actresses of any race and creed between the ages of 18-30" and then did their own internal categorization.

 

[Halo 2]

So I guess it should just be an open casting call. Let's disregard whatever "artistic vision" (and I use that term super loosely here) the director is going for, since racism.

Next thread: "George Washington biopic calls for a WHITE CIS MALE, WTF?"

I lol'd

 

[RukusProvider]

It's a casting call with very specific needs.

The only issue I see listing out the word poor for the final class. Could it be worded better? Sure but that's about it.

The reaction here is way over the top.

 

[Future]

I don't see how this casting call is racist at all. The 'A' tier girls includes 'black', which is of course African American. The C and D girls would be reflective of Compton itself. How is this racist? I don't see it at all.

I studied Performing Arts, and it's true that some casting calls are racist as fuck, but this is definitely not one of them. It's just a movie with a lot of poor black people in it.

A-d ranking dude. Light skinned and hot women are As. The blacker and poorer you get the lower your grade.

New version without the letters is much better.

 

[Kreed]

The hair extension thing still being there is rather questionable.

Maybe they have a lot of pool scenes at Donald Sterling's house? Who knows, but I cleaned it up the best I could.

 

[Volimar]

Is it weird that I'm just glad they're not auditioning minors?

 

[GJS]

A-d ranking dude. Light skinned and hot women are As. The blacker and poorer you get the lower your grade.

New version without the letters is much better.

This is even in the post you quoted but "A girls" didn't specify light skinned.
You can be black, white, asian, hispanic, mid eastern, or mixed race too

 

[RukusProvider]

They could have saved some grief if they just put out a casting call for "female models and actresses of any race and creed between the ages of 18-30" and then did their own internal categorization.

Why go through all that work when you can initially offload a fair section of it by putting forth the criteria and categories?

 

[terribletwo]

This is even in the post you quoted but "A girls" didn't specify light skinned.
You can be black, white, asian, hispanic, mid eastern, or mixed race too

Right. IF you're a super model you can be anyone

Note that Beyonce, whom most people would consider pretty hot, ranks as a B. So, ignoring the mega hotties, the baseline for beauty starts at Beyonce (who is fairly light-skinned) and goes down from there

 

[jon bones]

The ironic thing is that this is how many films and music videos are cast. Dark skinned women are considered ugly or undesirable while lighter skinned women are put on a pedestal. This is also prevalent in rap lyrics and among many black people. I can't even imagine the mental anguish a lot of dark skinned women go through growing up. The self hate that can develop is pretty sad. Not to mention the self hate about natural black hair and the ridiculous weave movement.

When Kendrick Lamar was on set to do his video for Poetic Justice, the line of "video vixens" was 99% light skinned black chicks. He said fuck it and selected a random darker black chick who was on set to be the main female in the video instead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyr2gEouEMM

i always liked kendricks line

i like em brown, just like my drink - the fuck you think?

 

[Barbacoatl]

Wait, they asked for real life poor fat black women to audition, or they were stating that the role in the movie would be "poor black women"?

They do include black women in tier 1.

I fail to see the outrage. Tasteless? Yeah, kinda. But racist? Eh.

And yeah Beyonce is a solid B.

 

[AuthenticM]

Wow.

Did they seriously not think that someone would make this public ?

 

[speculawyer]

or could you...

You could and it would be interesting to watch.

 

[Camjo-Z]

If they're shooting a party scene with lots of hot babes, there are probably going to be all types of women there. If they're shooting a poor black neighborhood scene, it's probably not going to be racially diverse.

The wording is pretty bad, but you have to really be stretching to call this racist.

 

[harSon]

I don't understand how any sane person could look at what's in the OP, which is basically a modern day caste system, and come to any other conclusion that the shit's racist as fuck and morally repugnant.

 

[TwEE-N-Toast]

Whats the alternative here?

 

[jason10mm]

Maybe there is a scene in the film where this type of physical casting disparity is specifically called into question so they wanted to be very blunt about casting for it.

Probably not. But seems to me that pretty much every 80s/90s urban "hood" film featured this exact same physical disparity, minus perhaps the "A" group (since there were rarely any other ethnicity in them, young females at least).

 

[Samara]

By their standards, Rihanna/Tyra Banks would be Bs (they wear wigs)
Ciara/Meagan Good a D
and Kelly Rowland a D (minus being poor)

 

[Valhelm]

Super white question, but... what do they mean by "natural hair" for the A and B girls?

 

[Kraftwerk]

By their standards, Rihanna/Tyra Banks would be Bs (they wear wigs)
Ciara/Meagan Good a D
and Kelly Rowland a D (minus being poor)

Ciara

Seriously though, this is beyond fucked up. Full on caste system.

 

[BigDug13]

I don't understand how any sane person could look at what's in the OP, which is basically a modern day caste system, and come to any other conclusion that the shit's racist as fuck and morally repugnant.

Well Hollywood is racist as fuck and has been forever, so having it spelled out for us makes it easier to be pissed I suppose. But be pissed off at the whole system, not just these guys.

But this isn't racist. Other shit Hollywood does is very racist, but this isn't really it. "A girls" can be black.

 

[Thursday War]

What

How is that racist even in the slightest way

 

[AuthenticM]

Super white question, but... what do they mean by "natural hair" for the A and B girls?

No wigs or extensions.

 

[royalan]

If they're shooting a party scene with lots of hot babes, there are probably going to be all types of women there. If they're shooting a poor black neighborhood scene, it's probably not going to be racially diverse.

The wording is pretty bad, but you have to really be stretching to call this racist.

Of course the obvious problem here is that plenty of hot chicks live in the ghetto. I mean, those "Magic City" girls come from somewhere...

And not everyone born into affluence and wealth is attractive.

Not only is the casting call racist as fuck, it's also incredibly uninspired. We're talking EA levels of thought being put into this.

 

[AlexMogil]

We're talking EA levels of thought being put into this.

right here this is good

 

[dream]

I mean, this film is trying to reproduce a certain era and a certain culture. The late 80s were a very different time, and I think this casting call does a good job of reflecting that.

I mean, shit, group d perfectly captures the spirit of NWA's "Fat Girl."

(Fat girl!)
(You're a fat girl)
(Fat...fat...fat fat fat fat girl) [x2]

(It's funky fresh Eazy E) new kid on tha block
And already got a fat girl on my jock
Now my story's kinda simple, so please take it simple
As I tell you a tale bout this big fat pimple
I was chillin on the ave, drinkin some booze
Saw a fatty comin my way, so what was I to do?
I busted a U, went tha other way again
but forgot that tha Avenue was a dead end
I turned around, here she came, stride for stride
funky fat like that, bout two thirty-five
Stampede was rushin, I double looked
and she had more chins than a chinese phonebook
Five four three ugly as can be, she said

[Ron-de-vu]
Hello Eazy E. Do you remember me? (I said no)
Huhu yes you do suga
My name is Bertha but you can call me booga
Remember the time when you were drunk at a party
We was slow dancin, give ya all this body

[Eazy-E]
When she said that she loved me, I was in shock
Oh my God got a fat girl on my jock

This is actually the best part of the song:

I loaded up tha gun bout ready to shoot
She kept on comin because of addiction
Legs on fire because of friction
My gun broke, now I was doomed
Dropped tha double barrel, grabbed tha harpoon
As I swung, tha fat girl fell
Lyin on tha ave just like a beach whale

 

[CarpeDeezNutz]

The hair extension thing would have thrown me off except back in the day I had a black gf with naturally long hair. When we went out she got stopped by black women wanting to see/touch her hair. I was like wtf but she told me it was a common thing, an accomplishment or something to grow it long and straight. It was past her shoulder.

 

[JDSN]

It doesnt count as racism because of reasons, especially that bit about A models being from different races but the C and D tiers being exclusively african americans.

 

[Slayven]

The hair extension thing would have thrown me off except back in the day I had a black gf with naturally long hair. When we went out she got stopped by black women wanting to see/touch her hair. I was like wtf but she told me it was a common thing, an accomplishment or something to grow it long and straight. It was past her shoulder.

Looks of women of all races wear extensions.

 

[EloquentM]

What

How is that racist even in the slightest way

Really?

This casting call is basically saying

Dark skin = ugly = poor and you can't see that?

 

[lem0n]

The last part could have been worded a little better but I don't see the problem here. They need specific types of ladies for certain parts of the movie, which is based in Compton. So of course they're going to need some D-girls to play the parts in the hood. What, are they just going to take any blonde that looks good and cast her in the hood parts? Cmon now.

People get so upset and offended nowadays. 20 years ago there would be no "outrage"

 

[freenudemacusers]

By their standards, Rihanna/Tyra Banks would be Bs (they wear wigs)
Ciara/Meagan Good a D
and Kelly Rowland a D (minus being poor)

We talking career or looks here?

 

[terribletwo]

The last part could have been worded a little better but I don't see the problem here. They need specific types of ladies for certain parts of the movie, which is based in Compton. So of course they're going to need some D-girls to play the parts in the hood. What, are they just going to take any blonde that looks good and cast her in the hood parts? Cmon now.

People get so upset and offended nowadays. 20 years ago there would be no "outrage"

there aren't any light skinned poor people?

 

[Kraftwerk]

What

How is that racist even in the slightest way

Please elaborate.

 

[dream]

It doesnt count as racism because of reasons, especially that bit about A models being from different races but the C and D tiers being exclusively african americans.

But that's Compton rap in the late-80s and early-90s. If you listen to CMW, NWA, DJ Quik, etc., girls who banged, the dirtiest hoodrats, cracked-out chickenheads...they all tended to be black.

What's the alternative? Whitewash the spirit of the era the film is trying to capture?

 

[lem0n]

there aren't any light skinned poor people?

SOME D-girls.

Not all of em are D-girls. Not everyone in the hood is an A-girl, either. Which is my point.

 

[Thursday War]

Really?

This casting call is basically saying

Dark skin = ugly = poor and you can't see that?

Please elaborate.

But that's Compton rap in the late-80s and early-90s. If you listen to CMW, NWA, DJ Quik, etc., girls who banged, the dirtiest hoodrats, cracked-out chickenheads...they all tended to be black.

What's the alternative? Whitewash the spirit of the era the film is trying to capture?

.

 

[Slayven]

The last part could have been worded a little better but I don't see the problem here. They need specific types of ladies for certain parts of the movie, which is based in Compton. So of course they're going to need some D-girls to play the parts in the hood. What, are they just going to take any blonde that looks good and cast her in the hood parts? Cmon now.

People get so upset and offended nowadays. 20 years ago there would be no "outrage"

and 20 years before that there wouldn't even be any black people in movies !!!

 

[Barbacoatl]

I mean, shit, group d perfectly captures the spirit of NWA's "Fat Girl."



This is actually the best part of the song:

Wow this is awfully fatcist, those pieces of shit...I'm so offended I can't.

 

[RP912]

Movie already sounds like a disaster. Casting call reminds me of the segment from Hollywood shuffle :/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiZhAOYWED0

 

[potam]

The issue is how the casting call is worded, not the agency trying to hire specific women of different ethnic groups/hair types/builds. If the casting call was worded like this for example:



...it wouldn't be a big deal.

So everyone is getting their panties in a twist over semantics. Aight.

 

[CarpeDeezNutz]

Looks of women of all races wear extensions.

I know I just didn't realize how much of a thing it was until then. Makes sense if women go out of their way to make their hair look long lol.

 

[Necromanti]

So everyone is getting their panties in a twist over semantics. Aight.

Semantics don't occur in a vacuum. In this case, it reflects a pervasive ideology in society. Nothing everything needs to be explicit--although I'd argue they are not too subtle in that casting call--to reaffirm that.

 

[dream]

Maybe they'll bow to outrage and cast Winona Ryder as Yo-Yo.