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Emma Stone playing an Asian-American in 'Aloha' is bizarre as fuck.

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Ashhong

Member
Is it in Bradley Cooper's contract to do these lame movies? He also did that movie Serena with Jennifer Lawrence and it was shit and made like no money at all.
 

- J - D -

Member
Sorry man, I'm just going by what I see out in real life. A bunch of pictures of mixed race people you found on the internet doesn't disprove reality. Just an example, my brother's wife has all the features you described (except she has red, curly hair and green eyes) and she's a quarter Filipino. Genes don't always mix exactly in one predictable way.

it's possible I suppose, just extremely unlikely that those mixed-race people would have completely monoracial features, especially if they were first gen offspring of a mixed race couple. Your brother's wife is a quarter Filipino, so there has been some considerable diluting in that gene pool, which makes the odds that she would have most of the features of one particular race more likely.

Emma Stone has the homogeneous features (the ones I mentioned in my previous post) of an offspring of parents of the same race. That she is supposed to be the child of a Chinese father and Swedish mother is goofy as hell.
 

JDSN

Banned
I understand that minorities have a wider range of characteristics but just because there are some of us that come very close to caucasian doesnt mean that Hollywood (and some of you) should look for that excuse everytime this happens. Googling for "blonde mexican" and then posting a picture doesnt "win" an argument when the conversation is not about blonde mexicans being a fairy tale, its about the other kinds of mexicans being always ignored in favor of fair looking ones.

Sure, we can post a picture of Louis C.K and argue that since he is mexican all bets are off, but lets not act like the spectrum of the actor's skin used to play a foreign part will not sway to a very specific shade of color.

Even animated works that shove that diversity down your throat do it.
 

Laughing Banana

Weeping Pickle
Sorry man, I'm just going by what I see out in real life. A bunch of pictures of mixed race people you found on the internet doesn't disprove reality. Just an example, my brother's wife has all the features you described (except she has red, curly hair and green eyes) and she's a quarter Filipino. Genes don't always mix exactly in one predictable way.

Oh come on, as if the movie's decision to use Emma Stone in this movie is derived from the intention of portraying a realistic depiction of an Asian American person.
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Asian people who look white is one of the rarest minorities of all. I, for one, applaud them for their progressive choice.
 

Matty77

Member
A white dude can play Miles Morales.
People are so entrenched in the color of characters where it has no bearing on anything other than its always been that way that they literally created Miles to have a non white Spider-Man, because people lose their shit if previously white characters change.

But cast someone white in a minority role and all those same people have no issue, a lot of them come out of the woodwork actually to share stories on how minority's look white all the time!
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
it's possible I suppose, just extremely unlikely that those mixed-race people would have completely monoracial features, especially if they were first gen offspring of a mixed race couple. Your brother's wife is a quarter Filipino, so there has been some considerable diluting in that gene pool, which makes the odds that she would have most of the features of one particular race more likely.

Emma Stone has the homogeneous features (the ones I mentioned in my previous post) of an offspring of parents of the same race. That she is supposed to be the child of a Chinese father and Swedish mother is goofy as hell.


She isn't. She is supposed to be the child of a Chinese-Hawaiian father, and a Swedish mother. So 1/2 swedish and 1/4 Chinese, 1/4 Hawaiian.
 
For the record, I'm not here to say that there's nothing wrong with the casting choice, and I'm all for more representation of other races other than white folks. But it kinda hurts being a parent of mixed race children to see people argue about if they are "enough" of one race, just because they look a certain way.

Yeah this is important. There are two separate criticisms:

1. Hollywood should use the opportunity to cast a mixed race character with a mixed race or at least not white actress. I agree!

2. Regardless of the actual race of the actress, they shouldn't cast an actress who looks so white. I understand this sentiment but it is ignoring that actual mixed race kids can turn out a bunch of different ways, and to some of these kids being told you don't look Asian enough is just as hurtful as being told you don't look white enough.
 

lenovox1

Member
Lucy Liu was busy.

You know, Chris Lee from Variety (from the OP's link) brought up Olivia, which I thought was a great point. Isn't the character basically Olivia's ethnic background? And Olivia even played a Hawaiian chick in one of her first TV roles. I, mean, the Hollywood friendly actresses that could have conceivably star in this dribble do exist without it getting offensive.
 

scabro

Member
i kinda buy it
41398-Emma-Stone-shrug-gif-cK4y.gif
 

Dice//

Banned
Yeah this is important. There are two separate criticisms:

1. Hollywood should use the opportunity to cast a mixed race character with a mixed race or at least not white actress. I agree!

2. Regardless of the actual race of the actress, they shouldn't cast an actress who looks so white. I understand this sentiment but it is ignoring that actual mixed race kids can turn out a bunch of different ways, and to some of these kids being told you don't look Asian enough is just as hurtful as being told you don't look white enough.


^ They probably should have ditched the very-very-Asian last name or darkened her hair. Hell, even if mixed race children produce interesting combinations, it should have been easy to sniff potential problems with a white actress playing a blonde and green-eyed half-[ish]Asian girl.

The problem is hollywood has a problem with casting minorities and given even the flimsiest excuse with the description of the role, they go for someone as white as possible.

Good ol' plot reasons. :p
Such a shame. I realize Stone is the "it girl" right now, but this does look ridiculous

Also, what's with all these young pretty actresses hooking up with older men? Like more than usual.
 

- J - D -

Member
For the record, I'm not here to say that there's nothing wrong with the casting choice, and I'm all for more representation of other races other than white folks. But it kinda hurts being a parent of mixed race children to see people argue about if they are "enough" of one race, just because they look a certain way.

Sorry, that isn't my intention. It's just that when I look at castings like this, with Hollywood's past foibles with ethnic representation in mind, I see it less as a symbol of appreciating mixed race kids no matter what they look like, but a cynical decision to perpetuate whitewashing in Hollywood. it brings out the ire in me.

She isn't. She is supposed to be the child of a Chinese-Hawaiian father, and a Swedish mother. So 1/2 swedish and 1/4 Chinese, 1/4 Hawaiian.

I forgot about the Hawaiian part. My bad.
 
Asian Americans , thank you for being smart and quiet unlike those savage blacks and Hispanics. We're still not gonna let you in our films and decimate your university applications though lolZ.
 

glaurung

Member
Though I could not give a toss about Emma Stone's bogus ethnicity in this movie, I have to put a PSA out there: this movie sucks nard.

Seriously guys, go watch Mad Max instead.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
1. It is in the realm of possibility that a quarter Asian, half white person could look 100% ish white. There are many like that (or at least more than you'd think). Don't be so quick to judge based on looks alone.

2. They probably should have cast someone else, since actual Asian actors are underrepresented, but whatever. Maybe Emma Stone really was the best person at the casting. But I figure it's due to calculations on box office draw.
 
You can argue that Emma Stone could pass, but ultimately we should look for actresses that fit the role instead of an actress who can make people think that she fits the role.
 

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
My nephew's mother is half Korean, half Russian, father is Irish. He is a pale blondey with really no evidence of asian features. His mother is stopped every time at airports/eurostar for papers to prove she is his mother.
 

vityaz

Member
You can argue that Emma Stone could pass, but ultimately we should look for actresses that fit the role instead of an actress who can make people think that she fits the role.

Hollywood gonna Hollywood, man.

Personally I'd prefer unknown actors in most of my movies, since seeing someone like Brad Pitt for the 30th time in a completely different role takes me out of the movie.
 

cdyhybrid

Member
My nephew's mother is half Korean, half Russian, father is Irish. He is a pale blondey with really no evidence of asian features. His mother is stopped every time at airports/eurostar for papers to prove she is his mother.

So someone that's 3/4 white looks white? Got it.

Damn Emma, I know everyone wants to get paid, but what made her think this role was for her?

Why should she care? It's not her job to worry about that. She's just there to play the role and get paid. The people doing the casting/in charge of making the movie are the ones that should have said "wait a second..."
 

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
So someone that's 3/4 white looks white? Got it.

Well, to be more precise, his mother's family lives in Russia but they are originally from Uzbekistan. His mother is half korean, half uzbek. She is not 'white Russian'.

In the character's case here, she's half swedish, one quarter chinese, one quarter Hawaiian - where 'Hawaiian' could itself be a mix.

All I'm saying is, looking for 'asian features' in a mix like that and declaring the result to be bizarre when it's not obvious is a bit of a stretch IMO.

Diversity in hiring is another matter - perhaps indeed they could have used the opportunity to hire someone else with different looks - but the original point was based just on how she looks and whether it was credible or not. To me it doesn't seem incredible.
 
For the record, I'm not here to say that there's nothing wrong with the casting choice, and I'm all for more representation of other races other than white folks. But it kinda hurts being a parent of mixed race children to see people argue about if they are "enough" of one race, just because they look a certain way.
Yeah, while the casting of white actors most of the time for every role is depressing, at the same time mixed race people can look countless different ways. I'm half-Italian, and half-black. Yet 90% of people who see me assume I'm just Italian because I have lighter skin. If I got cast in a movie playing a bi-racial person I'd probably be attacked for white washing the character...
 
The only thing which is bizarre as fuck is this thread / some of those responses. She is not supposed to be just "Asian", she is supposed to be "Chinese-Hawaiian-Swedish". And her look can absolutely fit this description. What the fuck are they supposed to do? Cast an actor with Chinese-Hawaiian-Swedish decent? How many are there with this profile? With her experience and a big name?

But I am pretty sure this all doesn't matter. If they had cast a different person, people would still be outraged. You can't get it right for some people:

People would be outraged if they had cast a Chinese actress, or a Swedish actress, or a Hawaiian actress, ...

Someone said they should have cast Olivia Munn. But her father is from German / Irish decent and her mother is Chinese. Still wrong!

And good god if they had cast a Japanese / Thai / ... actress! Then people would be outraged about how the producers surely thought all Asian people look alike.

She is an experienced, famous actress. She can absolutely pull off the look. I don't see the problem.
 

Ke0

Member
Gemüsepizza;165986691 said:
The only thing which is bizarre as fuck is this thread / some of those responses. She is not supposed to be just "Asian", she is supposed to be "Chinese-Hawaiian-Swedish". And her look can absolutely fit this description. What the fuck are they supposed to do? Cast an actor with Chinese-Hawaiian-Swedish decent? How many are there with this profile? With her experience and a big name?

But I am pretty sure this all doesn't matter. If they had cast a different person, people would still be outraged. You can't get it right for some people:

People would be outraged if they had cast a Chinese actress, or a Swedish actress, or a Hawaiian actress, ...

Someone said they should have cast Olivia Munn. But her father is from German / Irish decent and her mother is Chinese. Still wrong!

And good god if they had cast a Japanese / Thai / ... actress! Then people would be outraged about how the producers surely thought all Asian people look alike.

She is an experienced, famous actress. She can absolutely pull off the look. I don't see the problem.

So basically what you're sayin is if they can't get someone who fits the ethnicity 100% then go white.

Not really a good argument mate.
 
So basically what you're sayin is if they can't get someone who fits the ethnicity 100% then go white.

Not really a good argument mate.

Excuse me? First of all, I did not say that. I did say that they should get someone who can pull off the look and has the experience/the name. Because that's what actors do, play other people you know. Second, she is supposed to be 25% Chinese, 25% Hawaiian and 50% Swedish. She is white. Swedish people are (mostly) white. So how does it make more sense for the actress to be Asian?
 

neoanarch

Member
For a movie set in Hawaii there is only one named character who isn't white. This happens to be the character played by Stone. I mean at that point just change the characters history. It wasn't really that important all that she be half whatever.
 
Gemüsepizza;165987239 said:
Excuse me? First of all, I did not say that. I did say that they should get someone who can pull off the look and has the experience/the name. Because that's what actors do, play other people you know. Second, she is supposed to be 25% Chinese, 25% Hawaiian and 50% Swedish. She is white. Swedish people are (mostly) white. So how does it make more sense for the actress to be Asian?

They could have gotten someone like Kristin Kreuk or Madison Burge. Emma Stone looks 100% white.
 

Ke0

Member
Gemüsepizza;165987239 said:
Excuse me? First of all, I did not say that. I did say that they should get someone who can pull off the look and has the experience/the name. Because that's what actors do, play other people you know. Second, she is supposed to be 25% Chinese, 25% Hawaiian and 50% Swedish. She is white. Swedish people are (mostly) white. So how does it make more sense for the actress to be Asian?

Then it would make more sense for someone like Olivia Munn to play the part. Using your argument, how does it make more sense for someone white to play the role of someone mixed?

And good to see the ol "experience/name" argument which only proves the point most people have been saying in this thread. In Hollywood if you're white you can play any role and people will go through hoops to say it make sense, but suggest someone who closer fits the character and excuses come out the woodworks. And clearly having well known white actors/actresses did bugger all for the film because it still bombed hard.

In your previous post you dismiss Munn because you state that she isn't the same mix as the character in the story (which is a really stupid argument considering, they're actors that's what they do, play other people right?) then you turn around and say Stone is okay because she "looks the part" nevermind the fact using your own argument, Stone doesn't work because she's not the proper mix either mate and is much farther off than Munn who is actually 25% Chinese, so just from a mathematical standpoint Munn would work better than Stone using your logic since the character in the story is also 25% Chinese.
 

Cuburt

Member
She's basically got manga/anime eyes. :p

Seriously tho, weird choice, especially since Hollywood loves casting Asian women in main roles, especially mixed Asian women who can look "white enough", unlike Asian men who are lucky to be a tertiary character and never a love interest.

I suppose the exception to that rule is that Asian women are still very unlikely to be the lead role in a film but instead can be the co-star/love interest for a white male.

I'm assuming she falls in love with a white male...*looks up IMDB*......ah yes, there it is..........mixed Asian girl played by a white girl falls in love with a white guy.

So yeah, I guess I nothing surprising here. *shrug*


No, you know what, fuck you Hollywood.
 
I get everybody pointing out the white washing of Hollywood. But I would reserve judgment until I actually watch the movie. It may or may not be a big deal.


Has anybody in here seen it?
 

Laughing Banana

Weeping Pickle
Mixed race.

Yeah well doesn't change the obviousness of why the picked Emma Stone, especially when we have like, oh I dunno, the entire history of Hollywood white-washing as precedence.

Hint: It's not out of interest of depicting a realistic portrayal of the race her character's supposed to be.
 

Ratrat

Member
I get everybody pointing out the white washing of Hollywood. But I would reserve judgment until I actually watch the movie. It may or may not be a big deal.


Has anybody in here seen it?
The character is Hawiian with a Chinese surname. If her characters Hawaiian identiy is important, why the hell would they go out of their way to cast someone who isn't at all Asian? And no one wants to see the movie because it's crap. No one wanted to see Avatar or Exodus either, and it was never too early to judge those.
 
The Racial Draft of 2015 wasted a pick on Emma Stone. Eh, oh well, at least Asians got a good deal drafting Wu-Tang back in the day.
It's a Chapelle Show joke for those uneducated folks.

Kind of funny that the movie came out at the end of May, which is suppose to be Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, but no one really cares, I know GAF doesn't lol.
 

Sakura

Member
My Great Grandmother was half Chinese, but she didn't even know it, and she looked white. My grandmother is quarter Chinese and had light brown hair and green eyes. She doesn't look any Asian at all. Emma Stone's character is supposed to be quarter Chinese, so I don't think it is that weird.

On the other hand, if the character's mixed race is supposed to be a thing that keeps getting referenced, you'd think they'd cast an actress that isn't totally white/look totally white.
 
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