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Is Hollywood 'whitewashing' Asian roles?
- Thread starter Dram
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Deleted member 13876
Unconfirmed Member
I'm going to go out on a limb and say I know more about the franchise than you do.
That being said, the character of Shredder has been very diverse in the various mediums. The only time he has really been a generic Asian man was in the first issue of the comic book and the original film.
Zoe
Member
Splinter was a rat in the first set of films. How does that make him black if you're not just referring to his voice actor/puppeteer?
They were going to make a Runaways movie and junked it?
I think that was like 5 years ago
Oh, I agree that the comics have been better about these issues than the movies. I just thought it was worth mentioning Nico's attempted white-washing in the thread.
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
Zoe
Member
I'm saying that calling a character a race because of their voice actor rather than the how they are portrayed on screen (which would make Shredder white in the movies despite his Asian face), then you're opening up a whole other discussion than "whitewashing".
Yoda
Member
I'd personally prefer that they cast more roles which are appropriate with the origins of such films but lets not be coy here. Hypothetical, would a Japanese film cast white actors in a western movie being only released in Japan? No they are almost one giant demographics and the purpose of the movie is to make money, not make a political statement. The same argument is used here. Whites are the overwhelming majority when it comes to demographics. That is what will make the people who are funding the movie the largest return on their investment. Sure there are decent parts of our society which aren't white, but they are small by comparison. What would be the purpose of using a X race actor if its going to make you less money? A white lead actor would net less money in an Asian country, does that make them racist too?
I agree that its stupid that society would be more or less inclined to see a movie based on someone's ethnicity but its a fact, and its not up to the entertainment industry to change it.
I agree that its stupid that society would be more or less inclined to see a movie based on someone's ethnicity but its a fact, and its not up to the entertainment industry to change it.
True(Although those spelling errors goddamn)
The cast in Akira look quite distinctively Japanese.
That said, what you mention in regards to most anime is a very interesting subject.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Mukokuseki
surrealist
Member
Nope. No one said for the entertainment industry to change. Your line of thinking is troublesome. It just perpetuates the wheel, right? Money = White people. I don't know man.
It's true that white people are the majority in America, but they're not 100% majority like Japan is 99% Japanese. Also, Japan is a small island.
Enter the Dragon starring Bruce Lee netted $25 million in the US in 1973, which is a lot at the time. And got $200 million world wide.
I'm going to say this again. I don't want to repeat myself as I wrote in my previous post. The INDIE scene needs to be aware and change. I don't care what Asia does and what Japan does quite frankly.
I only care about what we do. What we Americans do. Thus far, INDIE filmmakers fucked up.
captmorgan
Banned
Why is iy up to Hollywood to make these movies? Why aren't Asian studios exporting and pushing movies into America?
Zoe
Member
How would that help anything? That would just perpetuate the stereotype of Asians being foreigners.
captmorgan
Banned
Fixed2BeBroken
Member
Another example:
A movie based on a true story about Asian American MIT students counting cards.
My biggest problem with this was the fact that, not only did the fact the the race of the main character was integral to the original story, but the fact that they didn't even get someone "famous" to play the main character. If they got some super famous person to play the main character, then OK...I get it....they needed the main character to sell movies...but that wasn't even the case. They could have easily got Harold Cho, Daniel Henney, or even Steven Yeun to play the role (I know I know...steven yeun was a nobody back then).
its just ridiculous.
Shouldn't roles that should be a certain ethnicity try and be of that ethnicity?
What's so bad about having a mix of a ton of ethnicity's on film?
Or are we not at that stage yet, and people want to see their own colour on screen.
Just for the purpose of relating with them more?
Seems kind of racist.
Okay, dude, I see what you're trying to say, but you come off as kind of racist.
The thing is, most Hollywood movies are one ethnicity. If you look at most popular films, they almost never have more than one or two major characters of color. Hollywood is, in general, very, very white. Films with significant minority casts tend to be heavily based around the culture and experiences of that particular minority. Big Trouble in Little China is seen as an "Asian movie", just as 12 Years a Slave is seen as a "Black movie".
In an ideal world, every movie would have a super diverse cast, but the diversity situation is so bad right now that people of color need all the representation they can get. Look at Star Trek Into Darkness. The main characters are two white men (Spock and Kirk). Secondary characters are a white man, a white man, a white man, a white woman, an Asian man, and a Black woman. The "commander" is a white man, and the villain is a white man. In the entire film, seven out of ten main characters are white men. In contrast, white men make up only 30% of the US population.
Like you said, we're not at the stage where it's okay for films to have diverse casts, because so many films have predominately-white casts. 14% of Americans are Hispanic. Where are all the "Hispanic movies"? The Hispanic actors who are successful (Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Benicio del Toro, Javier Bardem) are usually white. Until the amount of movies with a predominately-minority cast reflects the proportion of minorities in the US, there's nothing racist with wanting an all-Black, all-Hispanic, or all-Asian cast.
The skin color of Latinos is an issue well beyond the scope of this conversation.
Agreed. But it's telling of the general white community, that Americans are more willing to watch a white Hispanic actor than a brown or Black Hispanic person.
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
Factors in to who gets cast
Because if the movie is good, it would get an American "remake" anyway. Hollywood even do their own versions of European movies ffs. :|
I don't disagree, but...
The reason why I noted it's an issue far beyond the scope of this discussion is the point raised in the second quote. It happens all throughout Central and South America, whether in media or in society at-large (you won't find the white Spaniard-resembling Mexican citizens cleaning the rooms at a resort in Cancun... they'll be employed as the forward-facing hotel staff).
I understand the point about white America and their tolerance or lack thereof for actors like Michael Pena (or even darker) on a large scale, but it's an issue throughout Central and South America. Hell, it's repeated across the globe. And it's not an issue of "Western, Euro-centric standards of beauty being forced down other countries throats". That's a rather Euro-centric and myopic stance, ironically enough. Societies promoting fairer-skinned members as ideals of beauty dates back millennia. Peasants worked in the field, "blue bloods", etc.
Anton Sugar
Member
Not to mention, when foreign (Asian in particular) films get picked up, a lot of them are butchered. See: Harvey Weinstein.
How is that a fucking "white washing" issue? Hong Kong has made plenty of anime into feature films. The problem is Japan no longer has a living action movie industry. All they make are cheap horror movies. Its not other countries's movie industry's fault.
As a matter of fact Hollywood in general doesn't want successful anime adaptation become a trend. Look how they treat Dragonball the movie. Non of the anime adaptation are getting the "right" people and give them a proper live action treatment.
As a matter of fact Hollywood in general doesn't want successful anime adaptation become a trend. Look how they treat Dragonball the movie. Non of the anime adaptation are getting the "right" people and give them a proper live action treatment.
I thought the US was a culturally and ethnically diverse country...
Just_myles
Member
It is, don't listen to him.
This has always been the case. When we bet a black human torch; who amazingly fits the role, people get all mad. Forgetting that the invisible woman in the first set of movies clearly was not white...
murica
This has always been the case. When we bet a black human torch; who amazingly fits the role, people get all mad. Forgetting that the invisible woman in the first set of movies clearly was not white...
murica
firehawk12
Subete no aware
I will say, even though I had no interest in 37 Ronin or whatever it was called, it was really the first movie to directly address Keanu Reeve's mixed race identity and use it in a meaningful way.
He's probably the closest thing to a mainstream Asian American actor anyway.
He's probably the closest thing to a mainstream Asian American actor anyway.
Arthr2ShdsJcksn
Banned
Keanu is mixed-race, but he still seems to be an odd choice for Siddhartha, especially coming after Bill and Ted.
<edit>I should mention that he doesn't do a horrible job here, and I actually liked Little Buddha despite some problems.</edit>
NotTheGuyYouKill
Member
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Remakes of other cultures' movies and TV shows are so common around the world, that I wouldn't call it an exclusively Hollywood issue.
George Oscar Bluth II
Banned
Just want to say that, as a Persian guy, I was totally cool with Gyllenhaal as the Prince in PoP.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
I'd say he's in the same tier as the people who appear on Hawaii 5-0, to be honest.
NotTheGuyYouKill
Member
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Hey, nothing wrong with being a generic supporting actor!
Japan makes a decent amount of action movies, including manga adaptions. +90% of them are abhorrent though.
Gantz and Death Note were watchable I guess, and uzumaki is pretty good.
The only hong kong made adaption of a manga I've seen is Initial D and that was the worst fucking shit I've seen in years.
Quite a few korean movies are anime/manga adaptions as well, like Old Boy for example.
crackhead_bob
Member
What about a non-dynamic, less telegenic Asian supporting character? I'm serious. The vibe I'm getting in this discussion is the need for an Asian Johnny Depp. I just don't think that this is possible at this point in time when we don't even have our versions of John Goodman, or a Laura Dern, or a Toby Jones, etc.. Do Asian stage companies adapt famous caucasian plays from Arthur Miller or Tennessee Williams, for example? If I were an Asian actor, I wouldn't want to be restricted to doing projects centered strictly on the Asian experience. I might want to try my hand at 12 Angry Men, Inherit the Wind, or Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Alot of the Asian stage companies seem restrictive based on the websites I've looked through. I understand that there needs to be cultural pride, but alot of their students are American raised, with American sensibilities, and just can't identify with themes that are centered solely on being Asian. For example, I don't think that an Asian production of Death of a Salesman should be overlooked, simply because the actors aren't jewish, for example. I don't think that it would be insulting to jews to play the central characters in that story. Some alterations would have to be made, but I think it could be done with all the respect and sensitivity that such a project would deserve. I've heard of Japanese productions of Fiddler on the Roof.
I don't have a clear answer. For me, I think it's more important to establish a strong pool of talent in the indie scene, rather than trying to cast Asians in the next Marvel film. Again, the key formula should be intimate projects, not bombastic. We're already acquainted with bombastic flourishes in foreign Asian cinema, so shouldn't a less glossy formula be aspired to? Frankly, I'm tired of fights where everything is overly choreographed. It's why I don't find Bruce Lee films compelling on a deep level. I just don't buy him as the underdog in any of his films, which is crucial in sucking me in to a plot. Fights should be gritty, with the process and outcome being random and chaotic. And sometimes the hero should have his ass handed to him. A defeated protagonist doesn't necessarily have to translate to a non-compelling character study.
I don't have a clear answer. For me, I think it's more important to establish a strong pool of talent in the indie scene, rather than trying to cast Asians in the next Marvel film. Again, the key formula should be intimate projects, not bombastic. We're already acquainted with bombastic flourishes in foreign Asian cinema, so shouldn't a less glossy formula be aspired to? Frankly, I'm tired of fights where everything is overly choreographed. It's why I don't find Bruce Lee films compelling on a deep level. I just don't buy him as the underdog in any of his films, which is crucial in sucking me in to a plot. Fights should be gritty, with the process and outcome being random and chaotic. And sometimes the hero should have his ass handed to him. A defeated protagonist doesn't necessarily have to translate to a non-compelling character study.
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