IdreamofHIME
Member
He should have been British.
Cumberbatch is great, but the role would have slicker if he'd been English instead of that super fake accent.
There's really no reason for him to be American instead...but for some reason they did it.
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Thoughts on the "Mighty Whitey" Trope in Fiction
- Thread starter Wanda/Wander
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He should have been British.
Cumberbatch is great, but the role would have slicker if he'd been English instead of that super fake accent.
There's really no reason for him to be American instead...but for some reason they did it.
GhostWriter24
Member
That's a pretty damning, blanket statement. You're insinuating that anyone who enjoyed TLS (myself included) is a weaboo? bitchplease.gif
Just_myles
Member
Slayven with the receipts.
For a minute I thought this thread was turning into Dr. Strange appreciation. Or even a Slayven showing receipts thread.
For a minute I thought this thread was turning into Dr. Strange appreciation. Or even a Slayven showing receipts thread.
Monocle
Member
Exactly. It's not like they cast some glamorous white actress for her superior Aryan sex appeal. Tilda is a unique character actor. She was perfectly cast in Dr. Strange.
lightskintwin
Banned
Talk about a strawman. Show me anybody that has argued this? Not to mention, it's always hilarious to hear more reasons why you can cast a white person instead a person of color.
Glass Rebel
Member
Tilda was good in Dr. Strange but not "we absolutely need her and no one else can take her place" good. I don't see why the role couldn't have gone to Zhang Ziyi for example. I read some concerns by the Marvel guys that they felt an Asian woman would have been too much of a "dragon lady" stereotype but I see nothing in the script that would have evoked the feeling. White people always gotta be overthinking things.
Seductivpancakes
Member
I'm not really upset about her being casted over an Asian actor, but lets stop acting like this isn't a case of a Caucasian actress taking over an Asian character just because she appears androgynous to some people or she wasn't hired for sex appeal.
Lawrence of Arabia is somewhat distasteful for its use of blackface. It's another case of a white male acting as protagonist against a backdrop of characters of other races. So its foot starts as a "mighty whitey" film, and watching it for the first time recently, the first half I found quite dull for these very reasons.
But as the TV Tropes article mentions, by the end it isn't really this at all - Lawrence ultimately fails, he doesn't unite anyone for anything, he himself is rather selfish, vain and egotistical. He wants to help the Arabs, but it's unclear how much of it he's doing for their benefits and how much is for his own thrill/hubris. He comes out looking less of a hero. It's a proper subversion of the trope well before many of the modern day lazy iterations of the trope have been implemented.
30yearsofhurt
Member
Well they made a mini-series.
The thing about Shogun though is it is loosely based on a real person.
It's not unique to white people in fiction. It occurs regionally, like in Asia, as well.
But specifically about white characters in these circumstances? I think it's often author projection. They envision a character that is similar to themselves, or how they want to be, in some foreign locale.
But specifically about white characters in these circumstances? I think it's often author projection. They envision a character that is similar to themselves, or how they want to be, in some foreign locale.
If someone wants a fantasy series that isn't about magical British people, they should check out the Divine Cities trilogy (the first two books, City of Stairs, and City of Blades are currently out).
The two cultures in the book are based on czarist Russia and India, with the Indian stand-ins acting as the colonial power in a fallen Russia after their gods were killed. The time period is probably meant to be analogous to the early 20th century. The POV characters in the first two novels were "not-Indians".
The two cultures in the book are based on czarist Russia and India, with the Indian stand-ins acting as the colonial power in a fallen Russia after their gods were killed. The time period is probably meant to be analogous to the early 20th century. The POV characters in the first two novels were "not-Indians".
lightskintwin
Banned
I do think that plays a part, and even in the 80's when America was 80 percent non Hispanic White and the majority of money was made domestically at least the reasoning can stand, in 2016 I think most of us can agree that holding onto this formula is unnecessary.
Also Hollywood films play to a much more global market than Asian films do and their countries are much more homogenous than ours.
That sounds really interesting. Thanks, I'll check it out.
It's not really a subversion of anything since it's based on Lawrence's actual account of events.
Lawrence himself was fairly conflicted about the use and meaning of what he was doing.
Especially once he becomes aware of what the British state is actually going to end up doing in the region.
Ordinaryundone
Member
Maybe because Dr. Strange is from Philly?
But I will say Prince of Orphans is super mighty whitey. Motherfucker is disrespectfully broken.
Duke Leto is described as "olive-skinned". "Atreides" comes from House of Atreus and Agamemnon, suggesting distant Greek roots.
Jessica has copper hair, and i think Paul has green eyes. As i understand, these are rare to non-existent features among non-white.
Of course, they can be adapted to be something else than white. Emperor Battle For Dune game portrays the Atreides Duke (who isn't Leto) as black. Always figured that was perfectly fine.
15k to 20k years in the future would be more accurate probably. The books are set 10k years after formation of the Spacing Guild, and that even is in the far future.
Glass Rebel
Member
You think we're gonna be so lucky to see the Immortal Weapons storyline on Netflix?
BronsonLee
Member
Man I have no clue what we're gonna get with Iron Fist at this point
I can't get a bead on it yet
I can't get a bead on it yet
You think we're gonna be so lucky to see the Immortal Weapons storyline on Netflix?There's nothing that says that the Prince of Orphans has to be white. Would be hilarious if the Netflix IW were all Asian and clowning on Danny.
I hope they can work the attack names into the show
lightskintwin
Banned
After reading the Immortal Iron Fist due to all of ya'll suggestions, I don't know either because the trailer screams the Mightiest of Whitey's. LOL
Most important whitey, even if they're a scrub. lol
BronsonLee
Member
I'm 50/50 on it now, I'd need to see another trailer, but even that doesn't help cause they fucked with it on Luke Cage
I think that's exactly what's going to happen.
They probably meet for the first time in Defenders and she shoots him and he dies
Ordinaryundone
Member
They should go full Hokuto no Ken and just pause everything to show the name of the move and have the character shout it.
lightskintwin
Banned
Either way, it's not going to change my judgement on whether it's actually good or not. I make certain my critique's like Mighty Whitey tropes, Asian American representation, or cultural appropriation are separate from the quality of the work.
So at this point I just hope it's good, regardless of what direction they take and how they reimagine him.
ShadowSwordmaster
Banned
Cool Million(real name) is the series villain
Oh the 90s.
Knightmarre
Member
Tom Cruise's character is not the strongest, hes does not become their leader, his strategy doesn't save anyone, he sympathizes for the samurai's cause (it helps him get over his ptsd) and tries to help them but in the end they all die same as they would if he didn't show up.
He barely survives and gives the emperor a samurai sword to remember the culture that the emperor helped destroy. He does not become a samurai, more that likely he becomes the first weaboo.
He barely survives and gives the emperor a samurai sword to remember the culture that the emperor helped destroy. He does not become a samurai, more that likely he becomes the first weaboo.
Wanda/Wander
Member
Cool Million(real name) is the series villain
That mullet looks like it's trying to exit the panel.
lightskintwin
Banned
LOL at the end.
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
Dances with Wolves is a bit different though. He's never the savior of the people. He's the narrative focus of the story, but he's not some prodigy to the people.
Might not be much to some people, but for me it's a fine and notable distinction.
BronsonLee
Member
fucking #dead at First Weaboo
Someone has had that thought before
EDIT: That search also turned up this (which is sort of on topic I guess)
You are bad at watching movies.
BronsonLee
Member
Oh son of a bitch, I've been tricked
I mean, he's kind of summarizing what they were going for
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