A Quick Reminder to My Bella Homies
I would like to take a moment to mention to my geeky colleagues that the best thing they can do this July 1st, better even than going to fireworks or parties or watching a marathon of bleach, is to no watch Avatar: The Last Airbender on it's opening night (or, really, ever). Let me repeat that:
DO NOT WATCH AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER!
The film adaptation of this well researched, well-written, and racially complex animation is a clear example of how the American Movie industry perpetuates senseless racism. M. Night Shamalan has taken an original piece of work which highlights racial and cultural diversity, which focuses on Asian and Inuit people's as unique, powerful, and complex societies, and created a cast which is nearly all white in the interest of having the nations look homogeneus. In this article, M. Night was quoted as saying the following as an excuse for his majority white cast: “Anime [the style of which Avatar: The Last Airbender is based] is ambiguous, it is a mix of all features.”
I find this not only insulting to Anime in general (which is quite capable, and often does, portray a number of difference races and ethnicities), but also to the creators of ATLA, who deliberately created their characters within ethnic and racial classifications.
The film's makers make a nod to integration by including a number of actors of color in supporting and background rolls, and (after lots of shouting from fans) casting a person of color in the role of Zuko, making it so that the only people of color in the movie are THE BAD GUYS AND THE EXTRAS. See below:
I am URGING you to NOT GO SEE THIS MOVIE. While it's too late to change the poor production decisions, we can make a difference by denying them our money by not buying tickets, merchandise, or dvds of this film. If you are desperate to see the movie I suggest you follow jennabreen 's advice and sneak in after paying for a different film.
For more info see:
-Racebending.com
-kallie_starmist 's rant on the subject, containing lots of interesting links on the subject
Thank you for your time.
-Hannah
Head Librarian, General of the Troops, Order of Merlin First Class