Fear of a Black (Fantasy) Planet

[tablesaw]

No time for a list of things just yet.

The casting for the live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender has been announced. See if you can spot a problem:

Comments

[thefreak]

Yeah, I was one of those, "They don't look Asian" people. But then, I have never seen an episode of the show (though I have a rabid fan friend). So I didn't know that one of them was supposedly Inuit...?

Also, as I told Jo, the only manga I ever bother reading/watching are ones where they look like they are, say, Japanese. Looking at all those pictures posted on /film, all I saw was a bunch of white kids with blue eyes and tans. Maybe M. Night based all his casting on just those pictures and didn't bother reading anything about the story.

I don't mean anything offensive, just that it's what I see when I look at their choice of character shots.

[sparkymonster]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_the_Last_Airbender

Loathe as I am to use wikipedia as a source for shit, check the map of the nation/world

[thefreak]

Yes, I see what he's wearing...and he himself looks like a white boy with shaggy brown hair. I haven't seen the wardrobe choices yet for the film, but if they suck, then I'll agree with outrage. :)

[bossymarmalade]

Asian people don't all look the same. There are variations of eye shape and skin colour; some of the people I know who are more Indian than I am also can pass for white people without a second glance. Amazing, but true.

[thefreak]

I wouldn't know...I have no no familiarity with Asian people.

So you agree that he looks like a white boy, too, judging from your 'people I know' tale. He could be any race, but in that particular shot, he doesn't look much different than the guy they cast.

I agree they should have cast people based on how they fit the character description (and an ability to act...I saw someone suggest Devon Aoki for a role here...and having seen her in the otherwise awesome DOA, I don't think that's a wise choice, talentwise) rather than how they resembled the manga-stylized art, but unfortunately, the examples of the characters shown went for the latter.

[bossymarmalade]

I'm perplexed as to why people who have never watched the show, know nothing about it, and are completely un-invested in the whole thing are so insistent that it's no big deal that they've cast it all-white.

[thefreak]

Precisely BECAUSE we know nothing about besides some stylized manga pictures of white-lookin' dudes in fantasy-Asia garb. Having no investment makes it quite easy to see it as no big deal. Cause we don't care. If I was a huge Air Bender fan, then sure I would be all airbent out of shape.

[sparkymonster]

Precisely BECAUSE we know nothing about besides some stylized manga pictures of white-lookin' dudes in fantasy-Asia garb.

FYI, because you think the person looks white, doesn't actually make it an objective true fact.

[bossymarmalade]

Wow. As I am in no mood to teach Race Relations 101, I'm just not going to talk to you anymore.

Enjoy your privilege!

[thefreak]

That may be wise, as I seem to have missed the point being about race relations and thought it was more about having no investment in the series.

[delux_vivens]

So you agree that he looks like a white boy, too,

She's not talking about people who "look" white. She's talking about people who can *pass* for white. These are not the same things.

[thefreak]

Just so I understand...if someone passes for white, it is not in any way based on their appearance or the optical nerves of those around them?

[tablesaw]

Ohhhhhh, that's a huge can of worms you've opened there.

(Warning: can may contain whoop-ass.)

[delux_vivens]

that's a huge can of worms you've opened there.

Just when I thought the racial identity shenanigans could be over for the year.

[thefreak]

Because of semantics?

[delux_vivens]

No, its based on the awareness (or utter lack thereof) of the viewer that people can be light skinned and not white.