Off Topic · The Last Airbender - BOYCOTT the movie!!! (page 4)

NYKBocker wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:

TMS wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:

martin wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:

Nalod wrote:TMS, Hollywood caters to the american taste.

Didn't Pierce bronson's last Bond movie he had an Asian women who could fight and helped him? She was a hero.

Im not saying your not right, but HOllywood makes movies for Western consumption.

I think you'd have to look at Asian made movies for the asian perspective, not american made movies.

Is that fair? ITs what people want to see and where they are watching from. American movies have always been popular overseas because of the big budget and special effects. I would say the Asian market is huge and lots of movies made have the bigger budget. I do rent foriegn movies a bit and the characters are quite complex at times.

Regarding your tastes and posting pics of pretty women you can justify it as your values but they are posted as sex objects and not as mothers, school teachers, or any intelectual quality. Men do this. Nothing wrong, but look at the snaggle tooth school girl look women. Its revered in some cultures but kinda creepy in another.

Just Rap and Rock and Roll portray women as sluts. Italians and Russians are mobsters, Jews are petty, Irish are drinkers, Wasps are uptight, and Asians are good with gadgets or martial art experts. White males are the hero, the villian, the winner and the losers.

Stereotypes are more intersting then mainstream I suppose. Its what sells.

Michele Yeoh was cast as a special agent for the Chinese Government. They got the casting on this one right.

Western consumption? So white america is the only consumer for hollywood?

When they casted the primary players for the movie they were looking for caucascian actors. When they needed extras they were looking for ethnic people. Nice.

Bocker, Nalod and I have been talking about movies in general, you keep focusing on "Avatar: The Last Airbender". Of course it's stupid to hire white people to play ethnic roles especially when the role itself is defined by it as with the movie you refer to.

In general, movies made by Hollywood do often-times focus on the largest potential audience, ie white folk.

I don't agree that it's stupid to hire white people to play ethnic roles. I can be stupid if there are qualified actors to play that role.

In Libya, Omar Muhktar is a hero. He's even a hero in my book because of what the did and how he did it. Anthony Quinn, a Mexican, played an Arabic Omar Muhktar and he is revered here for his realistic portrayal.

Acting really isn't about realism. I don't think Sean Penn is gay but he nailed "Milk". If it wasn't for Clint Eastwood's performance "Gran Torino" would've been garbage, in large part because of the ethnic casting.

Then, there's the whole script issue. Most people write about what they know. I don't think there are a lot of Asian roles available in Hollywood because of scripting. But if I pick up "Oldboy"--which was fucking awesome--there's plenty of opportunity for great roles.

I wouldn't know the first thing about writing an authentic Asian character

movies like OldBoy are open for interpretation... the characters aren't ethnic specific really... a story like Avatar, while fictitious, is based on a character who's backstory is that he grew up in a specific area & was from a certain ethnicity... the storyline has a lot to do with where the story is set... if the director wanted to put his own interpretation into the plot & change the storyline, that's cool... but if he's going to go with how the story is set & make the movie to reflect the actual characters that are in the original cartoon, then IMO he should have cast the main character as an Asian boy with an Asian actor.

this is akin to Jake Gyllenhaal being cast as the Prince of Persia... i've read that there has been some opposition to that decision as well, casting an actor of Swedish/Jewish descent to play a Persian character did not sit well with all.

look, i realize Hollywood's main priority is making money & appealing to the mass audience over making social statements & such... & i also realize that an actor's job is to portray a role convincingly regardless of the ethnic or sexual orientation backstory surrounding the character... i don't place fault with the actors that play these roles... i'm just saying it would be nice for a change to have a movie about an Asian character be cast as an Asian actor... i'm sure there are many others out there that would hope the same when it comes to movies about themes relating to their ethnic groups... Ben Kingsley made an excellent Ghandi & won an Oscar for it... he is of Indian descent... if they had cast Patrick Stewart to play Ghandi instead, would it have been appropriate? i don't think it would have.

I cite the example of Omar Muhktar because people love that movie here. Love it. And it was a Mexican playing an Arab. If the acting itself is good it isn't a slight. Now I haven't seen Prince of Persia, nor will I ever, because I'm guessing the movie is complete shit.

There are examples I'll take exception to, like Greeks playing Arabs in that shit Sandler movie Zohan. That type of stuff is inexcusable. But you see stuff like this all the time in acting. It's acting. It's make believe. As a man should I be offended when a woman is cast as a lead as a boy in a play?

I understand the portrayal isn't accurate and may perpetuate stereotypes... personally, I don't care, because I just look at media as distraction and it is ultimately one of the least important events in the world.

I put much more weight into the works of Yukio Mishima or Khalil Gibran. Most mainstream movie is rubbish designed to take $20 from consumers.

This is one mainstream movie that they will lose money on. They will never see my $120.

It's crap like this I hope the studio loses money on. God damn it, spend some coin on a decent script you money grubbing whores!!!

whats more credible and why?

Nalod wrote:TMS, MOre important the kid can act and do the fight scenes or be of native origin and be a total poseur?

whats more credible and why?

The kid they selected, Noah Ringer, has never acted before. He is a frist degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

If we are looking for a kid that can act and is a martial artist then you get Brandon Soo Hoo. He starred in GI Joe and Tropic Thunder. Soo Hoo has trained for five years in Tae Kwon Do with the American Tae Kwon Do Association(ATA) and holds a black belt. He is currently training in extreme martial arts and Wing Chun Kung Fu. Soo Hoo has also received training in weapons such as the bō staff, sword, and the nunchaku. Oh yeah, he also looks like Aang.

EDIT: Also, Brandon Soo Hoo never got a chance for this part. The casting call was for a "“Caucasian or any other ethnicity”. You think other had any chance?

NYKBocker wrote:

Nalod wrote:TMS, MOre important the kid can act and do the fight scenes or be of native origin and be a total poseur?

whats more credible and why?

The kid they selected, Noah Ringer, has never acted before. He is a frist degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

If we are looking for a kid that can act and is a martial artist then you get Brandon Soo Hoo. He starred in GI Joe and Tropic Thunder. Soo Hoo has trained for five years in Tae Kwon Do with the American Tae Kwon Do Association(ATA) and holds a black belt. He is currently training in extreme martial arts and Wing Chun Kung Fu. Soo Hoo has also received training in weapons such as the bō staff, sword, and the nunchaku. Oh yeah, he also looks like Aang.

EDIT: Also, Brandon Soo Hoo never got a chance for this part. The casting call was for a "“Caucasian or any other ethnicity”. You think other had any chance?

i dunno what point Nalod is trying to make here... is he suggesting there were no qualified young Asian actors/martial artists that could have filled the role just as well if not better than the kid who was chosen?

Nalod, i'm all for giving the part to the best & most qualified candidate... IMO the kid they chose to cast in this part was NOT the best candidate for this specific role.

SupremeCommander wrote:

TMS wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:There are examples I'll take exception to, like Greeks playing Arabs in that shit Sandler movie Zohan. That type of stuff is inexcusable.

why is that inexcusable but white people playing Asians isn't?

I apologize if my point was ambiguous, but it isn't always bad to have a different ethnicity portray another one. I'm sure The Last Airbender falls into that category but I don't know. I'll never watch it or research it because I'm not a fan of crap. I agree with you regarding the Mr Miagi stereotype. That said, to me, it's not that important of issue (like, say, how oil drilling is important to allanfan). Mel Gibson isn't a Scot and I happen to love Braveheart. Then again maybe I don't care because I grew up looking at a white Santa Claus. The Zohan comment was made because of how they trashed the Arabs and had Greeks playing Arabs but I can cite that example because, unfortunately, I watched that shit movie and will never get those two hours back.

I'm not going to lie, I kind of resent what this implies. All I'm being is open and I think others on this board know my beliefs regarding race and difference. I was in no way, shape, or form implying Arabs > Asians

i didn't think you were implying that Arabs > Asians, just wondering about the seeming inconsistency of what you found objectionable... is it that you felt the portrayal of Arabs in Zohan was unflattering & insulting? i didn't catch the flick so i'm not sure what you're referring to here... if so, then you are sorta reinforcing a lot of what i've been saying on this thread about unflattering stereotypes being portrayed by Hollywood... in the case of a comedic movie like Zohan though i think you have to take things with a grain of salt... just like when i see Asians made to look ridiculous in comedies like Harold & Kumar, or The Hangover, those are not the types of movies i find objectionable.

Due in theaters in summer 2010, "Airbender" has already begun to face a bit of controversy over the casting of white actors like Rathbone, Ringer and McCartney to play Asian characters - a concern the actor was quick to dismiss. "I think it's one of those things where I pull my hair up, shave the sides, and I definitely need a tan," he said of the transformation he'll go through to look more like Sokka. "It's one of those things where, hopefully, the audience will suspend disbelief a little bit."

NYKBocker wrote:Here is a quote from one of the actors...

Due in theaters in summer 2010, "Airbender" has already begun to face a bit of controversy over the casting of white actors like Rathbone, Ringer and McCartney to play Asian characters - a concern the actor was quick to dismiss. "I think it's one of those things where I pull my hair up, shave the sides, and I definitely need a tan," he said of the transformation he'll go through to look more like Sokka. "It's one of those things where, hopefully, the audience will suspend disbelief a little bit."

it's funny, but if that kid had made those comments while playing the role of an African American character, he'd probably be roasted.

Maybe when its fiction there is more freedom for artistic interpretaion.

Tms, this siject appears to be important to you.

Nalod wrote:I guess we can wait to see the movie and then judge.

Maybe when its fiction there is more freedom for artistic interpretaion.

Tms, this siject appears to be important to you.

i wouldn't be commenting if it wasn't important... & again, i'm fine with artistic interpretation of fictional subject matter, but in this case i feel like the character & storyline has not deviated much from the story, only the actor that was cast was chosen strictly based on the color of his skin to appeal to a mass audience even though it completely deviated from the character he was portraying, & that to me is unacceptable.

TMS wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:

TMS wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:There are examples I'll take exception to, like Greeks playing Arabs in that shit Sandler movie Zohan. That type of stuff is inexcusable.

why is that inexcusable but white people playing Asians isn't?

I apologize if my point was ambiguous, but it isn't always bad to have a different ethnicity portray another one. I'm sure The Last Airbender falls into that category but I don't know. I'll never watch it or research it because I'm not a fan of crap. I agree with you regarding the Mr Miagi stereotype. That said, to me, it's not that important of issue (like, say, how oil drilling is important to allanfan). Mel Gibson isn't a Scot and I happen to love Braveheart. Then again maybe I don't care because I grew up looking at a white Santa Claus. The Zohan comment was made because of how they trashed the Arabs and had Greeks playing Arabs but I can cite that example because, unfortunately, I watched that shit movie and will never get those two hours back.

I'm not going to lie, I kind of resent what this implies. All I'm being is open and I think others on this board know my beliefs regarding race and difference. I was in no way, shape, or form implying Arabs > Asians

i didn't think you were implying that Arabs > Asians, just wondering about the seeming inconsistency of what you found objectionable... is it that you felt the portrayal of Arabs in Zohan was unflattering & insulting? i didn't catch the flick so i'm not sure what you're referring to here... if so, then you are sorta reinforcing a lot of what i've been saying on this thread about unflattering stereotypes being portrayed by Hollywood... in the case of a comedic movie like Zohan though i think you have to take things with a grain of salt... just like when i see Asians made to look ridiculous in comedies like Harold & Kumar, or The Hangover, those are not the types of movies i find objectionable.

What I'm saying is that if the production is subpar than it's a problem but if the production is good no does/should care.

NYKBocker wrote:^ "Avatar The Last Airbender" is actually a very good script. I have been watching this tv show with my kids since 2005.

well I'm going to bow out of this conversation because it is clear that in this instance I have no idea what the fuck I'm talking about

Hence, their collective portrayal in the western media has not extended beyond roles revolving around martial arts, being brainiacs, or anti-social nerds that get shyt on.

THe Japanese stereotype view of their economy historically is they lack imagination but replecate with great effiecency.

No thats not to say "They" are like that but their industrual complex has that label. This model of was the envy of the world and was copied many times over.

sebby, what are you saying? Asians don't speak out about discrimination enough?

I would also think "Asian" is too general. By that, is our (media) perception different for Vietnamese? Korean? Japanese? Chinese?

Even for entertainment purpose, the more we are exposed to the history of these people when portrayed accuratly, then we lose our ignorance. Thus, its far more critical that historical biographies are accurate than fantasy adventure movies.

& Nalod, your point that it's more critical to accurately portray historical bios i do agree with... but as i've also stated before, the TYPE of roles needs to break out of the typical cookie cutter characters so that the mass audience doesn't always get bombarded with images of certain ethnic groups in certain roles... that's how stereotypes are often formed.

Nalod wrote:I would also think "Asian" is too general. By that, is our (media) perception different for Vietnamese? Korean? Japanese? Chinese?

Sadly, when the media or americans in general think of asian they automatically think chinese.

lookS like there is growing backlash against white people playing minority roles in Hollywood.

Via CARTOON BREW, comic book artist Derek Kirk Kim is protesting as well: [AVATAR is] wholly and inarguably built around Asian (and Inuit) culture. Everything from to the costume designs, to the written language, to the landscapes, to martial arts, to philosophy, to spirituality, to eating utensils! -- It’s all an evocative, but thinly veiled, re-imagining of ancient Asia."

He continues, "Imagine if someone had made a “fantasy” movie in which the entire world was built around African culture. Everyone is wearing ancient African clothes, African hats, eating traditional African food, writing in an African language, living in African homes, all encompassed in an African landscape...but everyone is white. How offensive, insulting, and disrespectful would that be toward Africans and African Americans? How much more offensive would it be if only the heroes were white and all the villians [sic] and background characters were African American? (I wince in fear thinking about THE LAST AIRBENDER suffering from the latter dynamic -- which it probably will.)"