"white washing" in the media -

[Pepsi-Cola]

For the past little while now, people have been getting butthurt about this thing called "white washing". Basically, "white washing" is when a white person plays a character that's not white in the source material they're from. So like, imagine if they had a character in a book who is black, but they made a movie about the book and in the movie the character is played by a white person. Initially, I didn't really pay mind to it because I just thought it was another buzzword that Politically correct types were throwing around, until I heard about the new Ghost in the Shell movie.

My jimmies were a little rustled by the idea of a non-Japanese film studio making a new iteration in the franchise, but they were even more so rustled when I saw the cast for the film were mostly white folks. So it got me thinking, is there any legitimacy to this thing?

On the one hand, yeh, it's kind of shitty that a film set in Japan has very few Japanese actors, or even Asian actors for that matter. But, on the other hand, most people in America are white. And, according to some surveys, most people within Japan itself don't really seem to care.

But enough of my retarded ramblings, how do you feel about white washing, kiwis?

 

[Shuu Iwamine]

Personally, I've never given much of a shit about white-washing. So long as the movie/show is good, the actors play the roles well, and the story is entertaining, it doesn't really matter much to me. I'm actually fairly sure that most people don't care, even folks who aren't white. It's primarily the SJW crowd and their type that throw the biggest fits over it.

I do agree that if a movie is set in a country that isn't predominantly white, it generally makes more sense for roles to be played by people who reflect that ethnicity or whatever. However, it's not going to make or break whether I see it or not. Mountains out of mole hills and whatnot.

 

[The Nothingness]

Somewhat related to this topic, a live-action adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist, will be made in Japan with an all Japanese cast. And this Fusion writer is jumping for joy there will be no white people in it.

http://fusion.net/story/306067/full...IsFusion&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=social

 

[Ruin]

Somewhat related to this topic, a live-action adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist, will be made in Japan with an all Japanese cast. And this Fusion writer is jumping for joy there will be no white people in it.

http://fusion.net/story/306067/full...IsFusion&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=social

Isn't FMA set in Germany or at least a fictional country that heavily resembles it?

 

[AnOminous]

But enough of my retarded ramblings, how do you feel about white washing, kiwis?

If it breaks immersion or otherwise fucks up the film, it's a problem.

 

[OtterParty]

If I can accept a black Heimdall I can accept a Japanese story that got adapted into American media and filled with white actors, as long as they're good actors.

But I can't accept The Last Airbender. No one should.

 

[John Titor]

I never really bought into Hollywood's claims that "acting matters most". If that were true, they would have hired someone who actually could act.

Personally, I've never given much of a shit about white-washing. So long as the movie/show is good, the actors play the roles well, and the story is entertaining, it doesn't really matter much to me. I'm actually fairly sure that most people don't care, even folks who aren't white. It's primarily the SJW crowd and their type that throw the biggest fits over it.

I do agree that if a movie is set in a country that isn't predominantly white, it generally makes more sense for roles to be played by people who reflect that ethnicity or whatever. However, it's not going to make or break whether I see it or not. Mountains out of mole hills and whatnot.

It kind of predates SJWs though.


Slight off-topic, but I think these remakes are going to bomb spectacularly. The people behind the Death Note remake were considering giving Light a Freudian excuse.

 

[The Nothingness]

Isn't FMA set in Germany or at least a fictional country that heavily resembles it?

Yeah but it's only bad when white people replace non-white characters

 

[DrChristianTroy]

Hollywood has been racist forever so it isn't exactly shocking. That said it's just straight up poor business decision in a way. You would think that as an industry you would try to push as many different kinds of people to appeal to a wider audience. Having a Chris Pratt is nice but why not have one to appeal to black or Asian or latino audiences? That's just common sense. Then again this is the industry that was like "Denzel Washington movies won't do big overseas because he's black" so clearly it's some institutional shit.

It sucks but it is what it is though.

 

[AnOminous]

Hollywood has been racist forever so it isn't exactly shocking. That said it's just straight up poor business decision in a way.

These days it isn't so much racist as completely consumed with no desire for anything but money, plus it's also kind of dumb. It's not like they wouldn't put Will Smith in any fucking movie in existence in the period where just having him as a lead guaranteed a blockbuster opening weekend.

However, they mainly just do shit that's worked in the past to make money and avoid risks. This makes sense since if you're a film studio and make a dozen films a year, and 11 of them lose money and your money comes from the 12th which is a huge hit, you're not going to bet on a bunch of long shots. That means repeating stuff. Most older stuff is a bunch of white people. Hence, most new stuff is also a bunch of white people.

So that's how a bunch of Hollywood liberals end up making a bunch of lily white films. I suppose that's structural racism for you.

 

[XYZpdq]

The Rock seems to be continuing a case for brown people leads even with Will Smith's fall from grace.

 

[Loxiozzz]

On a scale from one to ten on being bothered by this, it's a two. If the story calls for a certain race, if it mandatory, then it's an issue. But at the same time, how many books/ television shows turned movie actually stuck to the original plot completely? I'm kinda salt about the ghost in the shell movie since the whole story took place in Japan, but if the Japanese don't care, then it's probably not that bid a deal. Marvel did the same thing twice I believe with the Thor and Xmen movies and they were okay. It can be pretty difficult to find actors for certain parts too.

Also, doesn't Japan and Korea do the same thing with their live action shows?

 

[Jewelsmakerguy]

Isn't FMA set in Germany or at least a fictional country that heavily resembles it?

Preeeeeety sure its supposed to. And, this Charles Pulliam-Moore fellow feels like he's coming off as pretty damn racist. So I got to wonder if he's only saying this because he has something out for the white populace (or he's just an idiot, either or). Honestly, I don't give a shit- I'm not making the film, and the Japanese can do whatever they want with their properties. So if they want an all-Japanese cast (Which is a given considering it's population and all), so be it.

That said. My same opinion on the FMA casting is pretty much my opinion on any movie casting regarding race. Unless it is legit racist ('legit' being key word here), I have no problem with race in any way, shape or form. It's the acting ability I focus on more. And if they're bad, they're bad. If someone was incorrectly cast, I'd complain regardless of race/gender/age/whatever. What I'm trying to say, is that I'm an equal opportunity complainer.

And last I checked, Hollywood's more focused on making money, and it just so happens that most of their star actors are white. Racism or not, it's the brutal truth.

But I can't accept The Last Airbender. No one should.

Well that's kind of a given, seeing how the final result turned out so well.

 

[John Titor]

Also, doesn't Japan and Korea do the same thing with their live action shows?

Not sure if that's a really fair comparison considering their studios don't have the budget to import talents and non-Asian residents are in a pretty small minority.

And last I checked, Hollywood's more focused on making money, and it just so happens that most of their star actors are white. Racism or not, it's the brutal truth.

True. I won't pretend Hollywood is not in it for the green but I still roll my eyes when I hear half-baked excuses.

 

[TheMightyMonarch]

It depends on the source material. Like I thought it was kinda fucked up that they cast Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan in the Star Trek movies. But then again, maybe the reason why they did that was because they thought it wouldn't look good to have a minority villain with the heroes being mostly white. Same goes with having white actors play Ra's, Talia, and Bane in the Dark Knight trilogy (The first two being middle eastern and the latter being Hispanic). If that's the case, I see the logic behind it, but regardless of which direction you go in, you're not going to make everyone happy.

Complaining about white washing in anime, on the other hand, is just dumb. A lot of anime characters look white anyway. Unless the source material is explicitly takes place in Japan, then I don't see the big deal with white actors playing anime characters. And while SJWs in America and other western countries sperg out, most Japanese people don't really give a shit. It's kinda embarrassing on our part.

Hollywood of course still has racist tendencies but if we were to look on the bright side, we have come a long way. Hell, white washing back in the golden age of Hollywood was very common and it was pretty rare to see an minority actor period. Anna Mae Wong, for example, was considered very much a rarity in her day.

 

[cypocraphy]

Sorry to go OT a bit...but Bane's Dad is a British guy named King Snake. He just happened to be born in a fictional Caribbean country.

 

[TheMightyMonarch]

Sorry to go OT a bit...but Bane's Dad is a British guy named King Snake. He just happened to be born in a fictional Caribbean country.

Yeah, I was gonna mention that but I didn't want to go off tangent. In that case, I don't think having British Tom Hardy playing Bane was the end of the world because of Bane's lineage in the comics. I think you can make a stronger argument for Ra's and Talia though (even though I liked Liam Neeson as Ra's).

 

[Xerxes IX]

Isn't the whole thing with FMA that there were two different races that had conflicts? Not sure how an all Japanese cast would get that across really well not to mention the Japanese story = Japanese cast thing falls apart when people complain when predominantly white countries create things with predominantly white people in them. People were complaining an Italian anti homophobia ad had too many white people in it, at one point.

 

[R.A.E.L.]

Isn't the whole thing with FMA that there were two different races that had conflicts? Not sure how an all Japanese cast would get that across really well not to mention the Japanese story = Japanese cast thing falls apart when people complain when predominantly white countries create things with predominantly white people in them. People were complaining an Italian anti homophobia ad had too many white people in it, at one point.

It makes about as much sense as the casting for the Attack on Titan movie, in which only one character is canonically Japanese.

 

[AnOminous]

Isn't the whole thing with FMA that there were two different races that had conflicts? Not sure how an all Japanese cast would get that across really well not to mention the Japanese story = Japanese cast thing falls apart when people complain when predominantly white countries create things with predominantly white people in them.

Anime is full of obvious white people too. Japanese are not blonde or red-haired, do not have blue eyes, etc.