Avatar White-ness

[purplerebecca]

I haven't had much net access in the last 2 weeks. So I heard about Shyamalan's live-action Avatar: the Last Airbender movie cast that was announced this week from my brother.

Cellphone Conversation:

Bro: So, Jasper is Sokka.

Me: Eh what?
He then informed me that the entire main cast of Avatar is white kids, and I got upset. Raged for 15 minutes

Comments

[fenikkusuken]

I had exactly the same reaction, including the epic rant. Once I was done, my husband calmly pointed out that the all-white casting perfectly fits into Hollywood's stereotyping... the hero's gotta be white and American, or tickets won't sell.

It's the same sort of narrow-minded reasoning that had some studio dimwit seriously suggesting that Harry Potter be cast as an American to guarantee ticket sales in North America for the first movie. Methinks that Hollywood needs to give its head a shake.

[purplerebecca]

Garggg!! It makes me so frustrated.
I was just watching some live-action japanese shows, and enjoying how gorgeous and interesting these young actors were.
American Hollywood needs to realize how humanity itself is universal, and how we could all get along even better if the stories we told each other involved people with slightly different features and cultures, but all with the same emotions. You do not have to see yourself on the screen to experience empathy, which is the point of stories in the first place.

*soapbox*

[hymnia]

I was really, actually, looking forward to Shyamalan's casting, and seeing really awesome unknown actors of different races as the kids in these movies. I was going to enjoy it SO MUCH!! You've taken the joy and interesting-ness out of it, Paramount. I am sad.

ITA. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get over it enough to enjoy the movie, it makes me so sad and RIGHTEOUSLY ANGRY!

[purplerebecca]

RWarrrg!! Yes. :(