NO KILL I ([info]glockgal) wrote,
@ 2008-12-22 08:20:00
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Entry tags:avatar, avatar: the last airbender, the last airbender

AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER

There's a discussion going on at the TWOP forums about the movie, to which the lovely [info]jedifreac and others are trying valiantly to debunk comment gems like:

Katara herself ACTS like modern white teenager albeit with some distinct differences.

and

I mean Zuko's character is practically a cliche (incensed arrogant honor obsessed kungfu guy). How's this going to attract asian actors who want to be taken as nonforeign or stuck doing kungfu.

....Yeah. We've come to the bottom of the argument!barrel, folks. Here's how far the resistance!against!asians! has taken people.

There's also a neutral announcement article at AceShowBiz. I wanted to comment with a link to aang-aint-white, but I kept getting an error. Maybe the website only accepts US IPs? I dunno, but if anyone can help out.

ETA: HOLY MOLY, SCIFI WIRE PICKED UP THE STORY WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS.

I have no idea who that 'Sammy' person is....>.> Sure 'she' got a little misquoted, but. Uh. There it be. Also, I always love when people who have never seen the show and KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT feel they have a right to tell fans and/or PoCs what to think. Thanks for being a douche, come again!


KEEP WRITING LETTERS:
[info]aang_aint_white!

KEEP CONTACTING THE MEDIA:
Email addresses here!

KEEP INFORMED:
Link roundup here!

And most importantly: KEEP TELLING YOUR FRIENDS!


(50 comments) - (Post a new comment)


[info]cereta
2008-12-22 04:30 pm UTC (link)
I dunno. [info]sf_drama just got ahold of it, and I think they hit bingo in about five comments. I'm fairly sure there's lower in the barrel they can manage.

Bleh.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]glockgal
2008-12-22 06:34 pm UTC (link)
Now with an extra helping of LOUD OPINIONS FROM PEOPLE WHO'VE NEVER SEEN THE SHOW. They're digging below the barrel at this point. Thanks for the head's up, though!

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)
(no subject) - [info]cereta, 2008-12-22 07:22 pm UTC (Expand)

[info]yeloson
2008-12-22 04:34 pm UTC (link)
So... if a character doesn't act in a racially stereotypical way they shouldn't be played by people of color, and if a character does act in a racially stereotypical way they shouldn't be played by people of color?

In other words, in no way should any character be played by people of color?

(Nevermind, uh, that there's all kinds of people who act like Katara of any color, but, I guess only white folks can be normalized, right?)

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]glockgal
2008-12-22 06:40 pm UTC (link)
In other words, in no way should any character be played by people of color?

Well, that's the only reasonable way to please us crazy, racist-against-whites, oversensitive PoC, innit? Because this way everyone can be 'colourblind' We all see white! Oh and PS: all Americans are white.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]ali_wildgoose
2008-12-22 04:47 pm UTC (link)
A friend emailed me about this this morning:

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?id=63052

:3

(Reply to this) (Thread)(Expand)

[info]ali_wildgoose
2008-12-22 06:11 pm UTC (link)
Also, you know, if anyone involved in this is interested in radio journalism, there's a really great This American Life-style documentary to be made about whitewashing in Hollywood. Just this instance is one thing, but there's a larger context, you know? One that's pretty unsettling even to people who normally wouldn't care.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]jedifreac
2008-12-22 06:44 pm UTC (link)
squee! But why doesn't it link to our letter writing campaign?

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)
(no subject) - [info]glockgal, 2008-12-22 06:47 pm UTC (Expand)
(no subject) - [info]glockgal, 2008-12-22 06:46 pm UTC (Expand)
(no subject) - [info]glockgal, 2008-12-22 08:42 pm UTC (Expand)
(no subject) - [info]ali_wildgoose, 2008-12-22 08:47 pm UTC (Expand)
(no subject) - [info]glockgal, 2008-12-22 08:49 pm UTC (Expand)

[info]itsbeenvery
2008-12-22 04:48 pm UTC (link)
Katara herself ACTS like modern white teenager albeit with some distinct differences.

a;slkdfjsaslkdfj this sentence hurts my brain more than 2 girls 1 cup. :(

eta - hurts so much I can't even type the full title.

Edited at 2008-12-22 04:49 pm UTC

(Reply to this) (Thread)(Expand)

[info]jedifreac
2008-12-22 06:43 pm UTC (link)
Well, yes. Katara acts like a modern white teenager with distinct differences.

Such as not being white.

::facepalm::

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)
(no subject) - [info]itsbeenvery, 2008-12-22 07:35 pm UTC (Expand)
(no subject) - [info]glockgal, 2008-12-22 06:48 pm UTC (Expand)
(no subject) - [info]itsbeenvery, 2008-12-22 07:32 pm UTC (Expand)
(no subject) - [info]waywardradish, 2008-12-22 08:12 pm UTC (Expand)

[info]ratcreature
2008-12-22 05:15 pm UTC (link)
Have these people even watched Avatar? I mean, yeah, martial arts are integral to several characters including Zuko, but he has awesome character development. Even if he seems a two dimensional stock character at first, he doesn't stay that way. *headdesk*

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]glockgal
2008-12-22 06:50 pm UTC (link)
AHAAH your icon! XD XD XD Now if they populated the Avatar world entirely of rats, I...wouldn't complain as much.

Total headdeask, right? I love how the argument goes that Asian people can't play roles meant for Asains because that's 'too cliched'....so then white people should play it! BINGO!

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]tammylee
2008-12-22 05:41 pm UTC (link)
Katara herself ACTS like modern white teenager albeit with some distinct differences.
Ouch! The distinct differences being... she doesn't live in N.America and she isn't, actually, white? wtf? How are behaviours dependent on race?
Nevermind, the stupid hurts.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]glockgal
2008-12-22 06:53 pm UTC (link)
Well, you know, Katara would act like an Inuit if she...ate fish eyes, like, constantly! Oh and if she only cared about....uh...whales! And um...talked about snow! Owned a dog sled? OBVIOUS INUIT GIRL PERSONALITY, RIGHT THERE.

Personality traits like loyalty, romantic ideals and hope? HELLO, THAT'S WHAT WHITE PEOPLE FEEL. NOT ANYONE ELSE.

*pulls out hair*

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]cathybites
2008-12-22 05:46 pm UTC (link)
Katara herself ACTS like modern white teenager albeit with some distinct differences.

WHAT? WHAT THE FUCKING WHAT?!?!?!

I just. Please, o brilliant TWOP poster, explain to me exactly how a modern white teenager acts and how that is different from how modern Asian teenagers act, or black teenagers, or latino teenagers, or teenagers of any other race/culture/ethnicity. I AWAIT YOUR INTELLIGENT RESPONSE.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]glockgal
2008-12-22 06:56 pm UTC (link)
Cathy, modern white girls are loyal, brave, clever, romantic, righteous, optimistic, hopeful, idealistic and caring.

No other modern PoC girls are like this! That's crazy-talk!!

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)
(no subject) - [info]cathybites, 2008-12-22 09:09 pm UTC (Expand)
(no subject) - [info]ashlan, 2008-12-22 10:46 pm UTC (Expand)
(no subject) - [info]glockgal, 2008-12-23 01:00 am UTC (Expand)
(no subject) - [info]ashlan, 2008-12-23 08:11 am UTC (Expand)

[info]kidkoala
2008-12-22 06:26 pm UTC (link)
Kind of annoying how they had to punctuate the article with a quote from the opposing viewpoint to "balance things out," but what a quote! "one of the most accomplished pieces of cinema in history," huh? I almost think SciFi used that one on purpose to make this guy look like a douche. His quote is ridiculous several times over. Yay?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]glockgal
2008-12-22 06:58 pm UTC (link)
Hah! That's a pretty damn good point, bebe. Hopefully the three other quotes will effectively nullify his idiocy? Maybe Ian Spelling is hoping his readership to have as subtle a sense of humour as he does?

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]nopejr
2008-12-22 07:40 pm UTC (link)
Personally, I'd cast Jaden Smith as Aang.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]glockgal
2008-12-22 08:53 pm UTC (link)
LOLS.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]drakemobius
2008-12-22 08:49 pm UTC (link)
You know, I'm gonna comment again. Hah.

When I first watched Avatar, I admit, I thought the characters were less 'Asian' than I'd expected. And the thing is, I've watched a lot of asian tv shows, anime, etc, and was never struck by that feeling before, even if a lot of them are also normalised -- that is, lacking asian stereotypes, crazy eyes, etc. I think it was the clothing in Avatar.. they went so very far out of their way to put the characters into an asian setting, in asian clothes, have them have asian-influenced habits (tea, anyone?), that it seemed out of place for that reason. and I hope I'm not flamed here by your huge flist, because I realise that I was totally seeing everything not-stereotyped as being automatically white. And now the show no longer seems 'off'; my original opinions do. I look back and I think christ, I can't believe I saw something disparate there, when clearly the only thing wrong was my instinct to whitewash. (ah, and I should note that I realised this fact before the end of avatar, not as a result of this discussion with the casting. it suddenly clicked one day that being asian wasnt just looking different)

So yeah, that's my admission of guilt, there. And I'd like to cast my voice in with the 'im the whitest whitey ever to white. white." column, 'cause Im a pale irishblood and yeah. pale. ahaha.

(Reply to this) (Thread)(Expand)

[info]glockgal
2008-12-22 08:59 pm UTC (link)
*MWAH* I tell you what --

I have gone through my day-to-day life trying to remember that 'white is not the default' because really? It's a mentality that is systemic and pervasive in today's modern culture. It's getting easier to remember (and subsequently point it out to people IRL ahahah) but man. I'm PoC and even for me, growing up in a white world made whitewashing and white-default seem normal - it's just what people did. Anything that had majority-PoC was automatically political or racially-subgenre'd.

So it's taken a while for me; and personally I am REALLY happy to know it's taken you just the span of three seasons of Avatar to realize that there's more to being Asian than just 'looking' a certain way. That in itself is a beautiful thing.

<3 Thanks for sharing.




(Reply to this) (Parent)
(no subject) - [info]tallycola, 2008-12-23 05:03 am UTC (Expand)
(no subject) - [info]tallycola, 2008-12-23 05:04 am UTC (Expand)
omg I also forgot to say
[info]jedifreac
2008-12-22 09:21 pm UTC (link)
*FIST PUMPS*

THE QUOTES! I'm so glad I took the time to find them!!! They used the quotes!!! OMG!!!!

::twitches with joy::

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Re: omg I also forgot to say
[info]glockgal
2008-12-23 01:01 am UTC (link)
I KNOW RIGHT. THOSE QUOTES ARE MY NEW GOD. I've been using them everywhere much to my delight because no one can dispute the Almighty Nickelodeon. Ahhhhh you are such a life-saver!

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]melisus
2008-12-23 12:44 am UTC (link)
Katara herself ACTS like modern white teenager albeit with some distinct differences.

I dunno... I think that comment pretty much debunks itself. :)

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]glockgal
2008-12-23 12:57 am UTC (link)
Yeah, here's a distinct difference: SHE'S NOT WHITE.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]amanuensis1
2008-12-23 01:40 am UTC (link)
LOOK AT YOU. YOU ARE A FORCE WITH WHICH TO BE RECKONED. *does power chant*

(Reply to this)


[info]vejiicakes
2008-12-23 02:06 am UTC (link)
I'm curious to know what these people think modern teenagers of color act like. Because I feel like based on this, I'm supposed to be self-sacrificing and honorable and shit. And not have such a potty mouth.

Too drained. No more observant points from me. I'm happy to see this getting picked up by some really excellent media resources, as much as displeased to see people being morons about.. everything ever.

(Reply to this)


[info]ravenbell
2008-12-23 04:19 am UTC (link)
Thanks for keeping on top of this.

I've posted some thoughts on the casting debacle, along with lists of Asian leads in American fantasy films and kids' films for some additional context for why this is so important.

They could really use some input, if you have a chance.

http://ravenbell.livejournal.com/45288.html?view=124136

Thanks again!

(Reply to this)


[info]quietrevolution
2008-12-23 04:24 am UTC (link)
Katara herself ACTS like modern white teenager albeit with some distinct differences.

What does that even mean?!

It's awesome Sci-Fi took a look and made an article! *fist-bump*

(Reply to this)


[info]tallycola
2008-12-23 04:56 am UTC (link)
Katara herself ACTS like modern white teenager albeit with some distinct differences.

Good. Gravy.

Let's list some of those incredibly distinct differences. She lives in an igloo? She takes care of her family (sokka) as a care-giver since her own parents are either a) dead or b) off fighting in the war? (I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this one, in America at least, is experienced slightly more often by teenagers of colour than white teenagers). She knows how to deliver both human and seal babies? She does tai chi and can manipulate an element?

She's brown?

(Reply to this)


[info]tallycola
2008-12-23 04:59 am UTC (link)
Also I really want people who haven't seen the show, aren't vested in this at all, or don't see the problem to just STFU. If you don't care then go away.

(Reply to this)


[info]callmesandy
2008-12-23 01:04 pm UTC (link)
http://www.icelebz.com/movies/news/actor_casting_in_m_night_shyamalan_s_upcoming_new_film_raises_racist_concerns/

Lookeee! You made my celebrity gossip blog feed! Right under the story about Robbie Williams's mom's heart surgery!

Still, gotta love that headline.

(Reply to this)


[info]dahemo
2008-12-23 06:42 pm UTC (link)
I keep checking to see if the story's been picked up anywhere else, and it is nice to see us making some headway! It gives me hope.

I noticed the SciFi article because it was also mentioned here.

But I've been avoiding "discussions" because half the comments are just too retarded.

(Reply to this)


[info]jedifreac
2008-12-24 05:40 am UTC (link)
Wow. A few hours ago, I was just warned/put on probation at TWOP for the posts you mentioned in this post (has to have been, since I haven't said any since then.) And my um, snark was deleted. I can't find any signs of the "Katara herself ACTS like modern white teenager" stuff in the thread--I think it was all deleted. 0_0

(Reply to this)

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