NO KILL I ([info]glockgal) wrote,
@ 2009-02-26 08:22:00
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Entry tags:avatar, avatar: the last airbender, the last airbender

avatar: protest
AVATAR: PROTEST IN NEW YORK AND VIRGINIA
Once again, The Last Airbender has put out a call for PoC in the background only. No Asians allowed as the three lead roles! Only in the background, non-speaking roles, people. Don't worry, the white people will save you from impending doom, that's how it's done.

[info]aang_aint_white has the details on both HERE.

There's also now a Facebook event for the Flushing, NY protest, started up by [info]sidepocket_pro who plans to attend. GO HERE If you live close/in Flushing, please consider joining in the protest!

Here's a really swell flyer from the FB event for people to print and distribute. Print/download them from here and here.

Quoted from AAW:

Paramount is trying to put a bandaid on this problem by casting Asian actors in minor, background roles, in a world that will still be saved by three white heroes. Now is the time to tell them that that isn't good enough.
Also, please remember The Language of Casting:
-- Caucasian, or other ethnicity for LEAD ROLES
-- Near and Far Eastern, Middle Eastern, Asian, Mediterranean and Latino. etc and now Chinese, Thai, Mongolian, Vietnamese etc for BACKGROUND AND EXTRAS.

Tell me again that this movie isn't fucking white-washed when it comes to the heroes? Tell me again how this movie is just OOOHHH FANTASY (AKA WHITE) and not Asian-based/diverse? Tell me again that I'm a bad fan for being angry at their blatant racism?

Damn it all. I am so angry all over again.

(27 comments) - (Post a new comment)


[info]cathybites
2009-02-26 04:31 pm UTC (link)
I CAN'T GO. ARRRRRGH! But I will be there in ANGRY ANGRY spirit.

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[info]glockgal
2009-02-26 05:47 pm UTC (link)
I MUST EMAIL YOU. >.>

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[info]cathybites
2009-02-26 06:19 pm UTC (link)
YES YOU MUST!

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]heather11483
2009-02-26 04:42 pm UTC (link)
....

Also, please remember The Language of Casting:
-- Caucasian, or other ethnicity for LEAD ROLES
-- Near and Far Eastern, Middle Eastern, Asian, Mediterranean and Latino. etc and now Chinese, Thai, Mongolian, Vietnamese etc for BACKGROUND AND EXTRAS.

*headdesk*
*headdesk*
*headdesk*

GRRRRR.

Edited at 2009-02-26 04:43 pm UTC

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]glockgal
2009-02-26 05:50 pm UTC (link)
It's just...it's so aggravating, I don't even know. I think even moreso because of the amount of people who are STILL trying to maintain that Avatar the cartoon is white. They all look white! O rly? Then WHY ARE THEY CASTING EVERYTHING BUT FOR EXTRAS. GODDAMMIT.

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[info]ashkitty
2009-02-26 05:01 pm UTC (link)
I'm not all caught up on this atm, but I was thinking about it a little last night as I was youtubing Oscar things, and wondered how they can still say an Asian-centric (or whatever) film would not do as well when and entirely Indian movie like Slumdog Millionaire swept practically everything it was nominated for.

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[info]caterfree10
2009-02-26 05:07 pm UTC (link)
That's what I don't get either. I mean, a LOT of people adored Slumdog! They didn't give two shits of a fuck that none of the main characters were white! Shouldn't that say SOMETHING about the American public? *facepalm*

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[info]glockgal
2009-02-26 05:54 pm UTC (link)
Well they changed their minds, of course! Don't forget their last-minute switch from loser!McCartney to Dev Patel in the space of TWO DAYS. I'm sure the Movie Execs were just high-fiving each other constantly because they landed one dude from the rabid-fan-favourte Twilight movie and one from that ethnic-yet-popular Slumdog movie. HIGH FIVE. OUR MARKET RESEARCH TELLS US THAT THIS IS THE FORMULA FOR SUCCESS IN OUR TARGET MARKET OF GIRLS AGES 8 - 16. NOW LAST AIRBENDER IS BOUND TO BRING IN THE $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

KDFHKLESIORHIGHKJSFHKJDH I HATE THEM SO MUCH.

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[info]caterfree10
2009-02-26 05:05 pm UTC (link)
I REALLY wish I could go! Living in the Midwest SUCKS because NO ONE comes out here. ><; Yet they're willing to go to Texas for Aang? WTF?!

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[info]glockgal
2009-02-27 04:43 pm UTC (link)
TELL ME ABOUT IT. It's frustrating because I live on the West Coast, which I guess would be the LAST place they'd think of coming for casting calls for Asian actors. *MASSIVE EYE ROLLING*

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[info]caterfree10
2009-02-27 07:37 pm UTC (link)
Inorite? The West Coast doesn't have ANY Asian people even though they're the closest area in America to Asia not counting Hawaii and Alaska. :|

Hell, while on that subject, Alaska would probably be a perfect place to find Inuit people for the Water Tribe and Hawaii would be good in finding Asian people period. Oy. *facepalm*

(Reply to this) (Parent)
Hey Paramount...
[info]vejiicakes
2009-02-26 06:09 pm UTC (link)
*Bay Area girl here* STOP HOLDING AUDITIONS ON THE EAST FREAKING COAST WHERE I CAN'T GET AT THE PROTESTS.

Well, and also, WE would have your Asian population. If you actually wanted 'em, that is. NOT THAT YOU DO.

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Re: Hey Paramount...
[info]glockgal
2009-02-27 04:44 pm UTC (link)
I KNOW RIGHT?!?! WHAT IS UP WITH THAT? KJSDHFKDSFHJ THEY ARE SO HORRID I WANT TOO BITE THEM WITH POISON-FILLED TEETH.

*cough* Um. Er....anyway. Heh. :D

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[info]lizamanynames
2009-02-26 07:55 pm UTC (link)
And you should be. It is right to be angry. But remember how many other people (myself included!) who are also angry, and talking about it, who wouldn't otherwise even know about it if not for you and [info]aang_aint_white. And we may not change anything, this time around. But when this happens again (and god help us all, it WILL happen again, because we are NOT in a "post-race" society, no matter what that twitterhead on the forums thinks) we will have momentum and we will have precedent and we will have press and we will have history and we will have lower box office numbers for Avatar than there would have been (because if it goes through with the current cast WE WILL BOYCOTT, I am certain) and we will keep fighting and someday, we WILL HAVE CHANGE.

....uh, sorry, dunno what happened there. Apparently that "we" thing is catching. I will go eat some wonderbread and mayo now and re-claim my whiteness, or something. :P XD

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[info]glockgal
2009-02-27 04:46 pm UTC (link)
*snoogles you lots* This is SUCH a good point and one I was beginning to lose perspective on. Thank you so much for reminding me! I really am amazed that it's gotten this far and this well-recognized by not just people on LJ, but people in the news.

YOUR SPEECH IS MOMENTOUS. I want to save it and say it while standing on a podium!!! <3 <3 <3 <3

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[info]lizamanynames
2009-03-13 12:01 am UTC (link)
LOL yeah, I can get eloquent in my fangirl rage. XD

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[info]tomscribble
2009-02-26 09:55 pm UTC (link)
Tell me again that I'm a bad fan for being angry at their blatant racism?

You are a blatant fan for being angry at their bad racism!

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[info]glockgal
2009-02-27 04:46 pm UTC (link)
YES. DO NOT STOP BEING CLEVER. I love you, bebe. <3

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[info]amanuensis1
2009-02-26 10:58 pm UTC (link)
It's one thing to take the position of, "Well, we're not setting it in an Asian setting, so that's why the characters were cast with Caucasian actors," --I mean, I don't like it, but it's a potentially not-racist position to take even if I don't like it--BUT, if the background and extras are indeed all Eastern/Asian there is absolutely no defending their s**t. JEEZUS.

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[info]glockgal
2009-02-27 04:49 pm UTC (link)
Exactly. EXACTLY. I was just thinking, like - what if they muddled everything up, just created four new elemental nations but, I dunno, suppalanted the entire mythology in a more Europe-style fantasy world? It would be...well, silly but then they'd cast both white actors AND white extras and I'd by like "LAME. But whatever."

But to specifically call for Asian extras and then try to pretend that it's cause they're being all diverse, it's disgustingly hypocritical and so evident of their confidence in our stupidity. GYAH.

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[info]elaby
2009-02-26 11:08 pm UTC (link)
This has probably already been said, but:

Caucasian, or other ethnicity for LEAD ROLES

WTF is with that wording? How about "Any ethnicity for lead roles," since that's what the grammatical meaning is? RAARRR. You're entirely justified in being so angry. I'm not even a fan (of the show in particular; just the genre) and I'm angry.

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[info]glockgal
2009-02-27 04:53 pm UTC (link)
The Language of Casting really really explains it well, and states clarly just how subversive and horrid Hollywood casting calls can be.

It's like they know all the loopholes and caveats in order to say things like "Well we tried to get the best actor for the roles" when in reality, due to the coded language used in their casting sheets, they were quite heavily biased towards a white preference.

It's a type of racism that's embedded not in hatred, but in (what they decide is) 'marketing research'. America only wants to see white heroes. All movies with Asian heroes fail. Therefore, we will make money only if the heroes are white. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy, traced right back to the language in their casting sheets.

Horrid, innit? *clings to you*

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[info]elaby
2009-02-28 12:53 am UTC (link)
Bwaaaaah, totally horrid. It's so disappointing and disheartening. *comforts you* And that "marketing research" is essentially proven wrong by the fact that Avatar is so popular and has Asian main characters. But then people still argue that point. BWAH.

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[info]xneoninja
2009-02-27 06:08 am UTC (link)
Can't wait for the Ember Island Players to come out in July 2010 can't you guys? I think they're gonna nail it head on.

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[info]caterfree10
2009-02-27 06:21 am UTC (link)
*dying of laughter* Yeah, that's pretty much what this movie's gonna be if the current cast goes through. X3

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[info]glockgal
2009-02-27 04:55 pm UTC (link)
HAHHA! You hit the nail right on the head, man. Only this time I won't be laughing as I watch the Gaang watch in horror, I WILL be part of the Gaang*.


* and by 'watch' this movie, I am sooooo pirating this sucker. No way amd I giving them a dime for this movie. Yee-har!

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]caterfree10
2009-02-27 06:06 pm UTC (link)
LULZ, I'll be pirating too! Ain't no way in hell they're getting my money for this bullcrap. YAY PIRATING~! 8D

(Reply to this) (Parent)

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