NO KILL I ([info]glockgal) wrote,
@ 2009-03-06 17:42:00
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Entry tags:avatar, avatar: the last airbender, the last airbender

twilight [greater than] avatar
TWILIGHT > AVATAR
Cree Actor in Talks for Lead Role in Twilight's 'New Moon' - I MEAN. COME ON. If Twilight can make the goddamned effort, WHY DOES THE LAST AIRBENDER HAVE TO FAIL US ON SO MANY (read: three) LEVELS?? IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN ASIAN-BASED WORLD, WTF WTF WTF.

I don't want to discuss Twilight's actors/plot/characters/fanbase on my journal, but feel free to join me in my joy that there's a Native American actor in a lead role, because Summit actually took the time to FIND ONE. And conversely, share in my dismay that The Last Airbender casting directors obviously can't make that effort.

Did you see this, Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy? What can you say now? Do you even care?

Well, obviously they don't, because there have already been sightings of our two white-washed heroes (and our one dark-washed anti-hero) entering pre-production phase with M. Night Shyamalan in Philadelphia. Inuit-based characters? No way, there are no Inuit actors. So let's just make the ENTIRE NATION WHITE.

Fantastic.


(38 comments) - (Post a new comment)


[info]kayay
2009-03-07 01:51 am UTC (link)
OBVIOUSLY, there is only one native American actor out there, and Twilight got him. Right? What do you mean there are more? WHAT?!

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[info]glockgal
2009-03-07 01:52 am UTC (link)
AHHHH RIGHT. I TOTALLY FORGOT THAT NATIVE AMERICANS ARE SO RARE IN AMERICA.

*shakes fist* Damn youuuuuu New Mooooooooon!

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[info]itsbeenvery
2009-03-07 01:55 am UTC (link)
Dear movie!ATLA Team: If Twilight is doing it better than you, CLEARLY YOU NEED TO WAKE UP.

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[info]glockgal
2009-03-07 02:38 am UTC (link)
I guess since they already think they're getting 'authentic Asians' right, they figure Rathbone-with-a-tan = Inuit.

UR DOIN' IT WRONG.

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[info]melisus
2009-03-07 01:58 am UTC (link)
Well... I dunno... the main werewolf/Native American character has already been cast. And they don't name what this guy's been cast as so... he's probably in some minor werewolf role.

But that's still leaps and bounds ahead of Avatar.

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[info]glockgal
2009-03-07 02:43 am UTC (link)
They article does claim he's landed a lead role, which to me means he has, like. A speaking role? With a personality and possibly an integral purpose in the plot? Man - just the mere fact that Twilight was like "Oh, hey, let's not just tan a some white actors and cast them in lead Quileute roles" is totally a leap ahead of TLA.

But, you know - I guess since TLA is a fantasy, it's okay. Unlike Twilight, which is SO BASED IN REALITY.

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[info]ashkitty
2009-03-07 02:25 am UTC (link)
Twilight made so much effort to be diverse and PC that it cast them that way rather than 1) matching them to their descriptions in the book, or 2) ending up with it looking anything at all like the actual location ([info]zombiechick was the actual English teacher in Forks at the time and the place is like 90% white and 10% Native American, just fyi). I'm not saying this is a bad thing; it's not like it's great literature and the races aren't important to characterisation (except the native american werewolf tribe, that's sort of important) so why not make it more diverse (if it were a couple of hours south of forks, it would've been in one of the most multicultural places i've ever seen, anyway).

Course, it helps that they apparently realise that it IS important. I think the whole native werewolf thing would sound a bit ridiculous coming from a white guy, but there are many, many reasons I changed my mind about going into the movie business. :p

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[info]glockgal
2009-03-07 02:45 am UTC (link)
I think the whole native werewolf thing would sound a bit ridiculous coming from a white guy

I agree; the bitter irony being that apparently Water Tribe things from TLA somehow don't seem at ALL ridiculous coming from white actors. At least, according to Paramount Pictures. *facepalms*

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[info]ashkitty
2009-03-07 02:47 am UTC (link)
Yes, well, we've established they're morons. *pets*

(eta: they're, not their. It is nearly 3 am.)

Edited at 2009-03-07 02:47 am UTC

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[info]neocloud9
2009-03-07 02:43 am UTC (link)
Oy vey. My brain hurts now.

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[info]glockgal
2009-03-07 02:45 am UTC (link)
Cruel, cruel fate. How it mistreats us!

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[info]bookshop
2009-03-07 03:31 am UTC (link)

I never thought I'd say this, but:

THE WIN, IT ~SPARKLES~

:| I sent my letter out on Wednesday. :|

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[info]glockgal
2009-03-07 08:08 pm UTC (link)
FOFL. Good one. XD

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[info]caterfree10
2009-03-07 04:59 am UTC (link)
D:

DEAR PARAMOUNT. IF TWILIGHT IS DOING BETTER THAN YOU, THEN YOU KNOW YOU'VE FUCKED UP.

Photobucket

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[info]glockgal
2009-03-07 08:08 pm UTC (link)
I KNOW, RIGHT? THANK YOU, JESUS.

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[info]quietrevolution
2009-03-07 05:20 am UTC (link)
Yea, I'd seen some articles about Twilight specifically looking for Native American actors, Quileute (the tribe in the book) in particular if possible. It makes me want to vomit in my mouth a bit, but good job, Twilight.

I see M. "What a twist!" Shyamalan isn't trying to hide the "twists" to his movies anymore. "Let's make the main POC characters white! What a twist!"

Speaking of Twilight, I recently read that Robert Pattinson was in Tokyo for the opening of Twilight, and Hugh Jackman was also in Tokyo doing promo for Australia, and their two groups met up at a karaoke place in Tokyo and they decided to get together in one karaoke room and they all sang together. I AM MAD JEALOUS!!! I WANT TO SING OKLAHOMA SHOW TUNES WITH WOLVERINE!!!!!!!

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[info]glockgal
2009-03-07 08:09 pm UTC (link)
I AM MAD JEALOUS!!! I WANT TO SING OKLAHOMA SHOW TUNES WITH WOLVERINE!!!!!!!

I CONCUR WITH THIS STATEMENT. LUCKY RPATTZ!!!!

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[info]drakemobius
2009-03-07 05:40 am UTC (link)
you linked to the edit-journal page again ("ENTIRE NATION WHITE")
also, chiming in to say I have been following along (:

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[info]glockgal
2009-03-07 08:09 pm UTC (link)
AHaha you are, as always, made of win. XD

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[info]lucky_starr17
2009-03-07 07:36 am UTC (link)
...You know, I'm going to give credit where credit is due.
Twilight, as much as it burns, is doing pretty darn good when it comes to casting. Taylor Lautner is a lil wtf, but all the other werewolf members are pretty much from the actual Tribe mentioned in the book and everything.

(One of which I intend to marry one day, but that's another story >_>)

It's a shame that we even have to give props on things like this; it should be a standard.

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[info]glockgal
2009-03-07 08:10 pm UTC (link)
It's a shame that we even have to give props on things like this; it should be a standard.

Precisely! Gyah, TLA, why are you so much fail. :(

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[info]dahemo
2009-03-07 08:15 am UTC (link)
;_; ::curls into a ball and cries::

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[info]glockgal
2009-03-07 08:10 pm UTC (link)
I KNOW. I'M HAPPY AND ANGRY RIGHT NOW.

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[info]ms_nerd
2009-03-07 06:57 pm UTC (link)
Dude, I totally posted that the Twilight people had an open casting call for First Nations people in Vancouver here.

I also posted that two local actors from the Sto:lo First Nation around Chilliwack got roles as two of the main werewolves in the movies here.

And as Sarah said, it was the Director who was the idiot in the casting, not Summit itself.

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[info]glockgal
2009-03-07 08:12 pm UTC (link)
Which pretty much translates to my point of 'Twilight: ur doin it rite' vs 'TLA: ur doin it wrong'.

I'll rescind any negative opinion on Summit.

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[info]jedifreac
2009-03-08 04:15 am UTC (link)
Wait that article quotes Rickets as saying "exotically Asian"?!?!

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[info]the_glow_worm
2009-03-09 01:12 am UTC (link)
No, I'm pretty sure it was the article writer making an ironic comment.

But at this point I wouldn't be surprised.

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[info]entrenous88
2009-03-09 06:03 pm UTC (link)
Crazy, crazy, crazy! I...have new respect for the Twilight franchise? O.o And it's just so freaking discouraging that the casting and planning for the Avatar film continues to fail up the place. I'm wary of asking who the hell is writing that screenplay/doctoring it, because I'm imagining it's not going to be, you know. At all capable at dealing with race issues.

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[info]jedifreac
2009-03-10 12:25 am UTC (link)
What blows my mind is people who try to point out to me that Inuits aren't Asian.

INUITS LIVE IN ASIA COME ON NOW. They live in Siberia? Can you not fathom the concept of people of different ethnicities spanning different continents?

Are these guys the same people who don't believe that Asians who live in American can be truly American? ::facepalm::

::strawmans it all over the place::

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[info]kaysha
2009-03-10 01:21 am UTC (link)
A thought just crossed my mind: has anyone tried or thought to send Perez Hilton some info on + links to the whole Avatar thing? Doesn't that sound like an idea? I mean.. he's not only THE blogger, but he has South American roots and refers to himself as Latino (= which I associate with not-white), so maybe someone could bring him to run an article on the Avatar casting?

I'd write in (even though I'm not a fan of the whole celeb/gossip thing), but I think a native speaker of English would do a better (read: more eloquent) job. (But uhh, maybe I'm late with my idea anyway?)

Something different but still related: I started watching Avatar only yesterday (got all three seasons from a colleague so didn't have to download anything myself, YAY!) and really, really like it so far. :)

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[info]kaysha
2009-03-11 11:04 pm UTC (link)
Okay, Lori (omg, I hope I spelled your name correctly.. I'm so used to seeing it displayed/mentioned as Glockgal onny *facepalm*), I need to.. "correct" myself here:

I don't just "really, really like" Avatar so far, I LOVE it. Finished season 1 yesterday and started watching season 2 today, and AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! OH MY FUCKING GOD, this series is FANTASTIC.

Discussed it all with my colleague (the one who give me the files) today and we agreed on the first half (or maybe/rather) third of the first season being "yeeah, nice/okay" (but not all THAT exciting), but the more I watch it, the more I love it and alsdkjflasdkjflaskjdflasjfdl!!

It's all thanks to you. Seriously. Okay, maybe (yeah, hate to say it, but) maybe it's all due to that stupid casting (because otherwise it might not have come up, or maybe it would've come up but I wouldn't have know what you were talking about and might not have looked up the series because I'm generally not a fan of series etc. blah blah).. whatever it is/was: THANK YOU. Thank you SO much for "introducing" me to Avatar. I.. seriously.. I enjoy it so much, I cannot stop watching it!!!!!! (I only stop when I know I only have four more hours to sleep until I need to get up again..) klasdjflksajdf!!!!

Seriously: thanks.

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[info]kaysha
2009-03-11 11:05 pm UTC (link)
that should read "only", of course. whoops!

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[info]kaysha
2009-03-11 11:08 pm UTC (link)
(and OMG, just now, LJ gave me a "someone is trying to reply to a page they're not supposed to see" msg [argh/huh/WTF/eek/help!!!] and I thought ýou'd.. I dunno what.. removed me from your flist at the same moment I hit the post comment button - ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! - but all is fine [again] now.)

oh, right, that reminds me that.. ok, need a separate comment for that..

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[info]carishidao
2009-03-11 02:05 am UTC (link)
My display picture says everything.

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[info]veryprecisely
2009-03-11 11:25 pm UTC (link)
and now....... back to watching Avatar!!! YAYAYAYYYYYYY!!!!


;D


(my internet is slower than slow today!!!)

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[info]on_earth
2009-03-14 03:39 pm UTC (link)
Have you heard the news of the new castings for Iroh, Ozai, Zhao, and (yes, they stated this) this new Earthbending dad? It's started to perpetuate the casting the nations by race that has been stated earlier. (Yes for both the Fire Nation and Earthbenders -- the earthbending dad casted is a Korean and the 3 Fire Nation people is one of actual "Indian/East Asian" descent and the other two look very CLOSE to being "Indian/East Asian" but aren't, so it tests the theory correctly.)

Not only that, Jackson Rathbone has now started a Sokka lookin' do, and that was spotted 2 days ago. There's more info now at [info]avatar_fans and once my post goes through the moderation queue at [info]racebending it should be there too along with other news. BTW, if you view at [info]avatar_fans, people are now calling our cause "fan wank". *facepalm*

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[info]glockgal
2009-03-14 03:55 pm UTC (link)
Thanks for the remind! I am very much planning to post about that on Sunday (as well as the audition for Japanese males), and this new news about Rathbone is just....GYAH. GYAHHH.

Thanks for your link to your avatar_fans post! I'll wait for the racebending one because, oh man. I made the mistake of reading the comments with - as you said - people calling it a fanwank DESPITE all the support and it's just. So. Disheartening.

The silver lining? At least people are still just using the same-old same-old excuses and fail!reasons for why they think race isn't a big deal/aang looks white/we're bad fans/it's just a movie etc. Heh.

<3 <3 Thanks for being so awesome and well-researched!

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[info]on_earth
2009-03-14 04:10 pm UTC (link)
The silver lining? At least people are still just using the same-old same-old excuses and fail!reasons for why they think race isn't a big deal/aang looks white/we're bad fans/it's just a movie etc. Heh.

I totally agree. They don't get it -- like it's challenging their view of colorblindness. The only way to get through racial discrimination is to educate and to talk about it peacefully not sweep it under the rug. Though, did you see that comment that one person made about from the looks it of they can't picture Jackson as Sokka? That made me feel a little better.

It doesn't help I'm taking a Minority Studies class in the US so these kinds of issues are highlighted all the time and when I walk into class I keep on thinking about this movie.

No problem! It's very scary how good at google-fu I can get (on the [info]racebending post that I HOPE get approved soon, I actually found out some personal info on Dee Dee Ricketts and (though this wasn't stated in the post) I found an article about Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall (married couple in cri-- I mean, what?) that the way they talked about the Avatar movie they were hoping for a "Wham, bam, ma'am, we're done! go through the movie -- I think Mr. Marshall felt that he was going to get through producing this movie quickly.) and don't get me started about the stuff I found on Paramount -- because apparently they've let racial discrimination win in a lot of other things they've done (and some articles from books say they had it not only in the 20s-40s (understandable, a lot of stuff then was racist) but also going as early as 60s-70s?! Lovely. And just as recently as movies that came out in 2008 but for sure in 2000 with Rules of Engagement) because all the info I get it's either neutral/nothing or pretty bad stuff.

But thank you! It means a lot coming from someone who's in two fandoms I love (HP and Avatar)! (Though, the last few years I've been lurking the HP fandom since...my danradcliffe.org days. But I still definitely keep up!)

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