#76
Posted: 3/17/14 at 12:48am
I am disappointed, though not entirely surprised, to read some truly dismaying comments from board members I otherwise respect and enjoy conversing with. Some of these posts are not too far off from the comments my friends' grandparents post on Facebook when sharing Fox News stories about "reverse racism".
By acknowledging and attempting to challenge centuries of institutional racism in Western society and the lack of representation in media/entertainment in 2014, one is not denying that white people can experience racism. That's just ridiculous. Of course, a white person can be subjected to a racist action. And, sure, a white person could grow up in a "tough" neighborhood in which s/he is in fact the minority and in which s/he experiences abhorrent levels of racist behavior for many years. BUT, to compare isolated or anecdotal incidents of racism against white people with centuries of systematic oppression and institutional racism and lack of representation inflicted upon racial minorities is to engage in false equivalencies. And, yes, we have a black president and African American, Asian and Latino CEOs. And, yes, Will Smith is one of the biggest box office stars in the world, and yes, the second richest man in the world is Mexican and, yes, things are better than they were a century ago. These are successes to be celebrated. But it's ridiculous to deny that the wheel of oppression and institutional racism is still spinning -- though, admittedly, in more subtle ways than before.
In this particular case, we're dealing with a fictional fairy tale character, who may in fact be written to reflect Rooney Mara's "look". That's Joe Wright and his collaborators' artistic right. But to deny that this story is indicative of the issues of representation in all forms of media and entertainment, is to speak from a place of privilege, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not.
The Wall Street Journal's Jeff Yang wrote a very interesting piece on this very topic yesterday, in which he argues that, given this country's changing demographics, it actually makes financial sense for Hollywood/media to be more inclusive. An excerpt below (full article here: http://on.wsj.com/1itOqqr )
In Wright’s version, Tiger Lily might not be Native American either. As The Wrap reported, “Wright is planning to create a world that very international and multiracial, effectively challenging audiences’ preconceived notions of Neverland and reimagining the environment.”
Obviously, “challenging audiences’ preconceived notions” is a good thing creatively. In casting, however, it often translates into filmmakers taking characters of color and recasting them as Caucasians. Very rarely do we see things go the other way — and when they do, the public response is often vitriolic and ugly.
Consider the outcry over the decision to cast African American actor Michael B. Jordanas Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in Fox’s reboot of “The Fantastic Four.” Or the rage at the decision to turn Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis and Oscar winner Jamie Foxx — both black — into the daughter-and-daddy duo at the heart of the latest version of the beloved musical “Annie.” Avalanches of racist rage have even been triggered when characters of color are put onscreen as characters of color: Remember the tweetstorm over the casting of young African American actress Amandla Stenberg as Rue, Katniss’s resourceful young African American in “The Hunger Games”? People just “didn’t imagine” Rue as black. Even though the book. Clearly. Says. That. She’s. Black.
By acknowledging and attempting to challenge centuries of institutional racism in Western society and the lack of representation in media/entertainment in 2014, one is not denying that white people can experience racism. That's just ridiculous. Of course, a white person can be subjected to a racist action. And, sure, a white person could grow up in a "tough" neighborhood in which s/he is in fact the minority and in which s/he experiences abhorrent levels of racist behavior for many years. BUT, to compare isolated or anecdotal incidents of racism against white people with centuries of systematic oppression and institutional racism and lack of representation inflicted upon racial minorities is to engage in false equivalencies. And, yes, we have a black president and African American, Asian and Latino CEOs. And, yes, Will Smith is one of the biggest box office stars in the world, and yes, the second richest man in the world is Mexican and, yes, things are better than they were a century ago. These are successes to be celebrated. But it's ridiculous to deny that the wheel of oppression and institutional racism is still spinning -- though, admittedly, in more subtle ways than before.
In this particular case, we're dealing with a fictional fairy tale character, who may in fact be written to reflect Rooney Mara's "look". That's Joe Wright and his collaborators' artistic right. But to deny that this story is indicative of the issues of representation in all forms of media and entertainment, is to speak from a place of privilege, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not.
The Wall Street Journal's Jeff Yang wrote a very interesting piece on this very topic yesterday, in which he argues that, given this country's changing demographics, it actually makes financial sense for Hollywood/media to be more inclusive. An excerpt below (full article here: http://on.wsj.com/1itOqqr )
In Wright’s version, Tiger Lily might not be Native American either. As The Wrap reported, “Wright is planning to create a world that very international and multiracial, effectively challenging audiences’ preconceived notions of Neverland and reimagining the environment.”
Obviously, “challenging audiences’ preconceived notions” is a good thing creatively. In casting, however, it often translates into filmmakers taking characters of color and recasting them as Caucasians. Very rarely do we see things go the other way — and when they do, the public response is often vitriolic and ugly.
Consider the outcry over the decision to cast African American actor Michael B. Jordanas Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in Fox’s reboot of “The Fantastic Four.” Or the rage at the decision to turn Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis and Oscar winner Jamie Foxx — both black — into the daughter-and-daddy duo at the heart of the latest version of the beloved musical “Annie.” Avalanches of racist rage have even been triggered when characters of color are put onscreen as characters of color: Remember the tweetstorm over the casting of young African American actress Amandla Stenberg as Rue, Katniss’s resourceful young African American in “The Hunger Games”? People just “didn’t imagine” Rue as black. Even though the book. Clearly. Says. That. She’s. Black.
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