Current mood:

Fixin' for a fight

Seriously how is that not like blackface.*
Jackson Rathbone Talks Upcoming M. Night Shyamalan Film.

Due in theaters in summer 2010, "Airbender" has already begun to face a bit of controversy over the casting of white actors like Rathbone, Ringer and McCartney to play Asian characters — a concern the actor was quick to dismiss. "I think it's one of those things where I pull my hair up, shave the sides, and I definitely need a tan," he said of the transformation he'll go through to look more like Sokka.

Jackson Rathbone + tan = STILL NEITHER NATIVE AMERICAN NOR ASIAN.

*My boyfriend pointed out that it's not like blackface in that they're not doing it to exploit racial stereotypes, but I'm still deeply offended that Rathbone would summarily dismiss real and genuine concerns of many hurt and angry people with a tan.

ETA: If you're in the Philadelphia area (and how I wish I was) then see about looking into this protest being organized by aang-aint-white.

ETA AGAIN: Check out the open casting call for extras. And remember, if you're Korean, wear a hanbok kimono.

ETA SOME MORE: Via atreyu - Jesse McCartney informs us that Avatar is an anime from Japan! He's been doing kung fu for like three hours a day with different ninjas and stuff! The cast is full of idiots.

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(Post a new comment)

	southerngaelic 2009-01-23 03:21 pm UTC (link)
	......Shut up, Rathbone. Just shut up (Reply to this)

	stopthatgirl7 2009-01-23 03:47 pm UTC (link)
	Hi, I'd like to punch something. Like Jackson Rathbone's face. (Reply to this)

	platedlizard 2009-01-23 07:00 pm UTC (link)
	You know what? In my reality this movie does not exist. I suggest everyone join me. Ladedadeda! (Reply to this)(Thread)

	mcity 2009-01-23 07:28 pm UTC (link)
	What movie? What are you talking about? Why is this post even here, talking about an Avatar movie? (Reply to this)(Parent)

	mcity 2009-01-23 07:27 pm UTC (link)
	There's something darkly ironic about an Indian director casting white characters to play non-white characters. (Reply to this)

ingrid 2009-01-23 08:07 pm UTC (link)

What kills me most is that the voice of Uncle Iroh, Mako, was a huge trailblazing Asian actor and now all I can see is him rolling like a wheel on a race car in his grave. Nauseating. Mako's first cinema role was in the 1959 film Never So Few. In 1965, frustrated by the limited roles available to himself and other Asian American actors, Mako and 6 others formed the East West Players theatre company, first performing out of a church basement. The company is one of the earliest Asian American theatre organizations, and not only provided a venue for Asian American actors to train and perform, but nurtured many Asian American playwrights. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	anonyrat 2009-01-23 08:55 pm UTC (link)
	Agh, and they put that tear-jerking tribute in Tales of Ba Sing Se and everything. Goddammit, guys. Goddammit. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	lady_ganesh 2009-01-24 01:48 am UTC (link)
	Mako was so fucking cool. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - cmdr_zoom, 2009-01-24 09:06 am UTC

(no subject) - ecchaniz0r, 2009-01-24 09:22 pm UTC

vejiicakes 2009-01-24 11:56 am UTC (link)

^^^ THIS. I mean, this, right here? The yellowface treatment, and the further marginalization of Asian Americans (in ANY movie roles, let alone ones that are meant to reflect THEIR OWN cultures!) are what Mako and co. founded the EWP on in the first place. Ugh. He probably wrapped up what work he could on "Avatar", saw how enormously successful and respected and respectful it was and thought, perhaps, things would change for Asian American youth after all. JOKE'S ON US, I GUESS. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	beccastareyes 2009-01-24 06:37 pm UTC (link)
	You know, my first LJ post about this pointed out the irony in whitewashing a cast of a movie based on a show that had one of the pioneers of Asian-Americans in film as a voice actor, and how I never would have learned this part of Hollywood history if it hadn't been for Avatar. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	churri 2009-01-23 09:36 pm UTC (link)
	Someone remind me why the fuck I want to enter this industry again. *headsmack* (Reply to this)(Thread)

	lady_ganesh 2009-01-23 10:08 pm UTC (link)
	Because you want to make it better? I hope? (Reply to this)(Parent)

	ariadne484 2009-01-24 01:14 am UTC (link)
	I send you strength. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	inarticulate 2009-01-25 01:02 am UTC (link)
	Please do; we need people who actually realize how offensive this is. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	reeve 2009-01-23 10:58 pm UTC (link)
	Cartoon Brew on the controversy. They're annoyed, too. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	lady_ganesh 2009-01-24 01:42 am UTC (link)
	God, I want to go after some of those people in comments with a baseball bat. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - ecchaniz0r, 2009-01-24 10:36 pm UTC

(no subject) - lady_ganesh, 2009-01-25 01:52 am UTC

	squeakthemouse 2009-01-24 12:05 am UTC (link)
	Well, seeing as his biggest acting credit thus far is Twilight, I was expecting fail, but he's really exceeded my expectations. D: Hey, Jackson? This icon's dedicated to you. (Reply to this)

	innocentsmith 2009-01-24 05:39 am UTC (link)
	The latest: check out the local casting call for Last Airbender extras. "We want you to dress in traditional cultural ethnic attire," she said. "If you're Korean, wear a kimono. If you're from Belgium, wear lederhosen." ... Where does one even begin? (Reply to this)(Thread)

	lyssa 2009-01-24 05:56 am UTC (link)
	If you're Korean, wear a kimono. If that is a direct quote, I want to punch a bitch. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - innocentsmith, 2009-01-24 06:01 am UTC

	hallidae 2009-01-24 06:42 am UTC (link)
	... ::twitch:: (Reply to this)(Parent)

	eldritch 2009-01-24 06:48 am UTC (link)
	wha-- (Reply to this)(Parent)

	inarticulate 2009-01-24 06:55 am UTC (link)
	Well, if they're trying NOT to come across as racially and culturally insensitive, they're failing. 2/2 public statements by people working on the project racist ftl? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - innocentsmith, 2009-01-24 08:29 am UTC

(no subject) - atreyu, 2009-01-24 07:38 am UTC

(no subject) - nekoneko, 2009-01-24 08:06 am UTC

(no subject) - atreyu, 2009-01-24 08:18 pm UTC

(no subject) - pharae, 2009-01-24 10:08 am UTC

(no subject) - weaselistic, 2009-01-24 01:01 pm UTC

(no subject) - thebratqueen, 2009-01-24 01:46 pm UTC

(no subject) - ahiru, 2009-01-24 03:32 pm UTC

(no subject) - jaina, 2009-01-24 04:43 pm UTC

(no subject) - vejiicakes, 2009-01-25 09:02 am UTC

(no subject) - southerngaelic, 2009-01-24 04:08 pm UTC

(no subject) - nam_jai, 2009-01-24 05:53 pm UTC

(no subject) - hyaenid, 2009-01-24 09:17 pm UTC

(no subject) - lady_ganesh, 2009-01-25 01:52 am UTC

(no subject) - stopthatgirl7, 2009-01-25 02:50 pm UTC

(no subject) - breathe, 2009-01-29 02:58 am UTC

	atreyu 2009-01-24 08:19 pm UTC (link)
	http://community.livejournal.com/avatar_fans/2802137.html This just in! The cast continues to prove they're morons! (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - qwertyuiop, 2009-01-24 09:35 pm UTC

(no subject) - lady_ganesh, 2009-01-25 01:51 am UTC

(no subject) - atreyu, 2009-01-25 03:17 am UTC

(no subject) - mad_teacup, 2009-01-25 09:46 pm UTC

(no subject) - ravenbell, 2009-01-25 08:30 am UTC

(no subject) - dark_puck, 2009-01-25 06:46 pm UTC

(no subject) - atreyu, 2009-01-25 09:44 pm UTC

	brennalarose 2009-01-26 05:18 am UTC (link)
	*cries* I'm not even much of a fan, but... Augh. (Reply to this)

	tree 2009-01-26 12:36 pm UTC (link)
	God, I don't even know the first thing about Avatar other than some icons, screenshots, and fics I've come across, and I'm sitting here with my jaw on the floor. (Reply to this)

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