NEWS FLASH: In the future, we may not all be white!
The cast for the movie of The Hunger Games has been known for a while, but a certain segment of the fandom is having a hard time coming to terms with something about it: Namely, that Rue and Thresh, both described in the book as dark-skinned, will be played by African-American actors. Worse, so will Cinna, whose ethnicity isn't mentioned, and therefore must be white.

Hunger Games Tweets has been keeping its eye on some of the worse elements. Warning: Some extremely vile, racist language. Did you know that sweet, innocent girls must always be pale and fair-haired? And gay men can't be black? I'm telling you, it's an education.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go vomit.

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	sequinedlizard 2012-03-10 08:00 pm UTC (link)
	I really don't remember anything in the text saying Cinna was gay. Is it just because he's good with fashion that people read him that way? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	mirhanda 2012-03-10 08:03 pm UTC (link)
	I don't know if you meant to reply to me. If you did, I have to say I don't know as I've never read The Hunger Games. I was just responding to the outcry that gay men can't be black. Although after reading this, I think I might hunt up the books (hopefully in an ebook format!) (Reply to this)(Parent)

	honorh 2012-03-11 03:51 am UTC (link)
	Of course. Because a male stylist couldn't possibly be straight, y'know. eyeroll (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sequinedlizard 2012-03-12 04:27 am UTC (link)
	That's why I'm torn. Because it would be awesome to have a decent black gay man in film/literature, but I'm leery of him being labeled gay simply because of his kick ass fashion sense. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

chibikaijuu
2012-04-19 08:07 pm UTC (link)

OTOH, I hate the erasure and subsequent devaluing of real people who actually do fall into gay stereotypes that happens when people get up in arms about how character X who reads as gay to a lot of people could totally be straight, you guys! I get fighting stereotypes, but honestly the way to do that isn't to say that characters who read as gay could be straight, but to introduce characters of all sexualities and personalities. So yeah, the straight stylist, but also the gay stylist and the gay sports star and so forth.

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	hydriotaphia 2012-03-11 04:05 am UTC (link)
	NGL, I always assumed that sexuality was fluid for people in the Capitol. Of course, that might be because I love the idea of Cinna/Finnick. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	honorh 2012-03-11 05:52 am UTC (link)
	It's based on Ancient Rome, which likely means all kinds of freaky goes down there. I have a feeling what's acceptable in the Capitol isn't necessarily okay in the Districts, though; I got the feeling the Districts are pretty prudish, which is why Finnick's expose worked as propaganda. (Reply to this)(Parent)

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