I would say minor characters would all be different races, if you've noticed their are many colours in different reigons of the avatar world, but, In my opinion for a movie I would cast the "Main characters" races as..
.Aang- Asian . Katara, Sokka & family- Mixed race .Toph- Asian/white? .Zuko & Azula- White .Iroh- Asian .Haru- spanish .Kyoshi warriors- mixed .Mai- Asian .Ty lee- white
. Jet, killer bee, longshot- white, .Ozai- asian, princess yue - white Just a quick list, Lol
@o0Rice0o Yeah, problem is with anime films people get picky on how close to the anime the character can get, That's why anime turned into films is such a hard thing to construct.
"Aang isn't (IPA: /æŋ/), it's (IPA: /ɑŋ/). Iraq isn't (IPA: /ɪræk), it's (IPA: /ɪrɑk/). It's an opportunity. I don't have to make the film for the little kids on Cartoon Network; I'm making it for the world. And 85% of the people who are going to see this movie have probably never seen the show, and I want it to be legitimate. I'm Asian. What can I do?"
@ClassicTVMan1981X I really don't care about the whole race thing, I think everyone has blown it way out of proportion. but if M. Night Shymalan really thought that 85% of the people hadn't seen the show, then he obviously didn't realize how popular the show truly was and if he actually thought no one had seen the show, it makes total sense why the movie bombed. I think he screwed that up big time. More like 85% were HUGE fans of the show...just sayin'.
It wasn't the 'they aren't of the right culture' thing that bugged me with the casting of The Last Airbender. Aang didn't look to be of any particular ethnicity, though he's obviously in an Asian culture. But he didn't LOOK to be any. So I'd be okay about Aang being casted as such- IF he were a good actor. But to have a Caucasian playing Katara? Sokka? They don't look alike. It isn't an accurate portrayal of the characters. Same with Zuko. They didn't look at all alike. THATS what pissed me off.
The show was inspired by asian culture it would make sense it would have asian actors and wtf does the way they look how to do with anything some of you guys are saying they look white what exactly made them look white if they didn;t look asian. Oh yea all asian look the same crap like that, so anything that people don't consider to be asian is white
@baconfw33k Um. Yes? I'm pretty sure that's what I said, but seeing as how my comment was censored, I can't be certain. Inuit cultures are not all Asian, so you've made an unfounded generalization of the series. And I'm pretty sure Aang looks less Asian than white. Many of the Fire Nation characters in the series look white, but they are played by people of Indian descent, even the ones who do look Asian. If you want to complain about "racebending" look farther than white actors playing Inuits.
We cannot rely on the way the main(young) characters are drawn to identify their real-life counterpart ethnicities. They are drawn in a very generic rounded way. We CAN however ID the ethnicity of the main character's family, and older members of their nation. THEY'RE FUCKING ASIAN.
Awww that little girl @ :31 is so cute! Anyway, I always visualized Aang and the Airbenders as Tibetan - there are so many similarities between the concepts of the Avatar and that of the Dalai Lama, not to mention the air temples being located up in the mountains. That's just my observation lol. I have to say, however, that I'm very open-minded when it comes to movie casting. Noah Ringer as Aang was one of the few casting choices I really liked. Just my opinion lol =)
I don't feel casting white people as members of The Last Airbender cast is racist, nor do I feel it is culturally demeaning to us Asians in anyway. Instead I think the anger of some of the fans at this casting is in fact the act of racism we should prevent. When Miss Lea Salonga played Fantine, a French character in the musical Les Miserable, it was acceptable and seen as something good, which it is, however, when white actors were made cast members in TLA, it is seen as racist. Consider.
@FrozenCappucino You make a VERY good point. I was trying to think of examples where ethnic people have played characters ordinarily portrayed by white actors, or even depicted and understood as caucasian people. Ah, Denzel Washington as Brutus in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar back in 2005. Is *that* racist?
@CuppyCakeBabi sorry comment was not meant for u, but on the same note, there shud be no black ppl in this either. everything about it screams asian, there is no european influence in it whatsoever! it s like these ppl think the rest of us r the dumbest creatures on this planet. stop stealing cultures babylon!
Rush Hour, Jackie Chan movies, book of eli , Matrix, Blade etc - there are loads of movies with colored heroes. But ye I agree upon the bigiosity of paramount in This movie
I think the thing about Aang is the fact some ANIME looking characters looked Asian, example: Toph's mother. I know Asians can have large eyes but it always has the signature almond shape. While Aang's eyes, has no short of tilt, they were very flat lined. That poster makes things better, but that's one image vs. about 90 episodes.
So I can understand why people think he's white. His monk background however tips the scale.
The last air bender is so ruined... how can this movie get the investment! Don't watch this boring movie. it is one of the worst movie I ever ever watched!
@ChaseTerrier I know; I'm pinkish-purple. I'm certainly more colorful than a lot of "people of color", which is a stupid NAACP term, btw. "People of color" was only meant to apply to black people; ARE SOKKA AND KATARA SUPPOSED TO BE BLACK? Not even close; the best resemblance I've seen to Katara was with a mostly-White Latina cosplayer with blue eyes and a nice tan.
@otnomnoraa what kind a ingnorant fuck are u. the term PEOPLE OF COLOR aplies to ALL PEOPLE OF COLOR, which includes ASIANS. a mostly white latina cosplayer huh, WAS KATARA FUCKIN WHITE OR LATINA U FUCKIN WHITE WASH BASTARD.OH AND I BET U WOULD HAVE THOUGH JUSTIN BIEBER TO BE A BETTER CHOICE FOR AANG. U DUMB SHIT
@ZzIAmNOTLegendzZ Lmao. Someone's feeling a little butthurt. I'm well aware that the Avatar series took place in a heavily Chinese and East Asian culture, but you cannot factually equate culture with skin color, if you want to do that. Also, you're an idiot. Simply yelling "ALL PEOPLE OF COLOR" doesn't change the history behind the term; people of color has referred to black people since the inception of the NAACP.
I could just as easily call you a racist for wanting no white people in the mov.
@ZzIAmNOTLegendzZ Were there any Asian people in the show? NO FUCKTARD.
It's an animated show which uses a mix of Western and anime animation styles. It was also written, produced, directed, and mostly voiced by white people.
In my personal opinion, characters like Admiral Zhao were most certainly white, while characters like Uncle Iroh were most certainly Asian. You're making race boundaries where they simply do not exist.
@otnomnoraa lol why does "color" bother u so? the whole fuckin theme is asian and there r many asians of different skincolor and different features, there is enuf to choose from. the truth is that there shud be no black or white actors, asian is enuf. i m black so dont give me the racist trip. i m sure shaymalan had little say in this, he probably only got to promote the indians. so yes that cast was very biased but we r used to it, it s not like white ppl havent tried to steal cultures before
@smukase Pardon me, but how have "white people" gone about "stealing cultures"? It seems they've shared or even forced their own culture upon others to a far greater extent.
As for all the characters being Asian... I wouldn't mind that too greatly, but I think it would be a silly compromise to make since the inherent LACK of diversity in an American film would alienate most of the US' population, and it "wouldn't not" make sense either.
@otnomnoraa lol so the US can do whatever they want, and get away with it cuz of "diversity"? what a fucking joke! imagine if this movie was african themed, and u had to see a bunch white ppl running around in costume, still trying to fake it lol sorry but the whole black community wud boycott the movie and sue them! lol i cant even begin to explain to u why they steal cultures if u r not already informed to that extent. the word "integrity" does not exist in european logic
@smukase You could say the same thing about any exploitative group of individuals, which exist in every culture and ethnicity. There's no such thing as "stealing cultures". Intelligent society adapts and evolves by adopting the best parts of other societies. It's the way every successful society has ever been. Every new human being is a culmination of every other human being that has ever come into contact with their lineageBy the very definition and application of "culture" it cannot be stolen.
@otnomnoraa lol the lengths ppl will go to defend smth that cannot be defended. ok tell me, were the massacres (that r still going on btw, only in a different form) necessary? were the genocides also part of that successful society of yours? we all know cultures were at war even in ancient times, but take the dehumanization of africa e.g. do u understand the meaning of a continent with more than 100 different cultures in it? cultures not culture. so u tell me, how cud there be no other agenda?
@otnomnoraa lol the lengths ppl will go to defend smth that cannot be defended. ok tell me, were the massacres (that r still going on btw, only in a different form) necessary? were the genocides also part of that successful society of yours? we all know cultures were at war even in ancient times, but take the dehumanization of africa e.g. do u understand the meaning of a continent with more than 100 different cultures in it? cultures not culture. so u tell me, how cud there be no other agenda?
@smukase What on Earth are you talking about? I'm Finnish. "My society" fell under the Iron Curtain and has essentially been a group of 4-5 million quiet sheep for the past millennium.
If you want to generalize "whitey", which is idiotic, by the way, but at least do it right.
So you dislike European colonialism. Same. South Africa would have been a beautiful Dutch colony if they'd never taken slaves. African cultures have been diluted, and lost.
@otnomnoraa why do u feel attacked personally, are you a colonist? u talked about a successful society and i said that society of yours "that u r talking about". i dislike all forms of colonialism but europeans have by far been the most successful because they went to lengths that no one else dared go. i dont think u understand what that means. a lot of civilizations have been after world domination and wud trade places with euros if they cud lol u think am not aware of that?
@otnomnoraa but are they able to do what it takes? u must have misunderstood. all humans are infected with the devil, that i hope we can agree on. the isuue here is that africa is not just a continent, it s the biggest becuz of the migration of its people. u wud be suprised just how big it wud be if u think about it. my point is that european colonialism still continues but on a different form. if u still dont get it then am afriad i cant cure ignorance
Fuck you race bending. Half the movie was asian. IF they cast it as all asians, i'll bet you would'nt care in the least that there would'nt be any caucasians in the movie.
Fuck you race bending. Half the movie was asian. IF they cast it as all asians, i'll bet you would'nt care in the least that there would'nt be any caucasians in the movie.
"We went out to lunch and started talking about the show, how the story takes place in an alternate world and the characters. Everyone is ethnic...Asian, but not from any specific Asian country. It was kind of like a non-descriptive ethnicity."
lol @ people going "It's just a cartoon/story, who cares!".
If we cast all blacks to play in a movie based off English history or French history, wouldn't that make people protest? How bout we cast all Chinese people into the lord of the ring series? Better yet, lets change Harry Potter into an Indian guy and everyone else in the HP series.
@chinesemusicDJ If you think Avatar: The Last Airbender qualifies as Chinese history, your government is keeping more than just Facebook from the people. :(
@chinesemusicDJ Obviously not, or you wouldn't be on YouTube. But is it any less assuming to say that Aang is in an Asian environment so he must be Asian? ;)
Both Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, which both are heavily influenced by a real culture. Well Harry Potter is just plain British, and Lord of the Rings is based on Anglo-Saxon/Germanic/Norse cultures.
How would people react if the cast was only comprised of Africans or Arabs? I really don't care if Aang was white, but how the fuck can shamamadingdong cast Indians in this film? He is clearly biased and wants to put his own ethnic group on the spot. I rather see whites then Indians
My point is, if Shamlalamamamadingdong's excuse for casting an all white cast is that because America is predominantly white then that's fine. I truly much rather watch a film with all whites then him placing his own people into the film. Seriously, how do you get someone named Iroh, Zuko, Ozai, and cast Indians? It's neither relevant nor logical. I love the series, but Shamalamadingdongfuck ruined the live action film. They should of gotten someone more capable then that retarded fuck.
@PUFFYsaidgo Well, shit. Here we were having our nonsense discussion using stupid things like logic and analogy, and this whole time all we needed was for you to come in and solve all our problems with a "because I said so". Thank you. I have no choice but to withdraw my argument in light of that superior thinking. XD
@scoundr3l No need to be sarcastic since people who worked on the show have confirmed the characters are fantasy Asian. Your beef is with the creators.
@PUFFYsaidgo I don't know who "Benjamin Wynn" is, but I'm pretty sure he's not the final word on the ethnicity of the characters. Also, this movie didn't come out of a nexus... it was produced by the same people who produce the show (which also cast white people). So, to use your own argument (satirically), the 'people who worked on the show' have confirmed the characters are white... twice. I don't have any beef, your side brought the argument up. It's all fantasy to me.
@scoundr3l Everything, and I mean everything, that you typed is based on ignorance. Benjamin Wyn has no "final say" on the characters' ethnicities. He was the roommate of Avatar co-creator Bryan Konietzko, who asked Benjamin and his business partnet to do the music for the show. The quote is Benjamin's retelling of a lunch meeting where Bryan told the Track Team the basis of the show.
Next, the creators of the show were not behind the movie. Manoj optioned Nickelodeon for the movie
[CONTINUED] rights. Bryan and Michael, though they are credited as the co-creators of Avatar, do not actually own the rights. Nickelodeon does and it gave Manoj the okay to make the movie. Bryan and Michael only really suggested to Manoj to skim down the script which had originally contained the details of all twenty season one episodes. Also, being named "executive producer" is just for show. It's most likely that they signed a nondisclosure agreement which prevents them from saying
[CONTINUED] anything negative about the movie. However, it does not stop them from promoting the movie, which Bryan and Michael have not promoted the movie at all. All they have said was that they were excited from watching the teaser months ago, and who wasn't? But after that, nothing. When asked about the movie after its release, they prefer not to comment. Don't make ridiculous claims.
"omgz benjamin doesnt hav final say own the chracters and i no this cuz i said i dont know whooo he is!
[CONTINUED] omgz the creator smade the movie, which is why is sucked compared 2 rthe original source materul that the creatorz werked on!! omgz! everything i tyuped maed sense!"
@scoundr3l That's OK. Attention spans are quite short these days. Why bother reading an argument and formulate a decent retort when you can just hurl insults? Haha.
@ShowtimePanda You're clearly an expert on internet arguments, I agree. Why bother? I'm one of the few people left who even cares enough to argue about it. XD
You know who had the right idea? The 40 million people who went to see the movie without any thought of this boycott. Also, the show's creators, who didn't even bother to take a side. So why do I bother? Who knows ;)
@scoundr3l I'm actually on your side, and I agree. I tried watching the film, as painful as it was. And didn't feel too bothered by it even though I'm Asian American who lived on a floor filled with Asian Americans who took seminars on Asian American issues. Who cares if they're not Asian? None of the creators acted as if the (poor) casting broke the artistic integrity of the work. If anything they should be bothered (maybe they were). But they didn't step up. Detractors should blame them.
@multihappydayz (3) This issue of representation and marginalization of people of color is something that White people do not have to really care about because the media is hardly lacking of many different kinds of White people.
I'm amused that you brought up that you had friends of color. I did not accuse you, as an individual, of racism, and the fact that you have friends of color doesn't preclude your own bigotry.
@multihappydayz (2) As a member of the majority, your race doesn't particularly number in your day-to-day interactions because you are considered normal, racially. For example, there is a balance between evil and good White characters in mainstream American culture, but there are so few round, good, interesting characters of color to balance out the large number of flat, usually villainous characters of color.
@multihappydayz Do you doubt that people of color face the kinds of institutional and structural racism of which The Last Airbender, 21, or 30 Days of Night are recent examples? It's the definition of privilege that you, as a White person in America, do not have to care about race until a person of color brings it up. Almost no person of color you will meet can share this outlook on life-- race matters very much in their lives.
@xXWraithSoldierXx (4) You see this all the time in movies and tv shows with one-dimensional characters of color. Troublingly, there is a double standard when characters of color who are flouting their heritage are the protagonists of the story, and Mainstream American culture almost always tries to replace them with White people.
@xXWraithSoldierXx (3) I agree when you say that White people are seen as just White. It's very much a privilege only White people have. People of color, because they're so obviously not White, are assumed to have strong connections to their ancestors' culture that it becomes the most defining aspect of their identity, despite these people of color having grown up with Mainstream American culture and going to school in America... Etc.
@xXWraithSoldierXx (2) White people do have culture from their ancestors. Forks? Not Asian. Saying "bless you" when someone sneezes? European. Suits? European. Classical music? Refers to European classical music, not Classical African music. Think harder. Most of mainstream American culture has its roots in European cultures.
@xXWraithSoldierXx I'm not complaining about White culture being overwhelmingly White. I'm complaining about how White mainstream culture has a tendency to co-opt non-White heritages and simultaneously demonizing or marginalizing the very people that come with those heritages, feigning diversity and inclusion.
wow, so many paragraphs. i didnt think that it was so important about race still. im white. and i dont care if aang is white too or chinese! i love kataang!!! <3
@multihappydayz It's a privilege to not have to care about race as you can. People of color have to deal with terrible depictions of themselves with no alternative to balance out such stereotypical imagery. Case in point, The Last Airbender.
@thephieffect uhhh, who are tha ones still harshing on the colored?! ALL of my BFF's are either black or mexican. and one of their parents still doesnt know english. im okay with anything. its not a privilage, i can control what i think and say about and to people. right now i choose these words of wisdom, think before you at, or TYPE
Anime characters don't have Caucasian eyes, If the eyes of anime characters were rendered in real life, the person wouldn't look human, they would have eyes about 3 times normal. The characters have large eyes for the same reason Disney's animations have large eyes: With larger eyes in animation it is easier to depict different ranges of emotion. The characters are rendered using stills and eyes can convey a large amount of information about the character within a limited shot.
@scoundr3l uh i dont have a problem with seeing white people so i have no idea where the hell you got that notion from, i see white people all the time- i even have white people in my family. Yes i wish racism disappeared as much as you do, around the world and including the movie industry..i guess that would be considered around the world. XP
Theres actual history behind this cartoon that people really seem to not know about. The fire lord is actually based off China's first emperor Ying Zheng, the moon goddess is and the guy with the 3rd eye are both Chinese mythologies. So people who still trying to say they arent Asian need to do some research or look at the documentry called yellow face.
@hapibth0pel3ss Very true, some people must be really ignorant to deny the show's cultural influence from those in real life. Like the walls of Ba Sing Se in the series, which is based from China's Great Wall, the architecture, the writing, etc. It's so obvious.
@hapibth0pel3ss No waiiiiii. Are you kidding me?? I never would have guessed the show was based on Asian cultures... omg, it all makes sense now. Thanks for esplainin it.
Still, it's a shame the characters are all white :/
@scoundr3l Avatar borrows heavily from Japanese animation, one technique of which is the use of external markers for ethnicity. While your subjective opinion is that these characters look White because that is your cultural default in regards to simplified depictions of people, all cultural and ethnic markers in the series objectively point to non-White peoples. The difference is that "they look White" compared to "their clothes, hair, calligraphy, philosophies... etc. are not White."
@thephieffect Oh, and Japanese animation borrowed heavily from Walt Disney (a white American) so don't try bringing the art style in to justify their ethnicity. Astro Boy wasn't American just because he looked like Mickey Mouse.
@scoundr3l (2) Yes, Japanese animation borrowed heavily from American styles, but you're ignoring the change and development it went through afterward, in a culture without our history of racial relations and customs. Animation is a medium where details are left out to facilitate efficiency and emotional connection -- it's the whole deal with the uncanny valley.
@thephieffect Come from, who your family is.. You know about your ancestry, culture, ect. (I assume) I can't even tell you what tribe(s) 90 and 80% of my family comes from. Count yourself lucky for who you are.
@scoundr3l (3) With racial markers mostly left out or up for debate, it's foolish to base a racial identity on a subjective opinion of how an artist draws a fictional character. When cultural and environmental markers point objectively toward a certain ethnicity, doesn't it stand that there's more objective evidence for such an identity than how a character's facial features "look?" This is how Japanese animation functions, and Avatar built upon that for an American audience.
@scoundr3l yep they completely white washed the cast cause even zuko at one point was going to be white (played by Jessie McCartney). And then people say its not racist cause they have darker skin people in the movie (the Indians as the fire nation) but what they dont see is that the fire nation is Chinese. So it would be Asian characters going against other Asian characters. So that way its wouldn't be seen as racist.
@hapibth0pel3ss The Avatar and the Northern Water Tribe are White. The Fire Nation is indisputably evil and dark-skinned. In the context of the history of race in America, that's a very, very suspect juxtaposition to create.
@hapibth0pel3ss I guess I don't have as much of a problem with seeing white people as you do. In fact, if you hadn't pointed it out, I probably wouldn't have noticed.
Man, I hate racism. I wish we could all just be people. :(
@scoundr3l (4) I wouldn't have such a problem with seeing White people either, but minorities have had to deal with cultural appropriation for decades. Had there not been the hiring of a professional Chinese calligrapher, proof of research into Asian cultures, the hiring of a professional martial arts instructor, references to actual, common Asian and Native American mythology, etc. I would have believed that these characters could have been White.
@scoundr3l (5) But the creators put too much work into creating an accurate world of Asian and First Nation cultures to simply fall prey to cultural appropriation. They showed too much care in creating this world to simply populate it with White people, not to mention comments in their art book about Asian people who reminded them of certain characters (!!!).
@scoundr3l (6) It would certainly be great if we could get over race, but race has played a vitally important part in the human identity since who knows when. To disregard it completely is to ignore not only the bad things but the good things that come with racial consciousness. Especially when movies like this arise, showing how our society doesn't really like people of color and really only wants their culture for exotic-ness.
@scoundr3l (7) How can I say this? Well, there don't seem to be any mainstream movies with normal, heroic Asian-American or First Nation leads, are there? There's nothing to balance out this marginalization; it's not an equal playing field for minorities.
@thephieffect All-in-all, I thing we're on the same team.
I understand there is a lot of tension in this issue and I empathize with your stance. From a white person's perspective, this issue approaches dangerously close to reverse-racism. That was my concern, any way. Otherwise, we've found level ground.
@scoundr3l Racism, to me and scholars on the subject, differs from the dictionary definition in that an element of power must be attributed to the oppressing party. While racial bigotry can go from any group toward another, racism carries a special place in that the racist group must have the societal power to enact such bigotry. This is why I disagree with your notion of "reverse racism" and your discomfort in the situation.
@scoundr3l (2) American society is a vastly White society, because the majority is White. That doesn't matter to me. What does matter is when this group with undeniable power expresses its bigotry against groups in the minority. You can see this in cases like the one where a 14-year-old Black kid, described as a "man" in news articles, was arrested for helping a little 4-year-old White girl find her mother. While he did the right thing, he was branded as a thug because of his race.
@scoundr3l (3) White people do not have to face stereotypes like that. White people do not have to fear that any of their negative actions will reflect on their racial group as a whole. It's a privilege, however small, that people of color do not get to enjoy. These privileges add up, though, and people of color have to live with this as daily fact. White people do not.
@scoundr3l (4) Look at what races of people occupy the echelons of power in our country, and tell me again that people of color *really* have the power to enact "reverse racism" in face of a majority White population and White power structure.
I'm not bashing you for being White; I want you to realize that as a White person, you do in fact gain from what people of color lose out on. Where there's an up, there's a down.
@thephieffect Ok, now you're getting wildly off subject here.
A) You can't disagree with someone's feelings
B) The very definition of reverse racism is that the majority being discriminated against because they are the majority
C) As the majority race, you're right... we don't have to fear negative reactions. But, at the same time, we don't have to apologize for being successful.
If you've got another long post, please send it in the form of a private message. I'd be happy to discuss it there.
@scoundr3l A) Sorry, I meant to say I disagree with the basis of your discomfort.
B) Certainly, but I fail to see any meaningful example of "reverse racism," especially in context of Hollywood where White actors are almost always picked over minority ones, even for minority roles.
@scoundr3l (2) C) I'm not expecting White people to apologize; I'm expecting White people to realize that a context of *some* of their successes are due to the losses of people of color. Case in point, this film. White people got more roles; Asian-American and Inuit actors lost them. It's called White privilege.
@thephieffect Most white fans wanted Asian and native american actors. Myself included. I don't want to see a white girl playing a native american, or a white boy playing an asian. >_< It's not white priv. It's M Night Sham being a fucking dumbass and shitting on the series.
@xXWraithSoldierXx First things first, I suggest looking up the essay/rant "White People Have No Culture," on the blog "Stuff White People Say."
In the context of America, mainstream American culture *is* White culture and heritage. It's indisputable that most, if not all, of American culture is for and by White people.
@thephieffect If you don't want "white only culture" I suggest moving to Louisiana. There it's Cajun and Creole culture mixed. Look at the food, Parades, Holidays. <3
When i said white people have no culture, i meant.. No culture from their ancestors. When Asians move to America, they bring their food, their life styles, their language.. Everything. "White" people are only "White" Because of their skin.. No matter where they are from, they are considered "White" You may argue, but it's true
@xXWraithSoldierXx (2) White people have the privilege of relinquishing their ancestry for success and assimilation in America. They have the opportunity to seamlessly participate in the so-prevalent-it's-invisible culture that is White America. People of color, such as myself, cannot. However much we try to "act White" or however long our forebears have lived in the U.S, we are somehow always treated like we have a different culture.
@xXWraithSoldierXx (3) We don't have any more culture or ancestry than you do; we are racialized to an absurd degree. This racialization distances people of color from the normal, default, invisible White American culture and heritage by instantly creating the assumption that people of color have a real connection to a foreign country that White people do not.
@xXWraithSoldierXx (4) Regarding the casting, yes, it is White privilege that White actors were selected over Asian-American and Native American ones. White is the default race, the neutral race in America. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but in a case like TLA where the characters were clearly not White, it's an undue privilege that these unknown, weak White actors got.
@Aggrestor India is India. I know nothing about the contexts of its racial or ethnic conflicts, but I'm sure that whatever conclusion you can extract from its movie industry probably doesn't apply to the U.S. America, I was asserting, makes itself out to be this wonderful land of racial and ethnic diversity and equality for all peoples.
@Aggrestor (2) Yet we can easily see here and in many, many other Hollywood films that American society is perfectly willing to condone the stealing of cultures from minorities and giving the minorities nothing in return. Americans love listening to the stories of immigrants of all races, because they can relate to all these stories despite the racial differences. Heck, American audiences have bonded with robots and blue cat-aliens.
@Aggrestor (3) People of color in America have to relate *all the time* to the White protagonists that pervade American media. I don't think at all that it is too much to ask White audiences to connect with *humans* of a different race.
@Aggrestor (4) I find it appalling that Asian-American and Inuit people, whose representative actors make up barely over 2% of lead roles in Hollywood, far, far lower than their percentage in the population, are expected to be *okay* with a movie that uses their heritage wholesale, yet the PoC who come with those heritages are neither heroes nor important characters. No matter how you spin it, that's not fair to PoC, and should *not* be happening in America, the land of equality and diversity.
@Aggrestor (5) White people have more than enough representation in mainstream media. Maybe the PoC who are so valued for the diversity they bring should get a chance at being the heroes of a story, too.
@thephieffect When China makes its own Hollywood, Chinese people can get their own share of the media representation. Got a problem seeing so many white people? Move to a country that isn't predominantly white.
@scoundr3l I guess I was wrong to think that despite my Asian heritage, this country and its movie industry is as mine as any White American's.
Take your ignorant, bigoted views of America and your misrepresentation of my argument somewhere else. The problem isn't that White Americans are the majority; the problem is that they marginalize and steal from minorities who are supposedly valued for the diversity that they bring to this country, *as citizens.*
@scoundr3l I am Asian-American; that is what I meant by "Asian heritage." The fact that I have to identify myself as such is a function of how American society is divided over race. I wake up every morning, look at the TV and realize that I am not White; I doubt White people have to do the same, since theirs is the narrative of normalcy in this country. It also stands that they are the majority, and they hold the power and occupy the social structures *to* marginalize minorities.
@thephieffect Hm.. Asian-Americans aren't really hated. Most people would rather be Asian-American than white.. Mainly because of the rich culture and heretige. White people are lost.. Only thing i know about my ancestry is that my moms side of the family consists of 90% Native American and 10% Irish. My Dads side is 80% Native American and 20% Irish. My whole family is considered "white" because of our skin color. I know none of my Native family because of this. You atleast know where you
@xXWraithSoldierXx (5) I don't believe that Asian-Americans and other people of color are outright hated. I do believe that certain institutions in America irrationally prefer White people over people of color, and many White people do not realize that this happens or outright denies its existence because, let's face it, they're not the ones getting screwed over.
@Aggrestor (6) If they are entitled to market this piece of cultural appropriation and marginalization of PoC, then I am entitled to call them out on selling a product that has very clear racist implications.
I don't find it very strange and appalling that movies (and other art) in a particular culture feature mostly people from the ethnic majority. You'll see a white Jesus in Western cultures, but also a black Jesus in African cultures and an Asian Jesus in Asian cultures etc. Because people relate more to people who look like themselves. That might not be very kind, but we just work that way. And the movie producers are in my opinion free to use this to sell their movie.
Well... if a play of, say, Shakespeare in Africa is performed by black Africans, they're racist too? And did you think Bollywood uses white actors for Western stories? Of course not.
I too would find it cool if they used Inuit actors. But I don't understand why some make such a big deal about this.
@Aggrestor Addressing Bollywood, Bollywood is in India, which has quite different contexts in terms of racial dynamics. It has no bearing on this conversation about the U.S, which prides itself on being diverse and respectful of the many peoples in its borders.
The big deal is that at the very least, actors of color should have the same opportunities to land minority roles as White actors do. The casting calls for TLA show, however, that this was never the case.
@Aggrestor (2) It’s not that Italians should only play Italians, or Jews should only play Jews. It’s that Italians have *always* been able to play Jews, and Jews have *always* been able to play Italians, but Asians have *never* been able to play Italians, Jews, *or Asians.*
@Aggrestor (3) Do you expect minorities to stay quiet when their culture is center-stage, yet the *people* that come with that culture are expected to be happy with background roles and villainy?
In Japan , Majority people get cast in major roles.
In Germany , Majority people get cast in major roles.
It has nothing to do with race , it's all just where your at.
If you are living in China , Chinese people are more likely to get cast as major role.Treating people because they are different , is racial segregation .
@FreeThinkingOpenMind (6) We're talking about the U.S., here, not what happens in Japan or Germany. The circumstances of those film industries are dramatically different from that of the U.S. Don't derail.
The U.S. says that it's the land of diversity and values all people of color. Why is it that if there's this even playing field that, again, White actors are more likely to get minority roles than the reverse? This situation leads to less available roles for minorities overall. It's wrong.
@215Ravenous We're not talking about The Legend of Korra. But to address this, does drawing inspiration from Western cities for the design of Republic City negate the fact that these people still use Chinese martial arts, have Non-Western names (like Tenzin, which is the name of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso), have pagoda-style buildings, deal with reincarnation in the way Asia cultures do, and that the creators are also drawing from 1920s and 1930s Shanghai and Hong Kong.
@thephieffect Yes but now they seem to be taking some of more diversity than just asian by adding Western culture and creating a city were every nations people can reside.
@215Ravenous (2) All of that I drew from the creators' interview with the WSJ.
I don't believe that them drawing a few inspirations from Western culture will override the fact that the core of the cultures are still Asian and Inuit, in much the same way modern Asian cities have Western influences but have an undeniably and uniquely Asian spin on those influences.
@thephieffect NO but at least it will add more culture other than asian. Just because the show is based off asian culture doesnt asian is in control. every race loves the show so I think its good to add more races.
@215Ravenous And just because White people are the majority and Black people exist doesn't mean that they are in every single story that Americans tell.
Many minorities loved this show because, for once, there was a show just about Asian and Inuit culture - with a smattering of other ones - in a world created specifically for those cultures.
@thephieffect I know. I dont want them to be in every story. But I dont think it was made specifically for asian and inuit. just because its made majoritly about asian culture doesnt mean there isnt western culture or other cultures. Because of the korra announcement I was hoping the avatar fandom would be able to come together again and forget about this stupid race controversy. But you seem very intent to keep it asian and nothing else. When korra debuts I hope they use many different cultures
@215Ravenous The Art Book talks about the creators' creative process. From the beginning they wanted to avoid the whole European fantasy and magic and wands thing. They both greatly admired Asian culture, and so they decided to make a pan-Asian fantasy world. Instead of having varieties of Western cultures in that world for diversity, they had varieties of Asian and Inuit cultures. If that doesn't mean that they avoided Western culture and focused on Asian cultures, then I don't know what does.
@215Ravenous (2) There's no cultural evidence that White people or Black exist in the Avatar world like there is for Asians and the Inuit and mesoAmericans. You can hope that they're there, but the fact is that the show shows no evidence to their existence, and the creators' creative process show no indications of their presence, either.
@215Ravenous It is a weak argument to suggest that they can still be there even though we don't see them. No duh. But the characters, background and lead, who we DO see have undeniably non-White heritages. There's no beyond a shadow of a doubt indication to the contrary, which is why people are upset with the casting.
@215Ravenous (3) Do not call it a "stupid race controversy." You're belittling the importance of race in American society and dismissing legitimate concerns about PoCs in society. Before you ever call someone out on whining about race again, think about *why* you may not see what they're seeing. It may very well be that you're benefiting from or unaffected by the forces that that person is pointing out, so of course you wouldn't notice the inequality. You're not getting effed over by it.
@thephieffect I do understand that asians acting chances are much slimmer than whites and even some blacks. I do believe some films whitewash and that they prefer white actors. Shymalan was not evil by getting the best actors who auditioned. The casting call should not have said what it did and maybe it would have been a different better cast if he did but he didnt mean to make it look like he discriminated. It may have been best to make it an all asian movie but he wanted more diversity.
@215Ravenous I don't think Shyamaln is evil. I'm not questioning his or the production's intent, but the movie speaks for itself. It has very racist implications that critics and fans alike have made clear to both of them. These implications have barely a connection to the original work. It was a mistake on their part, and they should have owned up to it and tried to rectify it as best they could. But they denied it all and threw out excuses for *their* movie, excuses that have been debunked.
@thephieffect I wish all this was different and never happened but at least with Korra we can all get back to some originality at least if they dont say they will make a sequel. But if that happens I wont even care because I will be watching the Legend Of Korra.
@215Ravenous (4) While I admit that I would like Korra to be overwhelmingly Asian and Inuit, that doesn't change the fact that TLA defied every piece of evidence that pointed to characters' and nations' ethnic and thus racial identities. That coupled with Hollywood marginalization of people of color and stealing of their cultures for profit makes anti-casters very, very angry. It's illogical, unfair, and racist.
@thephieffect Im sorry we had to meet on opposite lines of the playing field. You seem to know so much about ATLA that if this did not come up we could be friends. *show Quote*
@215Ravenous (2) The show's very existence brought diversity to an industry that more often than usually ignores the minority sides of things. To suggest that adding "more races," or in other words adding White people, would make this better is not understanding the spirit of the show. It was created with the specific purpose to NOT focus on European White heritage and White American culture.
@thephieffect No it was made to entertain and create a great mythology. I would be fine if they kept the show the way it is. But I do want to see expansion to this great show so that it will appeal to all. Also Korra will be in a steampunk city so I think they are already expanding. Mike and Bryan are GODS
if aang is white, he is the SEXIEST white guy ive EVER seen.
;w; <3
bratznextopmodelover 1 month ago
I would say minor characters would all be different races, if you've noticed their are many colours in different reigons of the avatar world, but, In my opinion for a movie I would cast the "Main characters" races as..
.Aang- Asian . Katara, Sokka & family- Mixed race .Toph- Asian/white? .Zuko & Azula- White .Iroh- Asian .Haru- spanish .Kyoshi warriors- mixed .Mai- Asian .Ty lee- white
. Jet, killer bee, longshot- white, .Ozai- asian, princess yue - white Just a quick list, Lol
RukiMoogle 1 month ago
@RukiMoogle that would be accurate just so that their skin tone matches
o0Rice0o 1 month ago
@o0Rice0o Yeah, problem is with anime films people get picky on how close to the anime the character can get, That's why anime turned into films is such a hard thing to construct.
RukiMoogle 1 month ago
I don't like the "person of color" thing, because it implies that white people are somehow different than everyone else.
pooptickler1337 1 month ago
@pooptickler1337 yeah white is a color too (at least I consider it to be one.)
blue3616 1 month ago
@blue3616
I don't think that's what they were implying though.
pooptickler1337 1 month ago
M. Night Shyamalan says:
"Aang isn't (IPA: /æŋ/), it's (IPA: /ɑŋ/). Iraq isn't (IPA: /ɪræk), it's (IPA: /ɪrɑk/). It's an opportunity. I don't have to make the film for the little kids on Cartoon Network; I'm making it for the world. And 85% of the people who are going to see this movie have probably never seen the show, and I want it to be legitimate. I'm Asian. What can I do?"
ClassicTVMan1981X 2 months ago
@ClassicTVMan1981X I really don't care about the whole race thing, I think everyone has blown it way out of proportion. but if M. Night Shymalan really thought that 85% of the people hadn't seen the show, then he obviously didn't realize how popular the show truly was and if he actually thought no one had seen the show, it makes total sense why the movie bombed. I think he screwed that up big time. More like 85% were HUGE fans of the show...just sayin'.
blue3616 1 month ago
It wasn't the 'they aren't of the right culture' thing that bugged me with the casting of The Last Airbender. Aang didn't look to be of any particular ethnicity, though he's obviously in an Asian culture. But he didn't LOOK to be any. So I'd be okay about Aang being casted as such- IF he were a good actor. But to have a Caucasian playing Katara? Sokka? They don't look alike. It isn't an accurate portrayal of the characters. Same with Zuko. They didn't look at all alike. THATS what pissed me off.
PhreakOutBigTime 3 months ago 2
The show was inspired by asian culture it would make sense it would have asian actors and wtf does the way they look how to do with anything some of you guys are saying they look white what exactly made them look white if they didn;t look asian. Oh yea all asian look the same crap like that, so anything that people don't consider to be asian is white
TimD2011 5 months ago 2
i freaking hate the movie its crap but the cartoon is so bauss and i have the whole series!!
RiceNinja212 5 months ago
@baconfw33k Um. Yes? I'm pretty sure that's what I said, but seeing as how my comment was censored, I can't be certain. Inuit cultures are not all Asian, so you've made an unfounded generalization of the series. And I'm pretty sure Aang looks less Asian than white. Many of the Fire Nation characters in the series look white, but they are played by people of Indian descent, even the ones who do look Asian. If you want to complain about "racebending" look farther than white actors playing Inuits.
Ogawa47 5 months ago
@baconfw33k =D
xxCimarronColoradoxx 5 months ago
I hope someone in the future remakes Lord of the Rings with non-whites lol
anythingnew 5 months ago
We cannot rely on the way the main(young) characters are drawn to identify their real-life counterpart ethnicities. They are drawn in a very generic rounded way. We CAN however ID the ethnicity of the main character's family, and older members of their nation. THEY'RE FUCKING ASIAN.
JohnTraviss 5 months ago
@JohnTraviss
but isn't it funny how ppl bring ethnicity into it when it should be about color?
if Katara and Sokka were drawn with a brown marker, shouldn't the person that plays them have brown skin?
Dps081393 4 months ago in playlist Dps081393's favorites
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I wanna play katara sooo bad! Please check out my channel to see pictures of me! (My skin is darker in person but it was some strong light)
FabienneBisel 6 months ago
Awww that little girl @ :31 is so cute! Anyway, I always visualized Aang and the Airbenders as Tibetan - there are so many similarities between the concepts of the Avatar and that of the Dalai Lama, not to mention the air temples being located up in the mountains. That's just my observation lol. I have to say, however, that I'm very open-minded when it comes to movie casting. Noah Ringer as Aang was one of the few casting choices I really liked. Just my opinion lol =)
xxCimarronColoradoxx 8 months ago 5
I don't feel casting white people as members of The Last Airbender cast is racist, nor do I feel it is culturally demeaning to us Asians in anyway. Instead I think the anger of some of the fans at this casting is in fact the act of racism we should prevent. When Miss Lea Salonga played Fantine, a French character in the musical Les Miserable, it was acceptable and seen as something good, which it is, however, when white actors were made cast members in TLA, it is seen as racist. Consider.
FrozenCappucino 10 months ago
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Ogawa47 6 months ago
@FrozenCappucino You make a VERY good point. I was trying to think of examples where ethnic people have played characters ordinarily portrayed by white actors, or even depicted and understood as caucasian people. Ah, Denzel Washington as Brutus in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar back in 2005. Is *that* racist?
Ogawa47 6 months ago
why cant u jus say black insted of "color" I KNO THTS WAT U MEAN. -_-'
CuppyCakeBabi 10 months ago
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smukase 10 months ago
@smukase IM black 2 thts why it bothers me.
CuppyCakeBabi 10 months ago
@CuppyCakeBabi sorry comment was not meant for u, but on the same note, there shud be no black ppl in this either. everything about it screams asian, there is no european influence in it whatsoever! it s like these ppl think the rest of us r the dumbest creatures on this planet. stop stealing cultures babylon!
smukase 10 months ago
@smukase they should jus say asian...
CuppyCakeBabi 10 months ago
Rush Hour, Jackie Chan movies, book of eli , Matrix, Blade etc - there are loads of movies with colored heroes. But ye I agree upon the bigiosity of paramount in This movie
olof07 1 year ago
i wanted to see a black katara >.>
megamanxdeath 1 year ago
the movie suck it's over.
halogod666 1 year ago
I think the thing about Aang is the fact some ANIME looking characters looked Asian, example: Toph's mother. I know Asians can have large eyes but it always has the signature almond shape. While Aang's eyes, has no short of tilt, they were very flat lined. That poster makes things better, but that's one image vs. about 90 episodes.
So I can understand why people think he's white. His monk background however tips the scale.
glassesfreak 1 year ago
The last air bender is so ruined... how can this movie get the investment! Don't watch this boring movie. it is one of the worst movie I ever ever watched!
jazzmtl 1 year ago
White people are people of color too...white is a color.
ChaseTerrier 1 year ago
@ChaseTerrier I know; I'm pinkish-purple. I'm certainly more colorful than a lot of "people of color", which is a stupid NAACP term, btw. "People of color" was only meant to apply to black people; ARE SOKKA AND KATARA SUPPOSED TO BE BLACK? Not even close; the best resemblance I've seen to Katara was with a mostly-White Latina cosplayer with blue eyes and a nice tan.
otnomnoraa 1 year ago
@otnomnoraa what kind a ingnorant fuck are u. the term PEOPLE OF COLOR aplies to ALL PEOPLE OF COLOR, which includes ASIANS. a mostly white latina cosplayer huh, WAS KATARA FUCKIN WHITE OR LATINA U FUCKIN WHITE WASH BASTARD.OH AND I BET U WOULD HAVE THOUGH JUSTIN BIEBER TO BE A BETTER CHOICE FOR AANG. U DUMB SHIT
ZzIAmNOTLegendzZ 1 year ago
@ZzIAmNOTLegendzZ Lmao. Someone's feeling a little butthurt. I'm well aware that the Avatar series took place in a heavily Chinese and East Asian culture, but you cannot factually equate culture with skin color, if you want to do that. Also, you're an idiot. Simply yelling "ALL PEOPLE OF COLOR" doesn't change the history behind the term; people of color has referred to black people since the inception of the NAACP.
I could just as easily call you a racist for wanting no white people in the mov.
otnomnoraa 1 year ago
@otnomnoraa were there any white people in the show....... NO FUCKTARD. SO WHY ARE THEY IN THE DAMN MOVIE.
ZzIAmNOTLegendzZ 1 year ago
@ZzIAmNOTLegendzZ Were there any Asian people in the show? NO FUCKTARD.
It's an animated show which uses a mix of Western and anime animation styles. It was also written, produced, directed, and mostly voiced by white people.
In my personal opinion, characters like Admiral Zhao were most certainly white, while characters like Uncle Iroh were most certainly Asian. You're making race boundaries where they simply do not exist.
otnomnoraa 1 year ago
@otnomnoraa
Batman is Chinese
anythingnew 1 year ago
@otnomnoraa lol why does "color" bother u so? the whole fuckin theme is asian and there r many asians of different skincolor and different features, there is enuf to choose from. the truth is that there shud be no black or white actors, asian is enuf. i m black so dont give me the racist trip. i m sure shaymalan had little say in this, he probably only got to promote the indians. so yes that cast was very biased but we r used to it, it s not like white ppl havent tried to steal cultures before
smukase 10 months ago
@smukase Pardon me, but how have "white people" gone about "stealing cultures"? It seems they've shared or even forced their own culture upon others to a far greater extent.
As for all the characters being Asian... I wouldn't mind that too greatly, but I think it would be a silly compromise to make since the inherent LACK of diversity in an American film would alienate most of the US' population, and it "wouldn't not" make sense either.
otnomnoraa 10 months ago
@otnomnoraa lol so the US can do whatever they want, and get away with it cuz of "diversity"? what a fucking joke! imagine if this movie was african themed, and u had to see a bunch white ppl running around in costume, still trying to fake it lol sorry but the whole black community wud boycott the movie and sue them! lol i cant even begin to explain to u why they steal cultures if u r not already informed to that extent. the word "integrity" does not exist in european logic
smukase 10 months ago
@smukase You could say the same thing about any exploitative group of individuals, which exist in every culture and ethnicity. There's no such thing as "stealing cultures". Intelligent society adapts and evolves by adopting the best parts of other societies. It's the way every successful society has ever been. Every new human being is a culmination of every other human being that has ever come into contact with their lineageBy the very definition and application of "culture" it cannot be stolen.
otnomnoraa 10 months ago
@otnomnoraa lol the lengths ppl will go to defend smth that cannot be defended. ok tell me, were the massacres (that r still going on btw, only in a different form) necessary? were the genocides also part of that successful society of yours? we all know cultures were at war even in ancient times, but take the dehumanization of africa e.g. do u understand the meaning of a continent with more than 100 different cultures in it? cultures not culture. so u tell me, how cud there be no other agenda?
smukase 10 months ago
@otnomnoraa lol the lengths ppl will go to defend smth that cannot be defended. ok tell me, were the massacres (that r still going on btw, only in a different form) necessary? were the genocides also part of that successful society of yours? we all know cultures were at war even in ancient times, but take the dehumanization of africa e.g. do u understand the meaning of a continent with more than 100 different cultures in it? cultures not culture. so u tell me, how cud there be no other agenda?
smukase 10 months ago
@smukase What on Earth are you talking about? I'm Finnish. "My society" fell under the Iron Curtain and has essentially been a group of 4-5 million quiet sheep for the past millennium.
If you want to generalize "whitey", which is idiotic, by the way, but at least do it right.
So you dislike European colonialism. Same. South Africa would have been a beautiful Dutch colony if they'd never taken slaves. African cultures have been diluted, and lost.
But... you're not making a coherent point.
otnomnoraa 10 months ago
@otnomnoraa why do u feel attacked personally, are you a colonist? u talked about a successful society and i said that society of yours "that u r talking about". i dislike all forms of colonialism but europeans have by far been the most successful because they went to lengths that no one else dared go. i dont think u understand what that means. a lot of civilizations have been after world domination and wud trade places with euros if they cud lol u think am not aware of that?
smukase 10 months ago
@otnomnoraa but are they able to do what it takes? u must have misunderstood. all humans are infected with the devil, that i hope we can agree on. the isuue here is that africa is not just a continent, it s the biggest becuz of the migration of its people. u wud be suprised just how big it wud be if u think about it. my point is that european colonialism still continues but on a different form. if u still dont get it then am afriad i cant cure ignorance
smukase 10 months ago
@ChaseTerrier no its a shade dipshit
ZzIAmNOTLegendzZ 1 year ago
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Fuck you race bending. Half the movie was asian. IF they cast it as all asians, i'll bet you would'nt care in the least that there would'nt be any caucasians in the movie.
This is reverse racism my friend.
masterofthecontinuum 1 year ago
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Fuck you race bending. Half the movie was asian. IF they cast it as all asians, i'll bet you would'nt care in the least that there would'nt be any caucasians in the movie.
This is reverse racism my friend.
masterofthecontinuum 1 year ago
"We went out to lunch and started talking about the show, how the story takes place in an alternate world and the characters. Everyone is ethnic...Asian, but not from any specific Asian country. It was kind of like a non-descriptive ethnicity."
- Benjamin Wynn of The Track Team
ugo[dot]com/tv/airbenders-global-soundtrack
PUFFYsaidgo 1 year ago 18
lol @ people going "It's just a cartoon/story, who cares!".
If we cast all blacks to play in a movie based off English history or French history, wouldn't that make people protest? How bout we cast all Chinese people into the lord of the ring series? Better yet, lets change Harry Potter into an Indian guy and everyone else in the HP series.
chinesemusicDJ 1 year ago
@chinesemusicDJ If you think Avatar: The Last Airbender qualifies as Chinese history, your government is keeping more than just Facebook from the people. :(
scoundr3l 1 year ago
@scoundr3l
Wow isn't that just assuming of you. I am Chinese, therefore I must be residing in China?
chinesemusicDJ 1 year ago
@chinesemusicDJ Obviously not, or you wouldn't be on YouTube. But is it any less assuming to say that Aang is in an Asian environment so he must be Asian? ;)
scoundr3l 1 year ago
@scoundr3l
Both Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, which both are heavily influenced by a real culture. Well Harry Potter is just plain British, and Lord of the Rings is based on Anglo-Saxon/Germanic/Norse cultures.
How would people react if the cast was only comprised of Africans or Arabs? I really don't care if Aang was white, but how the fuck can shamamadingdong cast Indians in this film? He is clearly biased and wants to put his own ethnic group on the spot. I rather see whites then Indians
chinesemusicDJ 1 year ago
My point is, if Shamlalamamamadingdong's excuse for casting an all white cast is that because America is predominantly white then that's fine. I truly much rather watch a film with all whites then him placing his own people into the film. Seriously, how do you get someone named Iroh, Zuko, Ozai, and cast Indians? It's neither relevant nor logical. I love the series, but Shamalamadingdongfuck ruined the live action film. They should of gotten someone more capable then that retarded fuck.
chinesemusicDJ 1 year ago
@chinesemusicDJ I could not possibly agree more
SirSlaughterr 1 year ago
@scoundr3l Er, except that Aang is a fantasy Asian character, so... what were you saying?
PUFFYsaidgo 1 year ago
@PUFFYsaidgo Well, shit. Here we were having our nonsense discussion using stupid things like logic and analogy, and this whole time all we needed was for you to come in and solve all our problems with a "because I said so". Thank you. I have no choice but to withdraw my argument in light of that superior thinking. XD
scoundr3l 1 year ago
@scoundr3l No need to be sarcastic since people who worked on the show have confirmed the characters are fantasy Asian. Your beef is with the creators.
PUFFYsaidgo 1 year ago
@PUFFYsaidgo I don't know who "Benjamin Wynn" is, but I'm pretty sure he's not the final word on the ethnicity of the characters. Also, this movie didn't come out of a nexus... it was produced by the same people who produce the show (which also cast white people). So, to use your own argument (satirically), the 'people who worked on the show' have confirmed the characters are white... twice. I don't have any beef, your side brought the argument up. It's all fantasy to me.
scoundr3l 1 year ago
@scoundr3l Everything, and I mean everything, that you typed is based on ignorance. Benjamin Wyn has no "final say" on the characters' ethnicities. He was the roommate of Avatar co-creator Bryan Konietzko, who asked Benjamin and his business partnet to do the music for the show. The quote is Benjamin's retelling of a lunch meeting where Bryan told the Track Team the basis of the show.
Next, the creators of the show were not behind the movie. Manoj optioned Nickelodeon for the movie
PUFFYsaidgo 1 year ago
[CONTINUED] rights. Bryan and Michael, though they are credited as the co-creators of Avatar, do not actually own the rights. Nickelodeon does and it gave Manoj the okay to make the movie. Bryan and Michael only really suggested to Manoj to skim down the script which had originally contained the details of all twenty season one episodes. Also, being named "executive producer" is just for show. It's most likely that they signed a nondisclosure agreement which prevents them from saying
PUFFYsaidgo 1 year ago
[CONTINUED] anything negative about the movie. However, it does not stop them from promoting the movie, which Bryan and Michael have not promoted the movie at all. All they have said was that they were excited from watching the teaser months ago, and who wasn't? But after that, nothing. When asked about the movie after its release, they prefer not to comment. Don't make ridiculous claims.
"omgz benjamin doesnt hav final say own the chracters and i no this cuz i said i dont know whooo he is!
PUFFYsaidgo 1 year ago
[CONTINUED] omgz the creator smade the movie, which is why is sucked compared 2 rthe original source materul that the creatorz werked on!! omgz! everything i tyuped maed sense!"
PUFFYsaidgo 1 year ago
@PUFFYsaidgo tl;dr but it had something to do with you being an idiot, I think. Yeah, probably.
scoundr3l 1 year ago
@scoundr3l Your reading comprehension must suck. XD
ShowtimePanda 1 year ago
@ShowtimePanda ...
"tl;dr" means "too long; didn't read"
Can't argue with that: my comprehension only seems to work when I, y'know, read
scoundr3l 1 year ago
@scoundr3l That's OK. Attention spans are quite short these days. Why bother reading an argument and formulate a decent retort when you can just hurl insults? Haha.
ShowtimePanda 1 year ago
@ShowtimePanda You're clearly an expert on internet arguments, I agree. Why bother? I'm one of the few people left who even cares enough to argue about it. XD
You know who had the right idea? The 40 million people who went to see the movie without any thought of this boycott. Also, the show's creators, who didn't even bother to take a side. So why do I bother? Who knows ;)
scoundr3l 1 year ago
@scoundr3l I'm actually on your side, and I agree. I tried watching the film, as painful as it was. And didn't feel too bothered by it even though I'm Asian American who lived on a floor filled with Asian Americans who took seminars on Asian American issues. Who cares if they're not Asian? None of the creators acted as if the (poor) casting broke the artistic integrity of the work. If anything they should be bothered (maybe they were). But they didn't step up. Detractors should blame them.
ShowtimePanda 1 year ago
Comment removed
scoundr3l 1 year ago
@multihappydayz (3) This issue of representation and marginalization of people of color is something that White people do not have to really care about because the media is hardly lacking of many different kinds of White people.
I'm amused that you brought up that you had friends of color. I did not accuse you, as an individual, of racism, and the fact that you have friends of color doesn't preclude your own bigotry.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect "This issue of representation and marginalization of people of color is something that White people do not have to really care about..."
Sure they don't HAVE to, but they SHOULD.
CleoTheSim 1 year ago
@multihappydayz (2) As a member of the majority, your race doesn't particularly number in your day-to-day interactions because you are considered normal, racially. For example, there is a balance between evil and good White characters in mainstream American culture, but there are so few round, good, interesting characters of color to balance out the large number of flat, usually villainous characters of color.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@multihappydayz Do you doubt that people of color face the kinds of institutional and structural racism of which The Last Airbender, 21, or 30 Days of Night are recent examples? It's the definition of privilege that you, as a White person in America, do not have to care about race until a person of color brings it up. Almost no person of color you will meet can share this outlook on life-- race matters very much in their lives.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@xXWraithSoldierXx (4) You see this all the time in movies and tv shows with one-dimensional characters of color. Troublingly, there is a double standard when characters of color who are flouting their heritage are the protagonists of the story, and Mainstream American culture almost always tries to replace them with White people.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@xXWraithSoldierXx (3) I agree when you say that White people are seen as just White. It's very much a privilege only White people have. People of color, because they're so obviously not White, are assumed to have strong connections to their ancestors' culture that it becomes the most defining aspect of their identity, despite these people of color having grown up with Mainstream American culture and going to school in America... Etc.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@xXWraithSoldierXx (2) White people do have culture from their ancestors. Forks? Not Asian. Saying "bless you" when someone sneezes? European. Suits? European. Classical music? Refers to European classical music, not Classical African music. Think harder. Most of mainstream American culture has its roots in European cultures.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@xXWraithSoldierXx I'm not complaining about White culture being overwhelmingly White. I'm complaining about how White mainstream culture has a tendency to co-opt non-White heritages and simultaneously demonizing or marginalizing the very people that come with those heritages, feigning diversity and inclusion.
thephieffect 1 year ago
wow, so many paragraphs. i didnt think that it was so important about race still. im white. and i dont care if aang is white too or chinese! i love kataang!!! <3
multihappydayz 1 year ago
@multihappydayz It's a privilege to not have to care about race as you can. People of color have to deal with terrible depictions of themselves with no alternative to balance out such stereotypical imagery. Case in point, The Last Airbender.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect uhhh, who are tha ones still harshing on the colored?! ALL of my BFF's are either black or mexican. and one of their parents still doesnt know english. im okay with anything. its not a privilage, i can control what i think and say about and to people. right now i choose these words of wisdom, think before you at, or TYPE
multihappydayz 1 year ago
Anime characters don't have Caucasian eyes, If the eyes of anime characters were rendered in real life, the person wouldn't look human, they would have eyes about 3 times normal. The characters have large eyes for the same reason Disney's animations have large eyes: With larger eyes in animation it is easier to depict different ranges of emotion. The characters are rendered using stills and eyes can convey a large amount of information about the character within a limited shot.
tinamoul 1 year ago
@scoundr3l uh i dont have a problem with seeing white people so i have no idea where the hell you got that notion from, i see white people all the time- i even have white people in my family. Yes i wish racism disappeared as much as you do, around the world and including the movie industry..i guess that would be considered around the world. XP
hapibth0pel3ss 1 year ago
@hapibth0pel3ss yeah, dude, I'm just being sarcastic XD
scoundr3l 1 year ago
@scoundr3l okayyy
hapibth0pel3ss 1 year ago
Theres actual history behind this cartoon that people really seem to not know about. The fire lord is actually based off China's first emperor Ying Zheng, the moon goddess is and the guy with the 3rd eye are both Chinese mythologies. So people who still trying to say they arent Asian need to do some research or look at the documentry called yellow face.
hapibth0pel3ss 1 year ago 12
@hapibth0pel3ss Very true, some people must be really ignorant to deny the show's cultural influence from those in real life. Like the walls of Ba Sing Se in the series, which is based from China's Great Wall, the architecture, the writing, etc. It's so obvious.
Graymoths 1 year ago
@hapibth0pel3ss No waiiiiii. Are you kidding me?? I never would have guessed the show was based on Asian cultures... omg, it all makes sense now. Thanks for esplainin it.
Still, it's a shame the characters are all white :/
scoundr3l 1 year ago
@scoundr3l Avatar borrows heavily from Japanese animation, one technique of which is the use of external markers for ethnicity. While your subjective opinion is that these characters look White because that is your cultural default in regards to simplified depictions of people, all cultural and ethnic markers in the series objectively point to non-White peoples. The difference is that "they look White" compared to "their clothes, hair, calligraphy, philosophies... etc. are not White."
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect Oh, and Japanese animation borrowed heavily from Walt Disney (a white American) so don't try bringing the art style in to justify their ethnicity. Astro Boy wasn't American just because he looked like Mickey Mouse.
scoundr3l 1 year ago
@scoundr3l (2) Yes, Japanese animation borrowed heavily from American styles, but you're ignoring the change and development it went through afterward, in a culture without our history of racial relations and customs. Animation is a medium where details are left out to facilitate efficiency and emotional connection -- it's the whole deal with the uncanny valley.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect Come from, who your family is.. You know about your ancestry, culture, ect. (I assume) I can't even tell you what tribe(s) 90 and 80% of my family comes from. Count yourself lucky for who you are.
xXWraithSoldierXx 1 year ago
@scoundr3l (3) With racial markers mostly left out or up for debate, it's foolish to base a racial identity on a subjective opinion of how an artist draws a fictional character. When cultural and environmental markers point objectively toward a certain ethnicity, doesn't it stand that there's more objective evidence for such an identity than how a character's facial features "look?" This is how Japanese animation functions, and Avatar built upon that for an American audience.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@scoundr3l yep they completely white washed the cast cause even zuko at one point was going to be white (played by Jessie McCartney). And then people say its not racist cause they have darker skin people in the movie (the Indians as the fire nation) but what they dont see is that the fire nation is Chinese. So it would be Asian characters going against other Asian characters. So that way its wouldn't be seen as racist.
hapibth0pel3ss 1 year ago
@hapibth0pel3ss The Avatar and the Northern Water Tribe are White. The Fire Nation is indisputably evil and dark-skinned. In the context of the history of race in America, that's a very, very suspect juxtaposition to create.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect the northern water tribe inst white, nobodies white in the damn cartoon.
hapibth0pel3ss 1 year ago
@hapibth0pel3ss I thought you were talking about the movie; my mistake, I misinterpreted your comment.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect its okay i thought you were talking about the cartoon XD
hapibth0pel3ss 1 year ago
@hapibth0pel3ss I guess I don't have as much of a problem with seeing white people as you do. In fact, if you hadn't pointed it out, I probably wouldn't have noticed.
Man, I hate racism. I wish we could all just be people. :(
scoundr3l 1 year ago
@scoundr3l (4) I wouldn't have such a problem with seeing White people either, but minorities have had to deal with cultural appropriation for decades. Had there not been the hiring of a professional Chinese calligrapher, proof of research into Asian cultures, the hiring of a professional martial arts instructor, references to actual, common Asian and Native American mythology, etc. I would have believed that these characters could have been White.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@scoundr3l (5) But the creators put too much work into creating an accurate world of Asian and First Nation cultures to simply fall prey to cultural appropriation. They showed too much care in creating this world to simply populate it with White people, not to mention comments in their art book about Asian people who reminded them of certain characters (!!!).
thephieffect 1 year ago
@scoundr3l (6) It would certainly be great if we could get over race, but race has played a vitally important part in the human identity since who knows when. To disregard it completely is to ignore not only the bad things but the good things that come with racial consciousness. Especially when movies like this arise, showing how our society doesn't really like people of color and really only wants their culture for exotic-ness.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@scoundr3l (7) How can I say this? Well, there don't seem to be any mainstream movies with normal, heroic Asian-American or First Nation leads, are there? There's nothing to balance out this marginalization; it's not an equal playing field for minorities.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect All-in-all, I thing we're on the same team.
I understand there is a lot of tension in this issue and I empathize with your stance. From a white person's perspective, this issue approaches dangerously close to reverse-racism. That was my concern, any way. Otherwise, we've found level ground.
scoundr3l 1 year ago
@scoundr3l Racism, to me and scholars on the subject, differs from the dictionary definition in that an element of power must be attributed to the oppressing party. While racial bigotry can go from any group toward another, racism carries a special place in that the racist group must have the societal power to enact such bigotry. This is why I disagree with your notion of "reverse racism" and your discomfort in the situation.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@scoundr3l (2) American society is a vastly White society, because the majority is White. That doesn't matter to me. What does matter is when this group with undeniable power expresses its bigotry against groups in the minority. You can see this in cases like the one where a 14-year-old Black kid, described as a "man" in news articles, was arrested for helping a little 4-year-old White girl find her mother. While he did the right thing, he was branded as a thug because of his race.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@scoundr3l (3) White people do not have to face stereotypes like that. White people do not have to fear that any of their negative actions will reflect on their racial group as a whole. It's a privilege, however small, that people of color do not get to enjoy. These privileges add up, though, and people of color have to live with this as daily fact. White people do not.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@scoundr3l (4) Look at what races of people occupy the echelons of power in our country, and tell me again that people of color *really* have the power to enact "reverse racism" in face of a majority White population and White power structure.
I'm not bashing you for being White; I want you to realize that as a White person, you do in fact gain from what people of color lose out on. Where there's an up, there's a down.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect Ok, now you're getting wildly off subject here.
A) You can't disagree with someone's feelings
B) The very definition of reverse racism is that the majority being discriminated against because they are the majority
C) As the majority race, you're right... we don't have to fear negative reactions. But, at the same time, we don't have to apologize for being successful.
If you've got another long post, please send it in the form of a private message. I'd be happy to discuss it there.
scoundr3l 1 year ago
@scoundr3l A) Sorry, I meant to say I disagree with the basis of your discomfort.
B) Certainly, but I fail to see any meaningful example of "reverse racism," especially in context of Hollywood where White actors are almost always picked over minority ones, even for minority roles.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@scoundr3l (2) C) I'm not expecting White people to apologize; I'm expecting White people to realize that a context of *some* of their successes are due to the losses of people of color. Case in point, this film. White people got more roles; Asian-American and Inuit actors lost them. It's called White privilege.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect Most white fans wanted Asian and native american actors. Myself included. I don't want to see a white girl playing a native american, or a white boy playing an asian. >_< It's not white priv. It's M Night Sham being a fucking dumbass and shitting on the series.
xXWraithSoldierXx 1 year ago
@xXWraithSoldierXx First things first, I suggest looking up the essay/rant "White People Have No Culture," on the blog "Stuff White People Say."
In the context of America, mainstream American culture *is* White culture and heritage. It's indisputable that most, if not all, of American culture is for and by White people.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect If you don't want "white only culture" I suggest moving to Louisiana. There it's Cajun and Creole culture mixed. Look at the food, Parades, Holidays. <3
When i said white people have no culture, i meant.. No culture from their ancestors. When Asians move to America, they bring their food, their life styles, their language.. Everything. "White" people are only "White" Because of their skin.. No matter where they are from, they are considered "White" You may argue, but it's true
xXWraithSoldierXx 1 year ago
@xXWraithSoldierXx (2) White people have the privilege of relinquishing their ancestry for success and assimilation in America. They have the opportunity to seamlessly participate in the so-prevalent-it's-invisible culture that is White America. People of color, such as myself, cannot. However much we try to "act White" or however long our forebears have lived in the U.S, we are somehow always treated like we have a different culture.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@xXWraithSoldierXx (3) We don't have any more culture or ancestry than you do; we are racialized to an absurd degree. This racialization distances people of color from the normal, default, invisible White American culture and heritage by instantly creating the assumption that people of color have a real connection to a foreign country that White people do not.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@xXWraithSoldierXx (4) Regarding the casting, yes, it is White privilege that White actors were selected over Asian-American and Native American ones. White is the default race, the neutral race in America. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but in a case like TLA where the characters were clearly not White, it's an undue privilege that these unknown, weak White actors got.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect
Also, in your first reaction: are you calling the Indian culture inferior to the Western culture? Wouldn't that be a little ethnocentric too?
Aggrestor 1 year ago
@Aggrestor India is India. I know nothing about the contexts of its racial or ethnic conflicts, but I'm sure that whatever conclusion you can extract from its movie industry probably doesn't apply to the U.S. America, I was asserting, makes itself out to be this wonderful land of racial and ethnic diversity and equality for all peoples.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@Aggrestor (2) Yet we can easily see here and in many, many other Hollywood films that American society is perfectly willing to condone the stealing of cultures from minorities and giving the minorities nothing in return. Americans love listening to the stories of immigrants of all races, because they can relate to all these stories despite the racial differences. Heck, American audiences have bonded with robots and blue cat-aliens.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@Aggrestor (3) People of color in America have to relate *all the time* to the White protagonists that pervade American media. I don't think at all that it is too much to ask White audiences to connect with *humans* of a different race.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@Aggrestor (4) I find it appalling that Asian-American and Inuit people, whose representative actors make up barely over 2% of lead roles in Hollywood, far, far lower than their percentage in the population, are expected to be *okay* with a movie that uses their heritage wholesale, yet the PoC who come with those heritages are neither heroes nor important characters. No matter how you spin it, that's not fair to PoC, and should *not* be happening in America, the land of equality and diversity.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@Aggrestor (5) White people have more than enough representation in mainstream media. Maybe the PoC who are so valued for the diversity they bring should get a chance at being the heroes of a story, too.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect When China makes its own Hollywood, Chinese people can get their own share of the media representation. Got a problem seeing so many white people? Move to a country that isn't predominantly white.
scoundr3l 1 year ago
@scoundr3l I guess I was wrong to think that despite my Asian heritage, this country and its movie industry is as mine as any White American's.
Take your ignorant, bigoted views of America and your misrepresentation of my argument somewhere else. The problem isn't that White Americans are the majority; the problem is that they marginalize and steal from minorities who are supposedly valued for the diversity that they bring to this country, *as citizens.*
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect Here's the problem: first, you say that the movie industry belongs as much to your people as it does to mine. Fair enough.
Then you turn around and say the problem with the movie industry is that WHITE people are marginalizing minorities.
If you want a fair share of the country, you've got to stop blaming your problems on white people. We're either united or divided.
scoundr3l 1 year ago
@scoundr3l I am Asian-American; that is what I meant by "Asian heritage." The fact that I have to identify myself as such is a function of how American society is divided over race. I wake up every morning, look at the TV and realize that I am not White; I doubt White people have to do the same, since theirs is the narrative of normalcy in this country. It also stands that they are the majority, and they hold the power and occupy the social structures *to* marginalize minorities.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect Hm.. Asian-Americans aren't really hated. Most people would rather be Asian-American than white.. Mainly because of the rich culture and heretige. White people are lost.. Only thing i know about my ancestry is that my moms side of the family consists of 90% Native American and 10% Irish. My Dads side is 80% Native American and 20% Irish. My whole family is considered "white" because of our skin color. I know none of my Native family because of this. You atleast know where you
xXWraithSoldierXx 1 year ago
@xXWraithSoldierXx (5) I don't believe that Asian-Americans and other people of color are outright hated. I do believe that certain institutions in America irrationally prefer White people over people of color, and many White people do not realize that this happens or outright denies its existence because, let's face it, they're not the ones getting screwed over.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@Aggrestor (6) If they are entitled to market this piece of cultural appropriation and marginalization of PoC, then I am entitled to call them out on selling a product that has very clear racist implications.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect
I don't find it very strange and appalling that movies (and other art) in a particular culture feature mostly people from the ethnic majority. You'll see a white Jesus in Western cultures, but also a black Jesus in African cultures and an Asian Jesus in Asian cultures etc. Because people relate more to people who look like themselves. That might not be very kind, but we just work that way. And the movie producers are in my opinion free to use this to sell their movie.
Aggrestor 1 year ago
Well... if a play of, say, Shakespeare in Africa is performed by black Africans, they're racist too? And did you think Bollywood uses white actors for Western stories? Of course not.
I too would find it cool if they used Inuit actors. But I don't understand why some make such a big deal about this.
Aggrestor 1 year ago
@Aggrestor Addressing Bollywood, Bollywood is in India, which has quite different contexts in terms of racial dynamics. It has no bearing on this conversation about the U.S, which prides itself on being diverse and respectful of the many peoples in its borders.
The big deal is that at the very least, actors of color should have the same opportunities to land minority roles as White actors do. The casting calls for TLA show, however, that this was never the case.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@Aggrestor (2) It’s not that Italians should only play Italians, or Jews should only play Jews. It’s that Italians have *always* been able to play Jews, and Jews have *always* been able to play Italians, but Asians have *never* been able to play Italians, Jews, *or Asians.*
thephieffect 1 year ago
@Aggrestor (3) Do you expect minorities to stay quiet when their culture is center-stage, yet the *people* that come with that culture are expected to be happy with background roles and villainy?
thephieffect 1 year ago
Does anyone know where I can get the poster that they show in 0:58? Was it with the DVDs or in the new artbook?
JadeLiCat 1 year ago
I am going on a trip to Seal Island (off the coast of Atlantic Canada) , and I will be back in like 3 days.
Please , I don't want to respond to a lot of things. Can you keep it down to minimum?
FreeThinkingOpenMind 1 year ago
In Japan , Majority people get cast in major roles.
In Germany , Majority people get cast in major roles.
It has nothing to do with race , it's all just where your at.
If you are living in China , Chinese people are more likely to get cast as major role.Treating people because they are different , is racial segregation .
FreeThinkingOpenMind 1 year ago
@FreeThinkingOpenMind (6) We're talking about the U.S., here, not what happens in Japan or Germany. The circumstances of those film industries are dramatically different from that of the U.S. Don't derail.
The U.S. says that it's the land of diversity and values all people of color. Why is it that if there's this even playing field that, again, White actors are more likely to get minority roles than the reverse? This situation leads to less available roles for minorities overall. It's wrong.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect The legend of Korra is going to take influence form western cities like manhattan and vancover says the creators.
215Ravenous 1 year ago
@215Ravenous We're not talking about The Legend of Korra. But to address this, does drawing inspiration from Western cities for the design of Republic City negate the fact that these people still use Chinese martial arts, have Non-Western names (like Tenzin, which is the name of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso), have pagoda-style buildings, deal with reincarnation in the way Asia cultures do, and that the creators are also drawing from 1920s and 1930s Shanghai and Hong Kong.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect Yes but now they seem to be taking some of more diversity than just asian by adding Western culture and creating a city were every nations people can reside.
215Ravenous 1 year ago
@215Ravenous (2) All of that I drew from the creators' interview with the WSJ.
I don't believe that them drawing a few inspirations from Western culture will override the fact that the core of the cultures are still Asian and Inuit, in much the same way modern Asian cities have Western influences but have an undeniably and uniquely Asian spin on those influences.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect NO but at least it will add more culture other than asian. Just because the show is based off asian culture doesnt asian is in control. every race loves the show so I think its good to add more races.
215Ravenous 1 year ago
@215Ravenous And just because White people are the majority and Black people exist doesn't mean that they are in every single story that Americans tell.
Many minorities loved this show because, for once, there was a show just about Asian and Inuit culture - with a smattering of other ones - in a world created specifically for those cultures.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect I know. I dont want them to be in every story. But I dont think it was made specifically for asian and inuit. just because its made majoritly about asian culture doesnt mean there isnt western culture or other cultures. Because of the korra announcement I was hoping the avatar fandom would be able to come together again and forget about this stupid race controversy. But you seem very intent to keep it asian and nothing else. When korra debuts I hope they use many different cultures
215Ravenous 1 year ago
@215Ravenous The Art Book talks about the creators' creative process. From the beginning they wanted to avoid the whole European fantasy and magic and wands thing. They both greatly admired Asian culture, and so they decided to make a pan-Asian fantasy world. Instead of having varieties of Western cultures in that world for diversity, they had varieties of Asian and Inuit cultures. If that doesn't mean that they avoided Western culture and focused on Asian cultures, then I don't know what does.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@215Ravenous (2) There's no cultural evidence that White people or Black exist in the Avatar world like there is for Asians and the Inuit and mesoAmericans. You can hope that they're there, but the fact is that the show shows no evidence to their existence, and the creators' creative process show no indications of their presence, either.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@215Ravenous It is a weak argument to suggest that they can still be there even though we don't see them. No duh. But the characters, background and lead, who we DO see have undeniably non-White heritages. There's no beyond a shadow of a doubt indication to the contrary, which is why people are upset with the casting.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@215Ravenous (3) Do not call it a "stupid race controversy." You're belittling the importance of race in American society and dismissing legitimate concerns about PoCs in society. Before you ever call someone out on whining about race again, think about *why* you may not see what they're seeing. It may very well be that you're benefiting from or unaffected by the forces that that person is pointing out, so of course you wouldn't notice the inequality. You're not getting effed over by it.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect I do understand that asians acting chances are much slimmer than whites and even some blacks. I do believe some films whitewash and that they prefer white actors. Shymalan was not evil by getting the best actors who auditioned. The casting call should not have said what it did and maybe it would have been a different better cast if he did but he didnt mean to make it look like he discriminated. It may have been best to make it an all asian movie but he wanted more diversity.
215Ravenous 1 year ago
@215Ravenous I don't think Shyamaln is evil. I'm not questioning his or the production's intent, but the movie speaks for itself. It has very racist implications that critics and fans alike have made clear to both of them. These implications have barely a connection to the original work. It was a mistake on their part, and they should have owned up to it and tried to rectify it as best they could. But they denied it all and threw out excuses for *their* movie, excuses that have been debunked.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect I wish all this was different and never happened but at least with Korra we can all get back to some originality at least if they dont say they will make a sequel. But if that happens I wont even care because I will be watching the Legend Of Korra.
215Ravenous 1 year ago
@215Ravenous (4) While I admit that I would like Korra to be overwhelmingly Asian and Inuit, that doesn't change the fact that TLA defied every piece of evidence that pointed to characters' and nations' ethnic and thus racial identities. That coupled with Hollywood marginalization of people of color and stealing of their cultures for profit makes anti-casters very, very angry. It's illogical, unfair, and racist.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect Im sorry we had to meet on opposite lines of the playing field. You seem to know so much about ATLA that if this did not come up we could be friends. *show Quote*
215Ravenous 1 year ago
@215Ravenous (2) The show's very existence brought diversity to an industry that more often than usually ignores the minority sides of things. To suggest that adding "more races," or in other words adding White people, would make this better is not understanding the spirit of the show. It was created with the specific purpose to NOT focus on European White heritage and White American culture.
thephieffect 1 year ago
@thephieffect No it was made to entertain and create a great mythology. I would be fine if they kept the show the way it is. But I do want to see expansion to this great show so that it will appeal to all. Also Korra will be in a steampunk city so I think they are already expanding. Mike and Bryan are GODS
215Ravenous 1 year ago