The Avatar movie...and resulting controversy

[hongi]

It's the first time I've heard about a film adaptation, directed by M. Night Shyamalan no less (ack). This is probably a storm in a tea-cup, but the main cast were entirely of white background, and there wasn't a single Inuit-looking/Asian actor in there. But apparently Dev Patel is in for Zuko now (originally it was Jesse McCartney, the pop singer). I thought he was awesome in Skins and Slumdog Millionaire, he's a great actor. Personally, I'd take actors of whatever race as long as they're...well, good for the role.

[hongi]

Oh, and Dev Patel is an accomplished martial artist (black belt in taekwando or such) as well. So props to him.

[Grasscutter]

It's the first time I've heard about a film adaptation, directed by M. Night Shyamalan no less (ack). This is probably a storm in a tea-cup, but the main cast were entirely of white background, and there wasn't a single Inuit-looking/Asian actor in there. But apparently Dev Patel is in for Zuko now (originally it was Jesse McCartney, the pop singer). I thought he was awesome in Skins and Slumdog Millionaire, he's a great actor. Personally, I'd take actors of whatever race as long as they're...well, good for the role.

It's interesting that the only minority actor in a major role is playing the villain. And I have this horrible feeling that the recasting was done as an attempt to throw a bone toward all the people who are upset at the casting decisions.

Theres been a lot of intelligent discussion on the topic, if you're interested you can find it here:

http://derekkirkkim.blogspot.com/2009/0 ... acist.html
http://www.humblecomics.com/blog/index. ... 128-131008
http://aang-aint-white.livejournal.com/1007.html

[Jim Raynor]

Utterly retarded and backward thinking. Did American audiences care about the lack of white actors in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? Did they go to Jackie Chan or Jet Li movies for the B-List non-Asian actors in the supporting roles?

If people go to see this Avatar movie, it'll be because they liked the cartoon (which has Asian-looking characters), or for the wanky wirefu and visual effects.

[Oskuro]

It's the new racism, since they can't segregate the minorities, they've shifted to (not so) subtly stigmatizing them through the media, either by increasingly white-dominant casts, or by "whitening" celebrities of different ethnicity (I swear, I find it hard to tell if Beyoncé is black in her latest videos and media appearances).

[Jim Raynor]

IIRC, weren't the characters in that "based on a true story" blackjack movie 21 also supposed to be Asian?

Anti-Asian racism isn't as bad as what black people have faced, but that has the side-effect of people being less sensitive toward mildly discriminating against Asians. You still don't see many Asian characters in movies or TV who aren't geeks or dorks. The few that don't fit that stereotype are usually martial artists, who can kick ass but won't be allowed to get any girls.

[Bellator]

Since Shyamalan is Indian himself, I don't think the "racism!" card is all that appropriate here.

[Styphon]

Since Shyamalan is Indian himself, I don't think the "racism!" card is all that appropriate here.

Yeah, cause it's completely impossible for anyone who isn't white to be racist... or for producer meddling to go over the head of the director, for that matter.

[ray245]

Since Shyamalan is Indian himself, I don't think the "racism!" card is all that appropriate here.

So? Are you telling me that it is impossible for him to be racist towards East Asians? After all, Indians are supposed to be a separate ethnic group from East Asians.

[Samuel]

Since Shyamalan is Indian himself, I don't think the "racism!" card is all that appropriate here.

So? Are you telling me that it is impossible for him to be racist towards East Asians? After all, Indians are supposed to be a separate ethnic group from East Asians.

They are caucasian. Yes, it is slightly ridiculous. I prefer the three subgroup system- there are the Pygamies, the Kyoshari and everyone else.

Also, it isn't East Asian- aren't Sokka and Katara Inuit?

[ray245]

Since Shyamalan is Indian himself, I don't think the "racism!" card is all that appropriate here.

So? Are you telling me that it is impossible for him to be racist towards East Asians? After all, Indians are supposed to be a separate ethnic group from East Asians.

They are caucasian. Yes, it is slightly ridiculous. I prefer the three subgroup system- there are the Pygamies, the Kyoshari and everyone else.

Also, it isn't East Asian- aren't Sokka and Katara Inuit?

I'm pretty sure Azula is supposed to be East Asian. Same can be said in regards to Earth Nation as well.

[Lord Revan]

I'm pretty sure Azula is supposed to be East Asian. Same can be said in regards to Earth Nation as well.

I think it was Water=Inuit, Fire/earth=east asian (mostly Chinese/Korean/Japanese mix) and Air=I dunno, probably Indian.

[Gigaliel]

I'm pretty sure Azula is supposed to be East Asian. Same can be said in regards to Earth Nation as well.

I think it was Water=Inuit, Fire/earth=east asian (mostly Chinese/Korean/Japanese mix) and Air=I dunno, probably Indian.

Air was supposed to be Tibet. Also, Earth Kingdom = China and Fire Nation = Japan. I mean, I always thought they were meant to be WWII analogs. What with the Fire Nation industrializing first and then invading the Earth Kingdom. Of course the Water Tribe doesn't fit at all, so it's not 100% accurate.

[Samuel]

I'm pretty sure Azula is supposed to be East Asian. Same can be said in regards to Earth Nation as well.

I think it was Water=Inuit, Fire/earth=east asian (mostly Chinese/Korean/Japanese mix) and Air=I dunno, probably Indian.

Air was supposed to be Tibet. Also, Earth Kingdom = China and Fire Nation = Japan. I mean, I always thought they were meant to be WWII analogs. What with the Fire Nation industrializing first and then invading the Earth Kingdom. Of course the Water Tribe doesn't fit at all, so it's not 100% accurate.

Could they be the Ainu?

[LadyTevar]

Air was supposed to be Tibet. Also, Earth Kingdom = China and Fire Nation = Japan. I mean, I always thought they were meant to be WWII analogs. What with the Fire Nation industrializing first and then invading the Earth Kingdom. Of course the Water Tribe doesn't fit at all, so it's not 100% accurate.

Could they be the Ainu?

A lot of people don't realize that Japan has a racial minority with the Ainu.

[Setzer]

The Earth Kingdom has shown elements of Indian, Chinese, and Korean culture. There might be some other cultures in there too, but none I recognized.

I remember hearing that the Fire Nation was modelled after Tang Dynasty China, in terms of dress and architecture anyway. I can't confirm it, however.

Still, Eurocentrism can take some bizarre forms. Someone on another forum claimed the Avatar Story was a metaphor for the modern day, with the Fire Nation standing in for the USA.

[speaker-to-trolls]

Still, Eurocentrism can take some bizarre forms. Someone on another forum claimed the Avatar Story was a metaphor for the modern day, with the Fire Nation standing in for the USA.

Well there's definitely a paralell in Zukos journey over season 2 and confronting Ozai in season 3, remember him telling Ozai how they were bringing horror and destruction rather than civilisation, that the world hates them and they deserve it? It's easy to at least understand how you could make such a comparison.

I'd actually like to tell everybody to stop going on about race, it shouldn't be so important and besides which this is an adaptation of a saturday morning cartoon series, not the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, so chill out. I would like to say that, but given modern studios dependance on focus groups, and their general methodology when it comes to balancing the equations of on-screen ethnicities for maximum profit, well I find it hard to believe that this is entirely to do with everyone being best for the job.

You know if Dev Patel gets the part of Zuko they're going to more or less have to make the rest of the House of Sozin Indo-Aryan(note; I'd say Indian but I don't know if his family is actually Pakistani), otherwise people are going to get really, really confused.

One billion Zimbabwean dollars says Zhao, Azula and Ozai remain east asian.