# The Last Airbender Film is a Racist Piece of Trash!



## Diskyr (May 17, 2010)

A fine job at white washing our beloved characters M.Night. You've made 3 white actors play an Asian Aang and an Inuit Sokka and Katara. You also planned on making the Japanese/Chinese inspired Zuko to be played by Jesse Mcartny am I correct? Thank god Jesse had to bail at the last minute but you seem to fuel the Middle Eastern terrorist stereotype by having an Indian actor (Dev Patel) play Zuko, a firebending, fire havoking villain who causes terror and destruction in Season 1 of the Series? Shit, was it too hard to find the Asian actors to get the job done? I've seen TONS of videos of young Asian actors aspiring for the roles on Avatar, Yet, you refuse to give them a chance to play ASIAN characters. M. Night, instead, you cast Asian actors as extras in the film. What the fuck? I will rant on because this injustice has plagued various Asian communities nation wide and it has also plagued Hollywood. White washing asian people in films like 21, Dragon Ball: Evolution, Street Fighter, etc. Credits below goes towards Good Doc Gone Bad from the Internet Movie Database

*" I decided, for my personal use, and for anyone else's, to make a collection of proof of Avatar's Asian influences. Instead of arguing over and over again with new Pro-casters, I'm just going to link them to this thread. Please feel free to add anything to this list by replying. Anything, from links to quotes from the creators. "* - Good Doc Gone Bad

First Sites to Browse Through 




Avatar: An Essay in Images 


The Language of Casting 


Do Anime Characters Look "White"? 
-http://www.matt-thorn.com/mangagaku/faceoftheother.html 
-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKTvFhRbBt8 

The Slanted Screen Documentary (feat. Mako, the voice of Iroh) 
-Part One:Spotlight- Wiz Khalifa 
-Part Two:Spotlight- Wiz Khalifa 
-Part Three:Spotlight- Wiz Khalifa 
-Part Four:Spotlight- Wiz Khalifa 
-Part Five:Spotlight- Wiz Khalifa 
-Part Six:Spotlight- Wiz Khalifa 
-Part Seven:Spotlight- Wiz Khalifa 

*EDIT* 
-It seems that the documentary has been deleted off of YouTube. Here's a clip: 
Spotlight- Wiz Khalifa 

Architecture in the World of Avatar 


Fashion in the World of Avatar 


Writing in the World of Avatar 


Influences on Avatar: The Last Airbender 
Main Article:  

-Stylistic Influences: Stylistic_Influences 
-Cultures: Cultures 
-Martial Arts: Martial_Arts 
-Weaponry: Weaponry 
-Religious Influences: Religious_Influences 

Direct Avatar to Real-Life Image Comparisons 
Spotlight- Wiz Khalifa 
Spotlight- Wiz Khalifa


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## Tsukiyomi (May 17, 2010)

How does not casting people who look exactly like the cartoon characters make the film racist?  The important thing is can they act the role.


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## Koi (May 17, 2010)

Welcome to like.. eight months ago?


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## Rukia (May 17, 2010)

Movies can be racist and still be good.  Just explore the Disney collection.  

I just don't want another Blind Side.  I have no problem with the casting decisions.  I just wish Katara was hotter.  She is supposed to be a 14 year old that I would consider shagging.


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## Dragonus Nesha (May 17, 2010)

Koi said:


> Welcome to like.. eight months ago?


Only eight months? I thought it was more...


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## Corran (May 17, 2010)

Shaidar Haran said:


> Only eight months? I thought it was more...



Me too.

I'm gonna guess this thread gets locked, didn't we already have aa Airbender racism thread?


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## Dragonus Nesha (May 17, 2010)

Corran said:


> didn't we already have aa Airbender racism thread?


Hey! You know how hard it is to find page 3 in this place! 


Nice thread OP.


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## Ennoea (May 17, 2010)

> How does not casting people who look exactly like the cartoon characters make the film racist? The important thing is can they act the role.



They got the guy from Daily Show to play Zhao, I doubt M Night can use this as an excuse.


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## Diskyr (May 17, 2010)

Tsukiyomi said:


> How does not casting people who look exactly like the cartoon characters make the film racist?  The important thing is can they act the role.



How do the White actors look anything like the roles they play? M. Night could've gotten Asian actors to play the Avatar roles, yet he refused to do so. Asian actors can act just as well as their Caucasian counter parts. Your statement just fuels whitewashing and blatant racism in Hollywood and makes the Asian community look helpless



Corran said:


> Me too.
> 
> I'm gonna guess this thread gets locked, didn't we already have aa Airbender racism thread?



I think you also want this thread to get locked because you're a pro-caster who supports this injustice and white washing in Hollywood no?


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## Corran (May 17, 2010)

No, I'm just tired of hearing it. If you don't like it don't watch the movie.


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## The Hypocrite (May 17, 2010)

Diskyr said:


> I think you also want this thread to get locked because you're a pro-caster who supports this injustice and white washing in Hollywood no?



You're an idiot. It's a cartoon being made into a movie. Willy Wonka with Depp didn't have real midgets play the role either. It's not racist, it's convenient.


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## Helix (May 17, 2010)

Is this something to get upset about? Look at the Tekken movie trailer, I don't see an Asian playing as Jin.


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## Hidd3N_NiN (May 17, 2010)

While I am not very happy about the whole Fire Nation = Indian thing, I found it funny you spent half of your rant complaining about getting Asians to play the roles and then complain about Dev Patel playing Zuko when Indians are Asians.  (Yeah, I also mentioned this in the Avatar thread, lol.) 

Anyway, get over it. The film's done. Your ranting isn't going to make them reshoot the whole thing.


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## Chee (May 17, 2010)

Boycott this film, it will show Hollywood not to put white people in every single lead role. That's what I'm going to do.


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## Nizuma Eiji (May 17, 2010)

Hidd3N_NiN said:


> While I am not very happy about the whole Fire Nation = Indian thing, I found it funny you spent half of your rant complaining about getting Asians to play the roles and then complain about Dev Patel playing Zuko when Indians are Asians.  (Yeah, I also mentioned this in the Avatar thread, lol.)
> 
> Anyway, get over it. The film's done. Your ranting isn't going to make them reshoot the whole thing.



This right here. Good post.


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## Ennoea (May 17, 2010)

The "har har Indians are Asians" point is dumb. I don't remember Zhao being a name commonly used in India.


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## Ms. Jove (May 17, 2010)

Unprecedented point, thread, outrage.


And DON'T boycott the movie, godammit.


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## Chee (May 17, 2010)

Jove said:


> Unprecedented point, thread, outrage.
> 
> 
> And DON'T boycott the movie, godammit.



Yea, I am. It looks dumb and I wasn't planning on paying seeing it anyways.

Fucking actor for Aang still sounds like a grandma. It was a whole different audio clip, so don't say he was "crying", and he still sounds like he's a whiny bitch.


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## Nizuma Eiji (May 17, 2010)

Jesus Christ it's just a little kid, barely past 12. Relax.

Question. Will any Asian do, or are you guys specifically demanding Chinese?


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## Wu Fei (May 17, 2010)

i coulda sworn i saw a bunch of arabs and russians.

chill out. (says a black man )


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## Chee (May 18, 2010)

Nizuma Eiji said:


> Jesus Christ it's just a little kid, barely past 12. Relax.
> 
> Question. Will any Asian do, or are you guys specifically demanding Chinese?



He doesn't sound good, that's my point. The rest of the cast doesn't sound like they have peanut butter in their mouth.

They decided to cast white heroes in an Asian backdrop. It's obvious white-marketing. It's like making a live-action Mulan movie with some white woman as Mulan.


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## Nizuma Eiji (May 18, 2010)

I get that, but still I'm curious about the Asian demand. Is it open to Japanese, Koreans, and etc as well? I ask because beside the art style being influenced by Japanese anime, pretty much everything from architecture, calligraphy, and names are Chinese based. Or is it a case of, they all look alike so they can be Chinese as well?


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## Ms. Jove (May 18, 2010)

Think about this.

Right now, Mike and Bryan are working on a "New Avatar Project." This could be a mini-series, and very likely could be a new series altogether.

If the movie tanks, the _Avatar_ brand is irreparably damaged. Nickelodeon already possesses an inconsistent track record of supporting Avatar. Movie results are going to play a role in the promotion of, and commitment to, this new endeavor. And it will be more pronounced with a failed movie: Lack of promotion would be totally proportional to the lack of gate receipts.


And let's say the new series requires multiple seasons to tell it's story. Nickelodeon would most definitely hesitate to commit to a damaged product that they perceive to have limited future possibilities.  Even further, let's assume the series is a resounding success. There's no guarantee they would persist in using the movie against the show. These are the people that waited to greenlight _*Book 3*_.


_Avatar_ is a uniquely cultured and progressive show. It presents a definably Asian-influenced world that treated Asian culture with reverence. It's characters were dignified and not solely identifiable by their martial arts, while the settings and architecture were intricately researched. It's due to that level of quality and authenticity that people were outraged over some of M. Night's repugnant "artistic choices."

And thus, this movie became the last straw. People were rightly apoplectic, and they revolted. They promulgated this old grievance with further reach than ever before. The message has become publicized. Build upon it, keep the pressure intense, and the next time Hollywood takes something from Asia and whitewashes it, boycott the fucking stuffing out of it.

But _don't_ do it for this one.

Boycott the movie, and you'll hurt the show. It's that simple. M Night won't be devastated. Frank Marshal won't be devastated. Paramount won't be devastated. Viacom won't be devastated. The show will. All those entities will move on. The show might now.

If you're boycotting because of the race and culture issue, then you're simply going to damage the one show that deserves support in this issue: an American show that effectively and deferentially honors Asian culture. Harming it would just be vacant stubbornness. 

An underlying theme in all this has been,  "How could they take _this_ show and treat it in such a traditional manner? _This_ is the adaption that should change things!" So why sabotage _that show_?


Just something to think about.


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## Enclave (May 18, 2010)

I was going to boycott the movie, however my girlfriend worked on it, so now I have to go see it.



Nizuma Eiji said:


> I get that, but still I'm curious about the Asian demand. Is it open to Japanese, Koreans, and etc as well? I ask because beside the art style being influenced by Japanese anime, pretty much everything from architecture, calligraphy, and names are Chinese based. Or is it a case of, they all look alike so they can be Chinese as well?



Depends on the nation the actors are supposed to represent.

For instance, the Water Nation, people don't actually want Asians to play those roles.  They want Natives, preferably Inuit (though that would be difficult) for those roles.  Now, unlike what M. Knight would have you believe, there ARE in fact Native actors that exist in this world.


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## Roy (May 18, 2010)

tl;dr, bro. 

The point is: Who cares. If they can act the part then it doesn't really matter.


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## Ms. Jove (May 18, 2010)

Roy said:


> tl;dr, bro.
> 
> The point is: Who cares. If they can act the part then it doesn't really matter.



I can't expect a Laker fan to read. 


Abridged version: Boycotting hurts the brand, and, therefore, future _Avatar_. And that hurts Asian-influenced media in America. I truly am Avatar Jove-ku. 

Het Einde.


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## Nizuma Eiji (May 18, 2010)

Enclave said:


> I was going to boycott the movie, however my girlfriend worked on it, so now I have to go see it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Truth, but aside from the Water Tribes who I think are Inuit as well, ever other tribe just screams specifically Chinese.


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## Koi (May 18, 2010)

I'll be honest: I'm way more pissed that they've apparently 'grounded' Sokka's character.  I don't give a shit about race.  I just want to see the characters I love.  RIP SOKKA'S CHARACTER: JULY 2010.


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## Piekage (May 18, 2010)

Don't care, still seeing it. 



Chee said:


> He doesn't sound good, that's my point. The rest of the cast doesn't sound like they have peanut butter in their mouth.



How much of him have you heard? As far as I know very little, if any, clips of him speaking have been released.


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## The Potential (May 18, 2010)

You mad?


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## Emperor Joker (May 18, 2010)

Diskyr said:


> I think you also want this thread to get locked because you're a pro-caster who supports this injustice and white washing in Hollywood no?



Somebody's being brainless today aren't they...Who cares, other than you, that they casted a white guy to play Zuko...I don't...who the fuck cares that they replaced Inuites with white people...I don't because there are no inuite actors.

Look as it stands M. Night had to improvise, it's racism, especially when the source material wasn't even set in our world in the first place.

Are going to bitch when Cowboy Bepop comes out and it's Keanu Reeves playing Spike and not some asian guy.


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## Enclave (May 18, 2010)

Emperor Joker said:


> Somebody's being brainless today aren't they...Who cares, other than you, that they casted a white guy to play Zuko...I don't...who the fuck cares that they replaced Inuites with white people...I don't because there are no inuite actors.
> 
> Look as it stands M. Night had to improvise, it's racism, especially when the source material wasn't even set in our world in the first place.
> 
> Are going to bitch when Cowboy Bepop comes out and it's Keanu Reeves playing Spike and not some asian guy.



That's the thing, M.Knight didn't need to improvise, there are Native and Asian actors that exist out there.  He specifically chose to go with ole whitey instead.

Hell, the only reason he even changed Zuko's character was because of the outrage from the white washing.


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## Roy (May 18, 2010)

Jove said:


> I can't expect a Laker fan to read.
> 
> 
> Abridged version: Boycotting hurts the brand, and, therefore, future _Avatar_. And that hurts Asian-influenced media in America. I truly am Avatar Jove-ku.
> ...



We're too busy winning. :ho


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## Ms. Jove (May 18, 2010)

Roy said:


> We're too busy winning. :ho



Except just about every one of those times you faced the Celtics.


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## Ennoea (May 18, 2010)

> Are going to bitch when Cowboy Bepop comes out and it's Keanu Reeves playing Spike and not some asian guy.



Spike isn't suppoused to be Asian. The clue is in the name.


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## CrazyMoronX (May 18, 2010)

Someone call the police to beat up this racist scumbag makin' movies.


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## Castiel (May 18, 2010)

> A fine job at white washing our beloved characters M.Night.


World's greatest white supremacist


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## CrazyMoronX (May 18, 2010)

Obviously the guy's a skinhead nazi scumbag.


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## MF NaruSimpson (May 18, 2010)

that ain't right, there's plenty of talented indians, and indian chicks are banging.  fuck u m knight, i've noticed this shit too.


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## CrazyMoronX (May 18, 2010)

Some Indian chicks are alright. But then you get also have to factor in that a lot of them are horse-ugly.


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## Castiel (May 18, 2010)

Dirty Injuns aren't happy with casinos so they go and ruin our americanimes


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## MF NaruSimpson (May 18, 2010)

CrazyMoronX said:


> Some Indian chicks are alright. But then you get also have to factor in that a lot of them are horse-ugly.



mehh, i'm not talking about malnourished girls that are from the country side. i mean healthy ones from 1 st world countries.


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## CrazyMoronX (May 18, 2010)

You mean like the USA? I've met a lot of hose's ass-ugly Indian girls from USA in my day.

And by a lot, I mean 3. I have only seen one attractive one in person.


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## Seto Kaiba (May 18, 2010)

Chee said:


> He doesn't sound good, that's my point. The rest of the cast doesn't sound like they have peanut butter in their mouth.
> 
> They decided to cast white heroes in an Asian backdrop. It's obvious white-marketing. It's like making a live-action Mulan movie with some white woman as Mulan.



Well, Jove has a point. I do want to support Mike and Bryan if they have any future projects in store, and if the movie tanks the execs will lose interest in them, and those projects will be put in limbo...I don't want that to happen to them, they are so talented, and western animation desperately needs guys like them.

At the same time I agree with you about the whitewashing and I really am getting tired of it. I mean, like I stated before, it's like if you cast a black guy as Superman or Spider-Man. They are fictional characters, and one is an alien, but they are CLEARLY the equivalent of a white man and having anyone other than a white male actor portray them in live-action would have people going collectively, "WTF?" and for good reason.


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## MF NaruSimpson (May 18, 2010)

CrazyMoronX said:


> You mean like the USA? I've met a lot of hose's ass-ugly Indian girls from USA in my day.
> 
> And by a lot, I mean 3. I have only seen one attractive one in person.



in california they are as american as apple pie (kinda ). so there's some hotties here.


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## Ms. Jove (May 18, 2010)

I forgot one thing, related to the Fire Nation being Indian. It's not as simple as an unconscious "brown = , white = hurray!" The clue is in M. Night pronouncement that he's changed things from the show in order to make the film a "personal experience" for him.

M. Night has explicitly stated that he identifies with Zuko more than any character. So I believe that casting Dev Patel is M. Night's way of creating a Zuko as close to himself as possible.

It's balderdash, but there it is.


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## Koi (May 18, 2010)

..Was Dev thrown into exile in any point in his life?


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## Ms. Jove (May 18, 2010)

Koi said:


> ..Was Dev thrown into exile in any point in his life?



He will be after real-life Zutara comes to pass.


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## Enclave (May 18, 2010)

Jove said:


> I forgot one thing, related to the Fire Nation being Indian. It's not as simple as an unconscious "brown = , white = hurray!" The clue is in M. Night pronouncement that he's changed things from the show in order to make the film a "personal experience" for him.
> 
> M. Night has explicitly stated that he identifies with Zuko more than any character. So I believe that casting Dev Patel is M. Night's way of creating a Zuko as close to himself as possible.
> 
> It's balderdash, but there it is.



Which is complete bullshit once you remember than Dev Patel wasn't even the original Zuko, he only was cast for Zuko after people started calling M. Knight on his white washing.


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## Emperor Joker (May 18, 2010)

Ennoea said:


> Spike isn't suppoused to be Asian. The clue is in the name.



Won't stop people from complaing though.


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## MartialHorror (May 18, 2010)

Jeez, here we go again.

For the last time, don't blame the director or even the studios for casting white people in Asian roles. BLAME YOURSELVES FOR NOT MAKING ASIAN ACTORS INTO STARS! 

Studios only want to make money, and they rather would bank on profitable actors. If most of them are white, it's because thats what the public is seeing.

Furthermore, the problem with Asian stars is that people might mistake the movie to be Asian(which currently is not a trend).


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## Diskyr (May 18, 2010)

Emperor Joker said:


> Somebody's being brainless today aren't they...Who cares, other than you, that they casted a white guy to play Zuko...I don't...who the fuck cares that they replaced Inuites with white people...I don't because there are no inuite actors.
> 
> Look as it stands M. Night had to improvise, it's racism, especially when the source material wasn't even set in our world in the first place.
> 
> Are going to bitch when Cowboy Bepop comes out and it's Keanu Reeves playing Spike and not some asian guy.



The Source Material isn't set in our world, however it is derived from asian inspired influences.

Tell me, would you be pissed off if Peter Jackson casted the Fellowship as Asians and blacks and the Gondorians as Middle Eastern-looking peoples?


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## Diskyr (May 18, 2010)

Emperor Joker said:


> Won't stop people from complaing though.



It is people like you who continue to support Hollywood's racist support and white washing.

You don't see this film to be wrong because you don't see the film from the perspective of an asian or an anti-caster. 

Anyways, it's already too late to boycott this film. However, it's not too late for anti-casters like me to not waste our dollars away at a piece of trash film like this. If The Last Airbender flunks, then Hollywood wont even consider making a trilogy out of this


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## Diskyr (May 18, 2010)

Roy said:


> tl;dr, bro.
> 
> The point is: Who cares. If they can act the part then it doesn't really matter.



Ignorance is profound in your post. 

Again, if I was too cast Spiderman with an asian or a middle eastern actor, then would you be pissed as well?


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## Diskyr (May 18, 2010)

It's funny how you guys are neg repping me just because my views are totally different from yours and also because of my outright passionate fury for this film


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## Emperor Joker (May 18, 2010)

@Diskyr

I care less about the race of the character and more how the story is told.

For an example I didn't care that Grover was now black in the Percy Jackson movie when in the book he was white, I cared more that they completely butchered the plot of the first book, and changed how the characters acted, as well as ruined any possible sequals. which is by far to me by far far worse than changing somebody's race for a adaption.

I care more that they are grounding Sokka's character and not making him funny than the fact that he's not Inuite. I care more that Iroh looks like he's become massivly serious instead of being jovial than I do, that they changed people's race.

To me Plot and storytelling come first, not the character's race.

Also Multi-Quote is you're friend


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## Chee (May 18, 2010)

Holy crap Diskyr, one post is enough.


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## MartialHorror (May 18, 2010)

Seriously Diskyr, I might start neg repping you for all you double posting....


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## Serp (May 18, 2010)

Diskyr 4 back to back posts sort that shit out.

I personally would have liked them to be the same as the show, but as long as there are 4 nations and they move elements i'm cool, there is only racism when you acknowledge it. Like Morgan Freeman said, he doesn't like being called a black man as bring up the difference lays seeds for racism.


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## Shock Therapy (May 18, 2010)

Well it's prolly gonna be utter shit anyways like DBE and the new Karate Kid. so why waste money on shit when I can spend it on the awesome that is Salt and The Expendables.


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## Ennoea (May 18, 2010)

^Expendables looks rubbish btw


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## Emperor Joker (May 18, 2010)

rawrawraw said:


> Well it's prolly gonna be utter shit anyways like DBE and the new Karate Kid. so why waste money on shit when I can spend it on the awesome that is Salt and The Expendables.



I wouldn't say it's gonna be be like DBE from the trailers, it looks like it's going to be pretty faithful to the cartoon plotwise....it's just that Sokka and Iroh's more entertaining aspects of thier personality is getting cut...which is what I have a problem with.


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## Rukia (May 18, 2010)

The only casting decision that matters is Azula.  Let's be honest.


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## Gunners (May 18, 2010)

Emperor Joker said:


> I wouldn't say it's gonna be be like DBE from the trailers, it looks like it's going to be pretty faithful to the cartoon plotwise....it's just that Sokka and Iroh's more entertaining aspects of thier personality is getting cut...which is what I have a problem with.



Iroh's character should stay as it is. I can understand changing Sokka's humour as it is only fitting as a running joke in the series. In a movie it would seem out of place.


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## Gabe (May 19, 2010)

who cares and indians are asians


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## MartialHorror (May 19, 2010)

With changing Sokka's character though, he might come across as bland and pointless. "Avatar" is good because the characters are so amusing(even if Aang reminds me a bit too much of Goku).


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## Narcissus (May 19, 2010)

Ah, another thread about the Avatar movie. How many are there now?

Anyway, if they stick somewhat to the original story, Zuko is going to join the GAang anyway, so him being a villain isn't saying much if he is a hero by the time the movies are over.

Besides, the actors' races are the least of my concerns. I'm more worried about the story being butchered and the potential bad acting. 

Wait until the movie is released until you complain further. At least then it will be over something we haven't heard 1000 times already.


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## Chee (May 19, 2010)

Bad acting looks like a sure. That what-his-name has never acted before.

And Shamwow made bad actors out of Mark Wahlburg and Zooey Deschanel in the Happening. It's going to be worse with someone with no acting experience.


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## CrazyMoronX (May 19, 2010)

As long as there are cool explosions, I don't care about the actors. Or what race they are.


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## Piekage (May 19, 2010)

Diskyr said:


> It is people like you who continue to support Hollywood's racist support and white washing.
> 
> You don't see this film to be wrong because you don't see the film from the perspective of an asian or an anti-caster.
> 
> Anyways, it's already too late to boycott this film. However, it's not too late for anti-casters like me to not waste our dollars away at a piece of trash film like this. If The Last Airbender flunks, then Hollywood wont even consider making a trilogy out of this



And then what? Hollywood won't care about. It's not like this is the first time this has happened, and it won't be the last. It's only going to change if someone who gives a damn gets enough power to do something. Bitching and moaning won't accomplish anything. Not supporting the movie will only damage any further Avatar related product in the long run.



> It's funny how you guys are neg repping me just because my views are totally different from yours and also because of my outright passionate fury for this film



How is that any different from you insulting people because they don't give a damn about the percieved white washing in TLA? 

I personally think it's wrong if they are white washing the cast, but I care a lot more about Avatar:TLA than the hurt feelings of people affected by this. Add the fact that the issue's not likely to change, and those responsible for the casting decisions will still sleep comfortable at night, can't say I particularly care anymore.


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## LayZ (May 20, 2010)

What else do you expect from Hollywood?  As Paul Mooney said, these are the same people who say Tom Cruise is "The Last Samurai" and Brad Pitt is "The Mexican".  Now they're saying Jake Gyllenhaal is the "Prince of Persia".


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## Ms. Jove (May 20, 2010)

MartialHorror said:


> With changing Sokka's character though, he might come across as bland and pointless. "Avatar" is good because the characters are so amusing(even if Aang reminds me a bit too much of Goku).



I'm interested in your thoughts on M. Night's staid treatment of the source material. Considering that this is, essentially, a kid's movie, how do you think this will effect the gate?

I'm worried that the trailer's sober, serious tone might keep some families, _The Last Airbenders_ most important grouping, away from theaters. Legitimate concern or am I being worrisome?


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## MartialHorror (May 20, 2010)

In all honesty, most trailers are more interested in epic special effects awesomeness. I think that it will probably have the same tone as the source material, but the trailers sure aren't telling us that.


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## Piekage (May 20, 2010)

LayZ said:


> What else do you expect from Hollywood?  As Paul Mooney said, these are the same people who say Tom Cruise is "The Last Samurai" and Brad Pitt is "The Mexican".  Now they're saying Jake Gyllenhaal is the "Prince of Persia".



From what I hear, they considered Katsumoto to be the Last Samurai. But yeah, nitpicking aside, Hollywood does this all the time.


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## Ms. Jove (May 21, 2010)

MartialHorror said:


> In all honesty, most trailers are more interested in epic special effects awesomeness. *I think that it will probably have the same tone as the source material*, but the trailers sure aren't telling us that.



I'm afraid that it won't. M. Night's explicitly stated in interviews that he's removed much of the humor and lightheartedness from the show. It's all in his effort to make the film more "personal" for him. "grounding" Sokka is just the beginning. Aang and Iroh will also be more austere. I'm concerned that this decision will prove even more disastrous than the casting.


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## Seto Kaiba (May 21, 2010)

So, no Cabbage Man, not Rabid Fan, no...Toph wisecracks (for the next one)?


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## Ms. Jove (May 21, 2010)

Seto Kaiba said:


> So, no Cabbage Man, not Rabid Fan, no...Toph wisecracks (for the next one)?



He did confirm with dismay that Cabbage Man had been cut.


----------



## g_core18 (May 21, 2010)

This movie is gonna be just as bad as that DBZ movie.


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## MartialHorror (May 21, 2010)

Technically, The last Samurai refers to that whole group. 



Jove said:


> I'm afraid that it won't. M. Night's explicitly stated in interviews that he's removed much of the humor and lightheartedness from the show. It's all in his effort to make the film more "personal" for him. "grounding" Sokka is just the beginning. Aang and Iroh will also be more austere. I'm concerned that this decision will prove even more disastrous than the casting.



Hmmm, well, in that case, damn. I thought the humor was the best thing about the show.


----------



## Chee (May 21, 2010)

Jove said:


> He did confirm with dismay that Cabbage Man had been cut.



That's stupid! 

CABBAGE MAN WILL BE PISSED.


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## Unrelenting_Power (May 21, 2010)

It looks moderately faithful, should be good


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## MartialHorror (May 21, 2010)

Overall, I think the movie won't be bad. Just looking at the scope and the superb shots(like the bit during the teaser trailer), it should at least be a stylish and cool looking movie(not to be confused with lots of good CGI).


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## MKS (May 21, 2010)

If anything he made the cast more racially diverse making it least racist, if we can actually quantify how racist something is. 

The fucked up part is that there are barely any Asian actors in the first place. It would be like replacing the Harry Potter book with American actors...in Chicago...

Or remaking Roots with an all white cast. 

Radically changing the source material really alienates people from the movie in the fist place. I just think it's going to suck terribly.


----------



## Rukia (May 21, 2010)

Jove said:


> He will be after real-life Zutara comes to pass.



*Spoiler*: _Good Post_ 





Uploaded with


----------



## Sephiroth (May 21, 2010)

After seeing the full trailer, I'm quite looking forward to this, it looks great and very faithful to the story.

I hope Azula turns out well.


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## darkangelcel (May 22, 2010)

I agree with you in a lot of stuff, but I'll still watch movie!


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## JBarnz008 (May 22, 2010)

the previews gave me shivers. can't wait!


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## Dimeron (May 23, 2010)

Piekage said:


> And then what? Hollywood won't care about. It's not like this is the first time this has happened, and it won't be the last. It's only going to change if someone who gives a damn gets enough power to do something. Bitching and moaning won't accomplish anything. Not supporting the movie will only damage any further Avatar related product in the long run.



Hollywood will care if they are losing money. If they are losing enough money every time they do crap like this, they would think twice about doing it in the future. Its that simple. Remember, at one point a black actor leading a movie is almost unheard, where open racism (like blackface and Minstrel shows) was perfectly acceptable. Good thing there are those who are willing to challenge the status quo no?

Why should those of us who feel this movie is discriminatory support a movie that is obviously racist. Because it may or may not damage a brand? In fact, IMO if this movie succeeds it will do far more harm to the brand than anything else, then it will be forever remembered as another Hollywood whitewash/yellowface, another "Asian culture good but we don't want to see Asian people" ordeal.

Now, a lot of people don't see the problem or don't care about it, and will go see the movie, that's their decision and I will respect that, and likewise, for everyone that is boycotting this, i say kudos for challenging the (racist) Hollywood status quo.


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## MartialHorror (May 23, 2010)

Once again(and I seriously need to stop repeating myself), there are no Asian stars because the general public does not want Asian stars?

Notice that there tend to be trends in this type of thing. When Bruce Lee broke through, Asian stars(actually, non-white stars in general) flourished. When Jackie Chan broke through, Asian stars flourished. 

If Hollywood was racist, then Denzel Washington wouldn't be getting any roles, the kid from "Slumdog Millionaire"(who is in this movie) wouldn't be getting any roles, no non-white people would be getting roles outside of typical racial roles.

An odd example, look at that live action "Tekken" movie that's coming out. They whitewashed Christie, but Jin is still asian, played by some guy named Jon Foo or something. Who is he? No one really knows or cares and the movie has recieved little-to-no publicity despite being based off a popular video game. 

Studios only put that much effort into marketing when they have a big draw. Proof that Hollywood being racist is wrong is just by looking at the Karate Kid remake. It stars an asian and a black kid. IF Hollywood was racist, wouldn't they cast a white kid?

People are just pressing their own racist tendencies on Hollywood as a scapegoat.


----------



## Ms. Jove (May 23, 2010)

Dimeron said:


> In fact, IMO if this movie succeeds it will do far more harm to the brand than anything else, then it will be forever remembered as another Hollywood whitewash/yellowface, another "Asian culture good but we don't want to see Asian people" ordeal.



No. No  it won't, and your suggestion that it would is just an illogical and erroneous attempt to fit your ideals into this point. And it's also totally irrelevant. This has nothing to do with the _public's_ opinion of the brand, it's about the commercial viability of the show.


Why it's illogical: 

The furor over _The Last Airbender_ has to do with the casting, which was completed over a year ago. The whitewashing is done. The outrage over the racist casting is well established. Therefore, if the brand was going to take a publicity hit from this it would have _already happened_. The movie's performance has no relation to this at all.

Why it's erroneous: 

The people are not blaming _Avatar_, they are blaming M. Night, the casting director, the film industry, etc.  _Avatar_'s reputation is unimpeachable; it's a large part of the reason people are incensed over the casting. The movie's performance will have no impact on the show's status amongst the general public.


Why it's irrelevant:

It's the people making decisions, the _executives_, that are ambivalent towards the show. If this movie fails, they will view the brand as a limited commodity and start to pull back support. This decision will have little to do with the intricate and sensitive reasons for the movie's inadequate performance. They don't care; it's all about the numbers.


Oddly enough, though, I wouldn't be surprised if, given a poor showing by the movie, they would perceive the general public's reaction as you imagine, as opposed to what the general public _truly_ feels. That is, they would imagine that the brand is tainted in the eyes of the public, while the public in truth still cares deeply for the brand and merely hates the movie. Either way, they still don't care.


So the question once again: having now promulgated a message further than it's ever been publicized before, are people willing to go the next step even if it means damaging one of the most significant portrayals of Asian culture in Western media?


----------



## Piekage (May 23, 2010)

[/QUOTE]



Dimeron said:


> Hollywood will care if they are losing money. If they are losing enough money every time they do crap like this, they would think twice about doing it in the future. Its that simple. Remember, at one point a black actor leading a movie is almost unheard, where open racism (like blackface and Minstrel shows) was perfectly acceptable. Good thing there are those who are willing to challenge the status quo no?


And they'd have to lose a hell of a lot of money before they do something. Thing about racists, or hell anybody, are that they're deadset on hating whatever the fuck they want, and very few things, sometimes even money, are going to stop that. 

Nothing wrong with challenging the status quo if something offends you, but complaining alone simply isn't going to do anything. It would be logical to assume these whitewashing offends you, right? Well what are you doing about it? The time you spent replying to my comment could have gone to something far more productive. I'm just some guy with an opinion, and arguing with me isn't going to accomplish anything.

The only reason the status quo ever changes is because people actually get up and did something about it if it pisses them off enough, via mass of people or influence. Making a post on an internet forum with a bunch of links is certainly a start, but it's obvious from the posts that most of us don't give a damn. Apathy's a bitch.



Dimeron said:


> Why should those of us who feel this movie is discriminatory support a movie that is obviously racist. Because it may or may not damage a brand? In fact, IMO if this movie succeeds it will do far more harm to the brand than anything else, then it will be forever remembered as another Hollywood whitewash/yellowface, another "Asian culture good but we don't want to see Asian people" ordeal.



Obviously racist? I don't know about that. But then, I've never seen Aang as asian or the characters as nationalities either, and I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt on things I have no way of knowing for certain. While it's definitely possible that the casting was done out of blatant hate of all things Asian colored, I also think it's possible that the casting was done out of convenience, cost, and time retraints. And also, show me some Asian or Inuit actors in America that are young enough and can act. For Sokka and Katara, I've never seen an Inuit actor at all, or even an actor they're age and skin tone capable of playing either of them. As far as I know that Jesse Macarthy thing was a rumor, and frankly, at that point I doubt it would have mattered who played Zuko.

Frankly I'm more interested in the actors abilities to play the characters I love more than what color they are.

LAB is already going to go with that label regardless of it's success. Unpleasant as it may be, I'd honestly rather have more Avatar at the expense of someone's hurt feelings than no more Avatar at all. Life's short as it is and I'd like to enjoy more programs from people capable of putting out quality product in a world full of shit, in terms of television. Bad shit happened, bad shit will always happen, and the world will go on.

I never said support it, and if that's what was implied then apoligizes all around. I'm merely stating that the only people affected are the only ones who actually care about the fans.


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (May 23, 2010)

I like the silly complaints of white washing when other nations make versions of our characters and do the same there. Indian Superman and other things like that. It's not racially motivated its just a case of them taking who works best. 

Did they "black wash" the role in Karate Kid? 

I think people are far too sensitive and quick to complain online.


----------



## Piekage (May 23, 2010)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> I like the silly complaints of white washing when other nations make versions of our characters and do the same there. Indian Superman and other things like that. It's not racially motivated its just a case of them taking who works best.
> 
> Did they "black wash" the role in Karate Kid?
> 
> I think people are far too sensitive and quick to complain online.



Cause it's only racist if it's white on everyone else?


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (May 23, 2010)

Piekage said:


> Cause it's only racist if it's white on everyone else?


That's pretty much the idea that people make of it.


----------



## MartialHorror (May 23, 2010)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> I like the silly complaints of white washing when other nations make versions of our characters and do the same there. Indian Superman and other things like that. It's not racially motivated its just a case of them taking who works best.
> 
> Did they "black wash" the role in Karate Kid?
> 
> I think people are far too sensitive and quick to complain online.



lol, good point, actually. That should've been obvious.


----------



## Seto Kaiba (May 23, 2010)

> And they'd have to lose a hell of a lot of money before they do something. Thing about racists, or hell anybody, are that they're deadset on hating whatever the fuck they want, and very few things, sometimes even money, are going to stop that.
> 
> Nothing wrong with challenging the status quo if something offends you, but complaining alone simply isn't going to do anything. It would be logical to assume these whitewashing offends you, right? Well what are you doing about it? The time you spent replying to my comment could have gone to something far more productive. I'm just some guy with an opinion, and arguing with me isn't going to accomplish anything.



It did receive attention, it was circulating around for a while when they were still doing casting, but they never had much of a retort on why. They weren't hiring the best or most capable actors, they had race in mind as well. A lot did protest, a lot were very vocal about it. It even received media attention. You haven't said so, but a few have said they were concerned only with getting capable actors, which was a load of bunk when you saw what they wanted. You've got to get more than merely capable actors anyway, you have to get capable actors that fit the part. 

You know, one way to challenge the status quo would be to not see these types of movies at all. On the other hand, many of us want Mike and Bryan to continue doing the things they do, and if this movie fails, they might not be able to. I think many have accepted it for what it has become because of that, but that in no way means the issue of whitewashing isn't gone. 



> The only reason the status quo ever changes is because people actually get up and did something about it if it pisses them off enough, via mass of people or influence. Making a post on an internet forum with a bunch of links is certainly a start, but it's obvious from the posts that most of us don't give a damn. Apathy's a bitch.



One voices their issues wherever they think people will listen. It's funny you say that, because the internet has been a large catalyst for quite a few things in recent years.

People went WTF as both of those two as I recall. Especially the "Karate Kid" remake. I don't see how that in any way refutes the whitewashing of this movie and so many others though. Just seems to be a way to deflect the issue. The casting with ATLA is done, but the issue it falls under isn't.


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## Enclave (May 23, 2010)

MartialHorror said:


> If Hollywood was racist, then Denzel Washington wouldn't be getting any roles, *the kid from "Slumdog Millionaire"(who is in this movie) wouldn't be getting any roles*, no non-white people would be getting roles outside of typical racial roles.



Just to point this out AGAIN.  The kid from "Slumdog Millionaire" only has a role in this movie due to protests regarding the white washing.

This was the original Zuko before the outrage:





Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> I like the silly complaints of white washing when other nations make versions of our characters and do the same there. Indian Superman and other things like that. It's not racially motivated its just a case of them taking who works best.
> 
> Did they "black wash" the role in Karate Kid?
> 
> I think people are far too sensitive and quick to complain online.



Just to put this out there.  I get just as annoyed by studios making previously white characters black.

For instance, I was quite unhappy about the casting of Kingpin in Daredevil, he just wasn't Kingpin to me.  That said, I would have felt the same about Blade had they made him white or asian or anything other than black.  I don't care what colour the characters are, as long as they remain true to their source material.

Regarding Kingpin, I heard the reason they did that was because there's such a shortage of black heroes/villains in comics.  Well my answer to that would simply be to make more comics featuring non-white heroes and villains.  Don't take established characters and modify them.  Oddly enough, the only exception to this rule I've come across so far is a black Nick Fury, somehow that just works better than a white Nick Fury.  Course, Ultimate Nick Fury likely is what wired me to accept that change.  Also helps that I never really liked 616 Nick Fury and characters I care less about I care less about changes in general.


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## Rukia (May 23, 2010)

I'm glad they replaced the original Zuko.  

I wish the actress playing Katara was more attractive though.


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## Narcissus (May 23, 2010)

I'm not going to judge one thing based off of the trailers Trailers can be know as evil liars sometimes, making some things look utterly epic when the actual movie epicly sucks. I will be waiting to actually see the movie before making any calls.


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## Piekage (May 23, 2010)

Seto Kaiba said:


> It did receive attention, it was circulating around for a while when they were still doing casting, *but they never had much of a retort on why.* They weren't hiring the best or most capable actors, they had race in mind as well. A lot did protest, a lot were very vocal about it. It even received media attention. You haven't said so, but a few have said they were concerned only with getting capable actors, which was a load of bunk when you saw what they wanted. You've got to get more than merely capable actors anyway, you have to get capable actors that fit the part.


I'm not debating any of that. Not really sure why you quoted me.

I agree, except the bolded. The lack of a response doesn't indicate guilt. Any number of things could be responsible for no retort; they didn't think it was a big deal, they didn't figure anyone would believe them (which I think to be the case), they were more interested in working on the movie, etc. Not saying any of those are true, could be all of them are true.


Seto Kaiba said:


> You know, one way to challenge the status quo would be to not see these types of movies at all. On the other hand, many of us want Mike and Bryan to continue doing the things they do, and if this movie fails, they might not be able to. I think many have accepted it for what it has become because of that, but that in no way means the issue of whitewashing isn't gone.


I suppose. Not a very vocal protest, but protest nonetheless. I'm not saying the whitewash issue is gone.


Seto Kaiba said:


> One voices their issues wherever they think people will listen. It's funny you say that, because the internet has been a large catalyst for quite a few things in recent years.


True enough, but the question is are they listening? Online petitions, letters, websites, and emails are awful easy to ignore after all.


Seto Kaiba said:


> People went WTF as both of those two as I recall. Especially the "Karate Kid" remake. I don't see how that in any way refutes the whitewashing of this movie and so many others though. Just seems to be a way to deflect the issue. The casting with ATLA is done, but the issue it falls under isn't.



What two? I've heard nothing about the casting decisions for Karate Kid, but honestly speaking I didn't really look either. It also didn't surprise me, considering Jaden's parents are is producing.



> Just to point this out AGAIN. The kid from "Slumdog Millionaire" only has a role in this movie due to protests regarding the white washing.
> 
> This was the original Zuko before the outrage:



Wasn't there a scedule conflict?


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## Butō Rengoob (May 23, 2010)

I could careless lol. It'll be a good movie and all the whiny tards that want everything their way will not change a damn thing.


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## Enclave (May 23, 2010)

Piekage said:


> Wasn't there a scedule conflict?



Not what I'd heard.

Also, even if they claimed it was a schedule conflict don't you think it's a tad suspicious that they changed it coincidentally right in the middle of all the white washing outrage?


----------



## Farih (May 23, 2010)

Idk...Dev Patel fits as Zuko, for me at least...

The girl who plays Katara, though...  I saw the trailer with my cousin who never watched ATLA, and when she saw Katara she said, "Eskimos are white in this show?"  

But I'm gonna see the movie anyway because I like the special effects


----------



## Dejablue (May 23, 2010)

Didn't two white guys create The last airbender? Weren't all the voice actors for the cartoon white except like...1 guy?  You folks need to shut up and grow up. The only reason I won't like this movie is if mister "Tweest" manages to screw up the story.  

Think it's racist? Get your people into Hollywood.  Writers, directors, actors. Bitching from the sidelines won't help your agenda. Get off your  whining asses and get jobs in the industry.  That's the only way you'll get what you want.


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## Piekage (May 23, 2010)

Dejablue said:


> Didn't two white guys create The last airbender? Weren't all the voice actors for the cartoon white except like...1 guy?  You folks need to shut up and grow up. The only reason I won't like this movie is if mister "Tweest" manages to screw up the story.
> 
> Think it's racist? Get your people into Hollywood.  Writers, directors, actors. Bitching from the sidelines won't help your agenda. Get off your  whining asses and get jobs in the industry.  That's the only way you'll get what you want.



I think the raging is more directed at M. Night and the casting decisions he made for the movie, and not at Mike or Brian. If Mike or Brian are racist, they have a weird way of showing it.



> Not what I'd heard.
> 
> Also, even if they claimed it was a schedule conflict don't you think it's a tad suspicious that they changed it coincidentally right in the middle of all the white washing outrage?



, Jesse McCartney had music tours and had to back out.

With some digging I suppose it's possible to verify the story, but I'm not that invested in finding out either way. It's possible that they recasted Zuko because of the whole race issue, but I doubt it, since people are complaining about the Brown Fire Nation People now, and they only recasted one role, as if that'll satisfy anyone for long.


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (May 23, 2010)

Enclave said:


> Just to point this out AGAIN.  The kid from "Slumdog Millionaire" only has a role in this movie due to protests regarding the white washing.
> 
> This was the original Zuko before the outrage:
> 
> ...




So you're that bothered by race? I don't get why. I mean so long as the race of the character isn't an important thing, then I don't see what the issue is. I mean the daughter in the George Lopez show was white and every once in a while they let a hispanic person slip by for Italian...these kinds of things are because someone looks enough of the part and is a good actor. Race doesn't have much to do with it.


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## Rukia (May 23, 2010)

I hope they do a good job casting Toph.  She's too badass to screw up on.  Hit Girl from Kick-Ass (Chloe something) would work for me.


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## Piekage (May 23, 2010)

Rukia said:


> I hope they do a good job casting Toph.  She's too badass to screw up on.  Hit Girl from Kick-Ass (Chloe something) would work for me.



I'd like that, although people would be pissed at another white actor. Frankly, I'm expecting them to fuck up Melon Lord Toph no matter what though. She's too badass to get _right_.


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## Rukia (May 23, 2010)

If you were going to make any of the characters white... Toph would have been the appropriate choice.


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## byron knowles (May 23, 2010)

basic marketing facts tell us that if M. Night Shamamalamalamayaman casts asians to play key roles his movie will flop, particularly if there is any sort of romance involved.

if Asians want to star in movies they need to do what Blacks did and sponsor directors like Spike Lee and Tyler Perry.


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## Rukia (May 23, 2010)

byron knowles said:


> basic marketing facts tell us that if M. Night Shamamalamalamayaman casts asians to play key roles his movie will flop, particularly if there is any sort of romance involved.
> 
> if Asians want to star in movies they need to do what Blacks did and sponsor directors like Spike Lee and Tyler Perry.


True.

And I think this is what Martial was trying to say earlier.  The precedent has been set.  Moviegoers haven't supported certain films in the past, so M Night had to make certain casting decisions to allow his movie a chance to be successful.  Blame yourselves.


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## Dejablue (May 23, 2010)

Japanese people can't seem to be able to draw anime characters who look fucking Asian anyway. Do they have a phobia against how they look? The vast majority of anime characters look pretty freaking Caucasian.  But none of you bitch about that.  Also what above poster says makes a lot of sense.


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## Sephiroth (May 23, 2010)

They just don't find their own eyes, skin color, or hair color attractive for some reason.


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## Chee (May 23, 2010)

Farih said:


> Idk...Dev Patel fits as Sokka, for me at least...



Fixed, for you.


----------



## Ms. Jove (May 23, 2010)

Rukia said:


> If you were going to make any of the characters white... Toph would have been the appropriate choice.



In fact, Toph is going to be South-East Asian. From what we've gathered, the Earth Kingdom is going to be the most diverse: Asian, white, and black.


----------



## Dimeron (May 23, 2010)

Jove said:


> Snip




You are assuming the executives do not do market research at all and the movie = entire Avatar franchise.

Now, lets assume this film fails because it was DB evolution quality. In which case the only people to blame is the studio. Whether the controversies exist or not will not change that fact.

If the film fails because of the controversy, and given how much attention it has gotten. The studio executives will know that large reason for the failure is due to the whitewashing and not the IP.

In which case yes, I agree there probably wouldn't be any more live action movies for this series. Just because white-washing is not acceptable does not mean they will reboot with proper Asian cast. But I highly doubt the cartoon will be hurt that much, as the cartoon and other merchandise will keep on making money. Remember, Last Airbender was a success before live action movie was even planned.

Now, assuming the film was a success, yes, the IP will get net Paramount more money. But remember, what was acceptable yesterday was no longer acceptable today. One good example would be breakfast at Tiffany, excellent movie but was otherwise tainted by racist yellowface. In 20 or 30 years from now, it will just be remembered as another whitewashed Hollywood movie.



> So the question once again: having now promulgated a message further than it's ever been publicized before, are people willing to go the next step even if it means damaging one of the most significant portrayals of Asian culture in Western media?



The problem here is that while the cartoon was a great portrayal of Asian Culture, the movie is a complete perversion of that. The movie turned something that paid respect to East Asians and their culture into another case of whitewashing in a long history of whitewashing. 

In another word, while the cartoon is the "most significant portrayal of Asian culture in Western media", the movie is "most significant whitewash of Aisan culture in recent memory by Western media", and is not something worth supporting.


----------



## Dimeron (May 23, 2010)

Piekage said:


> The time you spent replying to my comment could have gone to something far more productive. I'm just some guy with an opinion, and arguing with me isn't going to accomplish anything.
> 
> The only reason the status quo ever changes is because people actually get up and did something about it if it pisses them off enough, via mass of people or influence. Making a post on an internet forum with a bunch of links is certainly a start, but it's obvious from the posts that most of us don't give a damn. Apathy's a bitch.



That's true. Like I said, if people want to see this movie, that's their decision and I will respect that. I will boycott this movie because it is racist (and just because Hollywood has been doing this forever doesn't make it any less racist), and will try to convince as many people I know to not see it either. Failing that, at least let them know this practice of whitewashing is not acceptable to a lot of people.


----------



## Nizuma Eiji (May 23, 2010)

I suppose I'm the only one who thought Jesse McCartney could've been a decent Zuko.

Also how come nobody complains about majority of the cast in the show not being Asian?


----------



## Dimeron (May 23, 2010)

Nizuma Eiji said:


> I suppose I'm the only one who thought Jesse McCartney could've been a decent Zuko.
> 
> Also how come nobody complains about majority of the cast in the show not being Asian?



Voices are generally not associated with a specific race (or even gender and age). This is due to huge variation of voices a good voice actor can put out, and the fact generally, race are associated by visual appearance.

Otherwise Cleaveland and Apu would be a white guy, Bart Simpson would be a 40 years old women, Darth Vadar would be an old black dude, and Iroh would be an old Japanese man who turns white half way through.



Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> So you're that bothered by race? I don't get why. I mean so long as the race of the character isn't an important thing, then I don't see what the issue is. I mean the daughter in the George Lopez show was white and every once in a while they let a hispanic person slip by for Italian...these kinds of things are because someone looks enough of the part and is a good actor. Race doesn't have much to do with it.



Well, IMO there is nothing inherently wrong about colour blind casting. The problem comes because of double standard. Asians gets whitewashed all the time in big budget Hollywood movies. DB Evolution, 21, Last Airbender, and that's just in the last couple of years. And we will ignore all the Asian remakes for now.

But which big budget movie has the main heroes (especially main male hero) that were originally white being "colour blind" casted into Asian?

When Harry Potter, Gandalf, and Peter Parker (and most other white heroes) got to stay white, while Goku and Aang becomes white, you got to wonder why the "race blind" casting only goes one way.

Or do you honestly believe that when the studio is looking for a kid to play, say, Harry Potter, they would actually bother audition any actor whose not Anglo white?


----------



## Nizuma Eiji (May 23, 2010)

Dimeron said:


> Voices are generally not associated with a specific race (or even gender and age). This is due to huge variation of voices a good voice actor can put out, and the fact generally, race are associated by visual appearance.
> 
> Otherwise Cleaveland and Apu would be a white guy, Bart Simpson would be a 40 years old women, Darth Vadar would be an old black dude, and Iroh would be an old Japanese man who turns white half way through.



Truth! Point made my friend.


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## Momoka (May 23, 2010)

Um.........so this had been done like almost a year ago. The movie will be out by this July.

Now what do you want?


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## Rukia (May 23, 2010)

♥~Momolicious~♥ said:


> Now what do you want?


Advance Screening tickets?


----------



## MartialHorror (May 24, 2010)

Dimeron said:


> Well, IMO there is nothing inherently wrong about colour blind casting. The problem comes because of double standard. Asians gets whitewashed all the time in big budget Hollywood movies. DB Evolution, 21, Last Airbender, and that's just in the last couple of years. And we will ignore all the Asian remakes for now.
> 
> But which big budget movie has the main heroes (especially main male hero) that were originally white being "colour blind" casted into Asian?
> 
> ...



21? Are you talking about card playing asians?

Let me ask you something, what last big budgeted movie starred a nonstar?

The problem, as I've said 1,032 times, is that the public doesn't want to go see movies that star Asian people, because they might think it's a kung fu film or whatever.

Hell, I can think of more successful Asian stars than successful asian-american stars. Once again, it's the general publics just as much, if not more, than the studios.....who simply go where the money is.


----------



## Piekage (May 24, 2010)

Nizuma Eiji said:


> I suppose I'm the only one who thought Jesse McCartney could've been a decent Zuko.
> 
> Also how come nobody complains about majority of the cast in the show not being Asian?



The only thing I know about him is that he played Roxas in KH2. If that's the voice he'd bring to the table then I doubt he could pull it off; Roxas sounded awful soft spoken IMO, even when he was angry.


----------



## Nizuma Eiji (May 24, 2010)

I had no real reason to back it up or anything, but for some reason I just thought he could pull it off. Also its been about 4 or 5 years since Kingdom Hearts, his voice has got to be deeper by now.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (May 24, 2010)

THEY DIDN'T USE REAL OGRES IN SHREK FOUR!!!!!!!!


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## Narcissus (May 25, 2010)

Cabbage Cabrera said:


> I could careless lol. It'll be a good movie and all the whiny tards that want everything their way will not change a damn thing.



Comments like this always amuse me.

Trying to hold your opinion of a movie as fact before it has even been released is always silly, especially when you act like the opinions of others won't matter.

If it is indeed good, it will not be because you say so, and if it is bad, then it will be bad. While complaining won't change the movie, and some people complain too much (the OP of this thread being a good example), they have the right to voice their thoughts just like everyone else. Be quiet now.


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## Synn (May 25, 2010)

Tsukiyomi said:


> How does not casting people who look exactly like the cartoon characters make the film racist?  The important thing is can they act the role.



/thread


----------



## Seto Kaiba (May 25, 2010)

Tsukiyomi said:


> How does not casting people who look exactly like the cartoon characters make the film racist?  The important thing is can they act the role.



Why does it seem people get so shifty over this issue? A clear one for that matter? They specifically asked for white actors in a story that is clearly influenced by Asian culture and whose people are clearly drawn from varying Asian ethnicities. They weren't just looking for good actors, and I already brought that point up before. What's done is done, that's true, but I don't see a need to deny what went down. Trying to sweep it under the rug doesn't mean it never happened.

No, looking the part is important as well. Denzel Washington is a good actor, but he has no business playing Peter Parker.


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## MartialHorror (May 25, 2010)

Seto Kaiba said:


> Why does it seem people get so shifty over this issue? A clear one for that matter? They specifically asked for white actors in a story that is clearly influenced by Asian culture and whose people are clearly drawn from varying Asian ethnicities. They weren't just looking for good actors, and I already brought that point up before. What's done is done, that's true, but I don't see a need to deny what went down. Trying to sweep it under the rug doesn't mean it never happened.
> 
> No, looking the part is important as well. Denzel Washington is a good actor, but he has no business playing Peter Parker.



They weren't looking for good actors. They were looking for PROFITABLE actors.


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## Rukia (May 25, 2010)

Seto Kaiba said:


> No, looking the part is important as well. Denzel Washington is a good actor, but he has no business playing Peter Parker.


I hate bringing up this movie since I thought it was awful, but your comment reminded me of it.  It bothered me when Michael Clarke Duncan played Kingpin in the Daredevil movie.


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## Enclave (May 25, 2010)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> So you're that bothered by race? I don't get why. I mean so long as the race of the character isn't an important thing, then I don't see what the issue is. I mean the daughter in the George Lopez show was white and every once in a while they let a hispanic person slip by for Italian...these kinds of things are because someone looks enough of the part and is a good actor. Race doesn't have much to do with it.



I'm sorry, but you watch the George Lopez show and thus I'm forced to disregard your opinion 

Also you'll note that while I don't have a real objection with the guy who plays Aang since he does somewhat look the part, there's no way anybody could think that the first choice for Zuko fit the part or that the actors for Sokka and Katara fit the part at all.


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## Seto Kaiba (May 26, 2010)

MartialHorror said:


> They weren't looking for good actors. They were looking for PROFITABLE actors.



I already know that.



Rukia said:


> I hate bringing up this movie since I thought it was awful, but your comment reminded me of it.  It bothered me when Michael Clarke Duncan played Kingpin in the Daredevil movie.



I know right? The movie itself was bad, and while I like most of the actor's work, he was totally unfit for the role of Kingpin.


----------



## Platinum (May 26, 2010)

Get over yourself.

As long as they can act the part who cares.


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## The Space Cowboy (May 26, 2010)

1)  Avatar happens in a world that isn't Earth.  There's no specific reason for Aang to be Caucasian or Asian.  He's just pale.  That's about all the distinction you can make

2)  There is no Asia in the Avatar-verse.  There is no Korea, no Japan, no China, no Buddhism, no America.  It's not that tied to reality.  Therefore they can do whatever they hell they want to as long as they remain reasonably faithful to the story.

You might as well claim that Pokemon lacks realism.


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (May 26, 2010)

Enclave said:


> I'm sorry, but you watch the George Lopez show and thus I'm forced to disregard your opinion
> 
> Also you'll note that while I don't have a real objection with the guy who plays Aang since he does somewhat look the part, there's no way anybody could think that the first choice for Zuko fit the part or that the actors for Sokka and Katara fit the part at all.



I guess its only fair since I've been disregarding yours for some time now for a better reason.


----------



## Seto Kaiba (May 26, 2010)

The Space Cowboy said:


> 1)  Avatar happens in a world that isn't Earth.  There's no specific reason for Aang to be Caucasian or Asian.  He's just pale.  That's about all the distinction you can make
> 
> 2)  There is no Asia in the Avatar-verse.  There is no Korea, no Japan, no China, no Buddhism, no America.  It's not that tied to reality.  Therefore they can do whatever they hell they want to as long as they remain reasonably faithful to the story.
> 
> You might as well claim that Pokemon lacks realism.



That's lame. Superman isn't an Earthling but he's clearly the equivalent of a white male. 

Avatar is set in a world that was clearly influenced by Asian culture and whose people are clearly based on Asian ethnic groups, so no, it's not the only distinction you could make. Why try to deny stuff like this? 

Oh, and there is an America in the Pokemon universe, and the major regions and cities are based off of actual ones in Japan. 



Platinum said:


> Get over yourself.
> 
> As long as they can act the part who cares.



Again, once again, they didn't just set out to get people who could act the part. Like I stated, it's too late to try and change anything regarding this movie, but why does there seem to be this huge denial in what went down? These people were not color-blind when casting their actors.


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (May 26, 2010)

Seto Kaiba said:


> That's lame. Superman isn't an Earthling but he's clearly the equivalent of a white male. Why try to deny stuff like this?
> 
> Avatar is set in a world that was clearly influenced by Asian culture and whose people are clearly based on Asian ethnic groups.
> 
> ...



Maybe Shyamalan wanted to make a more racially diverse movie? 

Or maybe he just wanted to see that single tear roll down you guys' cheeks. Either way its funny the effect its having. Don't like it, don't go see it. But you might miss out on cool shit over something stupid.


----------



## Taleran (May 26, 2010)

The better question is why can't you see past the race and just judge the movie on its merits


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (May 26, 2010)

Taleran said:


> The better question is why can't you see past the race and just judge the movie on its merits


That would be too logical and reasonable.


----------



## Dream Brother (May 26, 2010)

Seto Kaiba said:


> Why does it seem people get so shifty over this issue? A clear one for that matter? They specifically asked for white actors in a story that is clearly influenced by Asian culture and whose people are clearly drawn from varying Asian ethnicities. They weren't just looking for good actors, and I already brought that point up before. What's done is done, that's true, but I don't see a need to deny what went down. Trying to sweep it under the rug doesn't mean it never happened.



I agree. I'm really quite sick of Hollywood nonsense like this.


----------



## Seto Kaiba (May 26, 2010)

Taleran said:


> The better question is why can't you see past the race and just judge the movie on its merits



In the general sense, I've never been too fond of adaptations, especially ones from animated series or video games. You've always got people who think they can write the story better than the original creators. 

That stated, the execs and crew of this movie did not "look past race" when casting their actors, but like I stated, I want to support Mike and Bryan, I view this as a means of them making the money to fund projects I would be behind. My support is not behind the movie itself (in the sense of M.Night), but behind Mike and Bryan.


----------



## Ms. Jove (May 26, 2010)

Seto Kaiba said:


> That stated, the execs and crew of this movie did not "look past race" when casting their actors, but like I stated, I want to support Mike and Bryan, I view this as a means of them making the money to fund projects I would be behind. My support is not behind the movie itself (in the sense of M.Night), but behind Mike and Bryan.



This is exactly how I feel, stated much more concisely than I can manage. The movie's casting is balderdash, but there's nothing we can do. I won't destroy something beautiful out of spite.


An alternate, crucial point: this is an adaption of an _American_ franchise. We need this franchise to prosper, not merely for it's sake but so that other Asian-cultured shows and projects would be treated more favorably.


----------



## Enclave (May 26, 2010)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> I guess its only fair since I've been disregarding yours for some time now for a better reason.



Oh no, Cardboard Tube Knight doesn't like me, I'm totally going to lose sleep over this!


----------



## mystictrunks (May 30, 2010)

Not sure if posted already but some producer admitted some of it was a mistake.

Skins



> Whenever a beloved franchise makes the leap to the big screen you can expect some controversy. Normally the arguments stick to the costumes or weapons or who gets their mouth sewn shut or has illegitimate children, but with The Last Airbender, much of the discussion has been about the perceived changes to the racial makeup of the characters.
> 
> Our conversation with director M. Night Shyamalan and follow-up interview with Michael Le, spokesperson of the website Racebending.com, unleashed a tidal wave of user responses worthy of waterbending Master Pakku himself. The discussion was even heard by Airbender?s very plugged-in super producer Frank Marshall.
> 
> ...





I get why people are so upset, I mean this would have been the only Hollywood film with a heavily Asian cast in a long time, and one of the first blockbusters at that. There are lots of Asian actors out there looking to breakthrough and something like this is practically their only chance outside of some comedies.

It does change the flavor of the story and the situation is different than changing the race of a character from white to a minority, such as the Kingpin in Daredevil, since, let's be honest here, minorities are under represented in mainstream movies while also being more likely to end up being more typecasted thus they never really have an even shot at making it.


P.S.
Movie will probably suck, not because of race but because by and large child actors blow and M.Night it hasn't been the best director around lately.


----------



## Nizuma Eiji (May 30, 2010)

I still have my hopes up for the film. To me, it doesn't rink of horrific failure like Dragonball Evolution did, and looks to be decent. Plus the scene where Aang & Zuko are fighting really close range (which I assume is a recreation of the Avatar Returns fight) looks great.


----------



## abcd (May 30, 2010)

The funny part is that night shyamalan is asian


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (May 30, 2010)

abcd said:


> The funny part is that night shyamalan is asian


That occurred to me too. But this movie could have been made by God, directed by Christ himself and starred beings that they created specifically to fit the roles and think it was their real fucking lives and people would have bitched about it. 

People just like to bitch.


----------



## abcd (May 30, 2010)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> That occurred to me too. But this movie could have been made by God, directed by Christ himself and starred beings that they created specifically to fit the roles and think it was their real fucking lives and people would have bitched about it.
> 
> People just like to bitch.



It usually takes a lot of acting skill and knowledge about another culture to emulate it .... A child actor cannot be expected to do that... 
Here if an original person is cast the effect of the movie increases a lot....

If you take the movie "Slum Dog Millionaire" for instance , I am sure the movie would not have worked if they constructed an "Indian slum" in Hollywood and tried to get White actors to do the roles....  I think the situation here is kind of similar unless they background of the story is changed a lot too, which ruins the original.

I think people are worried about this. However the producers know that the fans will watch it anyway and want to get more profits from others....  Its a gamble .


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (May 30, 2010)

abcd said:


> It usually takes a lot of acting skill and knowledge about another culture to emulate it .... A child actor cannot be expected to do that...
> Here if an original person is cast the effect of the movie increases a lot....
> 
> If you take the movie "Slum Dog Millionaire" for instance , I am sure the movie would not have worked if they constructed an "Indian slum" in Hollywood and tried to get White actors to do the roles....  I think the situation here is kind of similar unless they background of the story is changed a lot too, which ruins the original.
> ...


Yeah but as someone else said before, this isn't based in the real world. The same way Naruto is blonde haired and blue eyed in a Japanese culture. People are letting their real life whining get in the way of what matters, the plot and acting and all of that.


----------



## Corran (May 30, 2010)

Isn't cartoon Aang blue eyed as well?


----------



## Nizuma Eiji (May 30, 2010)

I believe they were grey. At least they were in the first episode.


----------



## abcd (May 30, 2010)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> Yeah but as someone else said before, this isn't based in the real world. The same way Naruto is blonde haired and blue eyed in a Japanese culture. People are letting their real life whining get in the way of what matters, the plot and acting and all of that.



I think the main difference between naruto and avatar is this

Naruto, and other similar manga are written by japanese authors who just use colours to make the people reading manga easily recognize the characters..

In Avatar the writers specifically researched on some cultures before using them in their world. Though to be honest I dint find the show actually replicating any of the asian cultures properly and was "Americanised" too, So I guess u have a point there


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## mystictrunks (May 30, 2010)

Honestly casting was probably based more around marketing than anything. None of the roles need to be played by any one race, although following the character designs in the show would require more ethic leads than the film has. Talent, while crucial, is much less important than profit in movies like this and I doubt out of all the thousands of kids auditioning there weren't kids who looked the role and had comparable talent to that of the dude from "Twilight" and that girl. Unknown racially ambiguous or white actors have a bigger draw than their more ethnic counterparts so in movies that cost tons of money to make studios will most likely go the safe route inadvertently screwing over groups of people trying to get racially neutral roles like those in "The Last Airbender."


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (May 30, 2010)

abcd said:


> I think the main difference between naruto and avatar is this
> 
> Naruto, and other similar manga are written by japanese authors who just use colours to make the people reading manga easily recognize the characters..
> 
> In Avatar the writers specifically researched on some cultures before using them in their world. Though to be honest I dint find the show actually replicating any of the asian cultures properly and was "Americanised" too, So I guess u have a point there



So basically what you're saying is that its okay for the Japanese to take whites and make them Japanese. But for Americans to take Asians and make them white?

Got you.

I hope that first part sounded better in your head than it looked here. 

Face it Japanese people wash over parts of our culture they don't understand and make a mess of it all the time. I don't see anyone complaining then.


----------



## Seto Kaiba (May 30, 2010)

Corran said:


> Isn't cartoon Aang blue eyed as well?



They're dark gray.


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## Talon. (May 31, 2010)

eh, im still gonna see it, looks fucking awesome. and Blue Spirit is beast mode


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## Man in Black (May 31, 2010)

Sure, the lead characters could've been more ethic but I think they did a pretty good job in making the leads look like the cartoon characters, and the girl who plays Katara sounds just like Katara too.

People are making a big fuss over nothing really, I just hope the film does the cartoon series justice.


----------



## Ms. Jove (May 31, 2010)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> So basically what you're saying is that its okay for the Japanese to take whites and make them Japanese. But for Americans to take Asians and make them white?
> 
> Got you.
> 
> ...



So then why should anyone complain about anything? That's just defeated relativism. No, the casting was total balderdash, and thinking that this is a frivolous issue is just eristic. It a fallacious argument, and the wrong argument to make.


Let's go through this piece-by-piece:


*The Facts*​

*The casting took a non-racial approach to the casting.* 

This cannot be disputed. M Night and Frank Marshall have said so, and we know that casting call was not derived from the top. There's no evidence at this time to believe they specifically avoided Asian actors.


*In doing so, they changed the races of the main characters in the source material, who were predominantly East Asian.* 

This cannot be disputed; the show is evidence. We know the main characters were either East Asian (Zuko, Iroh, Suki, Haru, Tyro, etc.), Inuit-esque (Sokka, Katara, Gran-Gran, Pakku), or whatever-it-is-you-see-Aang-as.


*Asian actors feel discriminated against by Hollywood.* 

You can't debate that the feel this way. As for it's validity, the evidence suggest that they are correct. 


*People have gone fucking bananas over this. The Last Airbender was the last straw for many.*

I present only one piece of evidence here: the internet.


*Avatar: the Last Airbender is the most exultant and worthwhile work in the ouevre of Western Civilization.*

Again, not much to argue here Unless you're a fucking cunt and stupid. Are you a fucking cunt and stupid? Because arguing this would make you not merely a fucking cunt, but would also reveal that you are stupid.


*The actors themselves are not to blame.*

Honestly, I know that you people are furious, but deriding Noah Ringer's martial arts technique is puerile and idiotic. The kid is a fucking black belt in karate. He's a goddamn prodigy, even if he is white. Oy gevalt!


Now we get into... 

*The Debatables*​


*People should be indignant about this.*

Does this really matter? And why does it matter? Does the race issue bother you because of it is yet another sad chapter in the history of Asian actors, or because it is not an accurate portrayal of the series? Or both? And can you really overlook decades of prejudice, discrimination, and stereotyping and tell people this is not a big deal? 

The main question is not whether this is an issue or not. Of course it's a issue. A _significant_ issue. But how significant is it, and what is a sensible reaction?


*People have every right to be indignant at M. Night, Paramount, and Hollywood over this.*

What is debatable about it is the causation. Is it latent racism of the industry, latent racism of _the moviegoer_ that forces the industry to act this way, or a subtle interplay of both. Or, rather, could you go one further and call it _blatant_ racism? Either way, Asian actors have it rough.


*They should have found Asian actors to play these roles*

If the issue is accuracy, there's no debate. And obviously, these people can cast whomever they want. But is there a genuineness to M. Night's "race-blind" argument, or did he really drop the ball on this one? Does it undermine the ethos of the show to recast the race of the most crucial roles? Or is this all a meritocracy? 


*This significantly blemishes the movie.*

Is the movie going to be any less enjoyable due to the race of the cast? Are the actors any less meritorious? Or is it hard to suppress the feeling that you're watching a group of whites-that-should-be-Asians defeat a group of dark-skinned-Indians-that-should-be-a-different-_kind_-of-Asian? 

And if this movie is total bollocks, is the race really anything more than a side issue? Basically, is the race issue abstract or does it relate to the content as well? Can you buy Whites and Indians in an East Asian themed world?


*This deserves a boycott, to make sure they know this will not be tolerated anymore.*

A mass protest would certainly hurt the movie, if done on a large scale. I'm sure the press would care. But the question that arises: Would Hollywood executives give a damn?


*This boycott will hurt Avatar, and that will hurt the portrayal of Asian culture in Western media.*

And this is my specific point. When you weigh the benefits of supporting _Avatar: the Last Airbender_ and attending this movie versus the detriment to the show caused by boycotting the movie, what is your result? Would you sacrifice the show to make this point right now?


----------



## Man in Black (May 31, 2010)

oh man                    .


----------



## Ms. Jove (May 31, 2010)

I think I've written roughly 50,000 words about _Avatar_ on NF, and I've got a long way to go.


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## Seto Kaiba (Jun 1, 2010)

Hunter x One Piece said:


> Sure, the lead characters could've been more ethic but I think they did a pretty good job in making the leads look like the cartoon characters, and the girl who plays Katara sounds just like Katara too.
> 
> People are making a big fuss over nothing really, I just hope the film does the cartoon series justice.



I don't think it's "nothing", I think it's something quite notable that's been going on for a very long time. Like I stated, I will support Mike and Bryan first and foremost. They weren't and aren't in complete and total control, it's not on them, and they shouldn't have to pay for the faulty actions of another group that participated in the production of this movie. Anyways, if the movie will suck, it will suck and if it won't it won't. Either way what happened should not have, and it's a shame it did.


----------



## troublesum-chan (Jun 1, 2010)

Are there really people who honestly think those kids who are playing sokka and katara look like sokka and katara?

The rest of the racist stuff is debatable, but as people have said earlier, there is no denying that obviously inuit/asian characters are being portrayed as white kids living in an inuit esque village with apparently inuit villager buddies. That needs some kind of addressing, i dont know if it means airbender is a "racist piece of trash", but its pretty clear what went down.


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Jun 1, 2010)

Where are all the people complaining about racism in "I Am Legend" and "Shashank Redeption"?


----------



## mystictrunks (Jun 1, 2010)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> Where are all the people complaining about racism in "I Am Legend" and "Shashank Redeption"?



I believe there was/is some discussion about race around "Shawshank Redemption," and "I Am Legend's" lead was pretty ethnic neutral while many of the characters in "Avatar" show features associated with Asian, Inuit and other ethnicies. 

There's also the history of Hollywood not casting minorities in rather ethnic neutral roles even when a work is based around an ethic culture our outright changing them for more mass appeal with the most notable exceptions, and reversals, of this rule being Will Smith, Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman. With Asians and Latinos being the most underrepresented minorities and blacks being slightly over rep-resented due to all the entertainment (BET, Tyler Perry) aimed at them, although still slightly underrepresented in more mainstream films.


----------



## Man in Black (Jun 1, 2010)

troublesum-chan said:


> Are there really people who honestly think those kids who are playing sokka and katara look like sokka and katara?
> 
> The rest of the racist stuff is debatable, but as people have said earlier, there is no denying that obviously inuit/asian characters are being portrayed as white kids living in an inuit esque village with apparently inuit villager buddies. That needs some kind of addressing, i dont know if it means airbender is a "racist piece of trash", but its pretty clear what went down.


Business went down.

And I think they look enough alike.


----------



## mystictrunks (Jun 1, 2010)

If it makes you guys feel better there's another movie where an explicitly Asian character is apparently getting played by some white guy.


----------



## Man in Black (Jun 1, 2010)

mystictrunks said:


> If it makes you guys feel better there's another movie where an explicitly Asian character is apparently getting played by some white guy.


Sounds like a good movie, what's the title?


----------



## The World (Jun 1, 2010)

Tyler Perry is a blight against the black community.


----------



## mystictrunks (Jun 2, 2010)

Hunter x One Piece said:


> Sounds like a good movie, what's the title?



"The Weapon," a story of a Chinese-American making super powered technology based on Chinese myths.


----------



## Seto Kaiba (Jun 2, 2010)

mystictrunks said:


> If it makes you guys feel better there's another movie where an explicitly Asian character is apparently getting played by some white guy.



I will fervently deny the obvious.



Hunter x One Piece said:


> Business went down.
> 
> And I think they look enough alike.



Aang, yeah. Katara and Sokka not so much. Seems kinda like a spiteful response.


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Jun 2, 2010)

mystictrunks said:


> I believe there was/is some discussion about race around "Shawshank Redemption," and "I Am Legend's" lead was pretty ethnic neutral while many of the characters in "Avatar" show features associated with Asian, Inuit and other ethnicies.



The character in Shawshank Redemption is a red haired Irishmen, this much is apparent even in the movie. The thing is no one cares because these things don't MATTER.


----------



## mystictrunks (Jun 2, 2010)

Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> The character in Shawshank Redemption is a red haired Irishmen, this much is apparent even in the movie. The thing is no one cares because these things don't MATTER.



The thing is I said I believe there was discussion about race regarding "Shawshank Redemption." IIRC people still talk about it today, it just happened to come out before the Internet was so popular.


----------



## Shock Therapy (Jun 2, 2010)

lolol what about karate kid


----------



## Cardboard Tube Knight (Jun 2, 2010)

rawrawraw said:


> lolol what about karate kid


Its okay as long as the people don't become white.


----------



## mystictrunks (Jun 2, 2010)

rawrawraw said:


> lolol what about karate kid



Ethnic-neutral role.

I think people are upset about Miyagi being Chinese though.


----------



## Tyrion (Jun 2, 2010)

Well, it does matter a bit. How would people feel if Mr.T played Naruto?

It's like that but on a slightly smaller scale.


----------



## Seto Kaiba (Jun 2, 2010)

mystictrunks said:


> Ethnic-neutral role.
> 
> I think people are upset about Miyagi being Chinese though.



Eh, I disagree since the original trilogy has pretty much set the character of Daniel in stone.

Remake was a stupid idea either way. It'd be one thing if this was simply a movie set in the same universe, more accurately titled (Kung Fu Kid), but they had to make it a remake. Now it has its predecessor's legacy to live up to moreso than ever, which it will not.



Cardboard Tube Knight said:


> Its okay as long as the people don't become white.



Even on issues I agree with you on, you can't debate worth a lick.


----------



## Man in Black (Jun 2, 2010)

They (the bullies) call Jaden the Karate Kid for trying to use the Karate he picked up on in the US against them in a fight.

Of course we all know the real reason the called it Karate Kid, but atleast they provide a reason.

Anyways, movie looks like it could shape out to be at least decent instead of a complete abomination like I was expecting.

On topic: I can see how people may get frustrated over the casting in TLA, but it all boils down to business and their isn't a damn thing you guys can do about it.


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## mystictrunks (Jun 2, 2010)

Seto Kaiba said:


> Eh, I disagree since the original trilogy has pretty much set the character of Daniel in stone.
> 
> Remake was a stupid idea either way. It'd be one thing if this was simply a movie set in the same universe, more accurately titled (Kung Fu Kid), but they had to make it a remake. Now it has its predecessor's legacy to live up to moreso than ever, which it will not.



Daniel's ethnicity was never really a big deal, or a part of his character, in the films iirc. Miyagi's was.

There's also the point of a remake being different than an adaptation.


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## MartialHorror (Jun 2, 2010)

Yeah seriously, its been 10+ years since I've seen any of the Karate Kid movies, and I barely remember Daniel.

I do, however, remember Pat Morita as Miyagi clearly. However, I dont mind the racial change, since Chan is not playing Miyagi. He's playing a guy named Han, who is pretty much filling Miyagi's role.


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## Wuzzman (Jun 2, 2010)

You guys are dumb. dumb. dumb. dumb.


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## Sanity Check (Jun 3, 2010)

I'm boycotting this movie due to teh wh1te man keeping teh eskimo and inuit down, depriving them of jobs, and acting roles.

F.U. -- M. Night Shyamalan.

Let's hear it for artistic and genre integrity!

Down with racial profiling and racial revisionism that says only white people are allowed to be the "heroes" in a story.


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## Taleran (Jun 3, 2010)

WHERE WERE ALL THE BLACK HOBBITS AT!


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## mystictrunks (Jun 3, 2010)

Taleran said:


> WHERE WERE ALL THE BLACK HOBBITS AT!




LOTR was based around European culture and influences.


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## Cardboard Tube Knight (Jun 3, 2010)

Taleran said:


> WHERE WERE ALL THE BLACK HOBBITS AT!


They should have cast Chris Tucker as Froto.


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## Kasuke Sadiki (Jun 7, 2010)

Man in Black said:


> They (the bullies) call Jaden the Karate Kid for trying to use the Karate he picked up on in the US against them in a fight.



This piece of info has completely changed my opinion about the film's title lol


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