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View Full Version : Is hollywood whitewashing films?

TraLaLa
Nov 4th, 2009, 01:36 PM
I read the book "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Seabold and dicovered there was a film due. Then I dicovered Ray Sing an indian character is being played by a white guy. I see there is a Prince of Persia movie trailer out yet the lead character is a white guy. I'm sure you can create a long list of movies like this(avatar,twilight,21 etc.) there has to be an explanation. >:(
langong
Nov 4th, 2009, 01:51 PM
ok I bite, Twilight ?? could be that was hard to find ones who's vampires?
iamgosu
Nov 4th, 2009, 02:11 PM
Worst example of whitewashing:

Dragon Ball: Evolution...

oh my god...
stealth
Nov 4th, 2009, 02:11 PM
Its always been like that. Hollywood caters primarily to white and black audiences, Bollywood caters to Indian audiences and so uses almost exclusively Indian actors, as the Asian studios using Asian actors (is Hong Kong the equivalent to Hollywood over there?). So I wouldnt read too much into it. Sheesh....Its like some people think white people have nothing better to do than promote racist agendas. Americans chase MONEY AGENDAS. If theres money in making movies with Indians or Asians other than Lucy Liu and Jackie Chan, they will do it.
I'll be interested to see if in 10 yrs Hollywood uses more latin american actors, as that is the big ethnic growth segment in the US.
originalnutta
Nov 4th, 2009, 03:15 PM
the horrible exception to the rule...

http://images.easyart.com/i/prints/rw/lg/2/3/Movie-Posters-Daredevil--King-Pin--239768.jpg

But i agree that most Hollywood movies are "whitewashed".
But you can find that in most N.American entertainment industries.

Do you think Beyonce would be as popular if she was as dark as Kelly Rowland?

With the amount of filmmakers, actors and musicians from various backgrounds, we're probably not far from seeing lead actors who are Middle Eastern, Latino, Indian etc etc etc....
dragon_drift
Nov 4th, 2009, 03:22 PM
Worst example of whitewashing:

Dragon Ball: Evolution...

oh my god...

+1 that movie is so messed up in more ways than 1
originalnutta
Nov 4th, 2009, 03:27 PM
+1 that movie is so messed up in more ways than 1

did you guys really expect it to be good?

Sure you might be fans of the anime, but could you not tell from the trailer that it was going to be a turd?

Or did you know it was going to suck, and watched it anyway?

I loved Transformers and GI Joe as a kid, yet i have avoided watching any of their Hollywood big screen remakes.
Mr. Robo
Nov 4th, 2009, 03:28 PM
Well, who could have played the Kingpin much better?

I was just watching a few episodes of Degrassi and I realized there are not that many asian male students even in the background. Why aren't there any asian male in the main characters? We don't make up a good portion of student bodies?
originalnutta
Nov 4th, 2009, 03:34 PM
Well, who could have played the Kingpin much better?



Michael Duncan Clarke's acting wasn't very good. At least having a fat white guy play Kingpin would be a step in the right direction.

I could see James Gandolfini playing him.
BlazinTrini
Nov 4th, 2009, 03:57 PM
This has been done for years.

Look at the old Ray Harryhausen movies like his Sinbad movies. Sinbad was played by an white actor
dighn
Nov 4th, 2009, 04:01 PM
They do and it makes sense because they want the cast to be people their target audience can easily identify with.
iamgosu
Nov 4th, 2009, 05:34 PM
did you guys really expect it to be good?

Sure you might be fans of the anime, but could you not tell from the trailer that it was going to be a turd?

Or did you know it was going to suck, and watched it anyway?

I loved Transformers and GI Joe as a kid, yet i have avoided watching any of their Hollywood big screen remakes.

i knew it was gonna suck, but it was a long plane ride back home, so i watched it on the plane lol
stealth
Nov 4th, 2009, 05:46 PM
I wonder why with all the billionairres in Asia, India, Middle East etc. none of them have endeavoured to start up or buy their own studio in Hollywood and make movies their way using actors of their choice?
williamsauga
Nov 4th, 2009, 05:54 PM
I wonder why with all the billionairres in Asia, India, Middle East etc. none of them have endeavoured to start up or buy their own studio in Hollywood and make movies their way using actors of their choice?

Why bother with 300million customers when you have 1.3billion nearby
thechampion116
Nov 4th, 2009, 06:02 PM
I wonder why with all the billionairres in Asia, India, Middle East etc. none of them have endeavoured to start up or buy their own studio in Hollywood and make movies their way using actors of their choice?

thats because the movie business is entirely different in N.A. from the rest of the world.

Prince of Persia is fine and you need a famous actor to back up that kind of product.

Concerning 'the Lovely Bones', how many have read that book? and how many people who haven't read the book would notice that the character's race has been changed?
Little Dragon
Nov 4th, 2009, 07:55 PM
Chun Li was played by a white girl, Prince of Persia is a white dude...

this is Hollywood.
CSR
Nov 5th, 2009, 12:09 AM
21...
BlazinTrini
Nov 5th, 2009, 02:27 AM
Chun Li was played by a white girl, Prince of Persia is a white dude...

this is Hollywood.

She is only half white
Her father, Peter Kreuk, is of Dutch ancestry and her mother, Deanna Che, is of Chinese ancestry but born in Indonesia

Though the movie still sucked though
Ojam
Nov 5th, 2009, 03:33 AM
oh wow, look another race thread of RFD, this site is obsessed, hey maybe they were simply casting the best person for the roll. A characters race matters just as much as a persons race matters... it doesn't matter.
TheDarkRage
Nov 5th, 2009, 04:03 AM
She is only half white
Her father, Peter Kreuk, is of Dutch ancestry and her mother, Deanna Che, is of Chinese ancestry but born in Indonesia

Though the movie still sucked though

Chun Li is supposed to have a rack, not a flat!


You know who should have been the Prince of Persia?

http://www.thecinemasource.com/moviesdb/images/Kal_Penn%20-%204%20-%20Harold_And_Kumar_Go_To_White_Castle.jpg

http://pastormattsblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/kal_penn12.jpg

http://www.bombinmagazine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/1204222420930_2harold-and-kumar2-mif_450_3201.jpg
ClubberLang
Nov 5th, 2009, 09:21 AM
They do and it makes sense because they want the cast to be people their target audience can easily identify with.

If white people in North America can't identify with people that aren't white then they are racist and we have a serious problem on our hands.
stealth
Nov 5th, 2009, 02:11 PM
If white people in North America can't identify with people that aren't white then they are racist and we have a serious problem on our hands.

Good thing we dont then, since blacks are already disproportionately over-represented in entertainment.:D
the_fm
Nov 5th, 2009, 02:54 PM
They do and it makes sense because they want the cast to be people their target audience can easily identify with.

this and they still believe someone who isn't white or black can't carry a big budget movie. they all think it'll flop badly.

anyway, for asians, it didn't help having Jackie Chan and Jet Li in strictly martial arts movies.

but what can i say, it's Hollywood.
originalnutta
Nov 5th, 2009, 02:57 PM
Chun Li is supposed to have a rack, not a flat!


You know who should have been the Prince of Persia?

http://www.thecinemasource.com/moviesdb/images/Kal_Penn%20-%204%20-%20Harold_And_Kumar_Go_To_White_Castle.jpg

http://pastormattsblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/kal_penn12.jpg



Yeah, but he's indian. Not Middle Eastern.

Not sure who i'd go with. If only Omar Sharif was in his prime.
chrome_dout
Nov 5th, 2009, 04:35 PM
GI Joe had some progress, regarding the interacial romance. I can't recall seeing that in a movie where it wasn't the entire story.
stealth
Nov 5th, 2009, 08:55 PM
Why bother with 300million customers when you have 1.3billion nearby

Ego.

Kinda like why people climb mountains when theres nothing there at the top except bragging rights.
akito925
Nov 6th, 2009, 12:14 AM
+1 that movie is so messed up in more ways than 1

I too vote for that to be worse ever movie! but the hot asian chick was sweet lol
Ojam
Nov 6th, 2009, 12:27 AM
GI Joe had some progress, regarding the interacial romance. I can't recall seeing that in a movie where it wasn't the entire story.

The only one I can think of right off is Cloverfield, I'm sure there are many more, but I don't really notice those things. Really only people who care about race would, personally race just isn't important.
Teh_Canadian
Nov 8th, 2009, 03:57 PM
Perhaps you guys are the biggest racists for even thinking of race in the first place?

Just kidding.
cheapmeister
Nov 9th, 2009, 03:18 PM
Yeah I would agree that there is little if any representation of Indian actors/actresses in hollywood. Considering that India has a huge percentage of the earths population, they should be represented properly.
DJSINR
Nov 10th, 2009, 11:22 PM
It's so true... look at Transformers even!! Bumblebee was originally German..

VW - Das Auto LOL!!
Kranberry
Nov 11th, 2009, 01:19 PM
Chun Li was played by a white girl, Prince of Persia is a white dude...

this is Hollywood.

Actually in the 90s there was a Street FIghter movie (sucked) where Chun Li was played by Ming-Na Wen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kmm7FJCbfHM

Also when Jackie Chan did a City Hunter movie he also played Chun LI in that too, although that wasn't Hollywood...lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55Z48SMWSHs