ATLA movie again: a long Washington Post article about extra[s] casting

[timepiececlock]

"The movie people are here!" yells one boy, and a bunch of excited 11-year-olds lines up to fill out cards and look sternly at the camera.

"What does 'ethnicity' mean?" asks another boy.

"Asian," says Bold.

"If you're Mongolian, put 'Mongolian,' " Ricketts says.

I think I'm going to be ill.


ETA: A good industry timeline of casting events, news-based not fandom-based.

Comments

[mswyrr]

Your post came up on my flist right above a post about the deplorable situation the child actors from Slumdog Millionaire are in and I want to take a fucking flamethrower to Hollywood, man. Goddamn motherfuckers.

[donna-c-punk.livejournal.com]

Just read that link. Made my stomach turn, that did. They better pony up what they promised those poor kids. Better yet - lend some aid to the rest of the people living in those slums.

[mswyrr]

They better pony up what they promised those poor kids.

Yes. The--it's... I just can't believe the carelessness and privilege it takes to pluck a couple kids up, use them for their acting talent and cuteness for a stupid crappy awards show, and then drop them like a hot rock without a care for how upsetting it might be... Someone on my flist is moving house and she mentioned researching cat psychology for tips on how to make the move easier on her cat, and Danny Boyle et al obviously didn't even stop to investigate the effect of being dragged around for photoshoots and interviews will have on young children, to give these children the level of consideration people routinely give to their cats!

They need to stand up and make this right or be called on it HARD.

Better yet - lend some aid to the rest of the people living in those slums.

Yeah. Think of how many millions it's made, and how much revenue it's going to rake in over the years through DVD sales and such -- why not set aside a portion of the profits to give the kids a better life and improve the lot of their neighbors? Work on getting medical care, improved shelter... I mean, I'm sure there are already plenty of organizations doing that kind of work, why not find a good one and contribute?

icon: never more appropriate?

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

You know, I was watching the movie just, oh, three hours ago and wondering whether or not those kids came from the slums AND THEY SENT THEM BACK THERE WHAT.

AND FRICKIN' AVATAR ALSK;DFJA;SLDFJKAS F;AS *GNASHES TEETH*

Re: icon: never more appropriate?

[mswyrr]

AND THEY SENT THEM BACK THERE WHAT.

They used them and dis-fucking-carded them and they need to be pummeled with public opinion until they make it right. Not that ANYTHING can make up for the way they treated these children like props.

AND FRICKIN' AVATAR ALSK;DFJA;SLDFJKAS F;AS *GNASHES TEETH*

:( I've been telling myself I don't have time to do the letter campaign thing, but I'm going to have to make time now. They don't get how wrong they are and they need to hear it and hear it until they do.

Re: icon: never more appropriate?

[fadedelegance.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that IS appropriate. I just can't believe how they would just use children like that!

Yeah, forget the fact that they're human beings--let's treat them like money-making commodities and then ship them right back where they came from, forget them! WHAT.THE.FUCKING.HELL.

AND GOD, THAT FREAKING AVATAR FILM...>_< DO.NOT.WANT.

Hollywood should see MY icon.

[ryanitenebrae.livejournal.com]

I agree that it's awful that they brought them back to the slums. If it makes you feel better, the makers of Slumdog Millionaire have set up trust funds for them, and are giving their families monthly stipends, as well as enrolling the kids in school. I just hope the Indian Government pulls through and gives them flats like promised.

[zebeckras.livejournal.com]

Oh Hollywood. You keep getting it so, so, so horribly WRONG.

I had a big discussion with Dan about "Watchmen" last night and it's similar - there is not the major major invisible racism involved in it, or anything on par, it's just destruction of a good source material - they're so good at going "Hey! People like this! We should do it!" and then so completely NOT GETTING why people liked it.

And people wonder why I take these things so seriously sometimes. "It's just a movie, it's supposed to entertain!" But it's so INSIDIOUS. It's like there's just such a huge cost to sitting back and "being entertained" sometimes... not the least of which is the cost to my intellect. :P

[fadedelegance.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, let us marginalize the Asians and the Inuits even though this is a series about ASIANS AND INUITS! I am a white woman who believes in racial equality and this ticks me off.

I've said it a million times, and I'll say it again: I am boycotting this film. I refuse to see it. First of all, it's racist and white-washed because like no one in it is actually Asain except for Dev Patel. Second of all, this series just doesn't seem like it will translate well to live action. For those to reasons, in my opinion, this film has 'FAIL' written all over it.