Comments on: What is it about Movies Called Avatar and Race? http://www.geekosystem.com/avatar-airbender-race-racism-racebending/ Let Yr Geek Flag Fly Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:57:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=2012.06 By: SamanthaMaria http://www.geekosystem.com/avatar-airbender-race-racism-racebending/#comment-23369 SamanthaMaria Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:13:00 +0000 http://www.geekosystem.com/?p=5248#comment-23369 'fans of the original animated series can take comfort knowing that no minority actors’ careers were destroyed in the making of the film.' -- I mean, its still a nice thing to have right? (= ‘fans of the original animated series can take comfort knowing that no minority actors’ careers were destroyed in the making of the film.’ — I mean, its still a nice thing to have right? (=

]]> By: aidriiyan http://www.geekosystem.com/avatar-airbender-race-racism-racebending/#comment-130 aidriiyan Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:42:18 +0000 http://www.geekosystem.com/?p=5248#comment-130 Although I was quite surprised that both Katara and Zoka is white, it is not that much of a big deal. Although I was quite surprised that both Katara and Zoka is white, it is not that much of a big deal.

]]> By: brianprubin http://www.geekosystem.com/avatar-airbender-race-racism-racebending/#comment-122 brianprubin Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:19:11 +0000 http://www.geekosystem.com/?p=5248#comment-122 This was interesting in the excerpt from Topless Robot: "Although the people in the Avatar cartoon are clearly based on actual ethnicities, it is still a fantasy. It’s much like Dragonball Z in that regard, which you might recall also starred a white kid. As long as Avatar is not set in the real world, the studios aren’t bound by anything. Would the casting for The Last Airbender be different if the story had been set in genuine Asia as opposed to the real world? Not necessarily, but I do think studios would have thought more about it before casting." So what about casting Jake Gyllenhaal as the lead in "Prince of Persia"? I mean--it's right there in the title: Persia. As in, Iran. As in, not white. While I agree that, in the end, it's "just a movie," the very subtle ways that Hollywood manages to present a biased view of reality (AND fantasy) is quite potent. While I don't really have a dog in the "Airbender" fight, it's certainly a fight worth pursuing. This was interesting in the excerpt from Topless Robot: “Although the people in the Avatar cartoon are clearly based on actual ethnicities, it is still a fantasy. It’s much like Dragonball Z in that regard, which you might recall also starred a white kid. As long as Avatar is not set in the real world, the studios aren’t bound by anything. Would the casting for The Last Airbender be different if the story had been set in genuine Asia as opposed to the real world? Not necessarily, but I do think studios would have thought more about it before casting.”

So what about casting Jake Gyllenhaal as the lead in “Prince of Persia”? I mean–it’s right there in the title: Persia. As in, Iran. As in, not white.

While I agree that, in the end, it’s “just a movie,” the very subtle ways that Hollywood manages to present a biased view of reality (AND fantasy) is quite potent. While I don’t really have a dog in the “Airbender” fight, it’s certainly a fight worth pursuing.

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