NYKBocker wrote:

Nalod wrote:TMS, Hollywood caters to the american taste.

Didn't Pierce bronson's last Bond movie he had an Asian women who could fight and helped him? She was a hero.

Im not saying your not right, but HOllywood makes movies for Western consumption.

I think you'd have to look at Asian made movies for the asian perspective, not american made movies.

Is that fair? ITs what people want to see and where they are watching from. American movies have always been popular overseas because of the big budget and special effects. I would say the Asian market is huge and lots of movies made have the bigger budget. I do rent foriegn movies a bit and the characters are quite complex at times.

Regarding your tastes and posting pics of pretty women you can justify it as your values but they are posted as sex objects and not as mothers, school teachers, or any intelectual quality. Men do this. Nothing wrong, but look at the snaggle tooth school girl look women. Its revered in some cultures but kinda creepy in another.

Just Rap and Rock and Roll portray women as sluts. Italians and Russians are mobsters, Jews are petty, Irish are drinkers, Wasps are uptight, and Asians are good with gadgets or martial art experts. White males are the hero, the villian, the winner and the losers.

Stereotypes are more intersting then mainstream I suppose. Its what sells.

Michele Yeoh was cast as a special agent for the Chinese Government. They got the casting on this one right.

Western consumption? So white america is the only consumer for hollywood?

When they casted the primary players for the movie they were looking for caucascian actors. When they needed extras they were looking for ethnic people. Nice.

Bocker, Nalod and I have been talking about movies in general, you keep focusing on "Avatar: The Last Airbender". Of course it's stupid to hire white people to play ethnic roles especially when the role itself is defined by it as with the movie you refer to.

In general, movies made by Hollywood do often-times focus on the largest potential audience, ie white folk.

NYKBocker wrote:

Nalod wrote:TMS, Hollywood caters to the american taste.

Didn't Pierce bronson's last Bond movie he had an Asian women who could fight and helped him? She was a hero.

Im not saying your not right, but HOllywood makes movies for Western consumption.

I think you'd have to look at Asian made movies for the asian perspective, not american made movies.

Is that fair? ITs what people want to see and where they are watching from. American movies have always been popular overseas because of the big budget and special effects. I would say the Asian market is huge and lots of movies made have the bigger budget. I do rent foriegn movies a bit and the characters are quite complex at times.

Regarding your tastes and posting pics of pretty women you can justify it as your values but they are posted as sex objects and not as mothers, school teachers, or any intelectual quality. Men do this. Nothing wrong, but look at the snaggle tooth school girl look women. Its revered in some cultures but kinda creepy in another.

Just Rap and Rock and Roll portray women as sluts. Italians and Russians are mobsters, Jews are petty, Irish are drinkers, Wasps are uptight, and Asians are good with gadgets or martial art experts. White males are the hero, the villian, the winner and the losers.

Stereotypes are more intersting then mainstream I suppose. Its what sells.

Michele Yeoh was cast as a special agent for the Chinese Government. They got the casting on this one right.

Western consumption? So white america is the only consumer for hollywood?

When they casted the primary players for the movie they were looking for caucascian actors. When they needed extras they were looking for ethnic people. Nice.

I don't think that that was he meant. I think Nalod was simply implying that they're going to do whatever they feel will make the most money. In the general sense, the trend of trying to squeeze out every last dollar instead of simply focusing on making the best quality product has always bothered me. That being said, I'm not sure I understand the controversy here.

Nalod wrote:TMS, Hollywood caters to the american taste.

Didn't Pierce bronson's last Bond movie he had an Asian women who could fight and helped him? She was a hero.

Im not saying your not right, but HOllywood makes movies for Western consumption.

I think you'd have to look at Asian made movies for the asian perspective, not american made movies.

Is that fair? ITs what people want to see and where they are watching from. American movies have always been popular overseas because of the big budget and special effects. I would say the Asian market is huge and lots of movies made have the bigger budget. I do rent foriegn movies a bit and the characters are quite complex at times.

Regarding your tastes and posting pics of pretty women you can justify it as your values but they are posted as sex objects and not as mothers, school teachers, or any intelectual quality. Men do this. Nothing wrong, but look at the snaggle tooth school girl look women. Its revered in some cultures but kinda creepy in another.

Just Rap and Rock and Roll portray women as sluts. Italians and Russians are mobsters, Jews are petty, Irish are drinkers, Wasps are uptight, and Asians are good with gadgets or martial art experts. White males are the hero, the villian, the winner and the losers.

Stereotypes are more intersting then mainstream I suppose. Its what sells.

as long as Hollywood chooses to perpetuate those stereotypes, they will continue to exist... it wasn't that long ago that the thought of a black male cast in a leading role with a white woman was considered taboo & unacceptable in this country.

martin wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:

TMS wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:

Allanfan20 wrote:Nalod and TMS, you both have very good points, but in terms of movies, aren't the actors and actresses and models partaking in those roles equally as guilty?

I have mixed feelings about this, while I am disgusted at the process, I am also not blaming these actors that are going after these parts. They are just trying to make a living and perform their craft.

Now, in regards with M Night and Paramount they have failed miserably. This is their casting call for "The Last Airbender" .. "Caucasians or any other ethnicity".

i don't blame the actors, they're all trying to pay their bills like the rest of us are... i'm sure there are countless Asian actors & actresses that audition for bigger roles in movies & are rejected... either there are no talented Asian actors in this country, or the Hollywood studios are practicing a selective form of racism when casting their movies.

The last asian that was cast as a hero in hollywood and had non-asian leading ladies was Brandon Lee (RIP).

EDIT: Come to think of it, I think he is the ONLY asian cast by hollywood as a hero with non-asian leading ladies. You can't count Jet Li and Jackie Chan.

are you really surprised by this? What's the count of leading white males making movies in Asia?

minimalizing the significance of racist stereotypes for Asian Americans in this country doesn't hide the problem of its existence martin... we live in the States, the "melting pot" as it were... if the same kinds of issues of Hollywood stereotypes were a valid issue to discuss in the 50s, 60s & 70s concerning African Americans, why can't Asians bring up their objections over similar issues in the new millenium? is this country only concerned with black & white issues?

NYKBocker wrote:

Nalod wrote:TMS, Hollywood caters to the american taste.

Didn't Pierce bronson's last Bond movie he had an Asian women who could fight and helped him? She was a hero.

Im not saying your not right, but HOllywood makes movies for Western consumption.

I think you'd have to look at Asian made movies for the asian perspective, not american made movies.

Is that fair? ITs what people want to see and where they are watching from. American movies have always been popular overseas because of the big budget and special effects. I would say the Asian market is huge and lots of movies made have the bigger budget. I do rent foriegn movies a bit and the characters are quite complex at times.

Regarding your tastes and posting pics of pretty women you can justify it as your values but they are posted as sex objects and not as mothers, school teachers, or any intelectual quality. Men do this. Nothing wrong, but look at the snaggle tooth school girl look women. Its revered in some cultures but kinda creepy in another.

Just Rap and Rock and Roll portray women as sluts. Italians and Russians are mobsters, Jews are petty, Irish are drinkers, Wasps are uptight, and Asians are good with gadgets or martial art experts. White males are the hero, the villian, the winner and the losers.

Stereotypes are more intersting then mainstream I suppose. Its what sells.

Michele Yeoh was cast as a special agent for the Chinese Government. They got the casting on this one right.

Western consumption? So white america is the only consumer for hollywood?

When they casted the primary players for the movie they were looking for caucascian actors. When they needed extras they were looking for ethnic people. Nice.

casting Michelle Yeoh in that role beside a leading white male only serves to prove my point further... yes, i realize James Bond is not an Asian character... funny, but neither are the main characters in the Avatar story caucasian.

kam77 wrote:For a long time the only roles black people got in movies were of the maid, or the butler. In the last 20 years the black judge role has come into vogue. And more recently, policeman. Still waiting for that first black firefighter role tho! Don't think i've seen one yet.

In fact, since the Cosby show where are all the Black Doctors? Yeah there was one in SCRUBS. But that was a sitcom.

that's exactly my point... this kind of illicit racism & stereotyping by Hollywood has existed for a long time & it only serves to strengthen the prevalent attitudes in this country by exposing the masses to it over & over again... until those stereotypes begin to be challenged, nothing will change.

kam77 wrote:What about middle-easterners? We're always the villain

isn't that true though?

Nalod wrote:

TMS wrote:White America didn't want Black males cast in roles with White women but the opinions started to change... Hollywood played a huge role in that change.

So you think Hollywood leads social change?

i think the media has a huge impact on influencing popular opinion, & as such can play a vital role in effecting social change... you can point to how once controversial topics that were tackled by some groundbreaking movies & television shows that were once considered taboo are now accepted everyday culture in this country... the Jeffersons sitcom is a prime example... Good Times another... these types of shows gave a glimpse into African American viewpoints on social issues at the time.

NYKBocker wrote:

TMS wrote:

Nalod wrote:

TMS wrote:White America didn't want Black males cast in roles with White women but the opinions started to change... Hollywood played a huge role in that change.

So you think Hollywood leads social change?

i think the media has a huge impact on influencing popular opinion, & as such can play a vital role in effecting social change... you can point to how once controversial topics that were tackled by some groundbreaking movies & television shows that were once considered taboo are now accepted everyday culture in this country... the Jeffersons sitcom is a prime example... Good Times another... these types of shows gave a glimpse into African American viewpoints on social issues at the time.

Roots was also another tv show that affected popular opinion and affected social change.

it's sad that the closest chance Asians have ever had to portray their culture on television was when Bruce Lee played the non speaking role of Kato on the Green Hornet, or when Bobby Kim played comedic satire poking fun at Korean soap operas on Mad TV (which was damn hilarious btw)... i think Margaret Cho tried her hand at a TV sitcom once but it failed... i mean it's Margaret Cho, who didn't see that coming? but i gotta give her props for at least trying.

speaking of Bruce Lee, he came up with the idea of the show "Kung Fu" back in the day... the main character was supposed to be cast as an Asian martial arts hero who travelled the West helping people & promoted the ideals of ShaoLin Kungfu... instead Hollywood decided an Asian leading man would never work so they cast the role with a white David Carradine & concocted a story about how he was adopted into the Shaolin Temple as a child & taught Kung Fu, completely stealing Bruce Lee's idea & screwing him out of his concept... sometimes all it takes is one ballsy producer, writer or director who's willing to break new ground on a television show or a big budget movie to start to plant the seeds that can eventually help shape popular opinions in this country... people are highly influenced by what they see in the media.