I have a quesyion about whitewashing asians in films

[kimba1]

My question is did you folks know about at all

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/23/opinion/why-wont-hollywood-cast-asian-actors.html?_r=0



As a asian in california I cannot know if this topic is notable or not. Here it seemed to me the outrage seems visible but I'm not sure people outside of california notice it or even know emma stone is not asian. Im not doing this to rage on a injustice but to find out how visible this is. I've learn things here that google will not provide

[Plane]

   

  This is not highly noticeable most of the time .

    I am aware of this now and then , when the error is glaring, White is the default for me, it is how my family looks "mostly".

     The "suspension of disbelief" works on this as well as anything else unless the difference is comic.

     Consider how Shakespeare cast "Othello".


      This movie must be the best example I know.
       Fictionalizing Genghis Khan is one thing , rolling off the edge of disbelief is another.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conqueror_(film)


http://baltimorepostexaminer.com/yellow-sign-theatre-launches-laughably-bad-big-budget-film-series/2014/02/11

[Xavier_Onassis]

If I were a Hollywood producer today, I sure would never portray Chinese or Indians as a villainous group.

That is where the big gains in boxoffice are.

[Plane]

If I were a Hollywood producer today, I sure would never portray Chinese or Indians as a villainous group.

That is where the big gains in boxoffice are.

  I think this is the reason for "zombie" movies.

   Zombies make it possible to have a dangerous horde without vilifying Zulus or Mongols.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Nazis were the last true villains that one could present as totally evil, but making movies with Nazi villains was getting old. Movies with evil North Koreans, Nicaraguans, Cubans and Russians did not satisfy the audience.

Lizard people and buglike aliens were not good for the long haul.

Zombies are ideal as villains, except they are nonexistent and silly. I have never liked horror films, or zombies. But I am not typical.

[kimba1]

Well to be fair casting an asian actor to play a specific asian character maybe dificult in anerica. The tv show once upon a time has actress jamie chung play mulan and none of my familiy will watch that show because she simply does not look chinese because of her eyes. As attractive as she maybe her look is quite jarring to us. Lucy liu is what we call hollywood attractive but not really asian attractive. I just pointed out examples why race specific character need to be place by thier respected races even amoung asian subgroups

This is why memoir of a geisha worked locally but not internationally. Hollywood still has alot to learn to gain more overseas money.

[Xavier_Onassis]

 Hollywood still has alot to learn to gain more overseas money.

What sells best are action films with not much dialog.  In hot climates like India, South China, Southeast Asia and Indonesia, a big reason to attend the movies is to enjoy the air conditioning.It is pretty hard to make a dramatic film when the cultural traditions are so different.

There is a great series of shows on Netflix called "30º in February". It is about what happens to three Swedish Individuals that decide to go the Phuket, in Thailand. There is a solitary overweight friendless plumber, a divorced woman with two daughters and a heart condition, and a Swedish housewife who married a rich crippled member of the nobility. They interact with a ladyboy and his family, a Thai builder and his family and a diving instructor and then a smuggler. One of the best TV series I have ever seen. It is in Swedish and Thai with more English than you would expect. The subtitles are in English . Lots of crosscultural conflict anhd miusunderstanding, many humorous incidents, and done with a good understanding of both Thais and Swedes.

[kimba1]

Gotta admit its now hard to make villians now. The red dawn movie supposed to be china invading america but realized it would be a hard sell the release that in china so they changed them to north koreans but that makes the movie convoluted so not very appealing to watch.

[Xavier_Onassis]

The idea that North Korea could invade and conquer the US is ludicrous.
They made Red Dawn twice: the first time the US was invaded by Russians and Cubans. The second time it was North Koreans. They were both pretty awful films, but the first one did well when it came out and on TV, so they made it again.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087985/  (1984)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234719/?ref_=nv_sr_1 (2012)

[kimba1]

I just couldn't get past how huge those supposed north koreans are. They look too south korean.

[Plane]

  How do you feel about Bollywood movies?

    They are popular across a lot of cultures , more of the world watches Bollywood than Hollywood.

      Does this amount to a "soft power" for Indian culture?

[Plane]

  What makes a North Korean appearance?

  I really don't know , it might be something too subtle for me to notice it by myself.


https://youtu.be/hmoLLMmQNZI

[Xavier_Onassis]

Perhaps South Koreans are better fed, but they are genetically equal.

[kimba1]

N.koreans are usually 2,3 inches shorter than s.koreans due to lack of food as xo said. Also the more well off s.koreans has different eyes due to plastic surgery. Wealth asians round out thier eyes ex. Jackie chan. But s.koreans pushed it to the extreme.

[kimba1]

the only guy who looks s.korean is probly the one playing the cafe owner in two broke girls except he`s well fed