Is Hollywood Racist?

[heyheysg]

I know there always have been an undercurrent of suppressed Racism in the viewers, Hollywood execs of course understand that, but the latest Prince of Persia movie tops it off.

Consider the Prince from Sands of Time, not exactly Persian, but still looks Middle Eastern, the latest Prince at least has a tan despite being voiced by Nathan Drake.

Jake Gyenenhall? Isn't he like one of the whitest actors around? Octobor Sky, Zodiac and Brokeback mountain all about Americana without the racial issues.

Another thing would be Asian actors being typecast as immature, funny and nerdy roles. I can't recall an Asian actor in a dramatic Hollywood lead role. (Maybe Chow Yun Fat in the Replacement Killers, but I haven't watched that). The movie 21 was based on Chinese students from MIT, the only asian character in that film was reduced to a kleptomaniac.

So is this the fault of the execs, the viewers or just a sign of the times?

 

[Timotei]

Hollywood tailors itself to suit the stereotypes that the public believes. This is why Hollywood for a long time depicted Native Americans as barbarians.

Whatever makes money, they'll do it.

 

[RebelRising]

Well, not in the last two decades, really. If anything, it's distinctly politically-correct. Like Suseiki said, Hollywood is not a purveyor of ideologies of perceptions; it simply markets them. We live in a now-modern America, where people just can't get away with that sort of thing; as such, Hollywood captializes on that general mindset.

Either way, I doubt anything will ever beat Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Spoiler

Just saying.

 

[Aqualung]

 

[annoyinglizardvoice]

Hollywood expects it's audience to be racist, so it tries to catter to it.

 

[heyheysg]

Consider the PoP movie, let's say it's a family fun Pirates of the Caribbean style targeted also at girls and gamers.

Having a good looking middle eastern guy would be no different for the women and increase authencity for the gamers.

The other thing would be the fake anti-racism of inserting a token minority into every single show.

Quoting Stewie from Family Guy on The Office: "Indians and Hispanics don't live in Scranton"

Do films sell less if the lead is non-white? How did Harold and Kumar do?

 

[matsugawa]

I know there always have been an undercurrent of suppressed Racism in the viewers, Hollywood execs of course understand that... Jake Gyenenhall? Isn't he like one of the whitest actors around? Octobor Sky, Zodiac and Brokeback mountain all about Americana without the racial issues.

I think you're picking and choosing your data a bit. Brokeback Mountain is about homosexuality (and homophobia), where would 'racial' issues fit in there? It has an Asian director, does that mean he's got to direct movies about Asians and racism against them? October Sky is about a father/son relationship (a trademark theme of Joe Johnston) as a midwestern teenager develops and interest in space travel. Again, where would racial issues fit?

Another thing would be Asian actors being typecast as immature, funny and nerdy roles. I can't recall an Asian actor in a dramatic Hollywood lead role. (Maybe Chow Yun Fat in the Replacement Killers, but I haven't watched that). The movie 21 was based on Chinese students from MIT, the only asian character in that film was reduced to a kleptomaniac.

And if Asians are being depicted as funny, immature nerds, then what's immature and nerdy about Jackie Chan in Forbidden Kingdom? Jet Li in Romeo Must Die and Cradle 2 the Grave? It sounds like you're still dwelling on Long Duk Dong from Sixteen Candles. Again, I think you need more than one example.

I do wonder sometimes if Michael Bay is racist....

 

[cleverlymadeup]

you do realise that a large amount of people working in Hollywood are Jewish right? that whole stereotype of "Jews control Hollywood" has a lot of truth to it

i mean there's a lot of this going on, movies are changed from the truth all the time, deal with it.

Spoiler: here's another thing Hollywood gets wrong, in song form

 

[Berethond]

No!
I was ninja'd!
This cannot be!

 

[Timotei]

No!
I was ninja'd!
This cannot be!

You have a knack for arriving a few minutes late lately.

 

[AssButt]

Racism is one of those terms that people use to describe something they don't like when it in fact has a very specific definition.

No, Hollywood is not racist.

 

[Berethond]

No!
I was ninja'd!
This cannot be!

You have a knack for arriving a few minutes late lately.

You have no idea.
No idea at all.

 

[baseracer]

Pfft, if you think hollywood is being racist now, Maybe you should look back at the 30s through the early 60s. Like the crows from Dumbo.

 

[heyheysg]

I know there always have been an undercurrent of suppressed Racism in the viewers, Hollywood execs of course understand that... Jake Gyenenhall? Isn't he like one of the whitest actors around? Octobor Sky, Zodiac and Brokeback mountain all about Americana without the racial issues.

I think you're picking and choosing your data a bit. Brokeback Mountain is about homosexuality (and homophobia), where would 'racial' issues fit in there? It has an Asian director, does that mean he's got to direct movies about Asians and racism against them? October Sky is about a father/son relationship (a trademark theme of Joe Johnston) as a midwestern teenager develops and interest in space travel. Again, where would racial issues fit?

Another thing would be Asian actors being typecast as immature, funny and nerdy roles. I can't recall an Asian actor in a dramatic Hollywood lead role. (Maybe Chow Yun Fat in the Replacement Killers, but I haven't watched that). The movie 21 was based on Chinese students from MIT, the only asian character in that film was reduced to a kleptomaniac.

And if Asians are being depicted as funny, immature nerds, then what's immature and nerdy about Jackie Chan in Forbidden Kingdom? Jet Li in Romeo Must Die and Cradle 2 the Grave? It sounds like you're still dwelling on Long Duk Dong from Sixteen Candles. Again, I think you need more than one example.

I do wonder sometimes if Michael Bay is racist....

What I meant that Jake's shows are mainly about people in a predominantly white culture, nothing wrong with that, but he isn't like Natalie Portman (who looks Persian) or has any other experience with acting in a different culture, different race.

Secondly, Jackie Chan was the Funny-Kung Fu Fighting Asian guy in a show set in China and the lead is a teenage white boy.

Jet Li was the Serious-Kung Fu Fighting Asian guy in both movies and his love interest was another minority.

I think Michael Bay just hates cops, they're usually pathetic and/or malicious in his movies.