The Big Picture: Skin Deep

[ironlordthemad]

Couldn't agree more.
If a white character is played by a person of ethnicity and played better by that actor, who gives a shit about melanin levels.
Question time, who has the charisma and physical presence to play nick fury other than Samuel L Jackson?
I mean sure this guy has the hair but I don't think he could do it without us thinking that Nick Fury is a sleezy double crossing trickster: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0936403/

 

[ProtoChimp]

Fair enough because the black guy who played Friar Tuck was pretty awesome, still havn't seen Thor yet though.

 

[Ericb]

The colorblind casting of Heimdal was great, I truly believe it was colorblind. That's what makes it great. They cast the person who nailed the part, I doubt very much they did it for the now ludicrously defined "PC points".

Yeah, I also got that impression. He really nailed that whole "I can everything, *****" stuff. His acting really resonated a deep wisdom and calmness of someone with such a far sight.

 

[Proverbial Jon]

I'm loving your "Ideal world" there MovieBob. That is all.

 

[hyperdrachen]

Couldn't agree more.
If a white character is played by a person of ethnicity and played better by that actor, who gives a shit about melanin levels.
Question time, who has the charisma and physical presence to play nick fury other than Samuel L Jackson?
I mean sure this guy has the hair but I don't think he could do it without us thinking that Nick Fury is a sleezy double crossing trickster: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0936403/

Yeah when they introduced Sam Jackson as nick fury, my brain disabled my ability to ask any questions, he's been great too, though due to story structure you don't get a whole hell of alot of him in the movies.

 

[darkman80723]

Nope, sorry Bob I dont really remember that whole "melanin level" thing...I wasnt around back then. I dont remember the whole "segregation" thing either...I wasnt around back then. I do remember that in HS I got suspended for calling a guy a stupid n****r when I lost my temper at him calling me a cracker fag at least 3x a day, for some reason he found it to be the top of hilarity, but apparently my doing it is a hate crime. Now really I dont care one way or another about the Thor casting and was glad to see Elba doing a good job with the part. But I am getting sick of videos and discussions like this that basically tell me that since the people in history were douchebags I should feel guilty to this day and just accept the double standard. And for the record I am Polish and Irish and never really hear anyone defending how they were treated in the past.

 

[LulzOdin]

I don't know whether this connotates that I am a racist in US standards, but I was a tad disappointed when I saw a major mythological figure of my culture portrayed in somewhat bizzare manner for the region it originated in.

However, I was also equally disappointed when Aang from The Last Airbender was portrayed by a 'caucasian' kid rather than an Asian one. Heck, I found it insulting that no one in the whole cast of The Last Airbender was Asian.

I think most people dissaprove the decision of a black person playing the role of a Norse Mythological God because it breaks their immersion. I mean, I can't speak for anyone, but that was the case for me.

Yet again my dissaproval of this role should not offend anyone as I would equally be disappointed if a white caucasian guy played an Egyptian in a movie. (Hence, why I don't like 60s egyptian movies)

And If this thing is a part of whole 'Patching up the old wounds' fest, dont you think it is only fair to leave out other cultures outta this. Like, you know, those who actually never enslaved black people in the first place?

If my post has offended anyone then dont worry. The effects are only temporary

 

[PattyG]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
I've been a viewer of The Big Picture since it started without being registered with The Escapist. This was the video that compelled me to register just so I could leave a comment saying "thank you."

This video is exactly the considered, rational response that should quiet all the 'reverse-racism' complaints. It was clear, succinct, and very well done. Interesting to note also that everyone got up in arms (I hope only proverbially) about Heimdall being black, but there was much less consternation about Hogan (also normally European) being played by a Japanese actor. Possibly because Hogan isn't part of the actual mythology like Heimdall, but also possibly because there are some who dislike the encroachment of black people more than other ethic groups.

 

[Ulfrick]

You know what, all in all I do agree with you, my big problem with the movie though isn't that they cast a white character as black. its that they cast a character based on a white GOD as black, and belive it or not there actually are quite a few people out there (myself included) who still follow that religion. Sure you might say "its just a movie" or "its just a comic book" and in a sense you would be right. FOR ANY OTHER COMIC BOOK. but this is THOR we are talking about, this is the one that is based almost completely on a real world religion.

In fact, when I really think about it, its not even so much the fact that the studio decided to fuck around with one of the very important facets of my religion that pisses me off. its their response to the general outcry against it by alot of us. Instead of simply saying "he was the best actor" or flat out admitting that they where doing it in order to add some racial diversity to what would otherwise have been a predominantly white cast they instead start throwing around blanket terms like racist.

I'm not racist, I'm not angry about it because of his race, I'm angry about it because of them choosing to disrespect my faith and my culture and then trying to make me and people like me out to be the bad guys.

while we're at it, lets cast mohammed as asian and malcom x as white, see how the studios react to that.

 

[PattyG]

Mohammad and Malcolm X were real people, not deities, which kind of runs counter to your whole argument.

 

[PattyG]

From the images ive seen said black actor looks good. The only thing I'm having trouble getting my head around is the explanation as to why this particular double standard is ok. "its fine because we wronged them generations ago" feels like a loose connection at best. But then this might just be because over here aussy "natives" are still using that excuse for every little thing under the sun and we just keep paying up.

Just saying, feels odd to see that particular defense brought up over a movie

It's not just about wrongs committed generations ago -- it's about the fact that racism is still a very prevalent force in America and in the world today. It's about all the myriad benefits that exist for white people. A study was done on how much monetary compensation a group of white college students would have to receive in exchange for giving up all of the white privileges that they receive in American society. The figure was in the millions of dollars.

 

[PattyG]

While I agree that the casting was great I'm still not ok with a double standard, never have and never will. Just because this isn't an ideal world, doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for it.

Not that I think a comic movie is battlefront for that.
We shouldn't excuse double standards on the precident of past atrocities, that's detrimental to the growth of society.

It creates situations where young white men with above average grades can't go to the university of his choice because he can't afford it, while a minority with the same grades gets a full scholarship.
Just something to ponder bob.

Really? The universities of America are being flooded with unqualified minorities and whites are being pushed out? That's not what any statistics show.

Look, it's totally naive to think that because the culture of the past was more overtly racist than it is now that we should all pretend like race isn't a factor. The famous metaphor for this is a footrace where one of the participants falls way behind because he's been running with shackles on his feet for the first half. Then the shackles come off and the other guy who gained a big lead is saying "Hey, it's a fair race now, it's a totally unfair double standard to let him catch up." Poor white people, let's all shed a tear.

 

[PattyG]

From the images ive seen said black actor looks good. The only thing I'm having trouble getting my head around is the explanation as to why this particular double standard is ok. "its fine because we wronged them generations ago" feels like a loose connection at best. But then this might just be because over here aussy "natives" are still using that excuse for every little thing under the sun and we just keep paying up.

Just saying, feels odd to see that particular defense brought up over a movie

It's not just about wrongs committed generations ago -- it's about the fact that racism is still a very prevalent force in America and in the world today. It's about all the myriad benefits that exist for white people. A study was done on how much monetary compensation a group of white college students would have to receive in exchange for giving up all of the white privileges that they receive in American society. The figure was in the millions of dollars.

Uh, what the fuck are you talking about? White people don't have any magical privileges these days. In the 1950-1960s? Sure. Now, nope. You have affirmative action, you have black college funds, you have all this other shit.

Because this sounds a bit like "my people versus your people" thing, I feel I should mention I'm white. Anyway, if you don't think people of color are disadvantaged in America, you simply aren't paying attention, or more likely you don't want to acknowledge the privilege we enjoy. As Louis CK once said, "I'm not saying white people are better. I'm saying being white is clearly better... If it was an option, I would re-up with white every year. I'm gonna stick with white, thank you." What was Louis talking about? Wealth, poverty rates, culture prominence, arrest and incarceration rates, university enrollment, representation in elected government... I mean I could go on and on about white people having advantages but there are whole books on that subject.

 

[Arizona Kyle]

... we are being forced down our throats that until children of all colours and religions dance under a rainbow, we need to be more tolerant.

You have earned the Button Pusher badge!
You got this badge by finding a button and pushing it.

The button was the word "tolerant" up there.

I'm tolerating the noise of a hedge-trimmer or chainsaw or leaf-blower or something like that.
I tolerate traffic.
I tolerate people walking those strange little creatures that they call dogs despite them being snack-sized to an ocelot.
I tolerate dandelions in the lawn because I'm too lazy to go round and get rid of them all.
I tolerate having to wait to use the microwave.
I tolerate bad weather.

I don't tolerate litter building up in my garden. I get rid of it.
I don't tolerate drakes raping ducks in my garden. I chase them off, and am getting closer and closer to shooting one of the bastards.
I don't tolerate pigeons, grey squirrels or rats. I shoot them. (Yes, "*boom* headshot" and all that.)
I won't tolerate people raiding the birds' nests around here. It's going to be hard to climb a tree with both your arms dislocated and broken, isn't it, kid?
I don't tolerate crap radio stations when I'm driving. Don't push it.

I don't tolerate homosexuality or black people or inter-racial marriages or Buddhists because I don't see anything there to tolerate. Do you tolerate rivers existing on other continents? Do you tolerate the fact there are planets orbiting other stars? Do you tolerate birdsong a hundred miles away?

Mind if i quote that last part somewhere else?

 

[Arizona Kyle]

I don't know whether this connotates that I am a racist in US standards, but I was a tad disappointed when I saw a major mythological figure of my culture portrayed in somewhat bizzare manner for the region it originated in.

However, I was also equally disappointed when Aang from The Last Airbender was portrayed by a 'caucasian' kid rather than an Asian one. Heck, I found it insulting that no one in the whole cast of The Last Airbender was Asian.

I think most people dissaprove the decision of a black person playing the role of a Norse Mythological God because it breaks their immersion. I mean, I can't speak for anyone, but that was the case for me.

Yet again my dissaproval of this role should not offend anyone as I would equally be disappointed if a white caucasian guy played an Egyptian in a movie. (Hence, why I don't like 60s egyptian movies)

And If this thing is a part of whole 'Patching up the old wounds' fest, dont you think it is only fair to leave out other cultures outta this. Like, you know, those who actually never enslaved black people in the first place?

If my post has offended anyone then dont worry. The effects are only temporary

For that matter, wasn't it the Spanish to started taking African slaves in the first place? Why does no one insist they should have to bend over backwards?

Because white people got caught with there hand in the cookie jar one to many times

 

[PinochetIsMyBro]

While I find most arguments here nothing short of utterly amusing(and completely stupid - especially the one in the video with the anti-white slant) what none of you seem to get is that they're COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT.

The one thing ol' Adolf(as this is a thread full of racists and racist anti-racists and everything in between, I'm going to assume I don't need to say his last name) was right about is that it is a "struggle between the races."

It doesn't matter who is right, only who is left(I love twisting that old anti-war quote). Because the last race left standing gets to determine who was right. So all you racists, anti-racists, please keep in mind that you do not have the moral high ground no matter what position you're arguing(whether that position is black power, white power, brown power, or power for all or something else entirely) because morality is subjective, and at the end of the day all that really matters is that the people most able to impose their views on what is "right" are the ones in the right.

I hope that made sense, I'm up late with insomnia and slightly intoxicated.

 

[Mouse_Crouse]

While I do agree with a lot that has been said. I still cannot condone the "ends justifies the means" idea. A double standard is not going to bring us any closer to a resolution, in fact I believe it will only make it worse. Being OK with a double standard because some people in the past did stuff we find reprehensible today... I just don't follow that. A double standard is bad, no matter how "noble" the reason.