White Actors Giving up Long-Standing, Non-White Roles

[Xprimentyl]

New York Times Article

Being black and Hispanic, I'm not sure how I feel about this.

I can appreciate a lot of the social change that has come in the wake of George Floyd's murder being the apparent turning point that made the world face the fact that institutional racism IS a thing and can no longer go swept under the rug. Some important and necessary changes are coming, but a part of me sees changes like this as nominal at best, and condescending ate worst.

I can understand why white actors playing live-action ethnic characters can be controversial to many; I'm sure with a little effort, they could find a culturally appropriate actors, but voice actors? In comedy cartoons? Particularly these cartoons which are steeped in history of satirizing stereotypes?

Like I said, I'm torn, so I'll open the thread up to everyone to share their thoughts; maybe I'll gain some additional insight through some candid discourse.

 

[Houseman]

I'd rather have a GOOD white voice actor portray a black character than a BAD black voice actor portray a black character.

Your skin color isn't a "bona fide occupational qualification" for voicing a character, so anyone discriminating on the basis of race should be subject to anti-discrimination laws.

 

[happyninja42]

New York Times Article

Being black and Hispanic, I'm not sure how I feel about this.

I can appreciate a lot of the social change that has come in the wake of George Floyd's murder being the apparent turning point that made the world face the fact that institutional racism IS a thing and can no longer go swept under the rug. Some important and necessary changes are coming, but a part of me sees changes like this as nominal at best, and condescending ate worst.

I can understand why white actors playing live-action ethnic characters can be controversial to many; I'm sure with a little effort, they could find a culturally appropriate actors, but voice actors? In comedy cartoons? Particularly these cartoons which are steeped in history of satirizing stereotypes?

Like I said, I'm torn, so I'll open the thread up to everyone to share their thoughts; maybe I'll gain some additional insight through some candid discourse.

My only issue with this, was this one actress, who is of mixed ethnicity herself, which included half of the blend for the character she was portraying, saying that black characters should be played by black actors. And I just think "Yeah but...the character in question is also indian/jewish, which you are. Being part black doesn't overwrite all other ethnic heritage of a person."

You yourself identify as both black AND hispanic, so it just seems a little over-reactive to me.

I personally think requiring the actors playing roles, be 100% real world accurate to the character they are playing, kind of defeats the purpose of ACTING, the art of pretending to be something you're not. I mean, both of the children in the Boondocks Saints are voiced by a woman, we going to say she shouldn't voice them because she's the wrong gender? Or someone playing a mother can't play her, because if the actress hasn't had children, they just can't truly bring the role a "realism" or whatever? It's all fiction and fantasy, that's what good scripts and directing are for.

Audition anyone and everyone for the role, and pick the best person for the role.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I'd rather have a GOOD white voice actor portray a black character than a BAD black voice actor portray a black character.

For the sake of discussion on this issue, let's assume the quality of the voice actors are equal and discuss the merits of changing them out based on the color of their skin. I.e.: does voicing Apu with an equally capable Indian affect any significant social change? He'll still be a comically stereotypical Indian character.

 

[Houseman]

both of the children in the Boondocks Saints

It's just "The Boondocks".
The Boondocks Saints is something completely different

For the sake of discussion on this issue, let's assume the quality of the voice actors are equal and discuss the merits of changing them out based on the color of their skin. I.e.: does voicing Apu with an equally capable Indian affect any significant social change? He'll still be a comically stereotypical Indian character.

Doing so should be considered racial discrimination and illegal. There would be no merit in doing this.

 

[SilentPony]

Well if you have to be the same gender/race as the character you're voicing, you just cut out basically every black voice actor out of anime dubs where its 99% white and 1% Elf. And anime dubs is the dream job of voice actors.

So not sure this was the right direction to go.

 

[Baffle]

It's not something I know a lot about, but I think it's a good thing in as much as it goes some way towards addressing the fact that white people are more likely to get the role regardless of the character being played. Obviously that's not so much the case in live action because of the logistics, but it feels like a swerve to say it shouldn't apply in voice acting. Like, 'Normally we'd cast a white guy here, but we're not allowed to do black face anymore, and CG is a pain. But with voice acting we can get away with it.' I don't think it's as on-the-nose as that, but the end result is fewer opportunities for people already denied opportunities, and this goes some (small) way to alleviating that.

AFAIK, no one has been told they're getting canned for being white, though obviously no idea what does on behind closed doors.

I've been to a few local BLM rallies, and if I'm honest the overriding concern was law enforcement; voice acting didn't really come up from any of the speakers.

 

[Baffle]

And anime dubs is the dream job of voice actors.

.... because the dialogue is so good?

 

[happyninja42]

It's just "The Boondocks".
The Boondocks Saints is something completely different

Right, sorry, been many years since I've seen either, and I'm typing these responses inbetween dealing with phone calls. So my train of thought gets easily derailed.

 

[happyninja42]

.... because the dialogue is so good?

Probably that they are so prone to being popular, that you have a long standing job in front of you, and thus some income stability. That's my guess anyway.

 

[lil devils x]

New York Times Article

Being black and Hispanic, I'm not sure how I feel about this.

I can appreciate a lot of the social change that has come in the wake of George Floyd's murder being the apparent turning point that made the world face the fact that institutional racism IS a thing and can no longer go swept under the rug. Some important and necessary changes are coming, but a part of me sees changes like this as nominal at best, and condescending ate worst.

I can understand why white actors playing live-action ethnic characters can be controversial to many; I'm sure with a little effort, they could find a culturally appropriate actors, but voice actors? In comedy cartoons? Particularly these cartoons which are steeped in history of satirizing stereotypes?

Like I said, I'm torn, so I'll open the thread up to everyone to share their thoughts; maybe I'll gain some additional insight through some candid discourse.

I mean historically, we have had all ethnicities " whitewashed" in Hollywood, so I appreciate the need to actually make an attempt to resolve this to more accurately portray the characters so that people can have better representation in Movies and television. As for cartoons, or comedies ridiculing particular races, I am not seeing the point in that. Having a black actor play a black character and an Asian actor play an Asian character is definitely an improvement over the past films where it come across as a white actor making fun of other races by pretending to be other races and doing so very badly.

 

[Houseman]

Also, RDJ's blackface in Tropic Thunder. Yea, Nay?

 

[Xprimentyl]

My only issue with this, was this one actress, who is of mixed ethnicity herself, which included half of the blend for the character she was portraying, saying that black characters should be played by black actors. And I just think "Yeah but...the character in question is also indian/jewish, which you are. Being part black doesn't overwrite all other ethnic heritage of a person."

You yourself identify as both black AND hispanic, so it just seems a little over-reactive to me.

I personally think requiring the actors playing roles, be 100% real world accurate to the character they are playing, kind of defeats the purpose of ACTING, the art of pretending to be something you're not. I mean, both of the children in the Boondocks Saints are voiced by a woman, we going to say she shouldn't voice them because she's the wrong gender? Or someone playing a mother can't play her, because if the actress hasn't had children, they just can't truly bring the role a "realism" or whatever? It's all fiction and fantasy, that's what good scripts and directing are for.

Audition anyone and everyone for the role, and pick the best person for the role.

This is where I think I'm leaning and why this seems like such a nominal and largely unnecessary act. It was years before I even knew Cleveland Brown was voiced by a white guy, and you know what? I thought it was funny. It never even crossed my mind that it "should" have been a black guy. Animated characters are creations; they're not real; they have NO voice until someone gives them one. And what does the actor (who's never seen; it's a fucking cartoon) being aligned racially add to the character? Nothing. I certainly don't feel any better knowing that this "issue" is being resolved, but I don't speak for everyone, hence the thread.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I mean historically, we have had all ethnicities " whitewashed" in Hollywood, so I appreciate the need to actually make an attempt to resolve this to more accurately portray the characters so that people can have better representation in Movies and television. As for cartoons, or comedies ridiculing particular races, I am not seeing the point in that. Having a black actor play a black character and an Asian actor play an Asian character is definitely an improvement over the past films where it come across as a white actor making fun of other races by pretending to be other races and doing so very badly.

Exactly. The voice actors aren't portraying these other ethnicities; they providing an accent. There is no equivalency between voice acting and the overtly offensive whitewashing of early Hollywood.

 

[Buyetyen]

Exactly. The voice actors aren't portraying these other ethnicities; they providing an accent. There is no equivalency between voice acting and the overtly offensive whitewashing of early Hollywood.

How exactly do you draw that line?

 

[Xprimentyl]

Also, RDJ's blackface in Tropic Thunder. Yea, Nay?

The film was a comedy; the blackface was an extreme satirizing of itself and the lengths some actors go to when method acting; that's was it's purpose within the film. Now, had he done it to portray and actual black guy, if his role WAS a black guy, it would have been offensive and would never have flown.

 

[SilentPony]

Probably that they are so prone to being popular, that you have a long standing job in front of you, and thus some income stability. That's my guess anyway.

This. And especially if you become a fan favorite or get a job at one of the streaming companies that do their own voice overs.

 

[Xprimentyl]

How exactly do you draw that line?

Voice actors aren't seen; they're not on screen pretending to be the characters they voice; it doesn't matter. Live action, however, you don't need someone pretending to be another race; why would you cast a black person to be a Hispanic, or a white person to be Asian? That makes no sense.

 

[happyninja42]

This. And especially if you become a fan favorite or get a job at one of the streaming companies that do their own voice overs.

Yeah I mean, just look at that guy who voice the dub of Vegeta. He's probably able to just live off of going to conventions and yelling OVER 9000!!!!!!!!! , make the uber-fans squee and stain themselves in glee, collect his check, and go home.

 

[Houseman]

Live action, however, you don't need someone pretending to be another race; why would you cast a black person to be a Hispanic, or a white person to be Asian? That makes no sense.

What if they're really good and nail the audition? What about Othello? Does casting that character always need to require either rewriting the script or casting an actual Moor?