Fandom: Tin ear, much?

[nebroadwe]

From the local student newspaper, an utterly dismaying remark by a member of the production staff for the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender film:

Deedee Rickets, the casting director for the film, said she is looking to cast men and women ages 18 to 65 and children ages six to 15. Casting officials are seeking candidates with military or martial arts experience, athletes, gymnasts and people of various races and cultures.

"We want you to dress in traditional cultural ethnic attire," she said. "If you're Korean, wear a kimono. If you're from Belgium, wear lederhosen."

I'm torn between the impulse to [headdesk] and the impulse to heave the desk at Ms. Rickets. The depth of cluelessness revealed by this remark is simply staggering. Time to give in and write that letter of complaint to Paramount, I guess.

Comments

[helliongoddess.livejournal.com]

The essential stupidity of people in positions where they really should know better never ceases to amaze me... and I say that after just suffering through eight years of the most absolutely mind-numbing examples of just that in the top levels of our United States government... Hopefully at least that has taken a turn for the better.

I think you really should write that letter of complaint... it might save them from making some truly embarrassing similar errors in the film in the long run, and I can't think of many better suited to write it than you.

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

I don't think my letter in particular will do much, but there's a whole campaign going on over at aang_aint_white that may at least raise some consciousness about the blinkered way this film is being cast. I mean, I'm as racist as the next white person who grew up in cow country watching Sesame Street during the seventies (i.e. few active prejudices, but a lot of unexamined assumptions), but even I would know that shorthanding diversity as "wear[ing] traditional cultural ethnic attire" is a good way to get people seriously up in arms. Being historically minded, too, I just boggle at the way she manages to tag a particular ethnocultural group with the stereotypical garb of a conquering oppressor not once, but twice. (I must ask my Belgian friend if the country has something that could be considered traditional dress, or if that's another one of those things where you start tripping over the Flemish/Walloon divide .. )

[helliongoddess.livejournal.com]

Hollywood just amazes me... The way they will consistently - STILL - put makeup on white actors or hire Mexicans for Native American roles, or, being a large woman, I actually think this is my favorite, have thin actresses gain weight to play a role - still being far thinner than the role is in the book - rather than hire one of any number of talented large-sized actresses!! Only to have the actress receive accolades for her sacrifice for the role, and have people ask her at length later how she took the weight off (cocaine, probably, or puking) when she becomes bone-thin again... Arggghhh!!! And here we have it all yet again, with "Last Airbender." What kind of message does that send the Asian kids that will see it, that they have a white actor playing the role? *seethe seethe*

That hadn't occurred to me about the historical irony of her stupidity- OMFG. That makes it beyond insensitive (and also why you are better than I to write such a letter! ^__^ ) I believe the Flemish native costume is quite stunning, large lace collars and caps, something like that, although I can't speak to the distinction between Flemish and Walloon. I love the distinctive traditional women's Korean clothing, although I admit I do not know the proper name for it. But it is so far from a kimono, it's not even in the same neighborhood.

Again... boundless stupidity. I am pleased that a good organized campaign is underway. I can't speak knowledgably about that fandom, so I don't think I would be much use, unfortunately. But I do wish them well.

[ishte.livejournal.com]

Yah... for Korean Tradtional dress... I think that's called Hanbok. The word "kimono" in Japanese actually just means like... "clothing" or I think literally it's "things to wear" if I remember.

[helliongoddess.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing that information. I didn't know that about the kimono, either. I just recently saw an episode of "No Reservations" where Anthony Bourdain traveled to Korea with a Korean assistant of his, and she put on the Hanbok for a traditional dinner in the home of her family there to honor her grandparents. It was a beautiful outfit, and a very touching moment in one of my favorite episodes of that show. Even Bourdain had a rare "misty" moment, as I remember it.