Comments on: Race and Casting http://kulturblog.com/2006/02/02/race-and-casting/ A pop culture blog by Mormons but not about Mormonism Fri, 01 Jun 2012 22:26:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Kenny http://kulturblog.com/2006/02/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43493 Wed, 29 Mar 2006 16:32:05 +0000 http://www.kulturblog.com/2006/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43493 Sometimes you can color blind cast I suppose.However not when it does not make sense.There have been instances of casting a White in a Hispanic or Asian role that smacks of arrogance.Natalie Wood in West Side Story,Richard Chmberlain in Shogun-outrageous!Jennifer Lopez is often cast as White though,and some Mexican Americans were upset that she played Selena, since Lopez is Puerto Rican.

]]> By: Tim J. http://kulturblog.com/2006/02/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43492 Sun, 05 Feb 2006 00:34:02 +0000 http://www.kulturblog.com/2006/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43492 There was controversy recently surrounding the fact that “Memoirs of a Geisha” was cast using primarily Chinese instead of Japanese actors.

I also seem to remember Denzel’s casting in “The Pelican Brief” raising some eyebrows because so many readers had thought the character was white.

]]> By: Jennifer http://kulturblog.com/2006/02/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43491 Fri, 03 Feb 2006 19:04:27 +0000 http://www.kulturblog.com/2006/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43491 “Are there really 22 year old women who look like playboy bunnies who have PhD’s in astrophysics?”

I saw Pink the other day on TRL (just surfing through, people) She has a new video out called Stupid Girls (which is actually quite funny) and in response to a caller’s criticism said

“Sexy should not come with the price tag of stupid.”

I now officially heart Pink.

]]> By: D. Fletcher http://kulturblog.com/2006/02/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43490 Fri, 03 Feb 2006 17:44:29 +0000 http://www.kulturblog.com/2006/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43490 Othello is a Moor, presumably dark-skinned, but he has been played by most every famous classical actor in Britain, including Laurence Olivier in a famous movie.

Would they make the movie with a white guy today? Probably not, but I don’t think it’s so wrong.

]]> By: tracy m http://kulturblog.com/2006/02/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43489 Fri, 03 Feb 2006 16:59:40 +0000 http://www.kulturblog.com/2006/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43489 Denzel as Hamlet is great- there is no “historical” acuracy thing with that, especially in the theatre, there is a lot more latitude given in roles.

I wonder though, if a caucasian guy were, say, to be cast as Othello, would there be an outcry?

]]> By: Allison http://kulturblog.com/2006/02/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43488 Fri, 03 Feb 2006 16:31:23 +0000 http://www.kulturblog.com/2006/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43488 re: white Messiah in the Matrix, I don’t know about Neo per se, but Keanu is mixed race (Chinese, Polynesian and English ancestry).

]]> By: Pris http://kulturblog.com/2006/02/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43487 Fri, 03 Feb 2006 16:22:38 +0000 http://www.kulturblog.com/2006/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43487 I think Supergenius is right (#2), but it’s interesting when racial casting implies certain things about the world of the movie, e.g. the rave scene in the second Matrix–mostly non-white, implying something about the type of people who can easily leave the Matrix. (But then what does it imply that there is a white Messiah?)

“Are there really 22 year old women who look like playboy bunnies who have PhD’s in astrophysics?”

Oh man I hope so. If not, I don’t know if I can go on.

]]> By: tracy m http://kulturblog.com/2006/02/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43486 Fri, 03 Feb 2006 04:21:45 +0000 http://www.kulturblog.com/2006/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43486 I was referreing to Yul, and I had no idea what his racial mix was. I just always thought he looked so out of place.

]]> By: D. Fletcher http://kulturblog.com/2006/02/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43485 Fri, 03 Feb 2006 03:04:12 +0000 http://www.kulturblog.com/2006/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43485 Color-blind casting works best in theater; movies are often too historically detailed and trying to be authentic. However, plays turned into movies can often be cast colorfully, as you have, Much Ado works well enough.

Only projects where racial differences is a theme, should color-blind casting be inappropriate. One wouldn’t cast a white person to play Malcolm X, for instance.

But why shouldn’t Denzel play Hamlet? I say, more power to him.

P.S. Tracy, if you’re referring to Yul Brynner, he was a mix of Asian and Russian, not inappropriate to play The King of Siam in a musical fantasy.

]]> By: tracy m http://kulturblog.com/2006/02/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43484 Fri, 03 Feb 2006 00:50:53 +0000 http://www.kulturblog.com/2006/02/race-and-casting/#comment-43484 Im always struck when it is a period piece and the characters aren’t realisticly portrayed.

Would there have been a black warden of a women’s prison in 1920′s Chicago? (Chicago) Would a white guy have been king of Siam? (The King and I) Would a woman have been able to voice 21st century social policies in the 19th century west? (Into the West) Are there really 22 year old women who look like playboy bunnies who have PhD’s in astrophysics? (any James Bond movie) Were Adam and Eve really lily-white? (any LDS art)

Just my pet peeve.

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