Color Blind Casting

[Savage]

wow.

 

[Warhammer]

Cinderella can easily be black.

Cinderella isn't drastic.
Who cares about Cinderella?

 

[JP]

So I'm guessing you hated the Cinderella they did a few year back with Brandi and Bernadete Peters?

I was thinking about that movie. I think this film is the perfect example. Not only was it well received, but it garnered an Emmy win and was watched by 60 million viewers.

 

[StrainedEyes]

So I'm guessing you hated the Cinderella they did a few year back with Brandi and Bernadete Peters?

I never saw it. Plays and fairytales are obviously their own genre. A play is written once and only once. People than take that and make their own movies based on it. They aren't sequels, they aren't a series. People are not attatched to an image of Romeo like they are John Mclane.

Taking an established character who has been seen more than once and changing race all of a sudden is a needless move. But things like Chris Rock's Down to Earth are a remake of one time movies or stories.

It's totally different scenerios.

 

[Gilpesh]

I'm not sure if I should take offense to this.

What? That's a character who is all story, ethnics have nothing to do with it.

Cinderella isn't drastic.
Who cares about Cinderella?

Someone said this:

So I'm guessing you hated the Cinderella they did a few year back with Brandi and Bernadete Peters?

 

[SapphirePrima]

Cinderella isn't drastic.
Who cares about Cinderella?

Little girls. I mean I was like 9 when it came out and one thing that was good about it showed little girls you don't have to white and blonde to be a princess and your prince doesn't have to white either.

 

[JP]

Little girls. I mean I was like 9 when it came out and one thing that was good about it showed little girls you don't have to white and blonde to be a princess and your prince doesn't have to white either.

Exactly. I really think that film defines color blind casting.

Cinderella was black.
Stepmother was white
Stepsisters were black and white
Prince was Filipino
Queen - Black
King - white

And no one cared. So, when it comes down to color blind casting if the audience doesn't care why should Hollywood?

 

[Moviefan2k4]

True, because 'African' is a nationality. That's why I don't understand the whole African-American thing. What's wrong with being just an American? I am not an Irish-Native American-American.

I think it's more of a politically-motivated deal. Generally speaking, some Africans weren't comfortable with the word "black", sine their tone is actually brown. So, things like that led to a nationally-recognized change. Early in his career, comedian George Lopez made a crack about the same thing, involving Mexicans...

"I think the U.S. Government needs to come up with another word to describe Latino people. Hispanic...is not happenin'. Who wants to be identified with a word that has panic in it? I guess don't panic would've been too obvious." ~George Lopez~

 

[StrainedEyes]

Little girls. I mean I was like 9 when it came out and one thing that was good about it showed little girls you don't have to white and blonde to be a princess and your prince doesn't have to white either.

Fairytales are meant to do that. That's what fairytales do, they involve the child no matter who they are and can be adjusted to fit anything.

But Bruce Wayne has been drawn in the comics as a white guy since 1937. Month after month, year after year, it's a white guy... I think it's well established that he is white. People know that, and people of all races accept and like Bruce Wayne, despite him not changing skin color to fit the reader.

Why should that work any differently in films?

You can't compare Cinderella with Bond. Cinderalla can change to fit whatever it needs to, because it's a fairytale. You change Bond and it's going to cause an uproar.

 

[Abaddon]

I think it's more of a politically-motivated deal. Generally speaking, some Africans weren't comfortable with the word "black", sine their tone is actually brown. So, things like that led to a nationally-recognized change. Early in his career, comedian George Lopez made a crack about the same thing, involving Mexicans...

where does he mention Mexicans in that joke?

 

[SapphirePrima]

not changing skin color to fit the reader.

Why should that work any differently in films?

If there was an minority that really could fit the role and not changing the character. That's why I'm made the thread. Not just changing the race so another actor could play it. If a minority actor was much better than the white actor.

 

[Moviefan2k4]

where does he mention Mexicans in that joke?

A lot of people, especially in the US, still equate "Latino" with "Mexican". To them, it means the same thing.

 

[Gilpesh]

And no one cared. So, when it comes down to color blind casting if the audience doesn't care why should Hollywood?

I don't think Black Cinderella and Hispanic Prince Charming.... lead to Black Superman, White MLK Jr, Hispanic Spidey, Black Indiana Jones, White Black Panther, and Black Hitler.

 

[SapphirePrima]

What? That's a character who is all story, ethnics have nothing to do with it.



Someone said this:

Oh I thought you were going in a different direction. My apologies.

 

[StrainedEyes]

If there was an minority that really could fit the role and not changing the character. That's why I'm made the thread. Not just changing the race so another actor could play it. If a minority actor was much better than the white actor.

That is such a random hypothetical though. What makes this minority actor perfect for the role, so perfect that he beats out all non-minorities for a non-minority role?

 

[Moviefan2k4]

...if the audience doesn't care, why should Hollywood?

Because, right or wrong, the vast majority of people still care where race is concerned. I guess it's like Alec Baldwin said in Ghosts of Mississippi: "It doesn't matter how many civil rights laws you pass; you'll never be able to legislate how people think."

 

[Abaddon]

A lot of people, especially in the US, still equate "Latino" with "Mexican". To them, it means the same thing.

Those people are idiots. Are you saying you're one of them?

 

[SapphirePrima]

That is such a random hypothetical though. What makes this minority actor perfect for the role, so perfect that he beats out all non-minorities for a non-minority role?

Acting. If someone acts better all around.

 

[Moviefan2k4]

Those people are idiots. Are you saying you're one of them?

To be honest, I never gave the difference much thought.

 

[Abaddon]

I don't think Black Cinderella and Hispanic Prince Charming.... lead to Black Superman, White MLK Jr, Hispanic Spidey, Black Indiana Jones, White Black Panther, and Black Hitler.

Once again, Spidey could easily be played by a Hispanic actor.

 

[Abaddon]

To be honest, I never gave the difference much thought.

Why not? That's like calling Asian people Chinese. It's plain ignorant.

 

[SapphirePrima]

Those people are idiots. Are you saying you're one of them?

Latinos are from Latin American countries. Hispanics are the ones from Spanish speaking ones.

Easy misconception since Mexico is close to Latin America.

 

[StrainedEyes]

Acting. If someone acts better all around.

We are talking about established parts. We aren't talking about new parts.

I'm sure plenty of white people audtioned for the role of president in Deep Impact, But Morgan Freeman brought more to the role so he was cast. That's not what we're discussing.

We will all be long and dead before Warner Bros. is reading for the next Superman movie, and some black actor (I have no idea who would fit the bill) is signed the role over the established white version. It's just how the world is. You asked if we ever thought the world would allow such things. And the answer is not for a very very long time.

 

[Gilpesh]

Once again, Spidey could easily be played by a Hispanic actor.

Abaddon! Calm yourself!

I know. Just a little equal rights in my race based casting. Don't want them all to be white or black... might be called racist.

 

[JP]

I don't think Black Cinderella and Hispanic Prince Charming.... lead to Black Superman, White MLK Jr, Hispanic Spidey, Black Indiana Jones, White Black Panther, and Black Hitler.

I didn't say that.

Okay, great example.

Wentworth Miller. He's black. Yet his character on Prison Break is white. Yet he was obviously the best person for the role.