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Basketball Fan
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 Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 8:33 am Post subject: Actress Constance Wu slams Matt Damon casting in "The Great Wall": It perpetuates a "racist myth" |
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http://variety.com/2016/film/news/constance-wu-matt-damon-the-great-wall-racist-myth-1201827119/#article-comments
| Quote: | Constance Wu Slams Matt Damon Casting in ‘The Great Wall’: It Perpetuates a ‘Racist Myth’
“Fresh Off the Boat” star Constance Wu criticized the casting of Matt Damon in “The Great Wall,”, arguing that is perpetuates a stereotype that heroes are played by white men.
“We have to stop perpetuating the racist myth that only a white man can save the world,” she wrote on Twitter on Friday. “Our heroes don’t look like Matt Damon. “They look like Malala. [Gandhi]. Mandela. Your big sister when she stood up for you to those bullies that one time.”
The film, from Legendary and Universal, is set on the Great Wall of China as a group of elite warriors band together to keep out and defeat mythical creatures. Wu, a Taiwanese-American actress, calls Damon’s casting “hero-bias.”
“Remember it’s not about blaming individuals…” she wrote. “Rather, it’s about repeatedly pointing out the racist notion that white people are superior to [people of color] and that POC need salvation from our own color via white strength.”
She also fights back the idea that actors of color don’t bring in as much box office revenue. “If white actors are forgiven for having a box office failure once in a while, why can’t a POC sometimes have one?” she wrote. ‘And how COOL would it be if you were the movie that took the ‘risk’ to make a POC as your hero, and you sold the s—t out of it?! The whole community would be celebrating!”
The film stars Damon and Willem Dafoe alongside Chinese stars including Andy Lau, Zhang Hanyu and Eddie Peng. It is the first movie to emerge from Legendary Entertainment’s Legendary East operation.
“The Great Wall” is set for U.S. release Feb. 17, 2017. |
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Huey Lewis & The News
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Location: So what's the uh...topic of discussion?
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Basketball Fan
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 8:45 am Post subject: |
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| Nah she's always been consistent about institutionalized racism in Hollywood. |
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lakersken80
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 8:50 am Post subject: |
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| Hollywood only cares about $$$$$$$$$$$ first and foremost. I don't think there are any Asian American actors that has the star power of Matt Damon and even the big HK or Mainland actors have no name recognition outside of Asia, so it'll be a hard sell to Europe and the Americas. Hollywood usually makes movies with global appeal so this was probably a poorly made compromise. |
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Basketball Fan
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 9:26 am Post subject: |
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| Maybe Jackie Chan but yes I agree. |
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DaMuleRules
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 9:32 am Post subject: |
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| Basketball Fan wrote: | | Maybe Jackie Chan but yes I agree. |
Jackie Chan's skills are limited to a very narrow genre of film.
The reality is, if no one breaks the cycle and casts an Asian in an Asian role despite the lack of recognition, the cycle will just repeat.
Make a good film, cast it well (and appropriately) and people will go.
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Last edited by DaMuleRules on Sat Jul 30, 2016 9:33 am; edited 1 time in total |
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lakersken80
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 9:32 am Post subject: |
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| Basketball Fan wrote: | | Maybe Jackie Chan but yes I agree. |
He's too old for this role plus after his anti-American rants I don't think that will do too well with American audiences. |
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Basketball Fan
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 9:42 am Post subject: |
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| DaMuleRules wrote: | | Basketball Fan wrote: | | Maybe Jackie Chan but yes I agree. |
Jackie Chan's skills are limited to a very narrow genre of film.
The reality is, if no one breaks the cycle and casts an Asian in an Asian role despite the lack of recognition, the cycle will just repeat.
Make a good film, cast it well (and appropriately) and people will go. |
Its a large part of why I appreciated The Joy Luck Club the movie(I think I enjoyed it more than the book)
I agree with you. |
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ringfinger
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 9:51 am Post subject: |
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Why doesn't she produce a movie then? Put your money where your mouth is!
I love Constance Wu, I think she's gorgeous and talented, but she's wrong here. People of color play the hero all the time. This nonsense is getting out of control.
I'm half asian myself, but there is a reason we aren't regularly featured as the hero in films made for an american audience. It isn't racism, it's realism.
If you want to make a movie starring a hero of any gender, race, or class, go do it! I think that would be great. But don't slam others who are putting their own dollars in to a project for not doing something you agree with.
It's his movie, his rules. |
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City_Dawg
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 10:16 am Post subject: |
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I thought it was weird when I saw a poster for the first time. Bizarre.
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kikanga
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 10:51 am Post subject: |
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| City_Dawg wrote: | | I thought it was weird when I saw a poster for the first time. Bizarre. |
Reminds me of this
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governator
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 11:39 am Post subject: |
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| lakersken80 wrote: | | Hollywood only cares about $$$$$$$$$$$ first and foremost. I don't think there are any Asian American actors that has the star power of Matt Damon and even the big HK or Mainland actors have no name recognition outside of Asia, so it'll be a hard sell to Europe and the Americas. Hollywood usually makes movies with global appeal so this was probably a poorly made compromise. |
Matt Damon highest grossing movie is savings private Ryan at $396 hundred mil, compare that to Jackie Chan's rush hours 2 at $346 hundred mil. So it's not that clear cut to say Asian actor won't produce as well as caucasian actor |
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gumby
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 11:54 am Post subject: |
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| ringfinger wrote: | Why doesn't she produce a movie then? Put your money where your mouth is!
I love Constance Wu, I think she's gorgeous and talented, but she's wrong here. People of color play the hero all the time. This nonsense is getting out of control.
I'm half asian myself, but there is a reason we aren't regularly featured as the hero in films made for an american audience. It isn't racism, it's realism.
If you want to make a movie starring a hero of any gender, race, or class, go do it! I think that would be great. But don't slam others who are putting their own dollars in to a project for not doing something you agree with.
It's his movie, his rules. |
It takes money to make films and it's easy to say that, but at some point people in Hollywood need to realize that you have to be more realistic about stories and settings.
Nobody says you have to be 100% accurate, but by using (insert white actor here) when its not needed or necessary it says a non white story origin is worthless without white people in it.
If one were to extrapolate from that it looks a lot worse.
But the best way to combat this is to have more people of color investing, being creative and in control so they can tell real stories, their stories.
Bye.
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City_Dawg
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 12:10 pm Post subject: |
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| kikanga wrote: | | City_Dawg wrote: | | I thought it was weird when I saw a poster for the first time. Bizarre. |
Reminds me of this |
Pretty much.
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4stargeneralbulldog
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 12:13 pm Post subject: |
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Hey at least this isn't as bad as when John Wayne played Genghis Khan!
And since China now is the no. 2 economic and political power in the world, Hollywood has pretty much quit the many unflattering portrayals of the Chinese, since they want access into that vast market.
It'll just be another Last Samurai type of movie. I just have a feeling this movie will bomb. The premise of it is just so silly. |
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ringfinger
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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| gumby wrote: | | ringfinger wrote: | Why doesn't she produce a movie then? Put your money where your mouth is!
I love Constance Wu, I think she's gorgeous and talented, but she's wrong here. People of color play the hero all the time. This nonsense is getting out of control.
I'm half asian myself, but there is a reason we aren't regularly featured as the hero in films made for an american audience. It isn't racism, it's realism.
If you want to make a movie starring a hero of any gender, race, or class, go do it! I think that would be great. But don't slam others who are putting their own dollars in to a project for not doing something you agree with.
It's his movie, his rules. |
It takes money to make films and it's easy to say that, but at some point people in Hollywood need to realize that you have to be more realistic about stories and settings.
Nobody says you have to be 100% accurate, but by using (insert white actor here) when its not needed or necessary it says a non white story origin is worthless without white people in it.
If one were to extrapolate from that it looks a lot worse.
But the best way to combat this is to have more people of color investing, being creative and in control so they can tell real stories, their stories.
Bye. |
Agreed. It takes money to make films and so those who invest their dollars should get to make whatever kind of film they want to since they are ultimately on the hook for the returns if any.
And I disagree with the false premise that using a white actor when it is not necessary is saying a non white story origin is worthless without white people. Unless they are portraying a fictional person that is white, it is NEVER "necessary" to utilize a white actor, or an actor of any color or gender, as hero.
Now, if we were talking about non-profit films funded by taxpayer dollars, for instance, then that is a different story.
But if someone wants to risk their dollars producing a movie about a "gaijin" becoming the Last Samurai (or whatever), I think he or she should be allowed to do just that. |
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lakersken80
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 12:29 pm Post subject: |
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| governator wrote: | | lakersken80 wrote: | | Hollywood only cares about $$$$$$$$$$$ first and foremost. I don't think there are any Asian American actors that has the star power of Matt Damon and even the big HK or Mainland actors have no name recognition outside of Asia, so it'll be a hard sell to Europe and the Americas. Hollywood usually makes movies with global appeal so this was probably a poorly made compromise. |
Matt Damon highest grossing movie is savings private Ryan at $396 hundred mil, compare that to Jackie Chan's rush hours 2 at $346 hundred mil. So it's not that clear cut to say Asian actor won't produce as well as caucasian actor |
Incorrect. That would be "The Martian" which would be at $630.2 million. Besides Jackie Chan's star has fallen he hasn't come out with a decent movie for American audiences in ages. He is only good for movies which satisfy the Communist censors in the Mainland China. He is hated in HK now considering he sold them out. Also note the emphasis on Asian-American. Jackie Chan isn't Asian American at all....I think if I had to name a semi-famous Asian American actor, it would be John Cho, and I don't think he can carry the lead in a blockbuster movie. |
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Theseus
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 12:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Is this a biopic or just a movie? I think they want people to come watch this movie. Matt Damon is very bankable atm so of course he gets cast. |
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OregonLakerGuy
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 12:51 pm Post subject: |
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| It is also not being filmed in the regionally appropriate Chinese dialect. |
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lakersken80
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 12:52 pm Post subject: |
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| The only movie star who I think can satisfy both audiences is dead....his name is Bruce Lee. |
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4stargeneralbulldog
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Well of course Bruce Lee would satisfy American audiences, the guy wasn't even Chinese. He was born in America and is mixed with Aryan blood. |
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ringfinger
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 1:02 pm Post subject: |
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Cmon. Bruce Lee's appeal is the martial arts, not his ability to portray a character.
You think he'd appeal to the masses playing Matt Damon's role in The Martian?
No. |
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lakersken80
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 1:03 pm Post subject: |
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| 4stargeneralbulldog wrote: | | Well of course Bruce Lee would satisfy American audiences, the guy wasn't even Chinese. He was born in America and is mixed with Aryan blood. |
Incorrect. He was 3/4 Chinese. He was 1/4 white since his mom was 1/2 Chinese 1/2 Caucasian. To say he wasn't Chinese ethnically is a lie considering he was born and raised in the culture, and lived a huge part of his life in HK. |
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lakeshow03
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 1:10 pm Post subject: |
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| ringfinger wrote: | Why doesn't she produce a movie then? Put your money where your mouth is!
I love Constance Wu, I think she's gorgeous and talented, but she's wrong here. People of color play the hero all the time. This nonsense is getting out of control.
I'm half asian myself, but there is a reason we aren't regularly featured as the hero in films made for an american audience. It isn't racism, it's realism.
If you want to make a movie starring a hero of any gender, race, or class, go do it! I think that would be great. But don't slam others who are putting their own dollars in to a project for not doing something you agree with.
It's his movie, his rules. |
That's like saying, "if you don't agree with the POTUS then YOU be President then". Just because she's not in power doesn't mean she's not allowed to notice discrimination. Minorities can't break this cycle if they're not given equal opportunity; just like she said, if Brad Pitt makes a movie and it bombs then it's just that, but if someone of color does its used as a reason to not cast anymore because it must be attributed to their color? The same rules sadly don't apply to everyone and that is racism. |
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4stargeneralbulldog
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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| lakersken80 wrote: | | 4stargeneralbulldog wrote: | | Well of course Bruce Lee would satisfy American audiences, the guy wasn't even Chinese. He was born in America and is mixed with Aryan blood. |
Incorrect. He was 3/4 Chinese. He was 1/4 white since his mom was 1/2 Chinese 1/2 Caucasian. To say he wasn't Chinese ethnically is a lie considering he was born and raised in the culture, and lived a huge part of his life in HK. |
He was born in America, so he's technically not Chinese, since Chinese is a nationality. He's also mixed with Aryan blood. Not a full ethnic Han. I stand by what I've said. No lies told in my previous post. |
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