Wanda/Wander
Member
"there are no bankable asian actresses" is racist propaganda and anyone that uses that as an argument is being willfully ignorant.
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Scarlett Johansson talks sexism, sidesteps 'Ghost in the Shell' controversy
- Thread starter lightskintwin
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Dat WHITE POWER!
StWilson85
Member
No, it's just a fact. A sad one, but a fact.
I think the best solution to this problem is to start having minorities in supporting roles in big budget movies, and after audiences get accustomed to seeing them, they can branch out and star in their own big budget movies. I feel like that is how a lot of big name black actors got their break. It is unfortunate but it seems like the safest way to handle it from a studio's perspective.
To be fair, you would have to be insane to give a $200 million dollar franchise to Kikuchi.
lightskintwin
Banned
Wow....
Tomb Raider has Alicia Vikander as it's lead. A movie property that had a big Hollywood star in Angeline Jolie to sell and do decent but not spectacular box office performance.
#sorrynotsorry
Member
Because she cannot give the only response that cause wants to hear. Why did she take the role? Because it's a leading role and she's an actress and she wants leading roles so that she can be successful. Secondarily, she also wants to promote women in film by being a skilled and respected actress across all genres, not just romance and drama. This film fits that to a tee. That's likely why she wanted the role (money and fame).
She's not sidestepping the racial issues like they don't exist. She just doesn't have anything to say about it. She'd look like a hypocrite. She'd hurt herself and she wouldn't help the racial cause. So even if she believes that whitewashing of Hollywood is an issue, there's nothing she can do in this context to remedy it in any way. She can only take herself down at the expense of the things she does believe in and can fight for.
So why should she?
People should stop asking her loaded questions like this. If it wasn't her, it would have been some other white woman. An Asian woman was not getting this role. If we have an issue with that, we need to communicate it to the people who made that decision. Not the person who inadvertently benefited from it.
Krauser Kat
Member
Bitching at ScarJo is the least productive way to go about doing this as we saw with the Tilda debate.
Asking actors to say fuck you to paycheck to further diversity in casting is never going to happen.
Boycott the movie but dont expect actors to apologize for shit that is out of their hands.
Asking actors to say fuck you to paycheck to further diversity in casting is never going to happen.
Boycott the movie but dont expect actors to apologize for shit that is out of their hands.
The thing is though Kusanagi is "human" or at least her experiences were before she became cyberized. Most of her life is alluded to have been in Japan, so she would be a Japanese woman raised in Japan.
Then again she doesn't even remember her real name, so I guess there is theoretical flex space in a sense.
Inferno313
Banned
The problem is that it's exactly what most Hollywood executives believe.
To Hollywood, most women aren't even considered wholly bankable stars. Scarlett is one of the only actresses on the planet who is deemed "bankable" enough to get a big-budget blockbuster green lit specifically due to her casting, and that's largely due to the success of Lucy, more than anything.
People are really saying there's no bankable Asian actresses? I'm sorry, but how many bankable actresses are there anyway? Why is this an issue now, when Armie Hammer or Taylor Kitsch got huge roles in the past?
"I am sorry, we cannot cast Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, he is not bankable."
"I am sorry, we cannot cast Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, he is not bankable."
Inferno313
Banned
Alicia Vikander is an Oscar winner...
Zoe
Member
Scarlett Johansson doesn't have the requisite body to play the major.
A lot of black actors got their break because black creators cast them in films/TV shows aimed at black audiences. No one is doing the same for Asian American actors.
Lol, she is a hypocrite
H.Cornerstone
Member
Scarlet Johannson is the only one.
TBH There aren't really bankable male stars either anymore besides maybe Denzel and Clooney.
No, this is very much white feminism. She is pushing WoC aside to prop herself up.
No one is trying to silence or even disagreeing with her desire to see equal treatment of women in Hollywood.
We do however have issue with her ignoring issues the don't affect white women and claiming to be a feminist.
She is not free from criticism because she is a woman.
Chris Hemsworth starred in a well established comic book universe and portrayed Thor. Coming off the success of Iron Man films.
Sam Worthington starred in Avatar, which was the "next big spectacle" from James Cameron, that everyone was just dying to see. And it was supposed to usher in the new era of 3D filmmaking.
Taylor Kitch in John Carter....You got me.
Maybe there's enough vagueness around the world of GitS it allows for flexibility.
If anything, all this talk does bring out the fact that Hollywood has a hard time putting up women in leading roles to "open" films, much less women of color which is more or less non-existent. Execs/producers assume a lot when they've been proven wrong multiple times over. Major studios are stuck in ways and with thoughts that are archaic and backwards. The audience will come if it's a well made movie that is marketed well, not necessarily who is headlining it.
You are absolutely right, I got it wrong. Both Denzel Washington and Samuel L Jackson got their big breaks from Spike Lee movies.
BronsonLee
Member
I don't think this movie gets made without her
It's double trouble
It's double trouble
freeofgreed
Member
Not really. Plenty of Movies with bankable starts tanked and plenty of movies with unknown stars did really well. Also how are we going to get bankable Asian stars if even movies that should star them go to white actors?
BlitzerRadic
Member
?
How is it a casting win for all women? Was there ever a consideration for casting a man?
How is it a casting win for all women? Was there ever a consideration for casting a man?
Inferno313
Banned
Yeah, I don't think everyone is on the same page about the term "bankable."
Bankable doesn't mean they're required for the film to succeed, most successful films don't have a "bankable" star. They tend to get greenlit because the behind-the-scenes talent has a proven track record, or because they're part of a franchise with a proven track record.
What it means, is that the star in question can carry the film themselves, financially. There are very few actors in the entire industry that can get a film greenlit off their own back. It means that, if I were a producer and I had signed Scarlett Johansson, or George Clooney, or Denzel Washington to my film, I could walk into a studio with my pitch and be almost guaranteed that I'd get a greenlight.
Bankable doesn't mean they're required for the film to succeed, most successful films don't have a "bankable" star. They tend to get greenlit because the behind-the-scenes talent has a proven track record, or because they're part of a franchise with a proven track record.
What it means, is that the star in question can carry the film themselves, financially. There are very few actors in the entire industry that can get a film greenlit off their own back. It means that, if I were a producer and I had signed Scarlett Johansson, or George Clooney, or Denzel Washington to my film, I could walk into a studio with my pitch and be almost guaranteed that I'd get a greenlight.
Captain Smoker
Member
This sounds really strange to be honest. ^^
I think most people just don't care. They would be fine with Scarlett or for example Rinko Kikuchi.
Well, this is an anecdotal argument of course, because I don't believe that 90% of people are racist, just ignorant.
I'm also one of them, I'm fine with Scarlett, I would be fine with Rinko and wouldn't think much about this without following this thread.
Ironically, I think this movie could work with Rinko just as well, because people are ignorant.
Edit: As long neither of them is just a plain bad actor.
Sarcasm.
BronsonLee
Member
You can cast a piece or rock as a lead in a Star Wars movie, and it's still gonna bring in the cash.
How about 250?
Or 225?
Do you really think those movies make a good case for casting an unknown in the lead of an expensive film?
freeofgreed
Member
Yep. Feminism without intersectionality is useless.
StWilson85
Member
Hemsworth - small role in Star Trek, good word of mouth for his few minutes on screen. Cast in a Marvel movie, which would sell on name alone.
Sam Worthington - I honestly don't know what movie you mean? Terminator? Not the lead, sold on name alone. Avatar? The technology sold that. Sure, it fits in the "not a franchise movie" if you want to argue that.
Kitsch - Sure, I can see that one. But he had just came off of 5 years on one of the best TV shows ever. Of course, it was a total flop and that's presumably part of the reason why so few risks are taken any more.
lightskintwin
Banned
LMAO That has nothing to do with being a bankable star. Monique is an Oscar winner. Not to mention Alicia won it as a supporting actress and not as a lead, which often times have different quantifications in opportunities.
I'm always surprised by the amount of people who suggest her for Asian roles on GAF. Her acting in Pacific Rim was awful. It was so bad I changed the channel even though it was playing in the background while I was on my laptop. When it comes to somewhat familiar Asian actresses, I think Rila Fukushima is a much better choice.
Do you really think the star of Pirates of the Carribean is a unknown?
PowderedToast
Junior Member
this is white feminism in all its glory. she doesn't give a fuck about intersectionality. The oppression of white women is NOT equal to the oppression of racial minority women.
You want to know whose even less respected than white girls?
black girls
asian girls
latino girls
You want to know whose even less respected than white girls?
black girls
asian girls
latino girls
Inferno313
Banned
You were responding to a comment about unknowns.
There's a massive difference between being an unknown and being a bankable star. Alicia Vikander isn't a bankable star, clearly. She's also the furthest fucking thing from an unknown. A film like Tomb Raider gets greenlit because of the Tomb Raider brand, not because of the star.
Ghost in the Shell isn't remotely large enough of a brand in the states that it can get greenlit without a bankable star, that's the difference.
Well in this instance. The Asian community would have to do that for themselves to get more recognizable faces out there if we're going to go down that route.
Compared to something like "21" a story about Asian card counters in America getting white-washed. That's bullshit. But if they sold the rights to Bollywood then you'd have to expect it being cast with Indian actors.
edit: I feel like I completely misunderstood the issue of people being upset about the casting where I was thinking of it more in terms of the production as a whole being the problem.
I have fallen into the "white is default" trap.
So, all women should stay down, basically? The problem is that these turn into criticisms against the women, individually. Scarlett Johansson can't try to seek equality for herself, because in doing so, she's not helping everyone. So, she needs to stay down.
Yeah, things are worse for minority women, absolutely, but doesn't it help the cause for them, if some women are getting action-adventure roles? Doesn't her success in this role, make it more likely that similar movies will be made and more opportunities will be opened up for all women?
There needs to be a balance, where we try to push forward the cause of minority women, without tearing down the efforts of white feminist (who are frankly more likely to get traction in the movement).
Gotdatmoney
Member
Is the movie seeing audience really so shallow that if the movie is good they wont go see a lesser known actor that isn't white? Does the movie need to be this huge budget affair? I honestly think the quality of the movie and the marketing can make uo for bankable stars given your movie doesn't suck.
Are you serious?
Feminism without intersectionality is White Supremacy.
BronsonLee
Member
Yes and probably not
Desparadina
Member
Nothing about this is anything other than plain white feminism lmao, like?? Where do people get the idea that taking roles practically made for demographics that are woefully represented in cinema as an act of feminism?
Inferno313
Banned
Yeah, I agree. Should Scarlett have accepted the role? Maybe not, sure. Does it completely invalidate any and all good she could do as a feminist? Fuck no. "Perfect is the enemy of good" or whatever that quote is.
Trojita
Rapid Response Threadmaker
How about 250?
Or 225?
So instead of bombas or super bombas, you want Omega bombas?
You wouldn't even recoup costs in China.
kame-sennin
Member
Yessss.
lightskintwin
Banned
Alicia Vikander to the mainstream is unknown. After Tomb Raider, she won't be unknown but a mainstream star. That's literally how you build bankable stars. It's no different than Jennifer Lawrence being an unknown after being critically acclaimed in Winter's Bone and then being cast as the lead in The Hunger Games and becoming a bankable star.
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