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[lightskintwin]

"(I believe) that it is really important to hear people in various positions of power voice their opinions, their story," the actress asserts in her March 2017 Marie Claire cover story, out Feb. 14. "Why not? Why can't I have the voice? Why can't I use my platform? What's the point of having it if you don't use it? If you don't want to get involved, please, the noise is loud enough. But if you've got something to say, say it."

On the subject of the gender wage gap, Johansson is plainspoken: "Just because I'm the top-grossing actress of all time does not mean I'm the highest-paid — I've had to fight for everything that I have."

"Some people felt I should talk about my personal struggle in order to shed a spotlight on the greater issue," she adds in reference to systemic sexism. "Maybe I'm being presumptuous, but I assumed it was obvious that women in all positions struggle for equality. It's always an uphill battle and fight. My experience with my close female friends and family is that the struggle is real for everybody. Everyone has been discriminated against or harassed — sexism is real."

But while Johansson acknowledges our culture's woman problem, she stops short of acknowledging how that issue is compounded for women of color, particularly in Hollywood, which has come under fire for its perceived whitewashing of stories.

Johansson herself was caught up in the whitewashing conversation after her casting in the live-action remake of Japanese manga and anime Ghost in the Shell. But, when asked about the subject, the actress pointed to the opportunity her casting presented for women, overlooking Asian actresses who were shut out.

"I certainly would never presume to play another race of a person," she told Marie Claire. "Diversity is important in Hollywood, and I would never want to feel like I was playing a character that was offensive. Also, having a franchise with a female protagonist driving it is such a rare opportunity. Certainly, I feel the enormous pressure of that — the weight of such a big property on my shoulders."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/...-the-shell-controversy-marie-claire/97584658/

Her casting is a win for women of all colors, so pipe down Asian Americans and bask in this progress. Scarlett Johansson is the hero we both deserve and need.

 

[Discotheque]

Movies prolly gonna be garbage but good on her for carving herself a pretty big position as a female action star. She was always gonna be high up on the list for this role

 

[Jarmel]

"I certainly would never presume to play another race of a person,"

Indeed.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

"Why not? Why can't I have the voice? Why can't I use my platform? What's the point of having it if you don't use it? If you don't want to get involved, please, the noise is loud enough. But if you've got something to say, say it."

okay, i applaud her for this, as using privilege to enact positive change is good.

still a mess at gits tho.

 

[StWilson85]

Meh, there's no Asian actresses bankable enough to head up a movie with that budget. In fact, there's less than a handful of any race.

 

[Busty]

I suspect that so few people are going to see this film that it's not even going to be an issue worth discussing.

 

[lightskintwin]

Meh, there's no Asian actresses bankable enough to head up a movie with that budget. In fact, there's less than a handful of any race.

I agree, but I think that's precisely the problem.

 

[Maxim726X]

Meh, there's no Asian actresses bankable enough to head up a movie with that budget. In fact, there's less than a handful of any race.

Yeah, I really get both sides here.

Want to spend big money on a blockbuster? Need a box office draw.

I agree, but I think that's precisely the problem.

Absolutely fair.

 

[Forkball]

Guy 1: We need to make a movie but have no ideas. What's something that exists?
Guy 2: Uh... Ghost in the Shell.
Guy 1: Let's make that. Ok we need a girl.
Guy 2: Well, people have paid money to watch Scarlett Johansson punch people in the face so let's go with her.
Guy 1: Greenlight it.

That's how this movie was made. I don't know what you expect her to say. "I'm here to get a paycheck. Sorry."

 

[Hari Seldon]

If you want people other than anime fans to see this movie you need a well known star.

 

[HStallion]

But they cast a Japanese guy to play the Major's boss! Racial equality!

Spoiler

You know they would have cast Ken Watanabe in the role if he wasn't battling stomach cancer.

 

[Bladenic]

She's the highest grossing actress? I guess both Avengers were huge so it makes sense

 

[Wanda/Wander]

Hollywood is one of the most racist/sexist institutions on the planet.

 

[#sorrynotsorry]

I agree, but I think that's precisely the problem.

Sure, but it's not on her to fix it. She can't. That would require sacrificing her own fight for women in general which she should not do.

 

[LosDaddie]

If you want people other than anime fans to see this movie you need a well known star.

Indeed. Otherwise, a movie with this budget doesn't get made

 

[Fuu]

There wouldn't be a controversy if they changed the name of the character and the setting for the adaptation. Tweaking things a bit would be enough.

That's what you do when you adapt things. Edge of Tomorrow didn't call Tom Cruise's character "Keiji Kiriya" for that very reason.

 

[Loudninja]

Meh, there's no Asian actresses bankable enough to head up a movie with that budget. In fact, there's less than a handful of any race.

Then dont make the movie?

This is a terrible excuse.

 

[lightskintwin]

Guy 1: We need to make a movie but have no ideas. What's something that exists?
Guy 2: Uh... Ghost in the Shell.
Guy 1: Let's make that. Ok we need a girl.
Guy 2: Well, people have paid money to watch Scarlett Johansson punch people in the face so let's go with her.
Guy 1: Greenlight it.

That's how this movie was made. I don't know what you expect her to say. "I'm here to get a paycheck. Sorry."

I don't think anybody is disagreeing with that, but when asked specifically about this controversy her answer boiled down to "all women actresses live's matter." LOL

 

[Uzzy]

There wouldn't be a controversy if they changed the name of the character and the setting for the adaptation. Tweaking things a bit would be enough.

That's what you do when you adapt things. Edge of Tomorrow didn't call Tom Cruise's character "Keiji Kiriya" for that very reason.

They've only referred to her character as 'Major' up until now, if iirc.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

There wouldn't be a controversy if they changed the name of the character and the setting for the adaptation. Tweaking things a bit would be enough.

That's what you do when you adapt things. Edge of Tomorrow didn't call Tom Cruise's character "Keiji Kiriya" for that very reason.

i feel like there would still have been a bit of a controversy tbh. people have probably heard of gits before, i didn't know that eot was an adaptation until it was pointed out to me. gits is regularly brought up as an example of japanese animation.

 

[Inferno313]

There wouldn't be a controversy if they changed the name of the character and the setting for the adaptation. Tweaking things a bit would be enough.

That's what you do when you adapt things. Edge of Tomorrow didn't call Tom Cruise's character "Keiji Kiriya" for that very reason.

I mean, do we know that they didn't do this? All of the press stuff, that I've seen, for GitS just refer to Scarlett's character as The Major, not as Makoto.

Should clarify that I'm not trying to excuse the film or anything, I think they should've gotten an asian actress as well.

 

[aeolist]

Guy 1: We need to make a movie but have no ideas. What's something that exists?
Guy 2: Uh... Ghost in the Shell.
Guy 1: Let's make that. Ok we need a girl.
Guy 2: Well, people have paid money to watch Scarlett Johansson punch people in the face so let's go with her.
Guy 1: Greenlight it.

That's how this movie was made. I don't know what you expect her to say. "I'm here to get a paycheck. Sorry."

that doesn't make her statements less hypocritical and self-serving

 

[PdotMichael]

Meh, there's no Asian actresses bankable enough to head up a movie with that budget. In fact, there's less than a handful of any race.

For some reason unknown white actors getting lead roles in Hollywood movies quite often.

 

[Mega]

Sure, but it's not on her to fix it. She can't. That would require sacrificing her own fight for women in general which she should not do.

She should at least try to speak out about it rather than taking the predictable white feminist stance as seen in that interview. She sidesteps the racial issues like they don't exist and in effect makes it invisible/non-issue to readers.

 

[Maxim726X]

Then dont make the movie?

This is a terrible excuse.

No?

This movie costs a lot of money to make. They want to make that money back, so they have arguably the most recognizable female action star to headline it.

Where is the logical flaw, here?

 

[Trojita]

The only reason why I'm not totally up in arms about it, even though this is a western adaption to begin with, is that she's playing what is effectively a robot.

She's the highest grossing actress? I guess both Avengers were huge so it makes sense

Marvel pays for shit.

 

[Inferno313]

For some reason unknown white actors getting lead roles in Hollywood movies quite often.

Who are some good examples of this recently, aside from Daisy Ridley?

 

[ZeoVGM]

There wouldn't be a controversy if they changed the name of the character and the setting for the adaptation. Tweaking things a bit would be enough.

That's what you do when you adapt things. Edge of Tomorrow didn't call Tom Cruise's character "Keiji Kiriya" for that very reason.

I thought she was only being referring to as "The Major?"

 

[jmdajr]

Love the franchise, love ScarJo. Hope the movie is good.

If the movie does well I bet they make Akira...and then we are going to have the same problems. Asians won't be the leads. Hollywood gonna Hollywood.

 

[lightskintwin]

i feel like there would still have been a bit of a controversy tbh. people have probably heard of gits before, i didn't know that eot was an adaptation until it was pointed out to me. gits is regularly brought up as an example of japanese animation.

Agreed. I still think there would've been controversy as well as this film is amongst a host of over TV and films that continue a trend to replace Asian characters with White leads and maintains a system of lack of opportunities of Asian American actors which in effect leads to no Asian American box office stars and the cycle repeats.

 

[StWilson85]

For some reason unknown white actors getting lead roles in Hollywood movies quite often.

Without a major franchise name to sell the movie, when did that last happen?

 

[harSon]

Meh, there's no Asian actresses bankable enough to head up a movie with that budget. In fact, there's less than a handful of any race.

There's multiple issues at play here. Firstly, the fact that there's no bankable Asian actresses is an issue in itself. It's a symptom of there being no pipeline through which Asian actresses can get the opportunity to become bankable. Secondly, diversity always makes the jump from white men to white women. We've seen it movies and we've seen it in games. While the race swap would have still sucked, it would have been less of an issue if it were an actress who was Hispanic, Black, Middle Eastern, etc. Asians would still be underrepresented, even in the face of roles tailored for their ethnicity, but at least some other marginalized group would have benefited - instead of the perpetuating over representation of white actors in lead roles.

Without a major franchise name to sell the movie, when did that last happen?

How much time do you have?

 

[SeanC]

It's weird she's playing a character with a Japanese name, but she's not exactly human so I can roll with it. If she was a Japanese woman raised in Japan and has a history we need to be aware of in the Ghost in the Shell universe then that's one thing, but she was just made in a factory with other similar models if I recall. And it's not like Ghost in the Shell has something too specific to say about Japanese culture, not like Akira or something, it's more general technology and how it affects society.

But I'm not an expert on it, someone else can maybe chime in on that because I've only seen the series and movies not the manga.

I have far more concerns with the fact the movie has been written/rewritten to death and the director is kind of not-so-great. I don't expect it to be much more than just a generic sci-fi action flick with little nuance.

 

[Fuu]

I mean, do we know that they didn't do this? All of the press stuff, that I've seen, for GitS just refer to Scarlett's character as The Major, not as Makoto.

Should clarify that I'm not trying to excuse the film or anything, I think they should've gotten an asian actress as well.

They've only referred to her character as 'Major' up until now, if iirc.

I thought she was only being referring to as "The Major?"

Oops, they are sticking close to the source material and I was under the impression they were using Motoko for some reason.

i feel like there would still have been a bit of a controversy tbh. people have probably heard of gits before, i didn't know that eot was an adaptation until it was pointed out to me. gits is regularly brought up as an example of japanese animation.

good point.

 

[Gastone]

For some reason unknown white actors getting lead roles in Hollywood movies quite often.

Such as? Can you name any big budget hollywood movie, that wasn't already part of a well established/developed franchise, that had a unknown actor/actress cast in the leading role?

 

[freenudemacusers]

Are there any big Asian stars with the requisite body to play the major? If so please provide photographic evidence.

 

[Bladenic]

The only reason why I'm not totally up in arms about it, even though this is a western adaption to begin with, is that she's playing what is effectively a robot.



Marvel pays for shit.

Yeah that's why it's grossing and not paid. I'm sure she does get paid well but I don't think she's on Angelina's level, for example (could be wrong).

 

[kswiston]

For some reason unknown white actors getting lead roles in Hollywood movies quite often.

Not women so much, but it's beyond obvious that there is a racism problem in Hollywood. Unknown Asian American actors should be given a chance, but no one seems willing to do that, even Asian American creators.

I haven't been following the development of GitS very closely, but I don't have a problem with an American production localizing some of the stuff from a Japanese property that they licensed. Every other region does the same. Does the film still take place in Japan?

The bigger issue is when they keep a character's Asian or part-asian background, but then cast Emma Stone. Or if they take an American/Western novel and white-wash all of the roles.

EDIT: Going back to Emma Stone, I was sort of impressed that La La Land put effort into casting a pretty diverse LA. Sure, the two main leads are white, but the film was basically two people and a bunch of extras. They could have gone full Seinfeld or Friends on LA, but they didn't.

 

[StWilson85]

There's multiple issues at play here. Firstly, the fact that there's no bankable Asian actresses is an issue in itself. It's a symptom of there being no pipeline through which Asian actresses can get the opportunity to become bankable. Secondly, diversity always makes the jump from white men to white women. We've seen it movies and we've seen it in games. While the race swap would have still sucked, it would have been less of an issue if it were an actress who was Hispanic, Black, Middle Eastern, etc. Asians would still be underrepresented, even in the face of roles tailored for their ethnicity, but at least some other marginalized group would have benefited - instead of the perpetuating over representation of white actors in lead roles.



How much time do you have?

And what hispanic, black, middle eastern or any other race, actress would you have cast to sell this movie?
The lack of diversity absolutely is an issue, but to try and attach it to the casting of ScarJo in GitS is reaching.

And all day, please do go on..

 

[harSon]

Such as? Can you name any big budget hollywood movie, that wasn't already part of a well established/developed franchise, that had a unknown actor/actress cast in the leading role?

How about I give you some actors. Chris Hemsworth. Sam Worthington. Taylor Kitsch. Look up their $100+ million dollar budgeted films that they headlined, and look at their filmography prior to those movies. Get back to me.

 

[Busty]

Would this issue have been magnified if Margot Robbie, whom they offered the role to first, actually decided to star in this rather than ScarJo?

 

[Inferno313]

Are there any big Asian stars with the requisite body to play the major? If so please provide photographic evidence.

Don't be gross.

But, a really clear and obvious choice would be Rinko Kikuchi. She's a Japanese actress with a successful career in Hollywood. She's starred in tentpole films (Pacific Rim), she has serious credibility as an actor for smaller films like Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter. She even looks the part.

 

[ZOONAMI]

No?

This movie costs a lot of money to make. They want to make that money back, so they have arguably the most recognizable female action star to headline it.

Where is the logical flaw, here?

That they don't have to make a ghost in the shell movie at all?

 

[Trojita]

The bigger issue is when they keep a character's Asian or part-asian background, but then cast Emma Stone. Or if they take an American/Western novel and white wash all of the roles.

Those are the bigger sticklers to me. A book made in English with a character specifically mentioned as a PoC and then they whitewash that role.

 

[Oersted]

Meh, there's no Asian actresses bankable enough to head up a movie with that budget. In fact, there's less than a handful of any race.

There is also option 2, create a star. In particular white guys get that chance alot.

I suspect that so few people are going to see this film that it's not even going to be an issue worth discussing.

That is a really weird post.

She's the highest grossing actress? I guess both Avengers were huge so it makes sense

1. Johansson

2. Evans

3. Downey Jr.

Aka "Yes, Marvel makes alot of money" and Johansson stars in Avengers and Captain America.

 

[Wanda/Wander]

You guys are right. I guess there are no Asian actors in L.A. right now auditioning for roles.

Oh well.

I guess they should just try harder...

...Or wait longer...

 

[Gotdatmoney]

So the solution is that because there are no bankable asian actresses (Hollywoods own doing) this is suddenly fine? Hollywood needs to fix it's shitty race problem, not be given justificstion for why it is how it is.

 

[Trojita]

Don't be gross.

But, a really clear and obvious choice would be Rinko Kikuchi. She's a Japanese actress with a successful career in Hollywood. She's starred in tentpole films (Pacific Rim), she has serious credibility as an actor for smaller films like Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter. She even looks the part.

He was making a joke that he wanted people to post pictures of attractive Asian women.

 

[Keri]

This feels like the new way of tearing down feminism. Instead of celebrating the little steps and then working for more, we're turning on the little steps and criticizing them for not being big enough. We're attacking the people trying to take small steps.

Good for Scarlett Johansson for talking about the struggles she's faced. I wouldn't blame her for taking a role that was offered to her and that most women never have a chance at, I would blame the studios who aren't making many female-lead action movies and who chose to deny the role to a minority woman. Instead of criticizing Scarlett Johansson and trying to silence her, we should be focusing on lifting up her and minority women.

 

[HStallion]

You guys are right. I guess there are no Asian actors in L.A. right now auditioning for roles.

Oh well.

I guess they should just try harder...

...Or wait longer...

We're going to build a wall along the Pacific Ocean so asians don't keep stealing our acting jobs.

This feels like the new way of tearing down feminism. Instead of celebrating the little steps and then working for more, we're turning on the little steps and criticizing them for not being big enough. We're attacking the people trying to take small steps.

Good for Scarlett Johansson for talking about the struggles she's faced. I wouldn't blame her for taking a role that was offered to her and that most women never have a chance at, I would blame the studios who aren't making many female-lead action movies and who chose to deny the role to a minority woman. Instead of criticizing Scarlett Johansson and trying to silence her, we should be focusing on lifting up her and minority women.

Feminism has had a long and well documented issue with racism and clashing with minority feminist activists. Its still very much an issue today and was high lighted in the Women's March on Washington.