Look, everyone can feel the way they want to about this movie. I understand the anger over the racial miscasting, and it's something that I will never really forgive Shyamalan for - he could have tapped into so many potential young Asian actors/actresses, and given them a shot at becoming big Hollywood stars, but he blew it. That to me is unforgivable.
But I still want to see this movie, regardless. I have been a fan of this show since its inception in 2005, and for me it's not as much about the ethnicity of the show's origins. It's a great story, for one thing, and particularly in Zuko/Katara's case a wonderful development of two characters that started out the series as mortal enemies. I want to see this movie, for that reason, because even despite the miscasting and the fact that Shyamalan has to condense 20 episodes into one two hour period, I know the basic structure of the story will be intact. And I want to see it on the big screen.
I don't begrudge anybody their varying opinions on this movie, or even boycotting it. But I do begrudge people insisting that others boycott it. Because that's totalitarian, at its basest form. Telling me what I can and can't see, because of their moral compass, and insisting it's so bad that I wouldn't want to see it anyway? Please. It's insulting that anyone would even make that assumption.
Hollywood is an old, old old institution, and people can't expect it to change right away. This miscasting issue has been going on a long time, in other franchises and fandoms. This isn't the first time it's happened. I think change is needed, and I'm in favor of protesting for that change (I was one of the first people to post a "dream cast" after I'd heard who Shyamalan was hiring), but everyone has to realize that everyone protests in their own way. I personally do not believe that boycotting this movie will bring about any change to what Hollywood execs do or think.
I'm not going to tell people to censor themselves as to what they think or feel about this movie. I was simply annoyed by the sheer volume of posts in certain comms that was someone posting about how awful the movie was, every fucking five minutes. That's overkill, and people just posting to see their words on the screen is what I was referring to as self-righteous; not the racebending movement. Everyone has the right to say what they want about it. However, I hope people will extend others the same courtesy who want to see the movie for themselves, and not attach derogatory labels such as 'racist' to them. (Which has happened, I've heard.) Because the reason *I* want to see this movie has nothing to do with race, and that's just all kinds of fucked up.
I know for you in particular, that these past few months have been extremely hard, and that this probably brings up a whole slew of feelings that I couldn't possibly identify with. But Racebending has made its mark - there's been a ton of attention devoted to it, from all sides, and that's extremely positive. So you should be proud of that.
Your opinions on the miscasting aren't going to piss me off. But if you told me you would think I'm a racist for wanting to see it - that would piss me off, and I hope you can understand why.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2010-07-02 08:20 pm (UTC)But I still want to see this movie, regardless. I have been a fan of this show since its inception in 2005, and for me it's not as much about the ethnicity of the show's origins. It's a great story, for one thing, and particularly in Zuko/Katara's case a wonderful development of two characters that started out the series as mortal enemies. I want to see this movie, for that reason, because even despite the miscasting and the fact that Shyamalan has to condense 20 episodes into one two hour period, I know the basic structure of the story will be intact. And I want to see it on the big screen.
I don't begrudge anybody their varying opinions on this movie, or even boycotting it. But I do begrudge people insisting that others boycott it. Because that's totalitarian, at its basest form. Telling me what I can and can't see, because of their moral compass, and insisting it's so bad that I wouldn't want to see it anyway? Please. It's insulting that anyone would even make that assumption.
Hollywood is an old, old old institution, and people can't expect it to change right away. This miscasting issue has been going on a long time, in other franchises and fandoms. This isn't the first time it's happened. I think change is needed, and I'm in favor of protesting for that change (I was one of the first people to post a "dream cast" after I'd heard who Shyamalan was hiring), but everyone has to realize that everyone protests in their own way. I personally do not believe that boycotting this movie will bring about any change to what Hollywood execs do or think.
I'm not going to tell people to censor themselves as to what they think or feel about this movie. I was simply annoyed by the sheer volume of posts in certain comms that was someone posting about how awful the movie was, every fucking five minutes. That's overkill, and people just posting to see their words on the screen is what I was referring to as self-righteous; not the racebending movement. Everyone has the right to say what they want about it. However, I hope people will extend others the same courtesy who want to see the movie for themselves, and not attach derogatory labels such as 'racist' to them. (Which has happened, I've heard.) Because the reason *I* want to see this movie has nothing to do with race, and that's just all kinds of fucked up.
I know for you in particular, that these past few months have been extremely hard, and that this probably brings up a whole slew of feelings that I couldn't possibly identify with. But Racebending has made its mark - there's been a ton of attention devoted to it, from all sides, and that's extremely positive. So you should be proud of that.
Your opinions on the miscasting aren't going to piss me off. But if you told me you would think I'm a racist for wanting to see it - that would piss me off, and I hope you can understand why.