White-Washing Avatar: The Last Airbender?

By Moye | Thursday, December 18, 2008 | 134 Comments

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Entertainment Weekly recently announced the casting decisions by M. Night Shyamalan for his latest project, Avatar: The Last Airbender, a live-action version of the popular Nickelodeon cartoon.

With names like Jesse McCartney, Twilight’s Jackson Rathbone and Nicola Peltz, it’s clear to most fans that Shyamalan has missed the biggest point (and possibly, the biggest draw) about the show and its Asian influence.

Let me be upfront with you guys: I didn’t watch Avatar. My friend (a grown, 26 year old man at the time) tried to convince me to watch it on Nickelodeon but that just made me mock him for his TV choices. However, as a fan of animation, I was excited to see how far anime’s popularity had come. With the previous influx of Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh and InuYasha, it was no surprise that kids now would be watching an anime-inspired cartoon created, written and designed by Americans.

The story is undeniably Asian-influenced: characters have names like Aang, Toph Bei Fong and Iroh, they all use martial arts, Chinese characters are featured throughout the show and the music on the show’s website makes me feel like I should be ordering some General Tsao’s chicken.

Then why would Shyamalan and Paramount decide to go forward with such a white cast? Was it really that hard to find Asian and Inuit actors to cast for the main roles? Did Shyamalan watch a completely different series than the rest of us? Fans have deemed their choices as outrageous and racist, and they’ve even started a letter-writing campaign against the studio — all understandably so. You’ve got this Emmy-award winning series that celebrates pan-Asian culture, yet they’re completely white-washing the story for the big screen. I’m sure there’s the perfect excuse/reason: a full Asian cast wouldn’t draw a big enough audience across America. Yeah, I’ve heard and seen that one before (Breakfast At Tiffany’s or Sayonara, anyone?).

Or maybe this is just another one of Shyamalan’s crazy omg plot twists? You know, dun dun dun… they’re WHITE! And they can see dead people. Oh, and it’s the trees. Gasp.

But here’s where I’m torn on the issue: I could be wrong, but Avatar was co-created by two Caucasian males, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, both of whom are fans of typical Asian cultural icons like Buddhism, Shaolin Kung Fu, Chinese art and Japanese cinema. I’m sure they love sushi and mochi icecream, too. They’ve reinterpreted their passions into an Asian-inspired story that takes place in a separate universe. So while fans are demanding Shyamalan’s cast represent the cultural influence, how “authentic” and Asian is Avatar? Can you even demand an Asian cast when the creators themselves aren’t necessarily representatives of Asian culture?

I don’t consider them to be and in fact, I would probably have more issues with two white guys reappropriating my culture to create a personal universe, unlike Dragonball Evolution, which placed a Caucasian male in a Japanese story.

So there. If you disagree, keep writing your letters cause there’s nothing like a little Hollywood activism during the holidays. I do hope they change their minds, and if not, the movie flops.

(Hat tip: Min)

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DiscriminationEntertainmentMovies

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nemogbr

To Tim:

You are jumping at the end and it is obvious, you have not read any of the previous posts. Here’s a few you missed:

This Link provides a paper on whether the Anime look Asian or Caucasian.
http://www.matt-thorn.com/mangagaku/faceoftheother.html

I presume you read Lord of the Rings and perhaps saw the film?
Why did they all look Caucasian? I think the only ones we could think of as people of colour were the badguys in the last film. Even then we could think of those as white people with tans.

In this film:
The main cast was changed to Caucasian or other = Caucasian.
The extras = Asians, especially with Martial Art skills.

1. the setting was Asian (most likely Chinese)
2. the martial arts was Chinese (Hung Gar, Taijichuan, Bagua, Shaolin Northern Style)
3. THE NAMES SOUNDED ASIAN (ever see a white guy named Aang, Sokka?)
4. the armies had Asian armour on
5. the characters looked Asian/ Native (although there is a strong suggestion that Natives are of Asian descent soo yea kidna rules in favour of Asian). Look at all the photos and you will see that Katara and Sokka are Inuit.
6. the Air benders had temples, and thier monks looked alot like Shaolin monks
7. the whole godamn theme was Asian

If you mention that the show was made for the American market.
That’s the reason for the language.
It has also gained a following in Malaysia and it has been translated into Malaysian.
Dragonball was Japanese translated for the American Market.

The company who made the cartoons were based in Korea, not America.

If you also mention that the voice actors were mostly white. someone already answered.
Bart Simpson is voiced by a woman.
Apu is voice by a white male.
Would we even contemplate a film with an Actress playing Bart Simpson and a White Actor playing Apu?

The only non-Asians in this cartoon series were the creators and the language.

Any more questions???
nemogbr

These people were so concerned over being authentic. The new film after Twilight had to bring thier birth certificate proving their heritage.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-04-21-newmoon-side_N.htm

>>>>>>By Susan Wloszczyna, USA TODAY
It took a couple of months and thousands of hopefuls to find a quartet that fits the requirements for New Moon’s wolf pack.

No. 1 on the list: Native American or First Nation ancestry, because their characters belong to the Quileute tribe, based in La Push, Wash., both in the book and in real life.

“They had to have papers that proved their heritage,” says director Chris Weitz, who was the one who insisted on hiring within the community. “And they had to be in good physical shape.”<<<<<<<<
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jay

I dont know where to start… I’m a 31 old white male and I’m so frustrated, angry, saddened about the casting of this film. I am a huge fan of the animated show and was so excited to hear about the film. I was the first of my friends/family to find the show and by the end of the 3rd season, my friends/family were all in love with the show and excited there was a film being made. However after reading about the blatent disregard for the source material as far as casting, none of us are going to see this movie that we looked so forward in seeing. Its a damn shame, Avatar is one of the best written, smartest shows animated or not. I don’t understand how they can say that 4 white kids were the only ones they could find to play these roles. I utterly refuse to believe that. I really wish Shayamalan and his casting director’s would have taken a que from Chris Weitz, the director for the second Twilight movie. He insisted that the Native American werewolves had to be played by Native American actors. He spent months auditioning thousands of Native Americans, all of whom had to have papers proving their heritage to even be considered for the role. I have nothing against the actors they cast to play Katara, Sokka, Aang or Zuko, hell I dont even know who half of them are, I’m just saying that i refuse to believe they were the only actors they could get to play these roles and it saddens and angers me that this wonderful work of art is being ruined by some of the most blatent racial bias we’ve seen.
http://nemogbr.livejournal.com/profile nemogbr

http://www.racebending.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/racebending

Several sites that are continuing the protest.
VIP20000

it does matter what they look like. the movie will not make sense because the theme of this series is more asian than white, the martial arts, the chinese at the beginning of each episode, the theme is just asian. its not gonna make sense to have some caucasian doing martial arts. even the names are more asian than caucasian. aang, sokka, zuko, zhao, iroh? lol how many caucasian have these names. and for your information “Look at the Death Note movie or other live action movies you may have seen, it just looks weird having Asian actors playing white looking characters” thats what everyone is complaining about a different race acting out different races……..so like what ppl are getting at “it’s weird having white actors playing asian looking characters”
VIP20000

totally agree with you
kalebvinh

Said it before i will say again and again until it is burned into peoples heads, Avatar: The Last Airbender with a white cast would be like Lord of the Rings with a full Asian cast, it will not be taken seriously because it is not realistic. I however will probably see this movie when it comes out to have more of a basis to convince people not to see it.
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namia

Does it take an Italian man to make an authentic pizza?
http://www.littleyellowdifferent.com ErnieAtLYD

Is the pizza made from Italian people? Then yes.
whitedude

This is the only comment that makes sense in this entire rant. Bravo tim.
whitedude

All you crybabies sound like the racist idiots you are by calling this white-washing. I know bashing white people, calling them nazi’s and blaming them for everything wrong in the world is in fashion, but it’s still hypocritical and stupid.This story was written by white boys who paid homage to Asian culture. The characters in the story, like most animation coming from that side of the globe, depicts people who appear to be of mixed ethnic backgrounds. Quite often they have very Caucasian features, like Aang for instance. He has pale skin and round eyes. Katara and Sokki, although clearly Inuit, have blue eyes. The makers of the original series obviously didn’t feel the need to make every character look like stereotypically Asian, so why on earth do all you jackasses feel the need to?? Speaking of earth, the story takes place in a mythical world. Not China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, etc…The worst part about all this whining and protesting is the fact that Noah Ringer, a first time actor, who obviously loves Asian culture and respects their history and traditions enough to learn them, and worked very hard to EARN his position as the lead character is having all his hard work undermined by a bunch of prejudiced, racist, backward moving dipshits. I hope he isn’t letting this nonsense get him down, but it must be hard to know that in this day and age there are so many people in the world looking for any chance they can get to blame white people for everything.Getting all pissy and full of yourselves over a damned movie!
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toddges

I wish the Hollywood jews wouldn’t race bait so much. I know they want Obama a second term and all, but this gets a little nuts.

First of all, DeeDee Rickets is not even her real name.
Like every jewish person in Hollywood, she changed it.
These are just some examples:
Isadore Demsky became Kirk Douglas
Allen Konigsberg became Woody Allen
Alan King was born Irwin Alan Kniberg
Tony Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz
Paul Muni was born Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund
Leonard Alfred Schneider changed his name to Lenny Bruce
Melvin “Mel” Kaminsky become Mel Brooks
Gene Wilder was born Jerome Silberman
Dyan Cannon was born Samille Diane Friesen
Frank Oz was born Richard Frank Oznowicz

The last 2 “Hollywood White Wash” controversies for the covers of Vogue and Vanity Faire magazine were also brought to us by jewish photographer: Annie Liebowitz.
1 cover featured a very racist King Kong photo, reminiscint of WW1 racist propganda, and when that spared cries of outrage, the SAME photographer, photographed the “New Hollywood”, which was a bunch of unknown white girls (I have no idea who those girls were).
Her late partner called the white race “The cancer of human history” so uh, no; I don’t think she prefers whites. She’s pretending to be stupidly racist to piss people off. She’s race-baiting.
By all means: PLEASE boycott this movie! They don’t deserve a DIME.
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Hendawg
Hendawg
Hendawg
Hendawg

Wtf whitedude. The fact is you obviously dont have a grasp of how real some people found the culture and that is shown by the response of people. Secondly yes it was written by white boys but they created a asian inspired culture, but the eyes are round eyed because it is a well known fact that in animation as an animator, larger the eyes the easier to get expression to the audience. This is why walle has huge eyes, why bambi did and why animes do so that has no use in the argument for them being white.Thirdly Sokka is inuit, and has been turned into a whiteboy thats a massive face lift. Its like if you did a remake of alien and had ripley a man. Personally and Race, Gender and appearance make a character in a story and sokka was inuit so by changing him to a white guy changes what made sokka sokka. Also white people didnt invent everything or where not every hero so why should they be white? Frankly it something that wasnt needed to be changed.Lols Noah Ringer has got the worst feed back on his acting in this film that has nothing to do with him being white, also Noah Ringer knows tae-kwon-doe and has skills in various eastern weapons, martial arts isnt what asian cultures are only about so that doesnt give him go free card and he didnt even send in a acting tape just him using martial arts and when a scouter for a movie sees that or a agent they will instantly see money in a white boy that can do martial arts. Lastly, The concept of how because there white doesnt make it authentic asian which is hinted in the blog isnt a good arguement. Frankly it implies that cultures cant be understood, when if people understood other cultures we would have a lot less racism, violence and wars.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Weixi-Huang/100001253111387 Weixi Huang

Hello everyone. I would like to state that this movie is enriched with Asian culture to the heart. Where even the word avatar is Asian (Hindu). addition to the Chinese characters above the title. The names, martial art, philosophies, world, religion, food and manners are Asian. Undeniable fact. The creators of the original series were big fans of Asian culture. They had done immense research and took much time studying Asian culture to create this series. Basically if Asian Culture doesn’t exist this series wouldn’t exist. The two creators of this series are the fathers and Asian culture is the mother.

Side note:
I noticed that some people saw them as Caucasians. I encourage these people to watch the entire series before making this statement because it clearly shows that they haven’t.

Addition:
Isn’t it absurd to see a Caucasian imitating a Asian monk? That’s my first thought when I saw the movie.
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http://twitter.com/kipkipjr Angela Hu

Crybabies? You are eating your words as I write.
We are speaking out against it, and we don’t white and cry over it. First of all, we respect the people who wrote the story. They made the cartoon show absolutely wonderful and captivating, and that’s why we love the presentation of Avatar: The Last Airbender television show. We, however, do not like the rendition of M. Night Shyamalan’s Avatar, because we believe it has disrespected Asian culture. It’s like how they cast a white male lead for Goku in Dragonball Evolution. It’s misplaced.

The story takes place in an ASIAN-influenced world, if you have noticed (I have seen that you haven’t even registered it). The fighting is influenced by forms of kung fu (tai chi, Northern Shaolin, etc.). Not all of the character have to be Asian, though, but I must say that Aang must have a person similar to his ethnicity to play him. That way we can grasp the feel of the concepts throughout the movie and also acknowledge that his beliefs are Asian-based (hmm. Buddhism and Taoist beliefs are completely similar to what Aang follows).

And by the way, the characters do not have Caucasian features, in my argument. It is possible for Inuits to have blue eyes, because mixed gene pools are common. This does NOT mean that they are Caucasian, or possible resemble Caucasians. In addition, have you noticed many waterbenders and civilians in the water tribe in the series have blue eyes, possibly because of their affinity towards water or to make it obvious that they are part of the water tribe. It’s like how people in the fire nation have gold or brown eyes, as to show their affinity towards fire (more realistically, as red eyes would be quite ridiculous). Round eyes are typical in cartoons, and also in animes. I believe that the round eyes make the characters a lot more cartoony, and make them look more like kids. Round eyes don’t make Aang Caucasian. It doesn’t matter how pale your skin is; I know many Asians and such with white or pale skin, and they don’t seem to be Caucasian.

I don’t blame Noah Ringer for anything. I respect the kid for portraying Aang; he did the best he could. I do blame M. Night Shyamalan for the casting, as he is the one who handpicked the actors and actresses.

We respect the story and idea of Avatar to the fullest, but we just do not accept the casting of characters. The cartoon that we have excitedly watched every Friday to come on has been ruined by the release of the movie. The movie has disappointed me greatly, and I hope not to see the continuation of the movie series.
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