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There's been plenty of stirrings regarding racial issues in fandom lately. I've been keeping tabs on many of these discussions all around fandom, from the Big Bang fiasco and the wanktastic fanficrants post to the controversy surrounding Avatar: The Last Airbender. Reading the discussions and different viewpoints and arguments has made me really immersed into the racial issues even more than before, particularly with how fandom sees it and how it's affecting others as well. I've actually been researching more about the controversy of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the more I read the more angered I became particularly to those that clearly don't understand the reasons why people are protesting the film. In fact, it's infuriating seeing how some just don't get it even when it's straightforwardly explained to them. What's worse is that M. Night Shyamalan continues to not get it either, presenting himself to have a huge inflated ego in the process. For someone who is a POC himself say such things, to not even acknowledge why this can be a sensitive topic for most and why people want to boycott the film entirely because of it, is really upsetting and insulting on many levels.
I highly recommended reading this particular writeup which explains the problems of whitewashing and why it's a huge deal and why it shouldn't still be happening in this day and age. Some might not see the what the big deal is, say it's just a movie/cartoon/whatever, but it's that kind of attitude that allows such things to be continued, of these issues never being resolved because it really is a deep-seeded issue in the media that needs to be changed. This is the 21st Century folks, this shouldn't be continuing, and yet it is.
Dante Basco (aka RUFIOO!), who does the voice for Prince Zuko in the series, gives his tamed yet incredibly honest thoughts on The Last Airbender movie, and it all rings painfully true:
I highly recommended reading this particular writeup which explains the problems of whitewashing and why it's a huge deal and why it shouldn't still be happening in this day and age. Some might not see the what the big deal is, say it's just a movie/cartoon/whatever, but it's that kind of attitude that allows such things to be continued, of these issues never being resolved because it really is a deep-seeded issue in the media that needs to be changed. This is the 21st Century folks, this shouldn't be continuing, and yet it is.
Dante Basco (aka RUFIOO!), who does the voice for Prince Zuko in the series, gives his tamed yet incredibly honest thoughts on The Last Airbender movie, and it all rings painfully true:
"I think it’s a missed opportunity for the voice and the face of the Asian community, when will a project like this and of tis magnitude come along again? [...] Stars don’t just happen out of thin air, Hollywood helps make them. This was an opportunity to give the chance to some Asian kids to become stars for the future generation and we missed it."In other words....
