I can also see the whole cast of LOTR this way, because the story creates an alternative universe. (The choice for Legolas is hot.) Same deal for something like The Wizard of Oz. A black or Asian Dorothy would not affect the story.
For stories that are set in cultures and universes that are diverse, that diversity should be reflected in the casting. So any of superheroes are fair game, especially the American ones. Captain America represents a perennial now (or slightly future) America, and that is going to change as the face of America changes. Crime shows, romances, medical dramas and comedies should all have diversity.
OTOH, If the writer is writing about a specific culture, I think it is respectful to cast a movie with people from that culture. Eat, Drink, Man, Woman would not have worked with a white cast. That is, it would have been a good movie, but it wouldn't have been the same story. Agatha Christie was writing about uptight middle-class English people. Casting a Hispanic as Miss Marple would change the whole psychology of the story.
Which naturally leads to the consideration that perhaps the problem is not merely about casting. Maybe also there need to be more roles written for Hispanic female detectives in England. It's like Joss Whedon's discussion of strong female characters. Why aren't more people writing them? As we've seen with Dana, casting a strong female actress in a weak role does nothing to promote equality.
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Date: 2010-01-27 05:09 pm (UTC)I can also see the whole cast of LOTR this way, because the story creates an alternative universe. (The choice for Legolas is hot.) Same deal for something like The Wizard of Oz. A black or Asian Dorothy would not affect the story.
For stories that are set in cultures and universes that are diverse, that diversity should be reflected in the casting. So any of superheroes are fair game, especially the American ones. Captain America represents a perennial now (or slightly future) America, and that is going to change as the face of America changes. Crime shows, romances, medical dramas and comedies should all have diversity.
OTOH, If the writer is writing about a specific culture, I think it is respectful to cast a movie with people from that culture. Eat, Drink, Man, Woman would not have worked with a white cast. That is, it would have been a good movie, but it wouldn't have been the same story. Agatha Christie was writing about uptight middle-class English people. Casting a Hispanic as Miss Marple would change the whole psychology of the story.
Which naturally leads to the consideration that perhaps the problem is not merely about casting. Maybe also there need to be more roles written for Hispanic female detectives in England. It's like Joss Whedon's discussion of strong female characters. Why aren't more people writing them? As we've seen with Dana, casting a strong female actress in a weak role does nothing to promote equality.