Fun Stuff > ENJOY
Firefly
Patrick:
--- Quote from: Akima on 21 Aug 2013, 04:34 ---Essentially, Firefly's attitude is that Asian "stuff" is cool, but Asian people, and certainly Asian actors, are not; that Asian people are useful as animated set-dressing, provided of course that they are sufficiently stereotyped as prostitutes, pseudo-ninjas, anonymous coolies in big hats, bar-girls waving fans etc., but we don't want to hear their voices.
I have written about this at length in earlier threads, and there doesn't seem much point in repeating it. If you want to read what I have to say on this subject, begin here and here.
--- End quote ---
I don't think this casting decision was intentional; I can't think of many Asian actors off the top of my head whatsoever aside from Jackie Chan and Lucy Liu. I don't think it's a Joss Whedon thing so much as a damn near everybody thing.
In fact, the only television show I've watched that immediately comes to my mind that does prominently feature an East Asian actor is Dexter, and while I like the character of Masuka very much, he's mainly a slapstick device and frankly I think they didn't do a great job being wary of the stereotypes involving Japanese people and pornography; Masuka is practically obsessed with sex, and we all know Japanese porn has given us some of the weirdest shit we've ever seen. Not to mention the actor is in fact Korean.
Akima:
Restricting myself to Asian American actors, how about: Grace Park? Daniel Day Kim? GEORGE TAKEI? B.D.Wong? Garrett Wang?
T.V. shows that do not make a fuss about incorporating Chinese or other Asian cultures in their world-building manage to include Asian actors in the regular cast, and have done since at least the 1960s. Many more manage to cast them in non-recurring roles with actual lines of dialogue. Of course there is a wider problem, but Firefly did worse than average, not better. Worse than a routine cops and robbers show from 1968 like Hawaii 5-0! Frankly, I don't understand how casting decisions for a TV show can be anything other than intentional. The creators of Firefly are responsible for what they put on the screen. I'm quite sure that nobody sat down and cackled evilly about excluding Asian actors, but it seems that it never occurred to anyone that there was a problem.
--- Quote from: LeeC on 21 Aug 2013, 09:40 ---Culture is a constantly changing thing and if its the future where cultures have fused after everyone left earth-that-was than thats what we are seeing.
--- End quote ---
What we are see is a world where there are many Asian faces in the background (so the notion that the "fusion" has somehow erased Asians, while mysteriously leaving European and African descended physiognomies untouched, is clearly bogus), but in which Asians have nothing important to say, and take no part in any of the stories. Except once. As a prostitute.
Patrick:
--- Quote from: Akima on 21 Aug 2013, 15:53 ---Restricting myself to Asian American actors, how about: Grace Park? Daniel Day Kim? GEORGE TAKEI? B.D.Wong? Garrett Wang?
Frankly, I don't understand how casting decisions for a TV show can be anything other than intentional. The creators of Firefly are responsible for what they put on the screen. I'm quite sure that nobody sat down and cackled evilly about excluding Asian actors, but it seems that it never occurred to anyone that there was a problem.
--- End quote ---
I stand corrected. I didn't even realize it myself. I don't imagine it crossed Whedon's mind though. I've watched the whole series 8 times and I didn't notice til it was pointed out to me. I'm glad you're willing to give the benefit of the doubt about it being intentional though. I can't help but wonder if he might have done it on purpose just to see who noticed...
Method of Madness:
That'd be horrible, as regardless of his reasons it would be discrimination.
LeeC:
--- Quote from: Akima on 21 Aug 2013, 15:53 ---
--- Quote from: LeeC on 21 Aug 2013, 09:40 ---Culture is a constantly changing thing and if its the future where cultures have fused after everyone left earth-that-was than thats what we are seeing.
--- End quote ---
What we are see is a world where there are many Asian faces in the background (so the notion that the "fusion" has somehow erased Asians, while mysteriously leaving European and African descended physiognomies untouched, is clearly bogus), but in which Asians have nothing important to say, and take no part in any of the stories. Except once. As a prostitute.
--- End quote ---
I wasnt talking about race, I was talking about culture.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version