January 26, 2009

Hollywood's version of Inuit

I still don't know much about Avatar: The Last Airbender, but reader JT filled me in:The Water tribe, in Avatar, is based around Inuit influences from the real world.

Sokka and Katara are both from the Water tribe and Jackson Rathbone and Nicola Peltz are up for the role(s).
More than up for the roles, it seems:

Shyamalan lines up his cast for 'The Last Airbender'Twilight's Jackson Rathbone has been asked to play Aang's pal Sokka, while Nicola Peltz (Deck the Halls) will star as his sister Katara.Comment:  So here are Hollywood's ideas of Inuit actors:




Any questions on the racism in Hollywood's casting decisions? For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pretty pathetic, isn't it? Yet all we hear from the movie staff is that they "cast the best actors" for the part and that race had nothing to do with it. Yeah right.

Anonymous said...

well obviously, there were tons reasonably known, credited, and talented inuit actors competing for the role. come on people. they're not going to pick a bunch of nobodies just because their skin is the right color. THAT would be racist.

Rob said...

Not much is obvious about this casting process, Anonymous. If you know something we don't, feel free to show us the evidence.

For more on the subject, see Villains and Losers in Airbender.

Unknown said...

The casting call read, "Caucasians and other ethnicities." roughly translated. "Inuits and asians need not apply." Dee Dee Rickets the casing director said many culturaly insensitive comments and the actor portraying Sokka, said "I just have to cut my hair and get a tan to look like him, you know, people will suspend belief." As in to be native it just requires a tan. Lovely sentiment don't you think. Doesn't sound like someone trying to climb into the skin of an oppressed charachter.