June 28, 2007

Debate over Q'orianka the Hawaiian

"Your blog is great but I disagree with you about this one. By your logic, a European actress of Italian ancestry shouldn't be allowed to play an Englishwoman."

3 comments:

writerfella said...

Writerfella here --
Consider this: Chief Dan George was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Old Lodge Skins in LITTLE BIG MAN. Also nominated that same year was John Mills for his role in RYAN'S DAUGHTER. The members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences had to decide between Chief Dan George and John Mills. Oddly, they felt that a Native American could play a Native American with almost no effort, and so John Mills was voted Best Supporting Actor for playing a Welshman, though it should have been no effort for him to play a Welshman. Thus it is that a shining performance by a Native American went unrecognized, and the woman who complained about the content of this blog has missed the point. Actors who play more or less themselves are judged by whites (the majority of Academy members are whites) unfairly and really have no chance to be honored for their talents. Racial discrimination far more is involved in media than most people realize. Chief Dan George died without the recognition he deserved, and John Mills died with that golden statue of honor on his mantle. Tell the woman who complained that Natives remain without honor in their own land..
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'

Anonymous said...

Amen!...I for one am truly tired of hollywoods examples of what American indian people should look like or act like!..I do not know if it is true or not but I was told that Johnny Depp is going to be playing Tonto in the New Lone Ranger Movie...lol all I can say is WTH?...I also noticed when alot of these "white actors and actresses take parts like playing an American Indian..all of a sudden they have some ancestor who was Cherokee...especially cherokee cause I guess there are no other Indian nation but Cherokee...Do they do this to cover up the fact that they are not who they say they are and are taking away from actors or actresses that could play the part because they are Indian? Another example is that young actor that played in the movie Twilight they put a wig on that kid and said HEY YOU LOOK LIKE AN INDIAN...give me a break...I am from TWO NATIONS and there are alot of great actors who are from the rez..alot of th em are doing great things...It just kills me how things are still the same with hollywood...and there are alot of great american indian actors that could have played that part or any part if given the chance!...Indian people do not get recognition that they deserve...I guess the day any of us Indians do get recognition I will die from shock!

Rob said...

For more on the subject of casting non-Natives as Natives, see Johnny Depp as Tonto?! and Friday, Tonto, Jacob Black, et al.