<p>If filmmakers are going to adapt popular works and take shortcuts by trying to leech of the success of an established work, then they need to respect all aspects of it. In the case of the two aforementioned movies, they didn’t by whitewashing the entire cast. Apparently, Asians are welcome to inspire worlds and characters, as long as they don’t have the audacity to think they can also show their faces in them as well.</p>
<p>Firstly, I realize that these worlds are fictional, and technically speaking, are free of the human conceit known as race. However, that’s like saying that since Lord of the Rings was in Middle Earth, it would’ve been perfectly okay for an Asian Aragorn, or a black Gandalf. How many fans would’ve tolerated that? And why is Superman always white? He’s a Kryptonian! </p>
<p>Secondly, this is not because they couldn’t find good enough Asian actors to fill the roles. The lead in “Avatar” is a kid from “Twilight” for God’s sake. Don’t tell me that series is a breeding ground for the great young actors of tomorrow. If they wanted, the movie makers could’ve just scoured a few high schools in SoCal and picked the most rugged and athletic Asians, and it’s not as if the movie would’ve lost its Oscar edge.</p>
<p>Thirdly, trying to justify this whitewashing by claiming that the cartoon characters themselves look white is lame. It’s not only ignorant of anime itself, but it also seems to assume that unless Asians looks like this (<a href=“http://www.bluecorncomics.com/pics/seussjap.jpg[/url]”>http://www.bluecorncomics.com/pics/seussjap.jpg</a>), they’re not really Asian at all. In other words, unless the depiction of Asians includes an exaggerated set of racial markers that was created as a deviation from the white norm, then they must be white. There is something I call the “Happy Face Test”. To some people, a round face with two dots for eyes and a smile is automatically a white face, and that in order for it to be of any other race, some kind of alteration must be made. However, in the Japan-centric anime world, that unmarked face is assumed to be Japanese, which causes the unfortunate confusion. Some people are just unable to accept the reality that not everybody in the world feels that the white face is the default face for humanity.</p>
![http://www.bluecorncomics.com/pics/seussjap.jpg[/url]](http://www.bluecorncomics.com/pics/seussjap.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
<p>This is indeed racist casting. In a world where depiction of Asians has a markedly negative angle, and where opportunities of exposure are rare already, these filmmakers have chosen to deny Asians one of the few opportunities they have to be portrayed in a good and heroic light. </p>
<p>Of course, this is not really about these shows-turned-movies. It’s about the principle, of how unfair whitewashing is. It wouldn’t be as bad if it were a two-way street, where an Asian actor had as good a chance to poach a “white role” as a white actor had with an “Asian role”. But it seems that Asians have to do all the giving, while whites do all the taking. </p>
<p>Ultimately though, it’s up to Asians themselves to take control of their own image. Hollywood basically represents the bottom tier of creative talent, with talentless hack writers and moneygrubbing producers being the norm. I don’t see the sense in expecting enlightened and progressive thinking from these people. If Asians want to stop being ignored, whitewashed, or ridiculed, then they need to become a more active participant in the creative world.</p>