KABC TV – Channel 7 – Los Angeles News – July 1st, 2010
July 1st, 2010 | Published in In The News | 2 Comments
Racebending.com and Asian Americans took to the streets in a public demonstration against The Last Airbender on July 1st in front of the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. Channel 7’s 6 o’ clock news reporter Leanne Suter was there, interviewing protesters and moviegoers about the casting controversy. – Protests against ‘Last Airbender’ casting
Racebending.com volunteer Ashton Davis transcribed the video, which you can read below.
Protests against ‘Last Airbender’ casting
Activists protest ‘The Last Airbender,’ calling the film racist for casting white actors to play Asian parts.
Mark: New at six—an action-adventure movie is out this weekend and it’s already triggering protests among asian-american activists and fans. This issue isn’t the story, but how the actors roles have changed on the big screen. Eyewitness news reporter Leanne Suter is live at Hollywood with reaction from protestors and moviegoers. Leanne?
Leanne: Mark, protestors want moviegoers to boycott the film—The Last Airbender, you see live behind me here, about 100 people have gathered in front of the Arclight, and they’re hoping to hit Hollywood where it hurts.
[cut to protestors, pre-recorded]
Leanne, continued: Voicing their frustrations, protestors rally outside of the Arclight Theatre in Hollywood, angry over the movie The Last Airbender and it’s lack of minority actors.
Jason Kang, protestor: I find it offensive that they would purposely pass over actors of color, like, specifically, Asian actors for Caucasian actors.
[cut to footage from the film, showing the Caucasian actors ]
Leanne, voiceover: The movie, by M. Night Shyamlan, is based on a cartoon show in which most of the characters are Asian or Inuit. But in the film, most of are Caucasian. The Media Action Network for Asian Americans says that is discrimination.
[cut to fan-made sign saying, ‘Aang can stay Asian, and still save the World’, pan shot of protestors]
Guy Aoki, from MANAA: Unfortunately, there is this growing trend of white washing that is taking a project that is written for Asian Americans, and when you make a movie version, just casting white people in it.
[more footage, focusing on Dev Patel as Zuko and another shot of the protestors]
Leanne, voiceover: Adding fuel to the fire, the only main Asian character is a villain. Protestors say it’s time Asians are allowed to be the hero, MANAA is calling for a boycott of the movie, hoping to send Hollywood a clear message. But, many moviegoers say they are divided on the issue.
Carlos Taura, moviegoer: I can sympathize with them because you see that a lot in today’s movies, you know, where the characters that should be portrayed by the actual people are portrayed by different people.
Trudy Cooper, moviegoer: The only time I notice is when it’s a handicapped situation and is supposed to have missing limbs or something, and I always think why don’t they use someone that really doesn’t have limbs? [laugh] But with the race, the nationality—I don’t personally notice it.
Leanne Suter, on screen: Now protestors say that the only way to get Hollywood to change is to affect the bottom line, and that is why they’re hoping they can do this weekend. Live in Hollywood, Leanne Suter, Eyewitness news.
