Adrian Haley The concept of racebending appeared in the last couple of years as a form of protest. It was the answer to the failure presented in casting for the television series where the initially intended Asian cast was substituted with the European actors. Unfortunately, the decision wasn’t changed, and the series featured European actors who caused the natural protest wave.
Why is it so essential to show protest? Racebending in the movie industry happens when the initially intended race is substituted with the representatives of another race, which causes different problems and questions. This is a common practice for Hollywood movies. The publishers or movie makers changed the cast and adjusted it to the global market’s needs. The tendency caused discrimination movements in the art space to thrive.
It was the start of the racebending protest to support all those discriminated against for being different. Movies are a part of the art space where there should be complete equality and honesty. And there’s no room for race or any other kind of discrimination.
Reasons for Racebending
Why do so many communities consider racebending a nice form of protest? There’s a common opinion that the lack of Asians in the movie cats happens due to the lack of candidates. But that’s not true. So many people who belong to the Asian race are ready and want badly to enter the movie industry, share their talent and become famous. But this is race prejudice that makes it impossible for them to participate in the cast.
- The description of the character is usually quite similar. You have to insert your name, gender, age, and race. And these are usually the items that people get generally discriminated against. And this is a huge problem because a talented person with a prominent character and acting skills can easily get rejected for being Asian.
- Different discriminatory factors influence your position in the movie industry. But if you’re a white European with a regular pleasant appearance, it’s easier for you to find the desired role in the movie. On the contrary, it takes immense effort for the Asian people to get their chance in the film.
- Another reason moviemakers reject the Asian characters is the lack of funding. Movies can get lower budgets if the leading actor belongs to the Asian race or represents another minority.
There are tons of biased people in the industry who can’t let the real talents enter the space and impress their excellent skills. There should be no restrictions for talented people who want to become movie stars. And the racebending protest is the first step to help young and prospective actors from the minority group reach equality and compete on the same level with others.
Racebending Examples in the Movie Space
Many concerns portray the difference between Asians and Europeans or Americans in the movie cast. For example, it’s a common practice that Asians play different types of antagonists. These are bad characters who can’t fight for good in the movie. And these are usually Indians or Middle Eastern representatives who are forced to play negative characters. And this is a bad thing.
- First, it generally casts a negative shade on the actors’ countries. And there’s a fake perspective of the people who originate from these places.
- The second bad thing is the inability of actors to try themselves in other roles and develop their skill set. You can’t become the best actor, win different awards and get famous for playing antagonists only and avoiding leading positions.
When there’s discrimination in the movie space, it makes the industry quite dull. People need more exciting characters who can play differently and make the plot even more exciting. To make the industry thrive, moviemakers and producers should forget about the biases and let the real talents participate in the leading cast without any discrimination and restrictions. And racebending protest is the way to promote freedom and reach absolute equality in the movie space.
