[ SECRET POST #1225 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #1225 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: ?? pages, ??? secrets from Secret Submission Post #175.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

125

[(Anonymous)]

OP

[(Anonymous)]

I've been asked to explain my thoughts and basis. I've been given the mature arguments of "straw man" and "anime isn't racially ambiguous", as well as "attempting reverse racism" and all of that. I've been called racist, missing the point, and a white supremacist over this one stupid thing.

She just looks white to me. Her features look Caucasian! Her hair is brown and her eyes are blue! Her skin is pink! Her bone structure and physical make up look Caucasian! Why does this make me a racist? Why does seeing her this way make anyone a racist? What, a single Caucasian can't be awesome, too? A single Caucasian can't join in on the party and kick ass, too? She's a minor character anyway! Why is there such fucking WANK? I'm not saying the whole cast is white! Just ONE CHARACTER. Seriously, WTF.

Re: OP

[(Anonymous)]

Honestly I didn't think your secret was at all inflammatory until in another thread, you said, "Suki is white. Get the fuck over it" at which point I was like, o_O. I don't think you're racist for thinking she looks white - and I think that people are just generally sensitive about this casting thing, and for good reason - but I don't think that she looks white either. Whatever

Re: OP

[pts.livejournal.com]

It doesn't make you racist. It doesn't make you a bad person. Anyone who is saying those things is not trying to have a real conversation with you, and for that I am sorry.

But the fact that you can read a character explicitly coded in the text as Japanese as being caucasian is indicative of one way the issue of "white == default race" manifests itself. If there were no such thing as white privilege, there would be far fewer people reading Suki as white.

Doing so does not make you a racist or a bad person, though. It's just a tiny aspect of a much larger systemic problem.

Re: OP

[xmarie08.livejournal.com]

THIS.

Re: OP

[imnotasquirrel.livejournal.com]

LOL. I canNOT believe the OP is being serious with that comment. OP, are you fucking kidding me? That is like one step away from that "let me tell you internet, it is hard being white" macro.

Re: OP

[(Anonymous)]

I'm sorry you feel so uncomfortable with a fantasy scenario where your race isn't dominant that you need to mentally conjure up a token white character to enjoy. Pity the rest of us don't get that privilege.

Re: OP

[lililedger.livejournal.com]

I find this amusing because I am white and think of Ty Lee as Hispanic.

So, NO. Nice try, but no.

Re: OP

[beandelphiki.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that.

Re: OP

[(Anonymous)]

I agree with your reasoning, op. Several characters in the show have clearly Caucasion physical characteristics, IMO (Aang is the most notable). The only character I consider to be clearly Asian is Zuko (look at the shape of his eyes compared to everyone else's).

Re: OP

[lililedger.livejournal.com]

I think Aang may actually be the only character I can truly view as Caucasian.

dude, official picture from m&b

[convault]

aang never looked white to me, tbqh

Re: OP

[dragonimp.livejournal.com]

Really? Aang had always looked asian to me.

Re: OP

[lililedger.livejournal.com]

It's ok, OP, I get you.

I tend to think of Ty Lee as Hispanic. Not trolling.

First of all: Asia doesn't even EXIST in Avatar land.

Second: NO WHITE/NONASIAN PEOPLE EVER LIVE IN ASIAN CULTURES EVER NEVER EVER EVER.

Re: OP

[cakemage.livejournal.com]

Going by your logic, Europe doesn't exist there either, so it still doesn't make sense for everybody but the badguys and the redshirts extras to be white.

Re: OP

[(Anonymous)]

Since there is no Central/South America nor there is a Spain in Avatar...by your logic you shouldn't think of Ty Lee as Hispanic.

Re: OP

[siriuslynow.livejournal.com]

A single Caucasian can't join in on the party and kick ass, too?

What is this sentence? Are there a shortage of white action heroes or something?

Honestly, fine, you think she looks white. I think you're basing it off of an incorrect idea of what Asian people actually look like, because Asians do have brown hair (very often) and blue eyes (from what I know, not quite as often, but still possible). Obviously, you've ignored that her way of life, name, and society are heavily influenced by Asian culture. But you know what, fine, you can believe whatever you want to believe. How can I blame you for your own personal headcanon?

The reason people are taking such issue with you however is because, despite all the obvious clues that Suki was written as an Asian character, she has been whitewashed in the film in order to make it "profitable" or something. The entire thing is not only grossly offensive, but a very racist attitude. Maybe you don't mean to defend that attitude, but when you speak up and say "Suki is definitely white just ignore all that asian stuff about her so gtfo" you're perpetuating the idea that it's okay for her to be cast that way. Which is so not cool, because unlike your white action heroes, there is a real shortage of awesome, well-developped main Asian characters in Hollywood movies.

...I hope that makes sense? Honestly, this is an issue that really really angers me, so I usually act emotionally when the issue is brought up. I hope the comment didn't come off as rude.

Re: OP

[avocado-love.livejournal.com]

*shrugs*

For what it's worth, I can see her as caucasian. Ty Lee and Toph for some reason as well (although I think most would argue against me with those two). Anyway, I don't think there's anything wrong with having a discussion about it.

You're going to have to listen to your heart on this one, OP. If you try to live a good life, and try not to judge people based on race and assign stereotypes then... well you're probably on the right track to being a decent person. In the grand scheme of things, thinking that a cartoon character is white or Hispanic or Asian when others don't is probably not going to put you on the straight path to the KKK, you know? And I would suggest that you don't lend much credit to those who would try to convince you otherwise.


Edit: Bah-leated and reposted 'cause I meant to reply to the OP and not the thread.

Re: OP

[dragonimp.livejournal.com]

I'd just like to point out that you can't use eye color to argue race in Avatar. Most of the Earth kingdom characters have green eyes or blue-green eyes like Suki.

Personally I've always thought she looked asian because of the way her eyes and eyelids are drawn *shrug* but I don't really care.

Re: OP

[(Anonymous)]

I think I see why people would think your views are racist. Honestly:
Her hair is brown and her eyes are blue! Her skin is pink! Her bone structure and physical make up look Caucasian!
-Asians can have brown hair.
-There are Asians that DO have blue eyes. Not all, just a few. They still exist.
-Her skin is not pink. Lighting does not count.
-Bone structure and physical make up? First of all, Asians don't share the same "bone structure". And as for physical make up...I'm thinking you mean she's athletic, and I've seen Asians who look very athletic (including a friend of mine who did body-building as a hobby for a while).

Perhaps if you didn't base it on stereotypes, you wouldn't get this much "wank".

Also: A single Caucasian can't join in on the party and kick ass, too?
There have been many Western cartoons in which there is no Asian character joining in on the party and kicking ass. If there IS a token Asian, whether or not he/she kicks ass that character is STILL riddled with stereotypes. IMO Avatar: TLA is one of the few cartoons that celebrates the variety of cultures found in Asia, has a cast that's Asian (or to you, mostly), and avoids the stereotypes altogether.
...I'm just saying.

Re: 125

[lililedger.livejournal.com]

After being in five billion of these discussions, I would really like to see one of the characters played by a Hispanic or African-American actor, just to see if people still complain.

Re: 125

[(Anonymous)]

IDK, I think I would complain. The character design and cultures in ATLA are explicity based on Asian and Inuit cultures, and to cast a Latino or black actor to play them is to - suggest that all non-white races are interchangeable? And to tokenize, which isn't so great either. I know it probably seems like you can't win here, but I don't think that's really the case.

Re: 125

[(Anonymous)]

Seriously. I mean:

Aang - white actor
Sokka - white actor
Katara - white actress
Suki - Filipino actress
Zuko - Middle Eastern actor
Toph - will be a Black or Asian actor, according to production plans

That's three white heroes and three non-white heroes, but I'm sure people will still complain.

Re: 125

[siriuslynow.livejournal.com]

Personally, I don't like the fact that Dev Patel is playing Zuko. It felt like they were treating PoC as interchangeable, and didn't really respect the character designs or culture. Nor were they addressing what people were actually angry about.

I mean, I really liked him in Slumdog Millionaire! I just don't think he was the right casting choice for Zuko.