Presentation Script
PRESENTER Good morning everyone, I'd like to welcome you all here today for my presentation. A reflection on 'whitewashing'. A term that perhaps not everyone has heard but a concept you will all be familiar with. Have you ever read a book, which has then been made into a film? A popular choice for a lot of film makers. Have you ever sat down to watch that film only to notice the character in the book you fell in love with or hated, doesn't quite look how the book portrayed them? Today I am specifically going to look at the change of race, particularly hiring white actors for other racial roles.
PROJECTOR Change slide (Image of Mr Yunioshi )
PRESENTER Some of you may recognise this famous character 'Mr Yunioshi' from 'Breakfast At Tiffany's'. (Item 1) Played by Mickey Rooney, who actually looks like this.
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PRESENTER So definitely quite a difference. In trying to create the Japanese character, film makers used facial prosthetics such as taped eyelids, buck teeth and mocking accent.
PROJECTOR Change slide (Image of film poster for Annie 2014)
PRESENTER The 2014 remake of Annie (Item 2) sparked much controversy in the media. All because Annie no longer looks likes
PROJECTOR Next picture (Image of the 'classic' Annie)
PRESENTER This. Some couldn't believe that Annie was no longer a little white girl with ginger hair. Instead, this remake features Quvenzhane Wallis, a little black girl playing Annie. (Item 8)
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PRESENTER Here the man upfront plays Marine Sergeant Jason Thomas who rescued people from the World Trade buildings after the 9/11 attack.
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PRESENTER Here is the real Marine Sergeant Jason Thomas. Now although Oliver Stone was not aware of Jason Thomas's race whilst casting for the film, it reinforces the stereotype that a 'hero' must be a white man. This was in fact not the case. (Item 3)
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PRESENTER "The practice of casting white actors in non-white roles is still prevalent in Hollywood- despite widespread condemnation and protest." A quote from the BBC in 2015. (Item 10) The past years has seen a huge revolution for racial equality, however unfortunately we have not fully achieved this.
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PRESENTER Asian-American actors such as Constance Wu and many more are 'fighting for visibility' (Item 7)
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PRESENTER Nowadays although less frequent, it is alarming that actors have to do this to get a role and make a living.
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PRESENTER But why is it that 'whitewashing' is still prevalent in the film industry? Well we can't know an definite answer but there are many possible suggestions as to why.
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PRESENTER Perhaps the main reason for this many years ago was due to the lack of non-white actors in America. Film directors may have found it easier to cast white actors rather than searching for a longer time for other ethnic characters.
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PRESENTER Or a taboo that many film makers don't like to talk about, racism. Is it that some directors are bias in their decision to hire white actors, do they believe white people are better actors? This idea will always inevitably be denied, despite maybe not being the truth.
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PRESENTER Another possibility is that are filmmakers just feeding the desires of the audience. Is it them who subconsciously would rather see Bruce Willis on the screen than Denzel Washington? If so, can filmmakers actually be criticised for giving the audience what they want?
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PRESENTER A reflection on 'whitewashing'. This presentation only gave a short overview of a huge and important topic, but we have learnt cases in which it has happened, how it is still happening today and some possible reasons as to why. A final comment that should not be dismissed- 'whitewashing' is not as prevalent in todays industry. The fact it is less common shows development and improvement. (Item 11) Let's hope that if I were to present this topic again in years to come, I will be able to say 'whitewashing' is no longer a problem. Thank you all for listening, have a good day.
I could do with seeing your annotated catalogue here Peyton so that I can see the items you are referring to in your script.
ReplyDeleteI like what you have done with your research Peyton and there are some good examples, but overall your study lacks the social contexts that it needs. I think that you really need to discuss the nature of the film industry and ask why it seems to favour white faces and offer suggestions about whether this is a reflection of society's racist attitudes, whether cinema is shaping attitudes or merely reflecting them. You might need to look more into the sociology of race representations and consider much more of an explanation and reasons behind it- what do YOU think- what is your informed opinion of this topic? But you do need to supplement this with some quotes- your research needs to be deeper, books, interviews etc. Find some references to the wider criticisms of the film industry about the lack of opportunities for non white actors and suggest that 'whitewashing' is just one part of this lack of breadth in the way film represents people.
Nicely written but more depth, especially in the secondary research area.