I've probably told the story before, but I saw Trainspotting when I was pregnant with Ben, got to the dead baby scene, and promptly lost my shit. Highly doubtful I'll ever watch it again, although I can appreciate what they were doing. Sort of.

DH and I saw Trainspotting on our first date.

And then you went back home and shot heroin?

I didn't bitch here before because I hadn't heard the casting was complete.

I didn't bitch here before because I hadn't heard the casting was complete.

I just wonder if it's notable that no one of colour was ever suggested for the casting in any avenues that I read, but until a blonde came up (and before it was final) it wasn't brought up as racist.

I, just...I will always eyeroll if someone thinks it takes only one race to match an unraced physical description that's not highly highly specific. It just seems that this is such a non-battle. There's no ethnicity being written here, and Collins seemed to be writing a white character.

Last Airbender was race-cleansing. This seems like another one of many instances of writing Caucasian on a casting sheet, and I don't get why it's getting more press than the tons of other times it seems to happen.

And, no, it doesn't feel like finally. Not to me. It feels like this is some sort of special written non-white scenario, when I see it (and, yes, all about me) as not-written-white, which is a whole different vibe.

I don't think the casting of Jennifer Lawrence is necessarily racist: I think only considering Caucasian actresses is. There's no good reason for that.

I don't think the casting of Jennifer Lawrence is necessarily racist: I think only considering Caucasian actresses is. There's no good reason for that.

The thing I wonder about is if they take audience reaction into account. If you cast a black or Asian actress for Katniss, for example, do you then cast her mother and sister the same way? And do you worry about how the character was written and what the readership is expecting to see?

I know they blatantly didn't do that, and clearly didn't care, with Last Airbender, but in this case, is there an argument for keeping the characters as written so race doesn't become an issue in the film when it wasn't in the books?

If you cast a black or Asian actress for Katniss, for example, do you then cast her mother and sister the same way?

They're explicitly blonde, and look different from Katniss. So in my head, Katniss can't be "less white" than bi-racial, given that her mother is really REALLY likely to be white (yeah, I know and am related to blonde black people, but come on).

I want to see casting calls for more movies, dammit. Is this seriously the only one coming up that specified Caucasian for its star role?

They're explicitly blonde, and look different from Katniss. So in my head, Katniss can't be "less white" than bi-racial, given that her mother is really REALLY likely to be white

That was part of my point. If you cast Katniss as "less white than bi-racial," it has repercussions for the rest of the casting. Or it should. There was a reason in the book that her mother and sister's looks were emphasized as different, and it played into Katniss's motivations and sense of responsibility to them.

I guess that some people's arguments are that Katniss's dad could be black or Asian. I don't know many black/white biracial people with straight hair, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen. It would be atypical casting, though. Also, I think that given Collins wrote a District black, it would be of note if Mr. Everdeen were that same race. So, Asian, maybe? I know grey eyes crop up a fair amount in black/white biracial people, but I don't know if it's typical with Asian/white.

eta: And you also have to consider, I guess, that Katniss's dad has to have the recessive genes for blondness to pass them on to Prim. So he's unlikely to be full-blooded non-white.

I know the director's comments about changing the hair color may seem condescending, but after the announcement was posted on facebook, people went crazy, and the main complaint was the Jennifer Lawrence has blond hair.

I don't like that the search was limited to white actresses, but my main concern was that they cast a GOOD actress. I've heard rave reviews about JL in Winter's Bone, so I'm hopeful that she will be a good Katniss. (And to be honest, one of my initial thoughts was "They better damn well dye her hair! (and hopefully have her wear contacts too)." Imagine if they cast someone like Kristen Stewart in the role. Gah!