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.
Where'd they get CAT scan from?... I mean, did they test it on cats? Or does the machine sort of look like a cat?
Dawn ,'Sleeper'
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Consuela - Mar 19, 2011 1:15:18 pm PDT #13680 of 30000
We are Buffistas. This isn't our first apocalypse. -- Pix
Amy - Mar 19, 2011 1:25:37 pm PDT #13681 of 30000
Because books.
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?
§ ita § - Mar 19, 2011 1:33:41 pm PDT #13682 of 30000
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
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?
Amy - Mar 19, 2011 1:36:44 pm PDT #13683 of 30000
Because books.
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.
§ ita § - Mar 19, 2011 1:58:00 pm PDT #13684 of 30000
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
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.
Rayne - Mar 19, 2011 2:51:33 pm PDT #13685 of 30000
"Oh no! Has falling sky liquid once again caused you the sadness?" -Starfire
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!
Anne W. - Mar 19, 2011 3:10:53 pm PDT #13686 of 30000
The lost sheep grow teeth, forsake their lambs, and lie with the lions.
If they're trying to cast true to Appalachia, I could easily see Mr. Everdeen and many of the other Seam residents as having a good deal of Cherokee ancestry.
Anyhow, from what I know of Winter's Bone and the kind of character JL played there, I think she'll do a fine job as Katniss. What bothers me is the persistent sense that in TV and movie casting that caucasian is a sort of 'neutral' and that anything else is 'other' or somehow has to be justified or explained.
lisah - Mar 19, 2011 3:14:58 pm PDT #13687 of 30000
Punishingly Intricate
My thoughts are Anne's exactly.
sj - Mar 19, 2011 3:20:21 pm PDT #13688 of 30000
"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."
What Anne said.
Amy - Mar 19, 2011 3:54:59 pm PDT #13689 of 30000
Because books.
I assumed Pennsylvania as Katniss's region because of the mining, which is probably only because I live here. And even though I think 50 or so PA counties are included in the broad definition of Appalachia, I don't usually associate it with the term.
I never really got a good sense of the where each geographical region was supposed to be. Wasn't 2 or 3 supposed to be beach? But the Capitol was far inland? I thought the districts were laid out in order, making 12 and 13 the farthest out from the Capitol, which was why the beach district confused me.