Dude, I completely agree.
Whether it was my upbringing specifically or some other outside factors (without sounding too mean, I do wonder if intelligence - or rather a more open way of exploring ideas in one's own head - is to blame), I do find myself leaning a lot to the left. And I understand that people who have had different experiences and different upbringings maybe can't even comprehend how 'the other side' might think. But for me, I feel like the most important aspect of equality comes down to - "who cares".
An actor is black, an actor is white, an actor is female, an actor is a kid. Who cares? Are they good? Yes? No? That's what the discussion should be about. If a Chinese actress and a black actor are really ruining your experience of the movie, then that sounds like a problem for you, not for the people making the movie. If your criticism is that Finn and Rose's storyline felt unnecessary to the plot and ultimately detracted from the flow of the movie - that's a different issue.
Interestingly, I just watched the new Ricky Gervais stand up yesterday. At the end he talks about people taking offence to things and he used a great analogy. Getting offended about something like a joke about religion or the inclusion of an actor from a different race, is like walking into a town square, seeing a poster for guitar lessons and then getting angry because you don't want guitar lessons. Who cares? You don't want guitar lessons? Don't have guitar lessons. It's not for you. You don't want to enjoy a movie franchise anymore because it has people of a different race in it? Don't go see anymore of the movies then. It was funny to begin with but at some point it just becomes stupid. What are they hoping to achieve by getting mad about the 'left wing' agenda? All you do is push it more by encouraging people to defend it.
This actually ties in with what my initial intention was when I started this topic.
Firstly, let me preface this by saying that:
1. I am a straight, white male from the UK (now living in the States) and I'm not going to pretend that my opinions or feelings on things are representative of all. I know they are warped in their way.
2. I understand this is a very complicated issue and that, arguably, some movement forward (no matter how strained) is better than no movement forward.
Here's the thing I was really struggling with...
Black Panther is a revelation because it stars a predominantly black cast. Annihilation, or the new Ghostbusters if you want, is a step forward because it's a female led movie.
That's great. I'm all for the opportunities of everyone. I really am. But what I don't understand, and can't see the benefit of, is drawing so much bloody attention to it. Does that not just end up being entirely detrimental to the cause?
You know what makes black people or women seem like they are different from white men? Talking about a movie that happens to star them as some big new different thing. How do we move towards equality if we're constantly pointing out the fact that they are different?
Annihilation is actually a really interesting one for me because, again - perhaps due to my upbringing and my position as a comfortable white male - I didn't care who was in it. It honestly, and I really mean this, honestly didn't occur to me that the cast was all women until I watched that Red Letter Media review. I just went to see a sci-fi movie by a director I like and experienced the movie as a movie. Isn't that the exact thing that feminism is striving towards? A time where anyone going to the movies can see anyone of any race or gender or sexual orientation and just enjoy the movie without seeing a difference?
Now, take Black Panther. So much publicity about the cast and how much of a giant step it is for black people to see themselves represented on screen. Now I'm going into a movie seeing something that I'm told is different from me. You know what didn't seem different to me as a kid? Blade. I saw that movie pretty young and instantly wanted to be a bad ass vampire hunter. It literally didn't occur to me that there was any difference between him and James Bond. It was a character I thought was cool and that was it.
Now. I had this discussion with my wife the other day (that's actually the reason I didn't post for a while. I had a really fulfilling talk with her about it and I actually felt way more satiated by the results than I was expecting and didn't feel the need to speak out about it as much as when I originally posted - Side note. I freaking LOVE my wife) and she very wisely said that I was not a black, and therefore I can't legitimately relate to what it was like growing up seeing white or black actors on screen. With the world essentially making minorities feel less included and feel like they aren't as equal, there's a good chance that seeing a black actor on screen as a kid had a much more positive effect. I can see that being true. And by no means am I trying to suggest that it's wrong for anyone to be positively affected by the recent inclusion of more types of people on screen. But. The idea that kids need to see themselves represented on screen, so that they can relate, seems fraught when you're suggesting they can only relate to people of their own race or gender.
(I will stop soon. I promise)
A Wrinkle in Time links to this too as a couple of reviews talk about how the film missed an opportunity to explore what it is like growing up as a mixed race child. And that kids seeing themselves on screen, dealing with those kind of issues, could be empowering. Here, I definitely agree. There are obviously issues that only specific types of people experience and seeing that dealt with on screen would be good for everyone. But that is to do with the characters more than simply what they look like. Kids should be able to watch any movie and relate to any kid no matter what race, because they should be being taught that it doesn't matter what you look like. Instead though, it feels like people are being directed towards the differences. Having them pointed out and spotlighted.
Eugh. I don't know. As I said. Incredibly tricky subject to which it really seems like there's no right answer or approach. There should absolutely be more movies with women and more with black actors and more with gay characters and all other representations of people on earth. But what's the point if the moment they are included they are made separate by focusing on how forward thinking it is to have them included?
Final thought.
The Oscars. There may be a very real and concerning reason that more female directors aren't given the opportunity to make movies in Hollywood - attention should definitely be brought to that. I don't think it should come in the form of shaming the male nominees of various categories though. Being 1 of 4 men nominated for best director doesn't stop Guillermo Del Toro from being a great one. The latter half of
this article does a pretty good job of explaining what I mean.
To conclude. I love you all. I don't have the answers, just some thoughts. And I definitely appreciate any discussion on it because I know deep down I'm misunderstanding lots of things and I want to learn.
