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Shaking it up on Tuesdays!
May. 31st, 2016 01:55 pmI have four things things to review - two movies: Captain America: Civil War and Crimson Peak (love me some Tom Hiddleston, you know), and two books: The Age of Shiva, and The Trials of Apollo, Book One: The Hidden Oracle - but I want to start shaking things up a little.
The thing is, I have a lot on my mind, and a lot of them have to do with the craft of writing and storytelling.
Over the past few months, there have been quite a few things revealed for movies, both upcoming and the past couple of years. Heck, the past several decades. Quite honestly the things that are coming out in response are, well, disgusting to me. I'm going to be addressing a few things. Consider it a rant, a bid for social justice, and overall equality for all here, but mainly for women.
As most people are aware, for the Doctor Strange movie to be released this upcoming fall, the Ancient One is played by a woman named Tilda Swinton. She's white. Ghost in the Shell is receiving a live-action treament. Scarlett Johansson is playing the lead role of Motoko. The Ghostbusters movie has four female Ghostbusters instead of men.
And, finally, within the last month or so, it was revealed that someone high up in Marvel decided that the villain of Iron Man 3 needed to be male instead of the female the writers had come up with, and the decision was based from a toy-marketing stance.
What. The. Hell.
In thinking of the roles Scarlett and Tilda are playing, in hearing about the fan reaction to the female cast of Ghostbuster and in reading that article, I have to wonder just how we came to be so badly misogynstic. Yeah, the outcry for Doctor Strange and Ghost in the Shell is more accusing Hollywood of white-washing allegedly Asian roles and therefore making Hollywood racist in nature against Asians, never mind the Ghost in the Shell character is actually from, you know, Canada. Never mind, you know, that, with comic books, the storylines are constantly changing in order to accommodate a growing and diverse crowd of readers. No one has made a stink about Sam Wilson, a black guy, becoming Captain America - the role of Cap has been taken up by many over the decades, including his best friend, Bucky Barnes - nor about Jane Foster taking up the mantle of Thor (though there was a huge stink over her outfit as the Goddess of Thunder) or even the fact that Idris Elba played Heimdall in the Thor movies, Heimdall who, historically speaking, is the whitest of all white people. These are not horrible things in and of themselves. If anything, they're wonderful developments on the part of Marvel for recognizing that they do have a diverse pool of readers. I love Idris as Heimdall. I love the idea of a black Captain America, and I certainly can get behind the idea of a female Thor capable of wielding the mighty Mjolnir as they do line up with how women were viewed in the past and with how many minorities serve their countries and do so with great honor and great pride. This is all very, very awesome for me.
What bothers me is the fan reaction to Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One and to Marvel's claims that the Ancient One is more moniker and that, for the Doctor Strange movie, they're going Celt over Chinese or Japanese. No one has seen this movie yet, and yet, for some reason, it's hard to believe that someone of European descent could be considered an Ancient One. It's even more disturbing to think that maybe the reaction isn't only just because Tilda Swinton is white but a woman with the fans forgetting that, because it is a comic storyline, there is room for diversity. As a woman who has and is delving into the Ancient Norse religions and eventually into the Ancient Celtic religions, this is a bit of a serious issue for me. These are cultures who, before the spread of Christianity and the subjugation of women and minorities, treated women as equals. Odin sought out the advice of his wife Frigga and from Freya, both of whom were very wise and very powerful in magic. Their wisdom came from their intuition, from within themselves, and were things that had to be taught to Odin. And Freya herself was a mighty warrior. When they counseled him, Odin listened.
Now, I might be more inclined to agree that Hollywood is being racist towards Asians if the role of the Ancient One had gone to a white guy then tried to excuse it by saying "We're going Celt here". For Doctor Strange, we do not know the Ancient One's journey to become the Ancient One. What if she had been taught by a Chinse Ancient One and had to take over the role due to some event we don't know anything about? The answer: We don't. The movie is in post-production, gearing up for a November release.
Even better is the knowledge that, because it is a comics storyline, that it is in a state of constant creation and re-creation makes the movie for Doctor Strange all the more appealing for me. Even more interesting is the notion that the Ancient One could be played by anyone, have any skin color, any gender, any religion, and any age. That is the overall joy behind comic books and the science-fiction and fantasy genres. Anyone can be anything. And, yes, I have absolutely no problems envisioning the Ancient One as any given heritage. I'm not familiar with the comics. I'm simply going by what I've seen of the previews for Doctor Strange, and I can see it as a long, arduous journey in which someone like Doctor Stephen Strange takes up the journey to learn magic from someone like the Ancient One, regardless of gender and ethnic heritage, and ultimately has to take up the mantle of the Ancient One due to some grand, epic battle in which the previous Ancient One is near death and passes the title on to the next person. It quite literally is the bread and butter of fantasy novels, and I love the idea behind it. I love it a lot. Maybe in the near future, for the comics, the Ancient One hails from Africa. Or maybe colonial America where he (or she) escaped from slavery. It's the beauty of story-telling. When done right, anything goes.
As for the change of the Iron Man 3 villain from female to male, again, what the hell? Some of the best villains have been women. I love Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty and Ursula from the Little Mermaid. Yes, they were called witches and cast in a bad light for their powers and their genders, but it only demonstrates that women are not immune to cravings for power and dominance. Those are not traits of men. They are traits of humans.
So I'm going to say it. The outcries over Doctor Strange, Ghost in the Shell, and the new Ghostbusters has more to do with a degrading view on women than it does anything else. I've not read every manga out there, I've not watched every anime, but I know that many characters are made more "white" than they are Asian. Eiri "Yuki" Uesugi from Gravitation looks more American than he does Japanese, he was written that way by his creator. He was given a very angsty background - the bullying of other children due to his appearance. Edge Maverick from Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope has blond hair and GREEN eyes. Not all Japanese characters are, in fact, Japanse. That isn't to say all Japanese characters are white - they most certainly are not - but the outrage over certain roles being played by certain actors is its own form of hypocrisy. After all, if the Ancient One had been cast as an Asian, if Motoko had been cast as an Asian, Hollywood would be accused of typecasting the Asian people instead of venerating them. So I'll now simplify this: Either watch the movies with the female leads and changes to the storylines or don't. That is entirely up to you.
I will note this: George Takei as the Ancient One in Doctor Strange would be an interesting thing to see, too. However, I will still reserve judgment on Tilda Swinton until I have actually, you know, watched the movie itself and have seen how things played out because, well, I don't know what the writers have come up with . The same will be true for the new Ghostbusters movie. I can't say about Ghost in the Shell - I never actually watched the first movie or the anime series that followed.
In the meantime, let's actually look at what's going on here. Are these reactions really truly because Hollywood is being racist towards Asians or is it because the fans are being prejudiced against women in general? Because I have a feeling if Lucy Liu had been cast as the Ancient One, there still would be an outcry. The fan reaction to the new Ghostbusters movie indicates as much to me.
Now for the usual Tuesday fare:
What I'm Currently Reading
The Age of Shiva by James Lovegrove
I Bring the Fire, Part 1: Wolves (A Loki Series) by C. Gockel
Northern Magic: Rune Mysteries and Shamanism by Edred Thorsson
The Rites of Odin by Ed Fitch
The Trials of Apollo, Book One: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
Coming up for Book Review Tuesdays:
Captain America: Civil War
The Age of Shiva by James Lovegrove
Crimson Peak (movie)
The Trials of Apollo, Book One: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
I've recently purchased The Age of Aztec by James Lovegrove and am considering The Age of Ra. I may hold off until I can read Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. I've had that one for a couple of years now. Perhaps I should pick it up and read it. After this, Tuesdays will be dedicated to villains and super villains, my own and those of others.
Up tomorrow: Words of Wisdom - Writing Tip Wednesdays
The thing is, I have a lot on my mind, and a lot of them have to do with the craft of writing and storytelling.
Over the past few months, there have been quite a few things revealed for movies, both upcoming and the past couple of years. Heck, the past several decades. Quite honestly the things that are coming out in response are, well, disgusting to me. I'm going to be addressing a few things. Consider it a rant, a bid for social justice, and overall equality for all here, but mainly for women.
As most people are aware, for the Doctor Strange movie to be released this upcoming fall, the Ancient One is played by a woman named Tilda Swinton. She's white. Ghost in the Shell is receiving a live-action treament. Scarlett Johansson is playing the lead role of Motoko. The Ghostbusters movie has four female Ghostbusters instead of men.
And, finally, within the last month or so, it was revealed that someone high up in Marvel decided that the villain of Iron Man 3 needed to be male instead of the female the writers had come up with, and the decision was based from a toy-marketing stance.
What. The. Hell.
In thinking of the roles Scarlett and Tilda are playing, in hearing about the fan reaction to the female cast of Ghostbuster and in reading that article, I have to wonder just how we came to be so badly misogynstic. Yeah, the outcry for Doctor Strange and Ghost in the Shell is more accusing Hollywood of white-washing allegedly Asian roles and therefore making Hollywood racist in nature against Asians, never mind the Ghost in the Shell character is actually from, you know, Canada. Never mind, you know, that, with comic books, the storylines are constantly changing in order to accommodate a growing and diverse crowd of readers. No one has made a stink about Sam Wilson, a black guy, becoming Captain America - the role of Cap has been taken up by many over the decades, including his best friend, Bucky Barnes - nor about Jane Foster taking up the mantle of Thor (though there was a huge stink over her outfit as the Goddess of Thunder) or even the fact that Idris Elba played Heimdall in the Thor movies, Heimdall who, historically speaking, is the whitest of all white people. These are not horrible things in and of themselves. If anything, they're wonderful developments on the part of Marvel for recognizing that they do have a diverse pool of readers. I love Idris as Heimdall. I love the idea of a black Captain America, and I certainly can get behind the idea of a female Thor capable of wielding the mighty Mjolnir as they do line up with how women were viewed in the past and with how many minorities serve their countries and do so with great honor and great pride. This is all very, very awesome for me.
What bothers me is the fan reaction to Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One and to Marvel's claims that the Ancient One is more moniker and that, for the Doctor Strange movie, they're going Celt over Chinese or Japanese. No one has seen this movie yet, and yet, for some reason, it's hard to believe that someone of European descent could be considered an Ancient One. It's even more disturbing to think that maybe the reaction isn't only just because Tilda Swinton is white but a woman with the fans forgetting that, because it is a comic storyline, there is room for diversity. As a woman who has and is delving into the Ancient Norse religions and eventually into the Ancient Celtic religions, this is a bit of a serious issue for me. These are cultures who, before the spread of Christianity and the subjugation of women and minorities, treated women as equals. Odin sought out the advice of his wife Frigga and from Freya, both of whom were very wise and very powerful in magic. Their wisdom came from their intuition, from within themselves, and were things that had to be taught to Odin. And Freya herself was a mighty warrior. When they counseled him, Odin listened.
Now, I might be more inclined to agree that Hollywood is being racist towards Asians if the role of the Ancient One had gone to a white guy then tried to excuse it by saying "We're going Celt here". For Doctor Strange, we do not know the Ancient One's journey to become the Ancient One. What if she had been taught by a Chinse Ancient One and had to take over the role due to some event we don't know anything about? The answer: We don't. The movie is in post-production, gearing up for a November release.
Even better is the knowledge that, because it is a comics storyline, that it is in a state of constant creation and re-creation makes the movie for Doctor Strange all the more appealing for me. Even more interesting is the notion that the Ancient One could be played by anyone, have any skin color, any gender, any religion, and any age. That is the overall joy behind comic books and the science-fiction and fantasy genres. Anyone can be anything. And, yes, I have absolutely no problems envisioning the Ancient One as any given heritage. I'm not familiar with the comics. I'm simply going by what I've seen of the previews for Doctor Strange, and I can see it as a long, arduous journey in which someone like Doctor Stephen Strange takes up the journey to learn magic from someone like the Ancient One, regardless of gender and ethnic heritage, and ultimately has to take up the mantle of the Ancient One due to some grand, epic battle in which the previous Ancient One is near death and passes the title on to the next person. It quite literally is the bread and butter of fantasy novels, and I love the idea behind it. I love it a lot. Maybe in the near future, for the comics, the Ancient One hails from Africa. Or maybe colonial America where he (or she) escaped from slavery. It's the beauty of story-telling. When done right, anything goes.
As for the change of the Iron Man 3 villain from female to male, again, what the hell? Some of the best villains have been women. I love Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty and Ursula from the Little Mermaid. Yes, they were called witches and cast in a bad light for their powers and their genders, but it only demonstrates that women are not immune to cravings for power and dominance. Those are not traits of men. They are traits of humans.
So I'm going to say it. The outcries over Doctor Strange, Ghost in the Shell, and the new Ghostbusters has more to do with a degrading view on women than it does anything else. I've not read every manga out there, I've not watched every anime, but I know that many characters are made more "white" than they are Asian. Eiri "Yuki" Uesugi from Gravitation looks more American than he does Japanese, he was written that way by his creator. He was given a very angsty background - the bullying of other children due to his appearance. Edge Maverick from Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope has blond hair and GREEN eyes. Not all Japanese characters are, in fact, Japanse. That isn't to say all Japanese characters are white - they most certainly are not - but the outrage over certain roles being played by certain actors is its own form of hypocrisy. After all, if the Ancient One had been cast as an Asian, if Motoko had been cast as an Asian, Hollywood would be accused of typecasting the Asian people instead of venerating them. So I'll now simplify this: Either watch the movies with the female leads and changes to the storylines or don't. That is entirely up to you.
I will note this: George Takei as the Ancient One in Doctor Strange would be an interesting thing to see, too. However, I will still reserve judgment on Tilda Swinton until I have actually, you know, watched the movie itself and have seen how things played out because, well, I don't know what the writers have come up with . The same will be true for the new Ghostbusters movie. I can't say about Ghost in the Shell - I never actually watched the first movie or the anime series that followed.
In the meantime, let's actually look at what's going on here. Are these reactions really truly because Hollywood is being racist towards Asians or is it because the fans are being prejudiced against women in general? Because I have a feeling if Lucy Liu had been cast as the Ancient One, there still would be an outcry. The fan reaction to the new Ghostbusters movie indicates as much to me.
Now for the usual Tuesday fare:
What I'm Currently Reading
I Bring the Fire, Part 1: Wolves (A Loki Series) by C. Gockel
The Rites of Odin by Ed Fitch
Coming up for Book Review Tuesdays:
Captain America: Civil War
The Age of Shiva by James Lovegrove
Crimson Peak (movie)
The Trials of Apollo, Book One: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
I've recently purchased The Age of Aztec by James Lovegrove and am considering The Age of Ra. I may hold off until I can read Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. I've had that one for a couple of years now. Perhaps I should pick it up and read it. After this, Tuesdays will be dedicated to villains and super villains, my own and those of others.
Up tomorrow: Words of Wisdom - Writing Tip Wednesdays
