It is not new to us to hear the term “whitewashing” whenever a blockbuster film cast is released. It seems that every movie these days causes an upset, and rightfully so. White actors are consistently being cast for minority roles. When a minority is cast, they are usually portrayed as a stereotypical character.
This has been a common theme since the beginning of movies. White actors would even portray racist versions of non-white roles back when things like blackface or yellowface were accepted. Movies like the iconic "Breakfast At Tiffany’s" has an abundantly racist depiction of an Asian man as the landlord. Even with this, the movie is still a beloved classic. As time went on, these types of obvious racism were less accepted, but there are still blatant examples of whitewashing.
The film industry uses white actors more often because there are few well-known minority actors, and they will not bring in as much revenue as their white counterparts. There is a pretty easy solution to this. Start casting people of color, and they will become more recognized. It is incredibly offensive that Hollywood still believes that having an all-white cast is the best way to maximize an audience.
In Marvel’s upcoming film "Doctor Strange" there has been a lot of backlash for the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch as the main character. In the comics, Doctor Strange is portrayed as an Asian man. Also, Scarlett Johansson has been recently cast as a character from an anime, who is obviously supposed to be Asian.
These biases in the movie making business are deeply rooted, but people need to stop denying a changing culture. In our society, the public is becoming more aware of the injustices that people of color face and will fight for them. White shouldn’t be the “default race” for everything. People want to see ethnicities portrayed authentically in their movies and shows.
Representation is important. The reason stereotypes are such a problem is because people of color are only getting roles that portray them as stereotypes. If minorities were getting the roles of the heroes, coming of age teens, and love interests more often, then there wouldn’t be continuing common stereotypes.
Another reason why representation is important is for the children. Any little white kid can watch a movie and say they can be just like Superman or the princess. What about the kids of color? The superheroes don’t look like them; the kings and queens don’t look like them either. While they can look up to the white figures, it’s just not the same as having someone who accurately represents them. The movie "The Princess and the Frog" was a great step for Disney to take and have a black princess. Princess Tiana gave young black girls a person to look up to and aspire to be.
The protest against the Academy Awards this year was a good step for the film industry because it made people aware of the biases and just how bad they really are. The actors and actresses are mostly just trying to find work and should not be blamed for their castings. Keep pushing for more minority representation and it will happen. The movie industry has shown it can let go of prejudices, so let's push them to let go of these biases.
