Monday, February 02, 2009

Why I Don't Give A Shit About Avatar

...and why I think you shouldn't either.

Recently there's been some Asian American outrage buzz about this movie Avatar being cast all non-Asian. Someone even posted a comment earlier asking me to bring light to it.

Well, here's some light -- I don't actually give a shit. Why? Because it's a trap. It's an ancient oriental mystical thumb prison that stinks like stinky tofu.

In case you don't know what I'm talking about, here is the issue that people are in an uproar about -- Casting non-Asians in a cartoon about mystical martial artists created by non-Asians for non-Asian audiences.  Hmmmm.  Let's explore both scenarios behind winning and losing this battle:

1. We lose the battle (which we will) and Hollywood makes another piece of crap that I wouldn't have bothered to watch anyway.

2. We win the battle (which we won't) and Hollywood suddenly becomes "enlightened" and sees the error of its ways, casting a full Asian cast starring Jet Li, Michelle Yeo, Chow Yun Fat, Rick Yun, Sung Kang, John Cho, Keiko Agena, the Jabberwockees and Tila Tequila as mystical martial artists. Haven't I seen this before? Do I really want to fight to see it again? Here is the only thing that bothers me about this subject -- the film is being directed by an Asian American (albeit a South Asian American), M. Night should know better. But maybe he is doing all the aforementioned Asian American actors a favor and saving them from being in his next terrible movie.

I have a better idea -- Support movies that work outside of this system like...

*Stephane Gauger's "Owl and the Sparrow" in theaters now. http://www.owlandthesparrow.com/

*Juwan Chung's "Baby" out on DVD now. http://www.affiliated-ent.com

*Gene Rhee's "Trouble With Romance" on VOD now. http://www.myspace.com/thetroublewithromance

*Jessica Yu's "Ping Pong Playa" on DVD now. http://www.pingpongplaya.com/