Bill Maher on casting decisions and appropriation

[Anonymous]

Of course he is right in principal. I believe the issue … in practice … is that minorities have not historically been given the same opportunities as white actors (recall the white oscars and also the golden globes scandals) so when a white actor plays a Hispanic it’s just not equivalent to a Hispanic playing a white person and it is sometimes understandable when a minority May take issue with a white person getting a certain role.

Yes things are slowly improving but Mahers argument was facile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course he is right in principal. I believe the issue … in practice … is that minorities have not historically been given the same opportunities as white actors (recall the white oscars and also the golden globes scandals) so when a white actor plays a Hispanic it’s just not equivalent to a Hispanic playing a white person and it is sometimes understandable when a minority May take issue with a white person getting a certain role.

Yes things are slowly improving but Mahers argument was facile.

Thank you. I really don’t see what is so hard to understand about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course he is right in principal. I believe the issue … in practice … is that minorities have not historically been given the same opportunities as white actors (recall the white oscars and also the golden globes scandals) so when a white actor plays a Hispanic it’s just not equivalent to a Hispanic playing a white person and it is sometimes understandable when a minority May take issue with a white person getting a certain role.

Yes things are slowly improving but Mahers argument was facile.

Thank you. I really don’t see what is so hard to understand about this.

Amen

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course he is right in principal. I believe the issue … in practice … is that minorities have not historically been given the same opportunities as white actors (recall the white oscars and also the golden globes scandals) so when a white actor plays a Hispanic it’s just not equivalent to a Hispanic playing a white person and it is sometimes understandable when a minority May take issue with a white person getting a certain role.

Yes things are slowly improving but Mahers argument was facile.

Thank you. I really don’t see what is so hard to understand about this.

It's Bill Maher. Please shoot the messenger. (Not literally....)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He’s exactly right. Actors are …. Actors. They’re by definition taking on a role. So so so agree with him.

But the when the roles are so siloed and few opportunities for Latinos to play much other than gang members is where we are, we need to consider things. The notion that the right person for the role has to be someone like James Franco assumes that there aren't any Latino actors who could play the roles and also be the right person.

No it doesn’t assume that, it ‘assumes’ that Franco is the best for the role. Like Ana de armas is the the ‘assumed’ best candidate for the Marilyn Monroe biopic (and that latinas can play roles beyond Latino)

[Anonymous]

So if all the roles are predominantly filled by one race we believe all those roles have gone to the "best" actor each and every time?

[Anonymous]

Man has he ever heard of the casting couch? People have literally f***ed and s***ed themselves into being cast in a movie. He can kick rocks now demanding the system suddenly because equitable because he doesn't like the people who are slowly and in teeny tiny numbers benefitting from the current unfair system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He’s exactly right. Actors are …. Actors. They’re by definition taking on a role. So so so agree with him.

But the when the roles are so siloed and few opportunities for Latinos to play much other than gang members is where we are, we need to consider things. The notion that the right person for the role has to be someone like James Franco assumes that there aren't any Latino actors who could play the roles and also be the right person.

No it doesn’t assume that, it ‘assumes’ that Franco is the best for the role. Like Ana de armas is the the ‘assumed’ best candidate for the Marilyn Monroe biopic (and that latinas can play roles beyond Latino)

No, it assumes Franco will fill seats. He is a TERRIBLE actor - but movies are not solely about talent. The production company believes his ‘star’ attached to their film will make them enough money to cover expenses. It is a business - not a not for profit.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the point that under-represented actors generally should get the roles playing members of their community.

But honestly I’m not sure who would be better for Castro. Franco is a good actor, he looks strikingly like him, Cuban-Americans don’t want the role because they hate Castro, Castro was predominantly European background so it’s not a cross-racial casting, Italians and Latinos have long been cross-cast (see, eg, Andy garcia’s career playing siciilians), and this projecti s actually dominated by Latinos behind and in front of the camera. Anyone have a better suggestion for Castro? Cause it’s not Leguizamo.

Tthere are Latinos of all races, so the cross-racial casting stuff becomes complicated. (I think some people objected to salma Hayek playing frida kahlo as salma’s ethnic background is Lebanese, not mestizo.).

[Anonymous]

I see Maher point. They’re actors and should be able to play any character but his argument is too simple and doesn’t address other issues about the number of roles for under-represented groups. Currently, I’m watching The Sandman on Netflix. The author of The Sandman comics worked on the Netflix series. They changed the gender and race of numerous characters and it is fabulous! I love the original comic but I also love the tv series. The Watchmen on HBO also did a major re-writing of the original. I think it is very important to have more inclusive characters in plots so that we can move beyond the Maher argument. Actors have become sensitive to casting because there has always been an abundance of roles for white, straight male actors. While everyone else fought over scraps.

I would love to see more race/gender/ethnicity/sexuality blind casting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see Maher point. They’re actors and should be able to play any character but his argument is too simple and doesn’t address other issues about the number of roles for under-represented groups. Currently, I’m watching The Sandman on Netflix. The author of The Sandman comics worked on the Netflix series. They changed the gender and race of numerous characters and it is fabulous! I love the original comic but I also love the tv series. The Watchmen on HBO also did a major re-writing of the original. I think it is very important to have more inclusive characters in plots so that we can move beyond the Maher argument. Actors have become sensitive to casting because there has always been an abundance of roles for white, straight male actors. While everyone else fought over scraps.

I would love to see more race/gender/ethnicity/sexuality blind casting.

I don’t think Maher’s point has anything to do with color blind casting. In fact I think his hit supports it- may the best person for the part win. How is casting James Franco as Fidel Castro, Ana de armas as Marilyn Monroe, or Tom hanks in Philadelphia not color blind casting? Woke people think color blind only works one way- and that is, Ana de armas as Marilyn Monroe, not a white James Franco as a Cuban Fidel Castro.


Btw, as a white Jewish woman, I have no problem with Rachel brosnehan playing the marvelous Mrs maisel, or Bradley cooper playing leonard Bernstein (or whoever he’s playing in his latest role.) Rachel brosnehan is excellent even though she isn’t Jewish, and adrien Brody was wonderful in the pianist even being authentically Jewish. Completely agree with bill Maher on this and almost everything. Woke mobs have lost their MINDS.

[Anonymous]

I think Maher is quite thoughtful in his positions and not afraid to raise the ire of the mindless idiot mob. If you tree out the leftist’s restrictive (and insanely reductive) mindset then only a 61 year old half black/half while hetero American actor could play Obama in a biopic. Contemplate for a moment how idiotic that is. At the end of the day it’s art and every accommodation should be made to select the best actor for the role. And btw Maher’s point about Hamilton is valid.

[Anonymous]

My favorite was Rita Moreno soapboxing about how the remake of West Side Story was all Latino and how they made such a mistake in tge original by using non-Latino actors. Well, I seem to recall Ms. Moreno unbelievably playing an Italian woman in The Four Seasons. I am Italian and me and my family thought that it was such a joke at the time. She didn’t look or act Italian and it was one of the worst casting decisions ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see Maher point. They’re actors and should be able to play any character but his argument is too simple and doesn’t address other issues about the number of roles for under-represented groups. Currently, I’m watching The Sandman on Netflix. The author of The Sandman comics worked on the Netflix series. They changed the gender and race of numerous characters and it is fabulous! I love the original comic but I also love the tv series. The Watchmen on HBO also did a major re-writing of the original. I think it is very important to have more inclusive characters in plots so that we can move beyond the Maher argument. Actors have become sensitive to casting because there has always been an abundance of roles for white, straight male actors. While everyone else fought over scraps.

I would love to see more race/gender/ethnicity/sexuality blind casting.

I don’t think Maher’s point has anything to do with color blind casting. In fact I think his hit supports it- may the best person for the part win. How is casting James Franco as Fidel Castro, Ana de armas as Marilyn Monroe, or Tom hanks in Philadelphia not color blind casting? Woke people think color blind only works one way- and that is, Ana de armas as Marilyn Monroe, not a white James Franco as a Cuban Fidel Castro.


Btw, as a white Jewish woman, I have no problem with Rachel brosnehan playing the marvelous Mrs maisel, or Bradley cooper playing leonard Bernstein (or whoever he’s playing in his latest role.) Rachel brosnehan is excellent even though she isn’t Jewish, and adrien Brody was wonderful in the pianist even being authentically Jewish. Completely agree with bill Maher on this and almost everything. Woke mobs have lost their MINDS.

Rachel Brosnehan isn’t Jewish?? Mind blown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really? I tend to think of Maher as an idiot.

A smug, pseudointellectual grifter idolized by other idiots.