Saturday, August 18, 2012
racebending: [IMAGE: In a promotional still from Cloud Altas, Asian actress Bae Doona cries as she is snuggled by Jim Sturgess in yellowface] If you don’t understand the controversy around Cloud Atlas, then in all likelihood, you are focused on the film in terms of its artistic quality. What you appreciate about the film is its grand vision: the sweeping soundtrack, grand special effects, universal concepts of reincarnation and rebirth, adventure on the scale of centuries or millennia. So I’d like to make something perfectly clear: our concerns are not about the quality of the writing, the story, the special effects, makeup artistry, or cinematography. Our discussion will be about social impact, culture, and politics. The nature of a multimillion dollar venture like Cloud Atlas is that it is shaped by culture and society. It is designed for the consumption of moviegoers. Millions of consumers will pay to see this film. The act of payment will encourage other films of similar cloth and make. The act of viewing will refine the viewer’s sense of pop culture, if only in a small way. An excerpt from Racebending.com’s latest article: The Cloud Atlas Conversation: Yellowface, Prejudice, and Artistic License. JIM STURGESS IN YELLOWFACE. I cannot think of a case in which this is OK. And I am starting to find new levels to the reasons why I was not bowled over by this trailer. I LOVE Cloud Atlas, the book. But this. What. Is. This.

racebending:

[IMAGE: In a promotional still from Cloud Altas, Asian actress Bae Doona cries as she is snuggled by Jim Sturgess in yellowface]

If you don’t understand the controversy around Cloud Atlas, then in all likelihood, you are focused on the film in terms of its artistic quality. What you appreciate about the film is its grand vision: the sweeping soundtrack, grand special effects, universal concepts of reincarnation and rebirth, adventure on the scale of centuries or millennia.

So I’d like to make something perfectly clear: our concerns are not about the quality of the writing, the story, the special effects, makeup artistry, or cinematography.

Our discussion will be about social impact, culture, and politics. The nature of a multimillion dollar venture like Cloud Atlas is that it is shaped by culture and society. It is designed for the consumption of moviegoers. Millions of consumers will pay to see this film. The act of payment will encourage other films of similar cloth and make. The act of viewing will refine the viewer’s sense of pop culture, if only in a small way.

An excerpt from Racebending.com’s latest article: The Cloud Atlas Conversation: Yellowface, Prejudice, and Artistic License.

JIM STURGESS IN YELLOWFACE.

I cannot think of a case in which this is OK.

And I am starting to find new levels to the reasons why I was not bowled over by this trailer. I LOVE Cloud Atlas, the book. But this. What. Is. This.

Posted at 12:57 AM 296 notes Reblogged from racebending

Notes

  1. entegegenwartigung reblogged this from racebending
  2. callmecoco reblogged this from thisisasianprivilege and added:
    Didn’t Jim Sturgess also play a character based on a real-life Asian American in 21? How nice of him to put in the...
  3. youve-got-lemon-make-lemonade reblogged this from phanapoeia
  4. genitalslurpees reblogged this from thisisasianprivilege and added:
    BASICALLY IF YOU ARE USING YELLOWFACE YOU’RE BEING RACIST AND YOU’RE FUCKING UP the end.
  5. theinfluenced reblogged this from racebending
  6. valereames reblogged this from delacroix
  7. foreverrhapsody reblogged this from gaobibaituo and added:
    :-/ I am excited for this movie, but… :-/
  8. fun-gal-infection reblogged this from glossylalia
  9. agentstansfield reblogged this from racialicious and added:
    This isn’t even the first time this has happened. Remember “21”? It was “based on a true story” and his character was...
  10. piecesofbird reblogged this from tinydragongina
  11. ontopofyou reblogged this from glossylalia
  12. accioharo reblogged this from lajacobine and added:
    When I heard that Cloud Atlas was using a small cast of actors, some of whom would be playing multiple characters, I...
  13. lajacobine reblogged this from luminosiity
  14. luminosiity reblogged this from popculturetart
  15. mistygeek reblogged this from racebending
  16. raqqerss reblogged this from bijunn
  17. dirkpee reblogged this from tinydragongina
  18. tinydragongina reblogged this from popculturetart
  19. guitarlos reblogged this from popculturetart
  20. bijunn reblogged this from popculturetart
  21. popculturetart reblogged this from hamburgerjack
  22. snapforchange reblogged this from racebending and added:
    I am so uncomfortable right now.
  23. coorio reblogged this from deliciouskaek
  24. phanapoeia reblogged this from your-ridiculous-lies
  25. youaintmybabydoll reblogged this from xtremecaffeine
  26. shatteredjunk reblogged this from racebending and added:
    This movie looked cool, really cool….. right up till a white guy walks on screen with faked pulled up squinty eyes. What...
  27. wolfbad reblogged this from thursdaysoldier
  28. yourmindisagarden reblogged this from racebending
  29. sessile29 reblogged this from ai-yo and added:
    another good article on the subject: Yellowface in Cloud Atlas
  30. olga-lemongrass reblogged this from alwaysfaithfulterriblelizard
  31. paulmccartneysdragrace reblogged this from lowestentropy
  32. alwaysfaithfulterriblelizard reblogged this from glossylalia
  33. evermean reblogged this from biyuti