OtherPress2015Vol42No14.pdf-20

White is the new black, yellow, brown,
and all the other hues, really

» It’s 2015, and still whitewash casting in movies exists

Elliot Chan
Opinions Editor
~. ie, S opinions@theotherpress.ca

thnicity in the film industry

has always been a problem.
In an attempt to reach the
broadest American market, the
film industry often omits the
idea of diversity and simply casts
well-known (white) actors. Think
of an actor, any actor—odds
are, that person is white. The
Jake Gyllenhaals, the Johnny
Depps, and the Christian Bales
dominate the industry. It’s not a
bad thing. They are phenomenal
artists and they deserve to work.
However, when they are taking
the role of some Middle Eastern,
Asian, or Aboriginal actor,
then there is a clear problem.

I would also understand

if these actors were stretching
their acting chops. But they
aren't. They are just wearing
a costume. Soa movie that
depicts Egyptian gods now has
American actors with spray
tans. And it’s all because the
studios fear people of ethnicity
with power, even when it is in
the fantastical realm of film.

This problem is rotting

: the core of entertainment. It

: eliminates whatever artistic value
: the film actually has, discredits

: all the hard work thousands of

: people do, and makes it a power

: move that keeps the minority

: outside the gates of legitimacy.
: There are so many struggling :
: ethnic actors working their :
: asses off for minor roles. They

: are as skilled in the craft as any

: Academy Award nominated

: actors. All they need is a break.

: Change cannot happen from the
: outside. Criticisms about casting:
: choices have almost zero effect on :
: the overall decision of the film. :

In Aziz Ansari’s Master of

: None, he perfectly illustrates
: the fight ethnic actors have

: with the industry, and how :
: powerless they feel. Inan episode :
: entitled Indians on TV, Ansari’s
: character, Dev, combats the

: decision to take on a role that

: would further his career, while

: also furthering the stereotypes
: that hold other Indian actors

: back. It’s a conversation about

: race, but more prominently, it’s
: a conversation about money

: and success. If he doesn’t

: do it, someone else will.

So it goes in the film

: industry. Someone else will

: always sink low enough for the
: scraps, and they'll call it luck.

: It doesn’t matter what race

: the actors are, the studios will

: follow through with their plans.
: It’s not the actors that need to

: change. It’s the overall way of

: thinking. But the movement

: needs to happen internally.

: White actors need to stop

: accepting roles that are clearly

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: not designed for them. And

: ethnic actors need to stop being
: swayed by the power of money.

: They need to band together

: and condemn stereotypes with

: the same discrimination the

: industry has shown for them.

Unwrap some free time this holiday

» Don't spend the break fulfilling obligations

Elliot Chan
Opinions Editor
~. ie, S opinions@theotherpress.ca

he holidays are a perfect

time to get all your loved
ones together and share in the
merriment that is the end of a
year. However, getting a group of
people together—at an optimal

as simple as creating a Facebook
event. While it makes sense

to break apart your schedule
and share it with those you

love, you must also remember
that the holidays are a time for
yourself. You too need a break.

If you are a proactive person,
you'll know that free time fills up
pretty quickly. You might even
try to slot a couple events into
one day just so you can fill your
holiday socializing obligations.
But this is also the perfect time
for you to forget about people
and get ahead on all the stuff
you didn’t have time for during
the hurly burly of the year.

It’s easy to lose track of
time. Getting lunch witha
couple friends can easily turn
into a full-day affair. Not that the
time was wasted, but the book
you were meaning to read, the

: project you were planning to

: work on, and all the activities

: you finally had time for will be

: pushed back. We often mistake

: motion with progress. The act

: of doing something, anything,

: feels like accomplishment

: enough. The fact that we got out
: of the bed today was a victory.

: However, our time is valuable,
time for everybody—is not always :
: should be treated as such.

even during the holidays, and

Now, I understand that the

: last thing anybody wants to do

: during the holiday is live by a

: schedule, but if you want some
: structure in your life, building a
: schedule does it—it keeps you

: accountable. Nobody else has

: to know about this schedule

: but you. Still, it must be treated
: sacredly. It matters. On the

: schedule, map out all the stuff

: you want to accomplish by the

: end of your break. You can be

: as ambitious or lax as you want,
: but the key is to have goals. It

: can beas simple as finishing a

: book, jogging an extra mile, or

: even something more ambitious
: like learning a new language.

: Then plot these activities into

: the calendar and treat those

: days as if they are work.

The fear is that you'll fall

eI

fl

: into indolence and lose all the

: momentum you had during the
: year, Of course you are allowed

: to sleep in, and those days are

: as important as the party nights
: or the productive days. Keeping
: the ball rolling is awesome, but
: remember that not every day

: needs to be productive. You

: set days for focusing on certain
: tasks; you should also set days for
: rest. It’s like a workout calendar.
: Rest days are the days you leave

: completely empty. These are the
: days when you find stillness in

: your life. These are the days you
: can stay in your pajamas, read

: a book, watch a movie, or have

Image via thinkstock

: lunch with one or two friends.

: These are the days where you are
: forbidden from going around

: running errands. These are the

: treats of the holidays, and you

: can be as selfish as you want.