There has been one item of clothing that many have been raving about these past few weeks.
Scarlett, Emma, Tilda and Matt. Do you recognise anything in common?
Ever since 13 Reasons Why actress, Michele Selene Ang, uploaded the picture above to her Instagram account, the t-shirt's popularity has been growing rapidly. The t-shirt was created by Californian actor and comedian Will Choi. The t-shirt calls out Hollywood on the four cases where many supposedly believe, Asian roles in films were given to other Hollywood actors.
First, we have Scarlett Johansson’s role in Ghost In The Shell. Ghost In The Shell is based on the popular manga and anime franchise, which takes the same name. Many people questioned why Johansson was chosen to take on the role of Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg who requires to use full-body prothesis to house her cyberbrain. Many others counter that Kusanagi is a robot, and could therefore take on any race. What is certain is that the film ended up flopping at the Box Office, while gaining a rating of 46% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Second, we have Emma Stone. La La Land actress previously took on a role of Allison Ng in Cameron Crowe’s movie, Aloha. The character of Allison Ng is described as an Asian-American Air Force pilot. Crowe released an official apology for starring Emma Stone, mentioning that “if any part of her fine characterization has caused consternation and controversy, I am the one to blame. I am grateful for the dialogue. And from the many voices, loud and small, I have learned something very inspiring. So many of us are hungry for stories with more racial diversity, more truth in representation, and I am anxious to help tell those stories in the future.”
Third, we have Tilda Swinton’s casting of the Ancient One in Doctor Strange. It has been said that the Ancient One was originally a male Tibetan, and in response Marvel decided to cast a female actress instead to provide diversity in the film. However, the casting of a white Scottish female has sparked controversy.
Finally, we have Matt Damon’s role in monster film The Great Wall, directed by the Chinese film-maker Zhang Yimou. The Great Wall is a fantasy action film, where mercenaries and fighters join together to fight off supernatural creatures. Damon plays a European mercenary. Many were unhappy with the reoccurring theme of “a white saviour”. Many memes sprouted from this, with the tag, #ThankYouMattDamon. Sarcasm.
Diversity has been a large topic of interest in Hollywood for many years. Progress may take a long time, but this generation is hooked to making sure the diversity is there, and stays for the better.
