Why Won't Hollywood Cast Asian Actors?

MehGuy

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And safely married to each other, because the money knows they won't work as potential love interests.

Asian women have potential. Many of them are petite, able to stay in the 20s something looking age for a while, and often don't have problems with weight. While Asian men can often be seen lacking in masculinity, Asian women can often be seen as hyper feminine. The only draw back I can see is the lack of curves, but such women could benifit from some plastic surgery, lol.
 
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SummerMadness

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I'm not claiming they're having an issue finding them if they wanted to use them, I'm claiming that there aren't as many actively pursuing acting roles as there are from other groups.

In terms of Black Actors, I know this conversation came up a couple months ago because of the Oscars, but in terms of acting work, there are plenty of well-paid, well-utilized black actors.

Samuel L Jackson
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Will Smith
Kevin Hart
Denzel
Morgan Freeman
Jamie Foxx
Terrance Howard

...just to name a few

Now, in terms of Black Females, there might be a discussion to be had about being vastly underrepresented...however, that conversation could be had about females in the business in general. (part of which could be attributed to 2 entire genres being better suited for male roles)

In terms of making the choice to use an Asian actor or not, is it a producer/casting director's job to evenly distribute roles based on the demographic make-up of the country?...or to cast people who fit the vision of the person who made the movie?
I list a few names to simply articulate there many actors that have American accents, yet that is a problem, but listing a short list of black male actors to show that black actors have it great is completely fine? Black actors have certainly made great advancements, but that doesn't take away the fact that there is still a ways to go. The point of these topics is not to say that progress hasn't been made, but it still needs to be made. There are people that want to say America is post-racial, but it's not yet, these reports highlight that fact.

As for asking if it's the producer's job is to match the demographics of the country, no it's not their job, however, their choices highlight the fact that racial prejudice still remains. When only 20% of the roles go to people of color, whether it's because of how the part is written or directors choosing to exclude certain ethnic groups, it sends a message that you're not part of their vision. Again it's a chicken-egg scenario, art influences art, so how do you change the dynamic? This is not an issue of less qualified actors getting the job, this is about giving actors a shot to show, "Wow, you don't have to be a white girl or guy for this role." What's odd is some people are effectively demanding that racial/ethnic minorities create their own films, but then are quick to call those platforms racist. How many people whine about BET and the NAACP Image Awards (which they wrongfully claim are only given to black artists)?

I think Aziz Ansari on Parks and Rec is a good example of casting a person that would not have been cast in previous decades. "They aren't Indians in Pawnee, Indiana!" But increasingly we're seeing actors getting better representation of TV and film, that doesn't mean we need to stop pushing to continue that momentum.
 
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nightflight

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Maybe. I'm just over 50 and have the same sort of skin. But my sister (who is one year younger) doesn't. She's used expensive skin care products her entire adult life, and visits beauticians regularly etc, while I've done nothing. I don't even use moisturiser. The difference between sis and I is S.U.N. I've stayed out of it, she hasn't.

I stay out the sun too. I wake up around 2 pm and thrash about like a vampire until sunset.
 
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ThatRobGuy

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There are people that want to say America is post-racial, but it's not yet, these reports highlight that fact.

What's your metric of indication that a nation is post-racial?

Is it when there's prefect, proportional representation in the industry?...or when people stop trying to count "how many of each type of person is in a movie?" and strictly focus on "who's the best person for the job?"

Let's flip it and look at an inverse scenario. The Science & Engineering fields. Asians are over-represented in S&E. 13% of the industry is Asian Men, 5% is Asian Women, even though Asians as a whole, only make up just under 5% of the population. (they make nearly 25% of the people at the Doctoral level in the industry)

upload_2016-4-30_9-23-2.png

In that particular field, every other group (including Whites) are underrepresented to a degree due to Asians being over-represented by nearly 4:1.

Is that considered an issue as well? I think Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics need team up and raise awareness about this grave injustice happening to us in the sciences.

Clearly the field should be split out at
73% White
12% Black
5% Asian
3% Mixed Race
7% Other

Anything breakdown that deviates too much from the US Census numbers (shown above) must me evidence of some sort of systematic discrimination, right? ...or is that only considered to be the case in fields where the deviation in representation favors whites?

I was being facetious there...but you obviously get the point I was trying to make.

As for asking if it's the producer's job is to match the demographics of the country, no it's not their job, however, their choices highlight the fact that racial prejudice still remains.

Why is it perfectly acceptable to say "because, the best person for it got the job" when it's fields where minorities tend to do better in? Why is nobody accusing the NBA of unfairly favoring Blacks, and discriminating against Asians & Hispanics? Or, the example above about Asians in the sciences that I elaborated on?

Abbreviated version: Why is it that deviation from the census numbers is only considered evidence of a systematic problem when that deviation favors whites (specifically, white males)?
 
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SummerMadness

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What's your metric of indication that a nation is post-racial?

Is it when there's prefect, proportional representation in the industry?...or when people stop trying to count "how many of each type of person is in a movie?" and strictly focus on "who's the best person for the job?"

Let's flip it and look at an inverse scenario. The Science & Engineering fields. Asians are over-represented in S&E. 13% of the industry is Asian Men, 5% is Asian Women, even though Asians as a whole, only make up just under 5% of the population. (they make nearly 25% of the people at the Doctoral level in the industry)

View attachment 173614
In that particular field, every other group (including Whites) are underrepresented to a degree due to Asians being over-represented by nearly 4:1.

Is that considered an issue as well? I think Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics need team up and raise awareness about this grave injustice happening to us in the sciences.

Clearly the field should be split out at
73% White
12% Black
5% Asian
3% Mixed Race
7% Other

Anything breakdown that deviates too much from the US Census numbers (shown above) must me evidence of some sort of systematic discrimination, right? ...or is that only considered to be the case in fields where the deviation in representation favors whites?

I was being facetious there...but you obviously get the point I was trying to make.

Why is it perfectly acceptable to say "because, the best person for it got the job" when it's fields where minorities tend to do better in? Why is nobody accusing the NBA of unfairly favoring Blacks, and discriminating against Asians & Hispanics? Or, the example above about Asians in the sciences that I elaborated on?

Abbreviated version: Why is it that deviation from the census numbers is only considered evidence of a systematic problem when that deviation favors whites (specifically, white males)?
I don't think any particular field needs to follow the census numbers to the T, but again, the issue not a supply issue. You're using the wrong population to make the argument. You don't simply look at the census numbers, although in terms of entertainment, they use the census because of the desire to have the entertainment world reflect the diversity of the country. Nonetheless, lead roles in film do not reflect diversity of the SAG. You showed a chart arguing that there are not as many Asian Americans going into acting, which is true, but the supply is not the issue, the lack of roles is the issue. When it comes to lead roles, racial minorities receive few of them. And when discussing the roles available to actors, many actors cite that are often non-speaking and/or ethnic/racial stereotypes.

20160123_woc197.png


There are many perfectly competent Asian American actors that are not being given the opportunity to read for roles because they are excluded from the casting process. It doesn't matter if Asian American actors make up X% of the field when they're offered a smaller share of the lead roles.
 
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ThatRobGuy

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I don't think any particular field needs to follow the census numbers to the T, but again, the issue not a supply issue.

There's not a supply issue in the science and engineering field example I cited earlier...there are plenty of competent white, black, and hispanic engineering and science majors, yet, in terms of proportions, it would appear that Asians are vastly over-represented in that field by the standards being employed in this thread.

Would say that's a problem? Or, indicative of systematic discrimination?

Or would your thoughts be "well, maybe the Asian candidates were more qualified or presented themselves better than the white, black, and hispanic applicants"

...I'm just trying to gauge the level of consistency here.
 
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SummerMadness

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There's not a supply issue in the science and engineering field example I cited earlier...there are plenty of competent white, black, and hispanic engineering and science majors, yet, in terms of proportions, it would appear that Asians are vastly over-represented in that field by the standards being employed in this thread.

Would say that's a problem? Or, indicative of systematic discrimination?

Or would your thoughts be "well, maybe the Asian candidates were more qualified or presented themselves better than the white, black, and hispanic applicants"

...I'm just trying to gauge the level of consistency here.
You're talking about two different things, when discussing the supply, the census is not the best pool, the pool to look at is the STEM pool, and yes Black and Hispanics are underrepresented as a share of their population among STEM majors/professionals. When considering the pool of Asian actors in groups like SAG, Asians (and other ethnic groups) are underrepresented when it comes to roles, especially lead roles. When discussing increasing the number of people in a specific field, the census is more applicable. I for one don't think it's about the census alone, it's the supply; these things are interconnected, but the most direct pool of actors are the ones already there, and guess what, they are underrepresented on-screen.
 
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bhsmte

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SummerMadness

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Hollywood is in the business to develop products that appeal to as many as possible.

If their data shows certain characters are more appealing, that is the direction they will go.
The argument being made is that more diverse casts are making more money, yet casting has still not followed suit; instead there is a continuation of non-diverse casts, which make less money.
 
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bhsmte

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The argument being made is that more diverse casts are making more money, yet casting has still not followed suit; instead there is a continuation of non-diverse casts, which make less money.

It is up to the people creating the stories they want to sell, to determine who they cast and I have no problem with that.

Just as, it is up to the restaurant owner, to determine if he wants to serve a menu, that may not appeal to certain people.
 
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SummerMadness

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It is up to the people creating the stories they want to sell, to determine who they cast and I have no problem with that.

Just as, it is up to the restaurant owner, to determine if he wants to serve a menu, that may not appeal to certain people.
It is up to them what they want to sell, and there is nothing wrong with calling attention to the fact that they are exclude certain groups of people. Calling them out on discrimination is part of what gets things changed.
 
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bhsmte

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It is up to them what they want to sell, and there is nothing wrong with calling attention to the fact that they are exclude certain groups of people. Calling them out on discrimination is part of what gets things changed.

Is it then discrimination, when an Italian restaurant, doesn't serve asian food?

There is private investment money in these ventures and it is up to those taking the risk, to develop whatever product they want.
 
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SummerMadness

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Is it then discrimination, when an Italian restaurant, doesn't serve asian food?

There is private investment money in these ventures and it is up to those taking the risk, to develop whatever product they want.
Asian Americans are just as much a part of American society as Italian Americans, Asian cuisine is not part of Italian cuisine. They make more money with diverse casts, that's the point, the money and risk argument (i.e., we'll lose money!) does not hold much water.
 
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bhsmte

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Asian Americans are just as much a part of American society as Italian Americans, Asian cuisine is not part of Italian cuisine. They make more money with diverse casts, that's the point, the money and risk argument (i.e., we'll lose money!) does not hold much water.

What you are saying then, is these private investors, are choosing to forgo making more money, so they can not choose asians to be cast in roles?
 
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SummerMadness

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What you are saying then, is these private investors, are choosing to forgo making more money, so they can not choose asians to be cast in roles?
Yes, sometimes people do not optimize to what brings the greatest profits due to biases and preconceived attitudes. Many businesses hire people not based on their abilities, but on their connections, they're not objective automata focused on one thing. Guess what? The film industry is quite subjective and all decisions are not solely based on money.
 
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bhsmte

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Yes, sometimes people do not optimize to what brings the greatest profits due to biases and preconceived attitudes. Many businesses hire people not based on their abilities, but on their connections, they're not objective automata focused on one thing. Guess what? The film industry is quite subjective and all decisions are not solely based on money.

The film industry like many other businesses with private investor money, tend to be risk averse and follow trends that have worked in the past.

I have no desire or need, to tell private investors what specific products they should invest their money in. Of course, I can choose to not consume their products, if I don't like them.
 
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Ironhold

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I don't think any particular field needs to follow the census numbers to the T, but again, the issue not a supply issue. You're using the wrong population to make the argument. You don't simply look at the census numbers, although in terms of entertainment, they use the census because of the desire to have the entertainment world reflect the diversity of the country. Nonetheless, lead roles in film do not reflect diversity of the SAG. You showed a chart arguing that there are not as many Asian Americans going into acting, which is true, but the supply is not the issue, the lack of roles is the issue. When it comes to lead roles, racial minorities receive few of them. And when discussing the roles available to actors, many actors cite that are often non-speaking and/or ethnic/racial stereotypes.

20160123_woc197.png


There are many perfectly competent Asian American actors that are not being given the opportunity to read for roles because they are excluded from the casting process. It doesn't matter if Asian American actors make up X% of the field when they're offered a smaller share of the lead roles.

SAG does not equal the film industry. SAG is basically a giant labor union within the film industry. A labor union that, to be honest, rewards its own and perpetuates its own. You need to look outside of Los Angeles to get a true picture of what's going on in the movie industry.

Animated films? The main hubs for voice acting work are Los Angeles, NYC, Ft. Worth, and Vancouver. Houston is on the rise, and I would imagine that Orlando and Provo (Utah) will be hubs within the next decade.

Live-action ventures? Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, and British Columbia are going to some length to make themselves attractive as filming locations, while Utah is on the rise as well and Florida is likely going to see a boom of its own in due time. What's more, a lot of the growth we're seeing in Texas, Georgia, and Utah is due to independent film studios and niche subsidiaries of the major studios.

Things might be bad now, but there are folks working behind the scenes to correct matters.
 
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SummerMadness

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The film industry like many other businesses with private investor money, tend to be risk averse and follow trends that have worked in the past.

I have no desire or need, to tell private investors what specific products they should invest their money in. Of course, I can choose to not consume their products, if I don't like them.
More power to you, and people are also free to voice their displeasure at the industry's behavior. Considering these people are part of that industry, I don't see why it's a problem for them to be vocal about where money is invested.
 
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SummerMadness

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SAG does not equal the film industry. SAG is basically a giant labor union within the film industry. A labor union that, to be honest, rewards its own and perpetuates its own. You need to look outside of Los Angeles to get a true picture of what's going on in the movie industry.

Animated films? The main hubs for voice acting work are Los Angeles, NYC, Ft. Worth, and Vancouver. Houston is on the rise, and I would imagine that Orlando and Provo (Utah) will be hubs within the next decade.

Live-action ventures? Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, and British Columbia are going to some length to make themselves attractive as filming locations, while Utah is on the rise as well and Florida is likely going to see a boom of its own in due time. What's more, a lot of the growth we're seeing in Texas, Georgia, and Utah is due to independent film studios and niche subsidiaries of the major studios.

Things might be bad now, but there are folks working behind the scenes to correct matters.
I never said the SAG is the film industry, but it represents a snapshot of the industry, why would it not be an estimate of the industry? The SAG is not only in Los Angeles, it has many chapters across the country. From the Wikipedia page, they include: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, New York City, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. Does that mean the SAG is the film industry? Of course not, but it provides a better estimate than looking at population demographics alone.

I don't think things are bad now, but they just could be better. Bad is Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's; nowadays we're seeing more actors like Oscar Isaac being given the opportunity to portray tech CEOs and genocidal supervillains. Years ago, that would not have been possible because someone would argue a Guatemalan man can't play a tech CEO.

My attitude is that we should not look to the past as some litmus test for patting ourselves on the back. The real question is can we do better? The answer is an emphatic yes.
 
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