A thread for discussing representation and diversity in all kinds of media. This covers creators and casting decisions as well as characters and in-universe discussions.
Historical works and decisions are in-scope as well, not just recent news.
Please put any spoilers behind tags and clearly state which work(s) they apply to.
This week, producer Ross Putnam started a Twitter account called "femscriptintros
", where he puts up examples of how women are introduced in the screenplays he's read. And nearly all of sound like terrible porn or are too concerned with emphasizing said lady is beautiful despite whatever traits she may have. Here's a Take Two podcast made today where he talks about it.
(Edited April 19 2024 to add mod pinned post)
Edited by Mrph1 on Apr 19th 2024 at 11:45:51 AM
Stage Names has more information on that. While there can be a racism component, it's often done to prevent an incongruity between your name and your appearance/nationality. James Rodriguez said he was recommended to change his name because it would put him on the short list for Hispanic characters but he doesn't particularly look Hispanic, which would harm almost any audition he goes to. While you can say it is offensive to someones' heritage, actors in general have to go through a lot of scrutiny and a name on a list goes a long way.
Do you not know that in the service one must always choose the lesser of two weevils!
Not a cat
Chloe Bennet (also mentioned a few posts up) said something similar that she was encouraged to go from Chloe Wang, to Chloe Bennet (I think a stepfather's name?) because the name Chloe Wang meant producers would know right off the bat she's part Asian, and not have her in mind for auditions who might be looking for "white" actors, and the Asian roles she could audition for, she'd get passed over because she doesn't look Asian (honestly, the first time I saw Chloe Bennet, I assumed she was Hispanic).
If I had a nickel for every film where Emma Stone falls off a balcony... I'd only have two nickels, but weird that there's two of them.
I expected to read a lot of things today but what I didn't expect was "Forcing ethnic actors to adopt white names so they will get any kind of role is racist but fine and actors should suck it up". What a world we live in.
"All you Fascists bound to lose."
Not a cat
Honestly, it always surprised me that Mayim Bialik was never encouraged to use a stage name.
I can never remember how to pronounce her name.
If I had a nickel for every film where Emma Stone falls off a balcony... I'd only have two nickels, but weird that there's two of them.
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Oy yeah. Actors should be held to high standards, but caucasifying their names to be more 'palatable' is not it.
We don't know that she was never asked to use one, but she also started as a child actor, which could have affected it (parents might've objected, they don't care as much for kid actors, etc). I imagine once she got her doctorate it was just like, might as well keep it the same everywhere for consistency.
As an Asian who knows what mixed white Asians tend to look like, Chloe Bennet looks very much like a mixed white Asian to me, but I know that's not common knowledge in the west.
Edited by Synchronicity on Apr 5th 2021 at 6:11:01 AM
Yeah, I remember reading a couple years ago about how Martin Sheen to this day regrets becoming famous under a stage name rather than his real one (Ramon Estevez).
Youn Yuh-jung Won a SAG Award for Her Work in Minari!
And at last night’s Screen Actors Guild awards, actress Youn Yuh-jung took home the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for her work as Soon-Ja in Minari. Bringing to life Soon-Ja couldn’t have been easy, but Youn Yuh-jung brought an ease and love to this Mountain Dew-loving grandmother in a beautifully earnest way. Her performance, in the midst of a wonderful story, is something that really did stick with me long after the movie was over, and I’m so happy she’s getting the recognition she deserves for her work in the Lee Isaac Chung film.
“I don’t know how to describe my feelings. I’m being recognized by Westerners,” Youn Yuh-jung exclaimed when Henry Golding announced her win before going on to thank her fellow actors and members of SAG for voting for her to win.
Not a cat
Joss Whedon threatened to kill Gal Gadot's career if she didn't comply with certain things.
Boy, that online Firefly reunion coming later this month is gonna be awkward.
If I had a nickel for every film where Emma Stone falls off a balcony... I'd only have two nickels, but weird that there's two of them.
Disasturbator
Its going to be just Joss in empty room with a bunch of cardboard cut-outs
New theme music also a box
Nah, Adam Baldwin will show up and they can complain about whiny entitled people or some such.
Not a cat
Joss Whedon won't be at this reunion, as it's just some of the cast members, but I do feel tricky questions about Joss may come up.
If I had a nickel for every film where Emma Stone falls off a balcony... I'd only have two nickels, but weird that there's two of them.
Goku Black
Feel bad for the cast. Going to be awkward
"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
Disasturbator
Very,and there's probably even more stories yet to come out
New theme music also a box
Lewis Tan talks about his career so far.
Lewis Tan (who is half-Chinese and half-white British) is starring in the upcoming Mortal Kombat (2021).
“It’s a huge moment for representation for Asian people, for Asian kids,” says Tan. And in terms of his own career, it’s been a long time coming. “All the shit that I’ve been through led to me getting to this point. When I say ‘all the shit I’ve been through,’ I mean roles I’ve gotten close to and lost because the studio just couldn’t see an Asian guy being the lead yet.”
Edited by Synchronicity on Apr 6th 2021 at 5:39:44 AM
Oh, bother.
x7 Joss Whedon's a pretty shit human being isn't he.
I'm not insane, I'm not… not insane!
Hopefully the film won't make histoiry in all the wrong ways like MK Annihilation did. >.>
x3 - I like Tan's hustle. A lot. This is a guy who went out of his way to get his name out there, show off demo reels of fight scenes, and acting to get social media support for roles. He has to work twice as hard for exactly the reason the article said, a lot of people see an Asian man and don't think he can be a lead in a Western show.
That being said, everything the director of Mortal Kombat (2021) has been saying has made me side-eye it.
Indeed, Lewis Tan is awesome to be wasted in a OC that probably going to be hated by fans. Really hope Cole ends being a canon character all along, or the character ends being great, so that the backlash of said character doesn't affect his career.
I think Ryan Potter is in a similar boat (hapa martial artist, campaigned to play Robin, etc). I like him and I think he's talented but I don't want to watch Titans (2018) 
‘Kung Fu’ Debuts Strong, Hits The CW’s Highest Wednesday Viewership In 7 Years.
The reboot debuted to the tune of 1.4 million total viewers and a 0.2 in the 18-49 demographic.
In addition, Kung Fu delivered The CW’s largest audience in the time period in two and half years since Riverdale in October 2018 (0.1, 530,000).
This continues ratings traction for The CW as Kung Fu is the third best premiere of the season including returning series following the debuts of Walker and Superman & Lois. Following Kung Fu, Nancy Drew (0.1, 666,000) delivered its largest audience of the season and its best since December 11, 2019.
Last night was The CW’s best Wednesday night since April 22, 2020.
Written by Christina M. Kim and inspired by the original series created by Ed Spielman, the new Kung Fu reboot follows a young Chinese American woman Nicky (Olivia Liang), whose quarter-life crisis causes her to drop out of college and go on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. But when she returns to San Francisco, she finds her hometown is overrun with crime and corruption and her own parents Jin (Tzi Ma) and Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan) are at the mercy of a powerful Triad. Nicky will rely on her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community and bring criminals to justice…all while searching for the ruthless assassin who killed her Shaolin mentor Pei-Ling (Vanessa Kai) and is now targeting her.
Edited by windleopard on Apr 8th 2021 at 4:10:44 AM
Goku Black
Way to go. Sounds a sleeper hit.
"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
African-American actress, Renee Elise Goldsberry, has joined the cast of Disney+'s She-Hulk.
https://www.themarysue.com/she-hulk-gains-renee-elise-goldsberry/
Jordan Fite has been cast as Aiyon the Gold Ranger in Power Rangers Dino Fury. This marks the first time we've had two Rangers played by black actors on the same roster (the Red Ranger Zayto is also played by a black actor).
He is also the first black Sixth Ranger.
She may have just accepted it since she was just starting out at the time.
I wonder if "Thandie" being a bit more "white-friendly" than "Thandiwe" played a role — it's common for minority creators to change more 'ethnic sounding' names. Ben Kingsley, Chloe Bennet, James Roday Rodriguez (who just recently went back to using 'Rodriguez') come to mind.
Edited by Synchronicity on Apr 5th 2021 at 2:24:05 PM