Bill Maher Whitesplains Hollywood’s Diversity Problem: It’s China’s Fault

[Digital Puppy]

From Deadline:

Hush, hush now Charlotte, Bill Maher has some whitesplaining to do. Hollywood’s diversity problem, said the host on last night’s Real Time With Bill Maher, is the Asians’ fault. “The dirty little secret,” Maher said on his HBO show, “is most movies are made now with an eye to the foreign market, and Asians really are racist.”

When his guests, including Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FLA), reacted with surprise, Maher doubled down. “I’m just honest. They don’t want to see black people generally in their movies. The Hollywood executives are, like, ‘We’re not racist, we just have to pretend to be racists because we’re capitalists. We want to sell our movies in China (and) they don’t like Kevin Hart.’ ”

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Maher said that Hollywood is full of “the biggest liberals in the world, people who said they did not see 12 Years a Slave but they still voted for it because they knew it was the best picture.”

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Maher’s comments came just hours after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its own new rules to encourage diversity.

China? Really Bill? Can't agree when we look at how Furious 7 did in China with a fairly diverse cast and its success overseas.

Full Article Here: http://deadline.com/2016/01/bill-maher-diversity-china-real-time-with-bill-maher-1201688927/

[JustAnotherGen]

1. He's correct

I got accused of being anti Semite in a post where I pointed this out - but he's correct.

We could take a different approach -

Dear China:

Fuck you. This is the real America. Get used to it. It's no longer majority white so you are going to have to get used to seeing the Latinos, Blacks, Indians, and Asians.

Love,

People Who Must Evolve

[randys1]

2. And the producers in Hollywood who care more about profits have to be told

off as well.

[Recursion]

5. IDK. The highest grossing film in history just had a black co-lead

I don't know the numbers for China but it certainly did well in India (which is both very racist and absurdly protective of its own film industry: The Force Awakens was delayed a week so Shah Rukh Khan's epicly bad romcom "Dilwale" could have a week to itself).

I think there's some extent to which studios are still stuck in a 1970s mindset and avoiding perceived risks that aren't even risky anymore.

[JustAnotherGen]

6. Easy Riders and Raging Bulls

I'll probably get accused of ageism - but when that non Studio Era "class" of auteurs dies - there is room for change.

William Goldman's books from the 80's still hold true. The 70's mindset of how you "pick a star" for the movie is still going on.

Notice though - it has to be fantasy/sci fi for it to do well.

The Words - my husband discovered that tiny quiet little movie and he really liked it for a key reason . . .

Race was not an issue. Just Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana and you know what? It worked.

I would be surprised if it was even on DVD in the Asian Markets.

[Recursion]

7. That's a very good point

Notice though - it has to be fantasy/sci fi for it to do well.

True. And among black actors only Morgan Freeman gets roles that aren't specifically "black", in non-fantasy contexts.

[betsuni]

14. I have a little rant, speaking of not evolving.

Here in Japan a new sumo champion was declared yesterday and that's usually big news, but this year very big news because for the first time in ten years the champion hasn't originally come from Mongolia (they all have Japanese citizenship but we are constantly reminded that they aren't really Japanese -- to me they look exactly the same as the Japanese wrestlers so I'd never know if not constantly reminded). The giddy glee that once again Japan has a Japan-born champion, a Real Japanese with the Unique Japanese Fighting Spirit, is a little too "taking back our country" for me.

The sumo championship system is only about a hundred years old and most sumo traditions a couple hundred years old, yet I keep seeing it described as a 2,000 year old sacred tradition. Another invented tradition that most countries have. Whatever, it's not my culture, knock yourself out. But the world will become more international whether anyone likes it or not. Purity never existed.

I was dragged to a sumo practice last summer held on the grounds of a Shinto shrine and we sat in the first row right up against the ring. The whole time I fantasized about touching the dirt inside the magic sumo ring, thus polluting it with my lady germs. Practice would stop, the priest called to purify the ring, everybody would be horrified. It gave me an odd satisfaction that during all the Shinto ceremonies of my father-in-law's funeral, I was ruining the holy purity by sitting there quietly menstruating.

[Number23]

3. Even if what Maher is saying is true -- and I SINCERELY doubt that at it is -- that doesn't explain

or excuse a damn thing.

It's just the latest excuse used by white Hollywood which has never, EVER had a problem ignoring, minimizing or flat out dismissing the stories of people of color and were doing this crap long before the Chinese market was ever a "concern." They don't appear to give the first shit about the Asian market, as garbage like the casting of all-Chinese actresses to depict geishas in Memoirs of a Geisha prove.

The Chinese market didn't have anything to do with why they continue to cast white actors as characters that should be played by people of color -- EVEN ASIAN CHARACTERS. The Chinese market doesn't have a damn thing to do with why even when movies about black folks do somehow MAGICALLY get made, they are overlooked at awards season. And even if the Chinese market was the source of all this crap -- which I don't believe for even a millisecond - there is a huge, big beautiful world out there. Including this continent called Africa which is seeing AMAZING economic growth right now and I have no doubt would love nothing more than to see beautiful black and brown folks in starring roles representing ACTUAL America.

And I know this is all crap because of this crap about the "bleeding heart white liberal" that wants to support black movies that they haven't even seen. When even George Lucas has to fight like hell to get his movie about the Buffalo Soldiers made because movie studios wouldn't back him because of the subject matter, I know Maher is full of all kinds of shit as usual.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. Actually, I think what he is saying is true, but it is simply a piece of the puzzle.

Despite Hollywood's liberal leanings (notice I say leanings), it is still a business and the market will determine what they produce and get behind in terms of projects. Look to the independent media and you will see diversity like you have never seen! Also, though he didn't really go into deeply, the American public is not much better when it comes to minority driven casts or themes. If you were to run a poll in the GD and ask how many people saw non-mainstream/blockbuster shows with minority casts/themes, it might be shocking how many have never seen ones that most members of the affected minority have actually seen. My husband is a huge movie buff and I enjoy them too, but we also watch a number of movies which aren't even remotely tied to our cultures (gay (for us both) and Jewish for me).

The idea that Hollywood is liberal is largely a myth, an image, nothing more. Look at the glass ceiling for women, the glass closet for GLBT, and of course, the "place" for ethnic minorities. While there are certainly improvements, there is a LONG way to go. Hell, look at prime time TV: how many lead characters are ethnic minorities? GLBT? female driven? Non-Christian?

As for your last paragraph, I believe it was 1SBM who came up with the term "benevolent racism" (or the first I really saw in wide use). That is what we see when we have "bleeding heart white liberals" who vote for movies they don't see because "it is the right thing to do." That is almost as bad as outright racism/bigotry, and it once again demonstrates an "appearance of acceptance/celebration of diversity" without actually having to do it!

So while the Asian market is definitely an influence, so is our own and to look past the not-so-obvious racism of movie makers/goers is something which needs to be addressed if we are to ever see real change. There are some incredible voices among our diverse population and their voices need to be given the stage too, otherwise, we will be discussing this for decades to come.

[Number23]

8. That's exactly what I'm saying

The idea that "Hollywood wants to be more diverse but it can't because of the mean old Asian market" doesn't ring the slightest bit true to me and that's because of Hollywood's long, STORIED history of ignoring/minimizing or co-opting minority stories including those of Asian people!

Things have not gotten the slightest bit better. If anything, Hollywood is LESS diverse now in many ways than it was 20 years ago. So the idea that it's the fault of Asian/international markets and not the fault of money-grubbing Hollywood execs that still cling to the myth that minority stories aren't important/don't sell is the only issue to me.

[Behind the Aegis]

9. You may be correct in some respects.

I am more focused on TV, than movies. I will be honest "Star Wars" is the last movie I saw in the theatre; before that, it was something in 2014! I rarely pay close attention to movies coming out because I don't enjoy going to the movies, I'd rather watch them at home. However, as Maher, Gen, and I are saying, is the Asian market does play a vital role, or more precisely, the money it brings. So, again, it all comes down to the green; the only real color that seems to matter. I don't think Maher was saying it was the "fault" of the Asian market, but exactly what you are saying, they (the money grubbers) are being led by the almighty dollar. I saw the entire clip, and I didn't get that he was "faulting" the Asian market but rather saying it was a contributing factor.

How do you feel about the roles in TV? Do you see them as being more diverse than 20 years ago?

[Number23]

10. But the racism and minimizing of people of color that actually means more to them than the green!

I just remember Will Smith fighting tooth and nail to get the lead character in Independence Day. There were hell bent and determined to cast a white actor. I remember Halle Berry fighting to play the role of the "hot" secretary in some horrendous looking Fred Flinstone movie where John Goodman was Fred. The producers of that movie had it decided in their heads "hot" meant blonde and she basically had to beg for them to cast her in this horrendous role in this crappy looking movie. Have you SEEN Halle Berry???! That woman has been stunning her entire life and the idea that she has to "convince" someone to cast her for a role who's only criteria is "hot" is testament to the racism in Hollywood.

Zoe Kravitz, Lenny and Lisa's daughter, has talked about her own experiences and she's supposed to represent 21st century Hollywood, she's new to the game. She is absolutely BREATHTAKING, how could she not be with Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz as her parents?? She has spoken at length about the number of roles she's had to turn down because the people casting her simply could NOT see her past her race, were giving her ghetto roles and making her talk in Ebonics. I don't think that any of the examples I've given are indicative of Hollywood's shameless obsession with money but with the racism that is just entrenched in American media. The only exception would be Will in Independence Day because that was being touted as a blockbuster.

How do you feel about the roles in TV? Do you see them as being more diverse than 20 years ago?

It's really funny because tv is really leading the charge on this! There have always been bigger, better roles for minorities in tv than in movies. I posted a few months ago about a tv show with an Indian-America lead! I am very excited about that. But there is still so much to be done in tv. So it's kind of telling and extremely sad that as bad as tv is, it's running rings around the movie industry right now.

[Behind the Aegis]

11. It well may be.

I think roles for minorities in movies have always be very limiting. It will take start-up companies with minority leads and some forward thinking individuals to start making real changes.

I agree with you on TV roles. "How to Get Away With Murder" is an excellent example of how TV is starting to change in a more positive way, though one could say the characters are all despicable; still a damn fine show! In the "Finding Your Roots" episode with Shonda Rimes, she talks about how she had to go toe to toe with casting agents because she wanted a diverse cast for "Gray's Anatomy". That's the one she produced, I think. I never watched the show (didn't watch ER either). Also, TV doesn't seem to be "set" on certain roles such as "Supergirl." Have you seen it? It's pretty good, but Jimmy Olsen is played by an African-American actor. In the comics, and old TV shows, Jimmy is a geeky, little red-head pencil neck. He sure as hell ain't that in "Supergirl". This is "Jimmy Olsen" now (played by Mehcad Brookes):



Oh, BTW, I don't know if you, there is a "Vixen" cartoon series on-line. I haven't found anything other than the previews, but supposedly there are full web episodes out there.

[Number23]

12. This Vixen??!

There's a tv show about her??? I had no idea! Did they finally give her some damn decent clothes?? Vixen showed up on a couple of episodes of Justice League -- the one from the late 1990s -- and she had the MAJOR hots for Green Lantern. Every time they showed her, I'd be like "why don't they just draw her shirtless and save themselves the 3 seconds it takes them to draw this useless "garment" that's supposed to be covering her?"

Please give me a link!! Thank you so much!! You wouldn't happen to know if Storm has her own show, would you? My five year old LOVES Storm and wants a Storm costume, which as you can imagine, is something that obviously the merchandising world sees no need for judging by the number of Storm costumes I've seen.

[Behind the Aegis]

13. That's the one.

LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!! I hope you can see it, but you may not be able to from your location.

http://www.cwseed.com/shows/vixen/vixen-season-1/?play=24dac429-d147-4492-bbe9-818188019537

I really hope you can see it! I have only watched the first one. I hate watching long things on the computer. I get my husband to project it on the TV (it's nice to be married to a computer guru!!!).

I like Vixen because I love animals and loved the idea of someone who could call upon the power of various animals. B'Wana Beast can do it too.

I don't think Storm has her own web episodes, but my hubbie says in the movie verse, there are talks of a movie with Storm as the primary character (think Wolverine), but it won't be out until 2018...if it happens.

This is out of stock, and too big for 5yo, but....http://www.amazon.com/Girls-X-Men-Storm-Costume-Medium/dp/B003BWX3DA/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8 (that's the newer comic version of Storm). Most of the ones I ever saw (I just looked for a child's version) were adults and heavy on the "sexy" type.

ETA: The origins of Vixen:

[Number23]

15. You are such a sweetheart

I can't believe you actually tried to find my little baby girl a Storm costume. Thank you so much. I am actually tearing up a little bit here. That is so incredibly sweet of you. I am so touched by that.

I'd found the most adorable Storm costume for little girls a few months ago but I've searched for it a few times since and it's gone. I guess it's sold out. Despite being THE most powerful X man, I guess some have decided not to do much in the way of Storm merchandising.

I'm with you. The idea of an ass kicking sister that can transform into throat ripping animals when needed is a hell of a thing. I just wish her costume wasn't so... bosomy! But I know that's the nature of the superhero thing. Males and females are plastered into suits that leave NOTHING to the imagination.