Emma Stone is currently promoting her role in Woody Allen’s Irrational Man, but somehow she ended up answering questions about her last movie, Aloha, which got terrible reviews. As we’ve discussed previously, Emma’s Aloha character was supposed to be a mixed-race (half-Chinese, one-quarter Hawaiian) woman named Allison Ng. Considering Emma’s face looks like a map of Ireland, there was significant backlash against Cameron Crowe, the writer/director, for literally white-washing this character. And for casting only white actors for every major character in the film, of course. It was a big mess and it was much bigger than just Emma. But in this new interview, Emma sort of takes the hit for it.
Emma on the Aloha character: “I’ve become the butt of many jokes. I’ve learned on a macro level about the insane history of whitewashing in Hollywood and how prevalent the problem truly is. It’s ignited a conversation that’s very important.”
Playing the love interest to much older men: “It’s rampant in Hollywood and it’s definitely been that way for a long time, both culturally and in movies… [But Irrational Man] is contingent upon the age difference.”
The flaws in the system: “There’s a lot of conversation about how we want to see people represented on screen and what we need to change as a business to reflect culture in a clearer way and not in an idealized way. There are some flaws in the system…My eyes have been opened in many ways this year.”
I’m going to say that Emma shouldn’t have to take the hit for Aloha. Let’s blame it all on Cameron Crowe, okay? Yes, Emma probably should have said no to the role, but if she had refused it, Crowe would have just cast yet another young, white actress in the role. I will say that Emma is partially to blame for consistently playing the love interest of much older men though – that’s a legitimate pattern in her filmography, just like Jennifer Lawrence’s pattern is playing characters who are at least ten years older than she is in real life. Both are symptoms of the larger problem for Hollywood: even when a screenwriter writes a part for a 30-something or 40-something actress, a 20-something actress is the “default.” Just as the default love interest for any man, regardless of his age, is a 20-something woman.
Meanwhile, at a screening for Irrational Man in NYC yesterday, Woody Allen chatted with People Magazine about how he adores his latest muse, Emma. He said: “Her allure is everything: She’s beautiful, she’s bright, she’s gifted, she’s sexy, she’s intelligent, she can do comedy, she can do serious things, she sings, she dances, she’s a pleasure to work with. I think she’s going to be the biggest female star in America over the next couple years. She’s phenomenal.” I kind of wonder if Emma has eclipsed J-Law as “America’s Girlfriend” at this point.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
Her newest film with Allen is also not getting the greatest of reviews. I’m very curious in what direction her career goes next.
“Not the greatest” is being kind! Also she can rationalize the age difference here…but what about the Allen flop she did with Colin Firth?
Allen’s been no help to his ingenues for years (Johanssen was made a star by Black Widow). Blanchett was a fluke (and an *gasp* older actress!). This fantasy needs to end.
Stone’s review for Irrational Man aren’t good. They said that she is bland
I think it’s because him, DOR and possible Tarantino are pretty much the only American Auteur directors that seem interested in having lead roles for women with any depth.
For an actress it must be pretty hard to say no to such a part. Allen is still booking high profile actress even after his last two films have been rotten for example Kristen Stewart is apparently in his next.
They asked her about Colin too – she didn’t say much, but didn’t rationalize it either:
“And when I did Magic in the Moonlight Colin Firth and I talked about the gap which was huge, absolutely, because he was born the same year as my dad.”
@Dana
and she was okay? I’m sorry but with Aloha and Magic in the moonlight she seems dumb
I think her comments on the age gap with Colin are similar to her comments on the whitewashing in Aloha – she’s playing it safe by saying, “I acknowledge there was an issue here” (either sincerely or to appease the people criticizing those aspects of her films) but not saying anything that might sound like she’s criticizing the material or director.
But “Magic in the moonlight” was a pure delight.
@MaddieH
Yes, a awful delight
@Dana “…she’s playing it safe by saying, “I acknowledge there was an issue here” (either sincerely or to appease the people criticizing those aspects of her films) but not saying anything that might sound like she’s criticizing the material or director.”
Agree completely; this was not her ‘taking a hit for’ anything – but rather a very carefully constructed non-apology-acknowledgement, meant to thoughtfully squash that pesky interview question before it crawled any further up her career skirt.
Belle/Dana
Perfectly stated.
I do blame Stone for Aloha, at least in part. She’s an actress who stays working, she didn’t HAVE to play a half Chinese, qtr Hawaiian role to keep her lights on, ya know? She could have turned it down, or even advocated for an actual mixed race or asian-american actress to play the part.
Also why do we only get one young actress at a time. Its becoming like that thing they do with black leading actors. You get Denzel and only Denzel for 20 years, and that’s it. Well here, you get either jlaw or stone, the paler the better apparently. In fact stone makes lwrence look ethnic. Its bad enough the roles are age inappropriate or ethnic inappropriate – that same actress is in like all the movies. Happened with Anne Hathaway a few years back, happened with charlize early in her career pre monster Oscar. She literally was cast in everything opposite everyone.
@Cleo …only Denzel? What about Will Smith, Forrest Whittaker, Morgan Freeman, Samuel Jackson, Jamie Fox, Mekhi Pfeiffer, Lawrence Fishburne, Jeffrey Wright…?
@MaddieH: I loved Magic in the Moonlight. South of France!
@JFresh: I’m adding Wesley Snipes to your list!
@Liz: I agree.
Mia4s: I know people only pay attention to what is happening in the past couple of years in films, 5yrs tops, but Scarlett J has been a star since 2003 with her breakout, star making role GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, solidified with LOST IN TRANSLATION and Cate Blanchett has been a star since 1997/8 with her breakout, star making role ELIZABETH, solidified with too many roles to mention. They’ve been very consistent with their work and profile since then. They did very good work prior to their breakout roles too.
Perhaps you only became aware of them in recent years, but it is really ridiculous to say ScarJo only became a star with the Marvel universe and or Cate Blanchett, despite her age, is a desperate actress trying to stay relevant. You might as well say GOOP/RDJ became a star only after the marvel universe.
For the record, many actors take Woody Allen films because they seen as a chance to flex acting muscle and an accolade of sorts. It’s considered quite the compliment to work with him. That’s not my opinion. That’s industry opinion.
You might not agree with his personal life and choices, but that is an inescapable fact which is shown by the list of stars of every calibre who want to/have worked with him.
And his films do make money. It might not be franchise money, but no financier is going to invest in a film maker without a return on investment.
@LAK
I don’t thing Mia4s meant they were nobodies before Allen, just that Allen alone is not a star maker.
Yes Scar Jo had memorable roles, but (as with many in HW) her career was in the doldrums with quite a few flops before Black Widow put her back on the map, and introduced her to a much wider audience.
I don’t think Woody Allen gets to choose America’s sweetheart. Proximity to Allen just makes everyone a lot less cute.
Exactly. If I knew Woody Allen was rhapsodizing about my feminine virtues, I would go into hiding. He’s the ultimate creep, in a way that’s not ironic or cute or hipster- he’s an actual pedophile, an actual child molester. It’s not a matter of subverting bougie WASP mores or whatever the f*** he thinks he’s been doing all these years with his boring films.
I completely agree!!!! I hate that high profile people are still willing to work with him. I guess it’s just more convenient for people to forget about his pedophelia.
I don’t respect anyone who appears in a Woody Allen film, especially in light of all that’s been very well publicized in the last couple of years (although I’m old enough to remember the original allegations).
Totally- appearing in a Woody Allen movie torpedoes any like or respect I have for an actor.
Thanks for saying it. His praise for her just felt creepy to me. But good on Emma for taking the hit, she’s big enough to absorb it, in my opinion, and it’s a classy move.
i dont think emma is to blame either, not even for taking the role. im 100% sure that the script description required a caucasian actress. it’s like zoe kravitz said, you cant challenge racism cause minorities dont even see the scripts.
No she’s not responsible for the role but she is to blame for taking the role. I mean Emma Stone is already famous, she has options and didn’t have a gun aimed at her head to play an Asian character. From her interview it sounds like when she took the role and filmed it she didn’t see anything wrong about being White and playing an Asian character. She only realized it was a problem after the trailer came out and Asian-American groups and everyone with a brain took to social media and complained. It’s actually frightening that Emma is that ignorant in 2015, she seemed smarter than that but she was probably blinded by her ambition. I mean at some point in working with custard like Viola Davis she never heard talk about how tough it is for minorities to get roles/white washing/brown face etc?
Sorry original TC, didn’t see your post. You said it better. Lol
Cleo, the more the merrier:) I appreciate the backup and re-emphasis on this point of actors contributing to water washing like actors of old going along with Black and Brown face. Apologies to everyone for my autocorrect fail. Viola Davis is a costar not Custard-stupid phone. LOL.
Seeing scripts is – everyone gets the scripts for the most part. It is incredibly easy to do since most agencies ‘package’ the movies. Meaning screenwriter, director and most of the leads are coming from one agency. Many actors Vera Farmigna one example got her hands on The Departed script and filmed her auditioned. She wasn’t even being looked at for the part. Bradley Cooper has done the same thing prior to his major fame.
Some scripts are limited so only agents grab it and only show it to their A-list actors. Actors turn down roles all the time due to conflicts in scheduling and let the director know they will be happy placing a coffee mug in his next movie.
I look forward to Rooney Mara also doing a Mea Culpa about not knowing she was participating I white washing as she was cast to play the role of Tiger Lily which is understood by all to be a stereotypical Native American character. I’m also disappointed in Christian Bale for being in the last biblical retelling of the Jews flight out of Egypt by Ridley Scott. If big shots start saying no to these roles, executives will take note. And minority actors never get a chance to be famous enough for these roles because they can’t get their foot in the door for the small roles and to build up their career. So it’s easy to say but there are no famous Euro-Asians or North African actors as famous as Stone and Bale for the part.
I’d say she was ignorant. I think she truly didn’t think it would be a problem since the character (whos based off a real live person) is supposed to look white. Hopefully though the controversy has truly opened her eyes.
So a Woody Allen film about a younger woman and an older man. How remarkably new and different! How long until she has an epiphany about Allen, his incessant use of this trope, as a thinly veiled autobiographical reference, like she did about the whitewashing in Aloha?
Exactly, of course this film is “contingent” on that relationship – it’s a Woody Allen movie!
I like most of what she says here and I want to like her in general but I have a knee-jerk negative reaction to anyone that works with Allen.
I don’t dislike her. I’m just saying that she is responding to questions about the role she took in Aloha and its overall impact, while being completely enamored with Allen and ignoring implications with his film, life and allegations. Better to just shut it, while you are ahead.
I used to like her but she’s such a disappointment. If it wasn’t enough she’s supporting Allen, she also always plays with much older men and now this. I though she’d be smarter than this but she just goes with the flow as long as they’re paying her, without trying to change or even challenge the status quo even though she’s one of the few female actresses who is in the position to do so. Sigh. Over her.
If some of you are so outraged by Hollywood why do you keep providing it with material support?
Who was supporting this movie? It absolutely bombed in the box office and was critically panned.
—
Just because another actress would have quickly stepped in to fill her role, doesn’t absolve her of blame. That’s a horrible excuse. She’s a part of young liberal Hollywood but she’s only now informed on the issue of whitewashing? GTFO.
Hollywood for the most part is a very sexist industry. So it surprises me when people who act outraged by how sexist it is still pay to watch movies produced in Hollywood. But I guess if enough people avoid watching the more dubious Hollywood films and watch the less dubious ones instead that would send a price signal to the studios to make less dubious films. But it doesn’t look like happening anytime soon.
@Mispronounced: I was referring to the racism in the industry, and I definitely make it a point to not support movies with known whitewashing. I wasn’t going to watch Aloha anyways, but I didn’t go watch Big Hero 6 because of what they did to the characters.
I like Emma, but to me she has a limited range as an actress from what I’ve seen. She shines in rom-com type roles but when she takes on larger dramatic roles she is rather terrible, like in Birdman. That said I don’t think she should take the hit for Aloha, albeit she not being totally absolved either.
I think she is to blame. Yes, Crow would’ ve hired someone as white as she is, but if she had said it out loud that she was refusing the part because she was disgusted by the whitewashing, the conversation about it would’ ve taken place, and she would’ ve looked better for it.
I am honestly tired of actors not being blames because they are not in charge. They are in charge of their career. It’ s not like whitewashing is such a new thing and no one complains about it! She had to know this was coming, and took the job anyway. I like Emma Stone, but she was either beind dumb in not considering the consequences, or she simply didn’ t care as long as she got payed.
Would you refuse a job so someone else “more deserving” got it?
Yeah exactly.
If I were multimillionaire and I had other possibilities, yes. Which is exactly the situation Emma Stone is in. She is rich, famous, and can choose other projects! If she can refuse the Ghostbusters reboot, she can refuse a Crowe movie! She is not exactly starving for roles!
Maybe she thought the Ghostbusters script was garbage, and the other script sounded better? It would not serve anyone’s career to turn down what they think are quality roles. Anyone’s career eventually takes a downturn, so I can’t blame any young actor (male or female) who works as much as possible in what they think are quality roles. Gotta strike while the iron’s hot.
My point is not that she thought the Ghostbusters movie was bad and refused it and this one was great and took it. My point is that she can afford to refuse a job for whatever reason she may have because, unlike me, she has money and other job possibilities. You asked if I would give up a job if someone else were better at it, and I answered that I would if I were in her situation, which is that she has several job offers and a big bank account so that she could refuse to work if she had a reason: quality of the script, conflicting schedule, she’ s lazy, she has moral problems with the source, there’ s one actor/director in the cast that has done something despicable, whatever, she could say no without risking to starve or lose her house unlike most of us (which you took into the conversation). In the same way other successfull actors (her included) get critisized when they work for Woody Allen, Roman Polansky, Terry Richardson, whoever you want. Actors could refuse to work with them because they are shady. They don’ t do it because “they’ re bleeding art”! And they defend them in public to boot!
Her taking this job means that she either had no freaking clue that playing a non caucasian character was going to bite her (and Crowe) in the ass because it’ s racist (which makes her an ignorant idiot), or she knew and didn’ t give a damn about it! Since I don’ t think she is a complete moron, the only possibility left is that she didn’ t care because her career/wish to do THIS movie was more important, even though she had absolutely no reason, outside of being selfish, to take this job! And if that is the case, then she deserves every piece of critisism possible, because she is to blame exactly like the director!
As I said, I am tired that actors are never blamed for these things, because unless they are literaly starving or are forced, they are contributing to the whitewash. And the fact that they don’ t adress the problem until the backlash, means that they are hypochrite and SHOULD be called into question!
“Maybe she thought the Ghostbusters script was garbage, and the other script sounded better?”
The Ghostbusters script & any and all other scripts she read during this time period must have been horrifically bad if Aloha seemed like a good choice, considering how it’s been universally trashed and as the Sony leak showed us, even before its release, Sony execs were lamenting what a piece of crap it was, including gems like, “I’m never starting a movie again when the script is ridiculous, and we all know it.”
Yeah, I don’t think it’s fair to distill this woman to either being an ignorant idiot or selfish. Chances are she’s just trying to build a successful career. I also don’t think having a Caucasian actor portray a half-Caucasian character is necessarily “racist”, as others have stated elsewhere in this thread, there are people who are half Caucasian and half of another ethnicity, such as Native American or whatever, who look fully Caucasian.
Oh sure, just a lost young girl trying to make a living in big scary Hollywood… lol. Veery few actresses in her age bracket get the opportunities she gets. She was just greedy.
Also, the character she played was not half-Caucasian .
It’s true that Emma’s entire career is sadly based on playing a young lover of older men but would she be as famous and successful if she refused to do it? Or would we all remember her as that girl who had a chance at a big career after a few comedy hits years ago and blew it? One thing I learned from the Sony hacks is that it’s not as easy for an actress to say no to a role as I previously thought. Even the famous one. One decision can just destroy everything like a domino and it’s much easier for a woman to get blacklisted in the eyes of studio executives forever than for a man, because they think all actresses are replaceable. I mostly blame studios, producers and directors for this awful trend.
On point. It’s problematic of actors to take these kind of roles, but let’s be real—a lot of them are going to be seen as “trouble” by their agency and other big players if they turn down big roles with acclaimed directors unless they are on Cate Blanchett’s level. The big bad are the studios which keep going “sure, let’s cast a 24 year old opposite a 45 year old or let’s cast Emma Stone as a hapa women.” I’m tired of seeing Emma dragged (while her male co-stars get a pass, of course, even if they aren’t to blame either) by some blogs (cough cough the cesspool that is ONTD)/commenters when the real culprit are the studios. I just read a post on Buzzfeed a few days ago that seemed to somewhat drag Emma for doing films with an age difference and not Joaquin/Bradley/Colin (her male co-stars).
I’m not denying that it is kind of problematic or saying that the actors themselves are blameless, but it’s bizarre to me that more media sources don’t call out the studios (and certain directors who are powerful enough to cast whoever they want) which shoulder 95% of the blame for this type of age gap/race issue. But names get headlines and clicks, I guess.
Sorry for the rant, but I like Emma and so I’ve been reading the press and I’ve noticed this trend lately.
I am with you on this. I don’t think Emma was in a position to say no to Woody Allen, but Colin Firth and Joaquin Phoenix sure are.
@INeedaNap
Yeah, I still side-eye her a bit but I really dislike that a few places seem to shove a lot of the blame on her for something like the Cameron Crowe film rather than…Sony pictures. When you read those emails, they had a lot of objections about the film but not one of those studio executives paused and thought about her not being hapa. However, Emma Stone gets hits and we love to pile on celebs…and studio names don’t. Also, that drove me nuts that ONTD was dragging her and not one peep about Joaquin or Colin rme (should have expected it though). Not that I really hold them responsible (instead of the studios) in the first place even if it is problematic, but still….
I think all 3 of them are in a position to turn down a Woody Allen film if they don’t want to do it, or have some moral objection to working with him.
Emma ‘s recent choices, including working with Woody again post-Dylan Farrow’s allegations, are probably mostly motivated by a desire to work with prestigious directors and the benefits associated with starring in their critically acclaimed films.
However, unlike Colin and Joaquin, who already have long, prestigious careers of their own and really would not have been sacrificing anything by passing on these roles, Emma is still hungry for “street-cred” and looking to spruce up a mostly lackluster filmography.
Unfortunately, that’s not working out too well thus far as Crowe lost it a long time ago, Woody’s movies are pretty hit-or-miss, & both of Emma’s movies with him look like misses. Though Birdman worked out for her, so there’s that.
I can almost guarantee that her people are telling her to strike while the iron is hot, and take any decent work that comes her way. She won’t be the ingenue forever, and very few actresses have the longevity of a Meryl Streep or Cate Blanchette. She’s just not in a position to say no…I tend to judge young actresses less harshly, as they have nowhere near the control over their career that people assume they do.
Unless I missed it the rôle wasn’t written specifically for her and I don’t think Cameron Crowe went to her directly and dropped it on her lap. She had the option not to chase the role just like not all famous actors did Black face.
Also Zoe Saldona is another one who took a role that was white washing a historical Black woman famous for being proud of her very African features which were regarded as ugly by white media of the time. Zoe had to wear prostheses and darken her skin. This is an indie with a small budget and Zoe is more powerful than the director. She refused to not do the role even when family members and Black fans objected. Because a potential Oscar nomination is more important than an entire race of people. So sorry not buying these excuses because Emma is clearly choosing directors who are the go-to for showing you are ready for your Oscar.
Div, I agree with you. I find Stone the most interesting and talented young actress of the moment. As for Cate Blanchett, she is an exceptional talent, and her interpretation in Blue Jasmine was truly oscar-deserving, even though I personally found the film very disagreeable.
I totally agree with you guys. It has always seemed like Emma was very career focused and genuinely wants to work and work with esteemed directors. To me that says she plans to be around for awhile. They way her schedule has been the last few years, she would have had to sign on to movies way in advance. I feel like now, post-Oscar nom, Emma probably has a little more power to say no to certain things. I can’t fault her for these movies b/c she probably signed onto them over a year or so ago.
We’ll see if she tries to mix things up with future roles. I hope so. I really like her.
You hit the nail on the head. Even an actress like JLaw has to tip toe around some of these minefields in Hollywood so I’m not surprised with Emma either. It takes a lot less for a female to be seen as “difficult” in the industry culture and the blacklist will quickly follow. Esp directors like DOR, Woody Allen, etc would very quickly destroy them if they don’t get what they want. So they go with it and hope that the work turns out great critically so they can move on to accept/reject project without the pressure.
As someone who is mixed race (english and filipino) but looks very white, I do feel a little insulted by the backlash her casting caused. Obviously, they could have cast a mixed raced actress with a white phenotype but it’s not like people like Alison Ng don’t exist.
The whole point of the character was that she looked white and people didn’t recognise her as mixed.
They could have hired someone like Kristen Kruek who looks white for the most part but is actually half Asian and just dyed her hair red (since I’ve heard that apparently the real Allison Ng had red hair). Or gotten an actress that looks like Alexa Chung, another person of Asian/White ancestry that doesn’t look very Asian. There were options, it’s just that Crowe and his team didn’t bother to try and find someone that fit even partially the actual racial make up of Ng.
I was going to point out that she is playing a real person who was mixed and looked very white, but then I read your comment and thought, yes, they very well could have cast an actress with some Asian heritage. Like, I’m not a big fan necessarily, but the character Skye on Agents of Shield is half-Asian, and so is the actress who plays her.
At any rate, I’m not sure Emma is to blame for being cast, unless she thinks she shouldn’t have sought the role. She didn’t write the role or cast it.
I think this is an issue that should be addressed to give ALL actresses a chance, beyond the “we need bankable box office star X or Y” for every single role no matter how off the casting may be.
With regard to the real-life Captain that Stone played, I just looked this up and found that according to WIKI (don’t know how accurate Wiki is of course): “In June 2015, Crowe responded to the backlash: “I have heard your words and your disappointment, and I offer you a heart-felt apology to all who felt this was an odd or misguided casting choice. As far back as 2007, Captain Allison Ng was written to be a super-proud ¼ Hawaiian who was frustrated that, by all outward appearances, she looked nothing like one. A half-Chinese father was meant to show the surprising mix of cultures often prevalent in Hawaii. Extremely proud of her unlikely heritage, she feels personally compelled to over-explain every chance she gets. The character was based on a real-life, red-headed local who did just that.”[31] [32]” “
Most of us acknowledge that there are plenty of white-passing mixed race folks. But why tell this story? He had an opportunity to tell the story of a woman who looked different than most of Hollywood, and instead defaulted to white-passing, business as usual.
There’s always an explanation for why the female characters are young, hot, and white. But the rest of us have an explanation for existing too.
I am a white passing mixed Indian. I want to see my story told. Everyone always dismisses me because I am not a woman of ‘color’ but I have government CDIB card (yeah we are the only minorities in US who receive a government card vertifying us.) But skin tone is white but I am mixed race. I never see this facet addressed in movies…. American Indians are never included in the minority conversations during casting discussions. On the this website it seems as if the only minority is black. And maybe a rare Asian thrown in…
You’re talking about a minority. Most “hapas” or “euroasians” do not look like Alexa Chung (and even she looked more “ethnic” in her younger years). Most look like the kate + 8 kids.
I mean,there are black/white mixes who look completely white as well but that’s not the point.
Minorities already have it hard so why the hell not give the chance to an actual biracial actress instead of Emma who is fully white? Why not give the opportunity to someone new who could use the money and visibility? Like how do you not see the point? ….
@hmph very good points, I agree that it would of been great to have seen a biracial actress have such an opportunity.
I’m mixed too , Hawaiian and Latina and white. The character was not described as white looking, she was described as mixed with red hair. Making a film about Hawaii, naming it aloha, then white washing the cast completely so that it looks like it’s set in Beverly hills with some party city luau supplies to “exoticize” it up is really offensive, considering the fact there are Polynesian actresses out there who not only fit the ethnic profile, but the cultural profile as well.
Respectfully, do you not see a problem with the inconsistency of these terms: “Hawaiian”, “Latina” and “white”? They are not congruent. Two are ethnic groups and one is a (so-called) race. It’s your personal business how you identify an describe yourself, but I have to point this out because it draws attention to the confusion inherent in this whole discussion.
JFresh: Latinos are an ethnic group only in United States. I’m from Brazil and I’m White very White, my ancestors came from the Latin countries of Europe. There’s no way I can be labeled Latina but I do abuse this label when it benefits me somehow otherwise no way I am Latina.
@Cassie Appreciate your honesty. That’s kind of what I mean. These labels can obfuscate as much or even more than they accurately represent something that is consistent.
At the end of the day I am glad that this discussion has been opened up. It’s just that most of the points made have been either totally off the mark or pretty disingenuous IMO. People are using it as a chance to vent tangentially related frustrations. Oh well.
white is a common term used to explain western european too.
JFresh, it’s unnecessary to try to explain the social constructs of race to me I’m responding to someone who self-identified as white and filipino. I responded back in kind, because I understand what she means by “white” and “non-white” in this context and wanted to explain that I’m coming from a similar background but with a different conclusion than hers.
My point is not off the mark or disingenuous, it’s grounded in the history of film making as it relates to Polynesian portrayals of femininity. There is a template that Hollywood works off with certain ethnicities, and Polynesians are sort of stuffed into the dual “Indian maiden/Indian squaw” portrayals that Native Americans find themselves in. The maidens are usually played by Western European women with a tan or dark wig, or by Asians. The squaws? Usually portrayed by blacks, like Juanita Hall did as BLoody Mary in “South Pacific.”
It’s very offensive to see these inherently racist dualities play out in film, both for the indigenous groups portrayed, as well as for other groups who are slotted to do the portraying, not to mention sexist because usually the “maiden” roles are used for purely passively sexual purposes.
Emma Stone is simply part of a legacy in that regard, in terms of whitewashing a multi-ethnic character. I don’t blame her for it actually, that’s on the higher ups, but it there are larger implications when these same choices in film are made again and again over the decades. It’s not just something that happens on a whim, there’s history and precedence there for why it happens.
As for using the term latina, I have no problem identifying myself as such, but chicano would be more specific as well.
@conchitaa You are right. Hence yet another definition is possible to interpret from that word, this one about nationality or more precisely, region. And if we look closely at that, it is as lacey as Swiss cheese in terms of being a reliable, consistent or accurate– or dare I say scientific– descriptor.
@nina Thank you for your reply. I didn’t think your response was disingenuous. I am still trying to parse what you’re sharing, so please bear with me. I admit I have a lot to learn here. I guess this movie has brought up ghosts from the past if you will. I didn’t see this film/Emma’s casting as fitting in to that legacy as you called it, but I see now that probably it inevitably does. Your other comments about how the portrayal of certain groups have been written and cast are interesting as well. I appreciate you explaining these things, my thoughts have a slightly different direction now.
(The comments that I thought were disingenuous are those expressing insistence that Emma should not have taken the role. Or that if a commenter was in her shoes they would not have taken it. Immature, hypothetical moralizing that is not based in reality, or judgmental finger pointing that just goes too far. I’ve seen these comments in various places in the media…not just here. So I was referring to the larger trend as I have seen it, not to your comment, sorry if it seemed off base/randomly accusing.)
It doesn’t sound like she’s taking the blame, just acknowledging the problem which is good. The blame is on Crowe, but i think it’s important for her(and actors in the same position) to understand the history of whitewashing and her privledge within it. At least she’s not dismissive like most and took the time to understand the problem.
She’s not even close to JLaws popularity level, especially with guys and teenagers. I personally used to like her so much when she was in “Superbad” and “Easy A”, but I’m not that enamored with her anymore. She doesn’t really pick interesting roles anymore, seems a bit fake in interviews and looks terribly thin and older than her age.
Emma played a teenager in Superbad and Easy A. She can’t play that anymore. The only roles she’s being offered is the ingénue. She wants to work. What can she do?
Probably my Emma bias talking but I agree with you.
I want her to do well but I don’t hold out much hope for her new film and I really wish she would work with that turd Woody Allen.
I think JLaw’s choice to play older characters is pretty understandable. She get roles with substance, and that is rarely found in younger female characters. That being said, she clearly takes roles that are more in line with her age when they are of substance. But who would pass on the characters she gets to play to be the 20 something live interest of a male character role that many other of her peers are stuck with?
Yeah, people always go why does she want to play these older characters…well there aren’t that many richly written characters for women in the first place. JLaw’s choices make sense in context with the roles that are out there. Joy looks so so to me, but it looks like a strong female character.
Plus her characters get aged down. SLP was rewritten to reflect her age. Her AH character was switched with Amy’s. The major part of the Joy movie is during her mid to late 20s. So its not like she personally takes roles where in the movie she is supposed to be in her 40s. The only part she’s actually taken where the person was in their 40s is SLP
Her characters are aged down and the stories are often rewritten to fit her in the role. It’s why DOR’s friendship with her was one of the best things for her career. It’s the unfortunate reality about hollywood and why Jlaw is seen as an anomaly. She’s really the only one of her generation that is allowed to do what she does, ie play interesting female characters. As much as I dislike DOR, I have to give him credit for backing a movie with a female lead and for regularly writing interesting female characters in his movies.
If it gets people excited and hollywood wants to keep repeating the ‘formula’ then by golly I hope it happens.
I’m so glad you (and the commenters to your post) pointed this out; I feel like I write it every time there is a “JLaw plays too old” post.
Yes, she absolutely plays parts that should be women in their 30s! Because those are the only parts that are lead, complex, and meaty. If she decided that she was only going to play roles that were meant to be 23-27 year old women, she’d be playing Mystique and…? What other role out there is comparable to “Joy” and is a 25 year old woman? The problem isn’t Jlaw’s choices, the problem is that Hollywood only makes a handful of movies starring women- she’s the biggest movie star in Hollywood, so what are her age-appropriate options?
Maybe if white Hollywood takes a moment to educate themselves and speak up on the whitewashing it will affect a change. No she isn’t to blame for Cameron Crowe or any other directors casting decision but she directly benefits from the racist system.
It’s the director and studios to blame for failing to hire people of colour. Her character was intended to be mixed race but look white so everyone would side eye her when she talked about her heritage making her really defensive, that would have worked and been fine if the rest of the characters were representative of the locality rather than all white!!!!!
Hollywood has a major whitewashing problem, I see more black/brown people in my very white country than in many movies, that’s astounding when you consider how many Americans (where these movies are based) are not white. If they do put non white characters in they’re often the one token or some weird stereotype.
It’s reflective of the very rich white areas where the people writing/producing these films were raised and live. They can’t imagine anybody not white or poor (including poor white) who is not a stereotype because they’ve so little exposure to them in real life.
Yes to everything you said.
Also I was just reading an interview with Guillermo del Toro in which it was said that the reason “Pacific Rim” did great at the BO around the world it was because the characters were really diverse, so people felt represented in the movie.
Poor Emma. Magic In the Moonlight was a flop, Aloha was a flop and The Irrational Man has only 42 on Rotten Tomatoes. BTW Allen said the same things about Scarlett Johansson 10 years ago
Yep. She does not put bums on seats.
I hope she does another Lip Sync Battle. That would excite me more than another flat movie role.
I hope at some point she at least questioned why she was being considered for a character that was Chinese and Hawaiian, but I think it’s on Crowe and whoever else cast and produced it.
The choice to continue working with Woody Alan, however, is on her.
This has been addressed. The real person she depicted didn’t look Asian, and I believe it was a source of frustration to her to not have her background recognized. This is not uncommon. One of my closest friends is 1/2 Japanese and as an adult she looks completely Caucasian to most people, including other Asians.
+1
If it’s part of the character’s story, that at least makes some sense then.
Jlaw is America’s sweetheart not girlfriend
Maybe mainstream America’s sweetheart.
Nah, Taylor Swift is American’s sweetheart. Jlaw is like the crazy, awkward auntie that you can only take in small doses!
No, sorry. Swift isn’t America sweetheart while Lawrence is labelled in this way since 2013
I disagree. Look at the influence Taylor Swift has. 50 million followers on twitter. There’s been a bit of a backlash against Jlaw. She annoys a lot of people because she puts on an awkward and unfiltered act when she is obviously a smart and very confident young woman. Taylor went from annoying everybody to gradually and begrudgingly getting people’s respect. When you start out at the top like Jlaw did then the only direction you can go is down. I’m not even Swiftie’s biggest fan and i have to give her props for the changing opinion about her.
@G
Also Kim Kadarshan has millions of followers on twitter, is she America’s sweetheart?This isn’t a good comparison because JLaw hasn’t twitter. Sorry but media has never labelled Swift like America’s sweetheart. I know that you aren’t a Lawrence fan but the reality is this. And Lawrence hadn’t a backlash BTW
Nobody can touch Taylor Swift. Nobody has influence like musicians and pop stars because they reach a much bigger audience than actors. I’m saying this as an impartial observer of both. It’s no skin off my nose if Jlaw is America’s sweetheart – i v much doubt it’s a label she wants. She probably was when she won the oscar for SLP. But now, it’s Taylor who is Miss America!
and like it or not Kim K does have a lot of influence. She is much too controversial to be America’s sweetheart though.
@G
OMG influence and be America’s sweetheart is different things! It’s so clar that JLaw is America’s sweetheart (or National Treasure like some media write) not Swift.
haha…I second this….treasure is such a far fetched title to describe JLaw
Look, I like Emma Stone I think she is a good ( though not great) actress but there is NO way that Stone could eclipse Jennifer Lawrence in any way, shape or form. As noted above, Stone isn’t anywhere NEAR the level of popularity or critical acclaim that Jennifer Lawrence is. As for taking the hit for the dreck that was Aloha, Stone deserves to take some but not all of the responsibility.
I also don’t think having Woody Allen as an ally is a plus these days, either.
+10000000
While it is true that they would have cast someone else it does not excuse her. doing the right thing is not easy and most of the time you will have to sacrifice something, otherwise everyone would be doing it. you will alienate people and will suffer financially and professionally. you’ll have to make the decision wahts more important: doing the right thing and help less privilieged people or have a huge career, you wont have both.
Agreed – obviously the casting director and studio are to blame, but she could have easily turned down the role.
“I kind of wonder if Emma has eclipsed J-Law as “America’s Girlfriend” at this point.” LMAO No
@Kitty: Agreed. I mean…c’mon. (LOL!).
She needs the blog support so she apologized
Yep Emma is FAR more obsessed with her image on the blogosphere than people realise.
” I kind of wonder if Emma has eclipsed J-Law as “America’s Girlfriend” at this point.”
Actually Lawrence has eclipsed Stone since the fist Hunger Games came out. Before was only Stone the funny girl but now Lawrence is the biggest female sctress in the world
I don’t think Emma wants to be the biggest female star in the world. She always looks anxious when paparazzi are following her.
Yes, I think she’s happy not being as famous as Jennifer. She’s talked about having terrible anxiety and panic attacks.
Also Lawrence has anxiety problems but she’s the biggest female star in the world. You must to have something special to become this and Stone unfortunately hasn’t it. Her movies are mostly critical flops (Aloha, 2 Allen’s movies, Spider Man). She was in a better position before Lawrence arrived with the first Hunger Games
Jennifer Lawrence is the most confident person in any room. Even Piers Morgan talked about how confident she was at such a young age when he saw her in person at the Oscars.
@G
Yes but she has anxiety problems. She had medications when she was a child and at the Cathing Fire press tour she went to the hospital because of anxiety
She said it was a dodgy stomach in interviews.
SHe might have had anxiety when younger but sorry, i just don’t buy that she has any issues with it now. Anxiety comes from lack of confidence and worry. I just don’t get that vibe from her. I feel like she would have taken a break from the spotlight if it was hard for her.
@G
are you her doctor? No so you don’t know nothing
She does suffer from anxiety its quite obvious. Wringing her hands, getting flustered during interviews, going blank often in interviews, etc.
And @G just because she seems confident doesn’t mean she doesn’t mean she doesn’t have anxiety issues. I see it all the time where I work (psychiatric center) it can be a coping mechanism.
Is this really a competition about who has worse anxiety? It’s pretty clear Stone doesn’t want to be the biggest star in world. She’s doing small films and Broadway instead of something like Ghostbusters. Her last few films may not have been huge hits but she’s not exactly hurting for work.
In my experience, it’s true that people can be BOTH very confident and highly anxious. It is unexpected, but it happens.
@Nives Once again, agree to disagree, yeah?
“the biggest female star in America over the next couple years?” No. Apart from Birdman her movies are critical flop (Aloha,Magic in the Moonlight, Irrational Man, Spider Man….). She is a good actress but she hasn’t the quality to be the biggest star
if Lindsay Lohan didn’t throw her life/career as she did, i wonder where Emma’s career in hollywood would be currently. they’re only 2 years apart. Lindsay Lohan was so beautiful. could act. had better body.
Allen has a big problem with his American audience and his American films. At least since his somewhat “comeback” with Match Point. This has been a conversation subject with my friends for a few years now. He seems to do great, critically claimed films but only when in Europe while his movies filmed in America not so much. (With the exception of Blue Jasmin)
Given the negative coverage of his personal life, perhaps he’s lost his confidence with American audiences. Can you blame him?
I do think the director is to blame because he wanted an almost entirely, white cast in Hawaii. He could have hired a half Asian woman that looked white. In fact I question why he wanted an Asian girl who looked white when the rest of the cast was white. Asians and other pocs have trouble finding work this is just another example of Hollywood not getting it.
Ew. Woody Allen liking you should be the kiss of death in Hollywood. The man is a straight up pervert. It’s amazing what people will tolerate in someone who is talented and has made a lot of people a lot of money.
Yes, but surely for many of us the pervert factor now eclipses the talent, unfortunately. They just end up looking bad by association.
It must be awful for these young actresses to frequently be offered these boring roles as the old/er men love interest. It not like they have that many options.
Meh.
Reminds me of that episode of Chappelle show
“The Last n***a on Earth…starring Tom Hanks”
So true.
Better yet why is every American made white starring movie set in Asia about a white dude fetishizing some Asian women, or coming to Asia and out-Asianing the Asians!
I totally believe if these films were critical and/or commercial hits, there will be no conversation.
Also, where are the constant questions to Cameron Crowe and the total stupidity in doing this. Another coddled director who is resting on the acclaim of work from 30 years ago.
question- just for my own reference, does anyone have a photo of what Allison Ng looks like in real life?
No, some of the blame is definitely due to her. She is a large enough name that she cN afford to be choosy with her roles at least somewhat. Bottom line if she saw a problem with this she could have declined it. The fact that she didn’t says a lot.
I will forever NOT be a fan of anyone who works with that sleeze, Woody Allen. I used to really like Emma Stone, Colin Firth, Joaquin Phoenix. Oh well. . . I’m not going to avoid movies with them in it, but I’ll no longer see a movie just because they happen to be in it.
This girl gets so many passes for being a mediocre, marginally talented 0 sex appeal basic chick….. Fuck her for taking these roles, working with rapists and being generally clueless twit…. If this were AA woman working with and or defending Cosby ( physician ) ( who’s dead wrong also) she would be excoriated…. She is white and perky and so oh whatever I guess , sellout … Have a seat!
How idiotic, insular and self absorbed AND ignorant (urban and Oxford dictionaries) is Emma that she didn’t realise there is a rampant culture of whitewashing in hollywood?
Does she have no film history knowledge? One doesn’t have to be a film nerd to see it. Some of the most famous film, beloved of the public, have horrible cultural and racial stereotypes as played by white actors. From Alec Guinness’s A PASSAGE TO INDIA to Mickey Rourney in BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’s.
How stupid do you have to be NOT to realise that the character you are playing is supposed to be half chinese/quarter Hawaiian and a surname Ng, based on a real life person. Did she do no research on this part?
Yes, this particular problem belongs to Cameron Crowe who should be rightly pilloried, but Emma is contributing to the problem and she just outed herself as an idiot whose career matters more than being right.
If there had been no backlash, would she have bothered to educate herself?
As my american friends say, B please!!
She knew what she was doing when she took this role, she just a didN’t care, and was willfully ignorant as to whether anyone else would find it troubling. She had said in an Ellen interview that she and Cameron had been trying to find a project at some point that they could do together. This ended up being the project they found. She was desperate to work with him. She didn’t think twice. Or she didn’t think at all, rather. And honestly, she’s not taking the blame at all here or apologizing. Not saying it’s ALL her fault, but it is partly her fault. She’s only responding now because she’s been getting such negative feedback from everywhere, and she’s trying to save face now because it’s not going away. This sounds like a PR-coached response to look like she’s aware, but also excusing herself with that quote about how her character is supposed to look white. But hey! This is a better response than she gave on the red carpet when she told people to see the movie first, and then form an opinion. Lazy. I used to love her so much, but these last few months, she’s just become so irritating and annoying.