cherita :: a tumblelog

The Hunger Games' original casting call for Katniss: actress aged 15-20, WHITE and underfed

THIS. Pretty much sums up how I feel about THG movie casting (although I’m less inclined to think Katniss was supposed to be Greek or Italian, considering all the other racial overtones present in the book and Katniss being from the Appalachians).

stfuconservatives:

Before I get any more Asks about my feelings re: Katniss and Jennifer Lawrence, read this. I’ve gotten messages saying “they auditioned for talent, not skin color” and “Katniss wasn’t Black in the books.” No, folks, no. The point, you have missed it. The casting call was for whites only and that’s why I have an issue with it.

Katniss is described as olive-skinned with black hair and gray eyes. In terms of ethnic population, the Appalachian region has plenty of people who could be described as olive-skinned, particularly Native Americans and Italians who immigrated in the early 1900s. There are people today who are white who have an “olive complexion” — most folks with southern Italian or Greek backgrounds, for instance. So yes, Katniss could be played by a white person and still be honest to the books. But the fact that the casting call was for whites ONLY means that Native, Hispanic, and biracial actresses weren’t even considered for the part. They cast a blonde, blue-eyed actress and dyed her hair.

I have no issue with Jennifer Lawrence. She did a great job. But don’t pretend she was the only person who could have possibly played this role. If they’d auditioned actresses of every race and ultimately decided on Jennifer Lawrence, I’d have a lot less of a problem with it. But they didn’t. They didn’t even consider non-white actresses for her, and probably not for Gale either (who’s supposed to look a lot like Katniss).

-Jess

hungergamestweets:

Remember that word ‘innocent’? This is why Trayvon Martin is dead.

racialicious:

rosa—sparks:

schwenk:

i don’t know which is more racist: the fact that aurora’s flavor is ‘vanilla’, or that tiana’s flavor is ‘watermelon’.

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

Amber Tamblyn is a boss.

Here’s why: Thinking she was Amber Rose, Tyrese Gibson sent her an (unsolicited!) email wanting to “make some music” together (uh huh. ew). So Amber Tamblyn did what any awesome boss-like woman would do, and punk’d his douchey ass by playing along and sending him her “rap demos”. They are made of awesome and win with double rainbow unicorn sprinkles on top. And this demo, All in Favor, is my new favorite thing. The lyrics:

Dear men in Congress,

You think banning birth control is conservative progress?

You think sanctioning my ovaries won’t bring me to violence?

How about I tell you what to do with your caucus:

It is now illegal to think about me topless

to keep your lotion where your socks is

to refer to powerful women as monsters like those jocks at FOX did

I am not afraid to cock-block, dick

to sew an instructional video for rape kits to your eyelids and make you watch it

I’ll take away your golf clubs and gun clips

I’m gonna fix this by getting you fixed

Enough’s enough kid, come on stop that

If you wanna make this law, then use my law rap:

You have the right to get strangled by a bra strap

Anything you sexualize with can, and will get shot at, with a glock cap

I’ll shove your life in a duffelbag, hand it over to a sex trafficker and let him smuggle that…

You wanna cuddle dad?

No, don’t touch me!

You can’t touch me anymore!

I’m so pissed I forgot how to rhyme

I hate you so much, I forgot what I was talking about

Who wants to get Mexican food?

Jay-Z do something – this is do or die

These are the new rules I play by

This is the end of the line – KO white guy

Ladies testify. It’s time to put a measure on the floor against chromosome Y

All in favor, say I.

think4yourself: For those who think blacks in America are imagining racism or blowing things out of proportion:

feedmerevolution:

Fact: Black youths arrested for drug possession are 48 times more likely to wind up in prison than white youths arrested for the same crime under the same circumstances.

Source: “Young White Offenders get lighter treatment,” 2000. The Tennessean. April 26: 8A.

Fact: Black and Latino men are three times more likely than white men to be stopped by the police and have their cars searched – even though white men are four times more likely to have weapons or drugs.

Source: Matthew R. Durose, Erica L. Schmitt and Patrick A. Langan, Contacts Between Police and the Public: Findings from the 2002 National Survey. U.S. Department of Justice, (Bureau of Justice Statistics), April 2005.

Fact: White men with a criminal record are more likely to be called back for a job interview than black men with no record, even when their education and experience are the same.

Source: Pager, Devah. 2003. “The Mark of a Criminal Record.” American Journal of Sociology. Volume 108: 5, March: 937-75…

(Source: abagond.wordpress.com)

How & Nosm’s new mural going up on the LA Weekly building.

I always wondered how graffiti artists painted murals so high up—now I know, and knowing is half the battle. Too bad more companies don’t ~~willingly~~ offer their buildings up for use as street art canvases… the world would look so much more interesting if they did.

RIP Whitney Houston. Hopefully now she’ll have more than one moment of the peace and happiness that seemed to elude her so often in life. So sad.

People who know me are probably going at this point, um, okay… I had no idea you were such a Whitney Houston fan. Because her music isn’t really the kind of thing I’d normally listen to. But Whitney Houston was such an indelible part of my childhood that her death feels like the loss of my favorite crazy but lovable aunt with the phenomenal voice who was always cajoling my mom into singing along with her (when she wasn’t saying awesome shit like crack is wack. because that is the kind of thing a crazy but lovable aunt should say). Whitney Houston was on non-stop play in my house growing up.

This song in particular is special to me because it was played during the dove release at my mom’s funeral, creating a rather epic moment on top of a verdant hill in Forest Lawn, a moment that was awesome and moving and beautiful and sad. It really was like something out of a movie and that moment would not have been quite as powerful or touching as it was without Whitney Houston’s amazing voice and those horns at the end, so thank you for that, Ms. Houston. Tomorrow is (would’ve been?) my mom’s birthday as well… so yeah. Extra double sad.