Fantastic Four reboot-- Casting, Rumors, Pix, ect;

[Locutus of Bored]

I get the impression that the older members participating here, like myself, are the ones who don't give a flying crap about a character's skin color, and the younger members are the ones pushing the issue. The non-issue.

Is it just me? From everything else I read about us old folks it should be the other way around.

That's an interesting observation. I wonder why that is?

I'm not sure how old you guys are, but I'm from the "people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character" generation. The current generation seems to have turned that upside down; it's like they're trying to create a positive kind of racism, and that ain't gonna work.

LOL.

"Unlike these damn kids today, I'm from the generation where we don't make superficial judgments of entire groups of people."

 

[Mudd]

I'm in my 60s. I'm old enough to remember what happened and therefore why this stuff matters and why the currently fashionable "I don't see color" is a dodge for comfortably ignoring the inequality and racial troubles folks want to wish away rather than work on.

 

[BillJ]

I can't speak for the production team and their decision process but to me it smells off providing a racially different character so they can appeal to more people at the movies equalling a bigger take.

Why is being inclusive a bad thing though? Seriously? No one can seem to answer this question.

If the actor can handle the role, then what does it matter? I want good Star Trek movies, I don't care what color Captain Kirk's skin is because that isn't what defines the character. Same for Superman or Batman or Commander Adama.

 

[TRON JA307020]

I'm in my 60s. I'm old enough to remember what happened and therefore why this stuff matters and why the currently fashionable "I don't see color" is a dodge for comfortably ignoring the inequality and racial troubles folks want to wish away rather than work on.

I would have to agree with this. They change the character of Johnny Storm to appeal to more people but it also smacks of appeasement and just throwing black people a small bone. There are plenty of great black comic characters both major and minor that the movies would bring to the mainstream and increase their popularity. To make a minor white character or a team member black is really insulting if you ask me when there are great major black characters that these studios can be developing for the screen.

 

[BillJ]

I would have to agree with this. They change the character of Johnny Storm to appeal to more people but it also smacks of appeasement and just throwing black people a small bone. There are plenty of great black comic characters both major and minor that the movies would bring to the mainstream and increase their popularity. To make a minor white character or a team member black is really insulting if you ask me when there are great major black characters that these studios can be developing for the screen.

We have ours and they have theirs and never shall they mingle. IDIC in a nutshell, folks!

 

[Tosk]

I would have to agree with this. They change the character of Johnny Storm to appeal to more people but it also smacks of appeasement and just throwing black people a small bone. There are plenty of great black comic characters both major and minor that the movies would bring to the mainstream and increase their popularity. To make a minor white character or a team member black is really insulting if you ask me when there are great major black characters that these studios can be developing for the screen.

We have ours and they have theirs and never shall they mingle. IDIC in a nutshell, folks!

Sounds to me more like he's saying that tokenism is a poor substitute for diversity.

 

[Mudd]

I can't speak for the production team and their decision process but to me it smells off providing a racially different character so they can appeal to more people at the movies equalling a bigger take.

Yeah, this is also called "selling tickets by appealing to what people would like to see." It's the basis of most commercial entertainment.

 

[BillJ]

I would have to agree with this. They change the character of Johnny Storm to appeal to more people but it also smacks of appeasement and just throwing black people a small bone. There are plenty of great black comic characters both major and minor that the movies would bring to the mainstream and increase their popularity. To make a minor white character or a team member black is really insulting if you ask me when there are great major black characters that these studios can be developing for the screen.

We have ours and they have theirs and never shall they mingle. IDIC in a nutshell, folks!

Sounds to me more like he's saying that tokenism is a poor substitute for diversity.

But we have no evidence tokenism is involved here in any way. We have a director who has previously worked with an actor, likely had a positive experience with the actor and brought him aboard for a role he fits as an actor.

It does happen.

 

[theenglish]

I'm in my 60s. I'm old enough to remember what happened and therefore why this stuff matters and why the currently fashionable "I don't see color" is a dodge for comfortably ignoring the inequality and racial troubles folks want to wish away rather than work on.

Right, the argument "I don't see color" will not work until actual discrimination no longer exists. Unfortunately Hollywood is still a very bigoted industry.

Also, people need to realize that Michael B. Jordan was not cast in anyway because of his skin color. Josh Trank worked with him previously and wanted him to be in this film (can't remember the source where I saw this). That leaves MBJ to play either Reed, Johnny, or Ben.

 

[Tosk]

But we have no evidence tokenism is involved here in any way.

I'm not saying it's true or not, only that that's how I interpreted Pubert's post. My apologies to him if I am in error.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Meanwhile this new cast photo seems as much influenced by the Fab Four as the fantastic quartet: http://www.newsarama.com/24300-new-cast-photos-for-fantastic-four.html

 

[BigJake]

I'm old enough to remember what happened and therefore why this stuff matters and why the currently fashionable "I don't see color" is a dodge for comfortably ignoring the inequality and racial troubles folks want to wish away rather than work on.

Quite.

I get the impression that the older members participating here, like myself, are the ones who don't give a flying crap about a character's skin color, and the younger members are the ones pushing the issue. The non-issue.

If you genuinely didn't "give a flying crap" about this "non-issue" it would never be a topic of conversation. I don't know who it is you think you're kidding.

There is a certain cohort that professes to believe in "color-blindness" just like good old Doctor King said it until they actually have to be confronted with the fact that real "color-blindness" involves black people getting jobs that used to automatically go to white people. Then, for reasons which I'm sure are completely mysterious, "color-blindness" goes out the window and suddenly the world is ending and civilization is crumbling and the members of this cohort are moaning about being victims of a "new racism." This behaviour is not, despite what those indulging in its seem to think, all that difficult to read.

 

[Mudd]

Right, the argument "I don't see color" will not work until actual discrimination no longer exists. Unfortunately Hollywood is still a very bigoted industry.

"I want the problem to go away; I'm unwilling to engage in any solution requiring attention and discomfort. I declare myself above it and return to my own entertainment."

 

[BillJ]

There is a certain cohort that professes to believe in "color-blindness" just like good old Doctor King said it until they actually have to be confronted with the fact that real "color-blindness" involves black people getting jobs that used to automatically go to white people. Then, for reasons which I'm sure are completely mysterious, "color-blindness" goes out the window and suddenly the world is ending and civilization is crumbling and the members of this cohort are moaning about being victims of a "new racism." This behaviour is not, despite what those indulging in its seem to think, all that difficult to read.

+1

 

[Nerys Myk]

I'm in my 60s. I'm old enough to remember what happened and therefore why this stuff matters and why the currently fashionable "I don't see color" is a dodge for comfortably ignoring the inequality and racial troubles folks want to wish away rather than work on.

I would have to agree with this. They change the character of Johnny Storm to appeal to more people but it also smacks of appeasement and just throwing black people a small bone. There are plenty of great black comic characters both major and minor that the movies would bring to the mainstream and increase their popularity. To make a minor white character or a team member black is really insulting if you ask me when there are great major black characters that these studios can be developing for the screen.

I dont think you agree with Dennis as much as you think. His previous posts show he doesn't object to casting a black actor as Johnny nor does he fault film makers who want to appeal to a wider audience than comic book "traditionalists".

To me Johnny is a young guy who like cars, girls and being a wise ass practical joker. I can't think of a reason a black actor can't play that.

 

[Mudd]

I dont think you agree with Dennis as much as you think.

I think you're right.

 

[theenglish]

There is a certain cohort that professes to believe in "color-blindness" just like good old Doctor King said it until they actually have to be confronted with the fact that real "color-blindness" involves black people getting jobs that used to automatically go to white people. Then, for reasons which I'm sure are completely mysterious, "color-blindness" goes out the window and suddenly the world is ending and civilization is crumbling and the members of this cohort are moaning about being victims of a "new racism." This behaviour is not, despite what those indulging in its seem to think, all that difficult to read.

+2

 

[Melakon]

I'm not sure how old you guys are, but I'm from the "people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character" generation.

You must be a lot older than me then, because I've never seen any generation like that, and I'm in my sixties.

 

[Mudd]

Of course not - people lazily lift that sentence out of the context of not only the speech but of Dr. King's experience, life and work to offer it up as an excuse for turning a blind eye not to race but to the continuing institutional racism of our culture.

 

[Melakon]

The hippies were already dying out as the 'peace and love' generation by 1970, but maybe the ones who didn't join the establishment, which Jerry Rubin did, instilled that belief in their offspring.