Ghost In The Shell promo backfires: I am ... laughing

THIS IS HILARIOUS! At the risk of creating more buzz for the movie Ghost In The Shell, I had to share how the movie's ad campaign backfired. Instead of promoting the film, it provided reasons not to go see it.

Ghost In the Sheil‘s official Twitter just tweeted out a new videofor fans, along with a viral website. The video shows footage from the film, with the lines, “I am hunted. I am the hunter. I am fearless. I am coming for them. I am Major.” You can go to a new website, IAmMajor.me, and upload who you are along with your picture to post on your social media accounts.

RELATED: Asian/Americans decry whitewashing

The "I am Major," campaign refers to Major Motoko Kusanagi,  the lead character in the manga hit, In the film, Scarlett Johansson plays the lead character, which (as you can tell by the name) was originally conceived as a Japanese character.

Netiziens - you gotta love them - took the opportunity to make a strong statement about their opposition to the practice of whitewashing characters of color so that white actors can take over the role. 

Here are some of their creative responses.

 Ghost in the Shell is not the first to practice whitewashing, and sadly, it probably won't be the last. The "I  Am Major" campaign was used to criticize another TV show, Iron Fist, that appropriates Asian culture and cast a white actor in the main role.,  and the upcoming The Great Wall starring white savior Matt Damon even though it was shot in China.

Finally ...

No matter how you try to defend why an actor like Johansson should play the lead in a film like Ghost in the Shell, you can’t deny the impact it will have on audiences.

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Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson: Will being named 'Sexiest Man Alive' be the breakthrough for AAPI actors?

Dwayne Johnson is second AAPI to be named 'Sexiest Man Alive.

IT'S AN ANNUAL honor bestowed on a celebrity every year, but for Dwayne Johnson and the Asian/American & Pacific Islander community, Johnson being named People's Sexiest Man Alive, means a little more.

The half-Samoan, half-black actor is the first non-white male to receive the title since Denzel Washington in 1996—20 years ago! The last time an AAPI man won the honor was 1994 when Keanu Reeves garnered the title.

With the animated movie Moana due out before year's end in which he voices the demigod Maui, several movies due out next year and starring in the HBO's Ballers, Johnson topped the list of Hollywood's A-list earners in 2016.

In an understatement, the busy actor says he feels like he's reached a "pinnacle" point in his career.

Growing up in Honolulu, during his teen years, "I was unsure of who I was and who I wanted to be,” he told People Magazine.

One of the most appealing things about Johnson is his willingness to go against type. Many he-man types are satisfied to portray essentially the same character in movie after movie; you know, the steely-eyed, strong-jawed, man of few words and la preference to use muscle when in a fix. He played many of those characters in his action movies in the Fast & Furious franchise. G.I. Joe, Hercules and San Andreas among a host of others.

The physically-imposing actor - was a football player and a wrestler before he began his acting career has also played a tooth-fairy, an unwilling parent and an over-the-hill football player. In other words, he's not afraid to laugh at himself and the image associated with him.

Like many Samoan/Americans, he thought football was his ticket -to fame and fortune and a way to taking care of his family. Injuries sidelined his budding pro-footbally career and ultimately, he was cut from the Canadian Football League. "That failure was tough; that was a tough pill," he admitted to People.

He fought off a bout of depression before finding himself in the wrestling ring, following the path of an older relative.

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From acting in the ring, it wasn't a far stretch to acting in the movies. By using his muscles to grab casting agents' attention, he was able to land a covey of action roles.

This year, Johnson was named the highest-paid actor. 

AAPI actors are not seen as box-office attractions, often passed over for white actors, even when the role calls for an AAPI actor. When will Hollywood producers and casting agents overcome their inherent bias against AAPI actors?  With all the publicity surrounding diversity in the #OscarsSoWhite and #WhiteWashedOut controversies, maybe Johnson's breakthrough will dispel their doubts.

Don't hold your breath. Not much changed when Keanu Reeves was at the top of his popularity.

It will likely take Johnson, Reeves, along with Jackie Chan, Priyanka Chopra, Constance Wu, Daniel Dae Kim, Steven Yeun, Hailee Steinfeld and a host of others to achieve similar bankable status before the studio heads change their thinking. 

More importantly -- and more difficult --  the aforementioned stars will have to start making noise by talking openly in all media available about the need for AAPI inclusion and identify themselves as AAPI every chance they get. Forget being "exotic" or "ethnically ambiguous," or passing for white. They have to mention their roots as often as they can; not only for their personal well-being, but for all those who follow. 

In an Instagram message announcing being name People Magazines Sexiest Man Alive, Johnson said, "Remember, sexy isn't something you 'try and be.' Sexy happens naturally when you're comfortable just being yourself."

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Protest by social networkers erases idea of Mulan's white savior

In Disney's original animated telling of the legend of Mulan, she had a love interest, but he was Chinese.

REPRINTED FROM ASAM NEWS

THE FIRE has been put out by Disney, at least for now.

Social media was set ablaze after an anonymous open letter published in Angry Asian Man claimed that a spec script purchased by Disney for the live-action Mulan movie featured a White love interest who comes in to save the day.

"The man is a 30-something European trader who initially cares only for the pleasure of women and money. The only reason why he and his entourage decide to help the Chinese Imperial Army is because he sets eyes on Mulan. That’s right. Our white savior has come to the aid of Ancient China due to a classic case of Yellow Fever. In this script written by Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin, more than half of its pages are dedicated to this merchant who develops a mutual attraction with Mulan and fights to protect her in the ensuing battles. To top it all off, this man gets the honor of defeating the primary enemy of China, not Mulan. Way to steal a girl’s thunder."

Online outrage spread like wildfire (via the hashtag #MakeMulanRight) and was stoked by actor Joel de La Fuente’s (The Man In The High Castle) claim that he, too, had read this iteration of the script.

Since the story broke, Vulture reports Disney has brought in new writers and Mulan will have a Chinese love interest.

RELATED:

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• Hollywood grapples with whitewashing AGAIN!
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“The spec script was a jumping-off point for a new take on the story that draws from both the literary ballad of Mulan and Disney’s 1998 animated film,” a source close to the production said. “Mulan is and will always be the lead character in the story, and all primary roles, including the love interest, are Chinese.”

The controversy stoked fears that this was yet another example of Hollywood #whitewashing an Asian story.

(Views from the Edge contributed to this report)

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HBO sponsors Asian Pacific American Visionaries Short Film Competition

HBO

DO YOU THINK that someone has noticed the rising number of Asian/American directors helming some of today's commercially successful and critically acclaimed movies?

Maybe that's why HBO is launching a talent search especially directed at AAPI filmmakers.

"At a time when the most personal of stories are also the most universal, the diversity of our storytellers is more important than ever," stated Jackie Gagne, VP Multicultural Marketing at HBO. "Our competition is designed to celebrate the unique experiences and unsung talent that exist within the Asian Pacific American community."

Sure, we have a ways to go to achieve any sort of parity, but we also have to admit, Hollywood has never seen this level of influence of Asian and AAPI directors and producers.

A lot of it has to do with America's moviemakers trying to make their product more appealing to the Asian market, which if it reaches its potential, would dwarf the American market. Along the way, studios led by decision-makers unfamiliar with Asia, have made some embarrassing, and frankly, stupid, mistakes.

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At any rate, studios can no longer say there isn't any talent among AAPI filmmakers, Just to name a few:  Justin Lin (Star Trek Beyond and Fast & Furious), Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding), Ang Lee (Life of Pi and the forthcoming Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, John Chu (Crazy Rich Asians), James Wan (Aquaman), Taiki Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok), Wayne Wang (Joy Luck Club, Because of Winn Dixie), Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham, Paris, Je T'aime), James Wan (The Conjuring) and Cary Fukunaga (Beasts of No Nation & he's in negotiations for HBO's Napoleon).

HBO Asian Pacific American Visionaries is a short film competition sponsored by Home Box Office, Inc. (“HBO”) that provides emerging directors of Asian and/or Pacific Islander descent (one with origins in any of the peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, Indian subcontinent or Pacific Islands (e.g., China, India, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands and Samoa) the opportunity to showcase their work.

Judged by HBO executives and a panel of industry experts, the competition seeks to identify cinematic storytellers who offer unique perspectives of the Asian Pacific American experience.

Three films will be selected to make their premiere at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in April 2017 and offered the opportunity to license their film to premiere exclusively on HBO (and/or its on-demand, digital and/or social platforms) during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May 2017.

Winners will be announced in January 2017. Film premieres will be at HBO's sole discretion.

To help publicize the contest, HBO has produced a promotional video, below, featuring Silicon Valley star Jimmy O. Yang encouraging AAPI directors to submit their films.

"It's inspiring to see a global entertainment brand like HBO take a leadership role in creating opportunities for Asian Pacific American filmmakers," said Francis Cullado, executive director of Visual Communications, the organization that produces the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. "The exposure provided for the winners of this competition is truly incredible and worthy of our community's full support."

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TGIF FEATURE: Matt Damon saves China

Matt Damon - the Great White Savior

IN THE great Hollywood tradition of the Great White Savior, from Tarzan to Dances With Wolves to The Last Samurai, we can now look forward to The Great Wall where another white man saves those apparently incapable people of color.

Maybe the studios thought everybody would be tuned into the Democratic National Convention which featured the historic nomination of a woman candidate for President of the U.S., that no one would be notice the release of the first stills and trailer from The Great Wall. Yes, we're referring to THE Great Wall in China.)

But in this era of #OscarsSoWhite and #WhiteWashedOut, it couldn't be noticed that the hero of the movie made in China, produced by Chinese studios and with a loose pollen of saving China looks an awful like Matt Damon.

Of course, such a transgression and insult could not go by without being noticed by actress Constance Wu, an outspoken critic of whitewashing.

In her post, Wu wrote: “Our heroes don’t look like Matt Damon. They look like Malala. Ghandi. Mandela. Your big sister when she stood up for you to those bullies that one time. We don’t need salvation. We like our color and our culture and our strengths and our own stories.”

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“Remember, it’s not about blaming individuals ... Rather, it’s about pointing out the repeatedly implied racist notion that white people are superior to POC (people of color) and that POC need salvation from our own color via white strength.”

It needs to be pointed out The Great Wall is not a historical drama, it is a science-fiction or fantasy product that is set in China's past. The English-language film stars Matt Damon, who plays a European mercenary detained at the wall and joins forces with Chinese soldiers to repel the mysterious invaders.

The twitterverse exploded in sarcasm and anger.

To add insult to injury, most of the funding for the movie comes from Chinese sources. 

The Great Wall, directed by Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers, Hero), is the most expensive Chinese film ever made. It is scheduled for U.S. release on Feb. 17, 2017 next year by Universal Pictures.

The movie was produced and largely financed by Legendary Entertainment, the U.S. company behind “Godzilla” and “Pacific Rim” that was bought by Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group earlier this year. Other backers include state-backed China Film Group and Le Vision Pictures, a film arm of Beijing-based Leshi Internet Information.

Apparently the Chinese producers are not familiar with the stats that show that movies with a diverse cast, i.e. leading roles with people of color, do very well at the box office. In fact, some say, proportionately, the films do better than movies with all-white casts.

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