So, The Last Airbender movie. I’m not planning to see it, mostly because the diversity of its cast was actually so integrated into its deeper awesome (and it’s maybe hard to explain how this is so if you haven’t seen it–but it was), that I just can’t imagine the movie making me anything but unhappy and even a little queasy, given how much I adored the original animated series. And what little bit I’ve seen of Katara makes me suspect most of her awesome–and the general women-as-strong-yet-real characters awesome–has been diluted as well. It’s just too much.
But here’s the thing I only just learned: it’s worse than I thought. Because not only are the heroes all cast as white–the fire-nation villains were all (eventually) just as deliberately cast as not-white.
Really, I have no problem with white guys saving the world once in a while. But we can lose this notion that they’re the only ones qualified to save it any day now.
And really, really, really? I’d like my awesome back now, please.
