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The makers of the film “Ghost in the Shell,” the live-action adaptation of the popular anime series, are under fire for casting Scarlett Johansson in the lead role instead of an Asian actress.
Johansson plays Major Motoko Kusanagi in the film set for release on March 31, 2017.
Paramount Pictures released a still of the actress in the role, which resulted in social justice warriors accusing the movie industry of “whitewashing.”
Helping lead the charge was actress Ming-Na Wen, who stars on Marvel’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” No shrinking violet, Wen was not shy about using the term “whitewashing” in a comment on Twitter:
Nothing against Scarlett Johansson. In fact, I’m a big fan. But everything against this Whitewashing of Asian role.? https://t.co/VS6r6iish9
— Ming-Na Wen (@MingNa) April 14, 2016
The delicious irony here is that American Ultra writer and online personality Max Landis resorts to capitalism to defend the movie industry here — the same movie industry that’s otherwise preoccupied with lecturing America on left-wing social mores while backing anti-capitalist, progressive Democrats.
Landis laments that the choice of Johansson is due to there being no “marketable” Asian actresses that fit the role, being that the movie industry is appropriate for the role, Mashable reported.
“[Whitewashing] is not the fault of the movie industry, really,” he said. “That’s culture and movies getting more afraid because movies make less and less money.”
Landis “white-splains” the lack of diversity in the video below, if you can get past the desperately bizarre, attention seeking haircut.
*Caution: Strong Language
As for the aforementioned reaction to Johansson being cast in the movie, actress Rinko Kikuchi’s name came up often. Here’s a sampling of responses from Twitter:
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1st pic of the Ghost in the Shell movie. I still think they could've found someone else to play Motoko Kusanagi. pic.twitter.com/Gp43s3LW1i
— Allissa 📚 (@AllissaByGrace) April 14, 2016
The whitewash cycle is complete. First look at Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in the Shell: https://t.co/vlrCiwtN62 pic.twitter.com/wI50dCDDwW
— Angry Asian Man (@angryasianman) April 14, 2016
Good to see ScarJo embracing her Japanese heritage as Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost In The Shell. pic.twitter.com/iAmTFJK8E4
— Andy Mannion (@andymannion77) April 14, 2016
It’s 2016, and this is what Hollywood thinks “Motoko Kusanagi” should look like: pic.twitter.com/gYNNC6CQMV
— The Nerds of Color (@TheNerdsofColor) April 14, 2016
gosh where could we possibly find a Japanese actress who kicks ass…????? NAH just cast ScarJo we can’t find any pic.twitter.com/slP4pHrclo
— ♛RunDevinRun♛ (@runDEVINrun) April 14, 2016
Also hey how great would Rinko Kikuchi been for this role pic.twitter.com/zGNpVs3NiI
— Hoai-Tran Bui (@htranbui) April 14, 2016
This is a photograph of Rinko Kikuchi next to a drawing of Motoko Kusanagi of GHOST IN THE SHELL. #AsianActorsExist pic.twitter.com/Fd0e2ZEmoF
— bryanedwardhill (@bryanedwardhill) April 14, 2016
It’s astoundingly uncomplicated. Ghost in the Shell takes place in 21st century Japan, and Kusanagi is written as Japanese
— Kwame Opam (@kwameopam) April 14, 2016
My fave part is that they kept the character’s name as Kusanagi, and were like “hey, that sounds like a white chick can play it”
— Hoai-Tran Bui (@htranbui) April 14, 2016
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.
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