Constantly cast as an Italian???
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Angel Eyes
thedingoes8mybaby — 20 years ago(October 10, 2005 05:34 PM)
I've noticed that Jennifer Lopez was supposed to be an Italian in this film (?). I am quite sure that she was supposed to be Italian in "Wedding Planner". Why do they keep doing this? Jennifer Lopez has an accent VERY IDENTIFIABLE as the accent many working-class Puerto-Ricans in NYC have (specifically, the Bronx). I'm not insulting the woman, by any means, but that is where she came from. If she wants to play non-hispanic roles, she could at least get a vocal-coach.
Also, if I was blind in one eye and had a bad case of conjunctivitis in the other, I still wouldn't think Jennifer was white. Because she has VERY OBVIOUS AND STRONG indigenous/African features.
I'm saying this because I think this is just another way that studios show resistance to making minority-driven films. If they absolutely need the name of a big star that happens not to be white, they'll either TRY to make them white, or make everyone else in the cast white.
Yes, I'm all for diversity and multiracial films (because that is, after all, a representation of the country we live in), but to try to "white-out" cast for fear that white people won't see a movie is ridiculous. People need to get over their prejudices.
And, moreover, people need to accept that beauty comes in all forms. Would it have changed the message of either film to make Jennifer's character hispanic? No. -
blister329 — 20 years ago(October 14, 2005 01:09 AM)
I agree. Please see some of my older posts. I'm very tired of non Latinos playing Latino roles. The biggest offender is The Butterfly Effect's jail scene. Instead of getting a Latino, they grabbed a NON LATINO CANADIAN and through some bronze on him and contacts, gave him an accent and SURPRISE! HE'S MEXICAN!! The director actually states this in the commentary. Sad.
"Making Pictues Move" -
Dr_Dmitri-Yuriev — 20 years ago(October 14, 2005 11:27 AM)
her mother has a Spanish accent and when Jennifer Arrests a bald white guy he calls her senorita (means lady in Spanish), so the criminal thought she looked Latina. Also, there's a law that prevents discrimination when getting a role based on your ethnicity. That's why see Italians playing Latinos in films or Latinos playing Italians in films. Jennifer also auditioned for "Gladiator", but Connie Nelson got the role of Caesar's (Joaquin Phoenix) sister.
Anyway, Jennifer doesn't look like she has strong African features.
Luise Rainer who's German played an Chinese woman in "The Good Earth" (1937) and she even won an Oscar for it. Does that also bother you? Paul Muni who's Hungarian did the same thing in the film (he played a Chinese man).
"If you know you are going to fail, then fail gloriously!" - Cate Blanchett -
thedingoes8mybaby — 20 years ago(October 15, 2005 05:01 PM)
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What I mean is, if u put a picture of her next to, say, a Penelope Cruz (who is arguably white, especially by European standards)Lopez has African features. Period.
And, I think I already explained why I think casting people according to the race of a character instead of according to that actor's race is a bad thing. If u read my previous post, it's clearly NOT because I hate people of color or hispanics. As I happen to be both.
And, dude, I don't know what movies have white folks playing traditional Asians, but that's gotta be pretty funny. -
lisavale — 20 years ago(January 14, 2006 02:59 PM)
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Well for anyone that has been home on a Saturday and has TBS, you might have caught the many reruns of Remo Williams which has the very talented and very caucasian Joel Grey playing Chiun, the Chinese Kung Fu Master!
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jazzberry — 20 years ago(January 14, 2006 02:43 PM)
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Yeah actually that does bother me. It's just like blackface, which was undeniably a racist practice. Why wouldn't they cast a Chinese for that role??? Racism in media.
And there are plenty of older movies like that. Think Fu Manchu and Charlie Chan as examples. -
evmmnval — 20 years ago(December 02, 2005 08:11 PM)
Man you're off. One of the first things I noticed about J-Lo when I first saw her on TV about 12 years ago is how caucasoid she is. And her skin's light, like her dad's (who's quite white, a white Hispanic. I saw him in a doucmentary about J-Lo). J-Lo's a white Latina, so what's your problem? (Even if she called herself something else, she has the same features as caucasians, including the pigmentation, is what I mean). Honestly, man, is she any less caucasoid-looking than say, Cindy Crawford? Or a gazillion other brunettes?
J-Lo can definitely play Italian, having the same general appearance as most of them.
I agree about the need for more Hispanic actors and characters, though. -
lana2132 — 20 years ago(January 13, 2006 08:41 PM)
J- Lo wears way too much makeupin all scenes where she is waking up she has makeup caked on her face. This along with her hair dye demonstrates that seh is making herself lighter than seh should. And I do see the African features you were mentioning.
What are you talking aboot?" - Gotta love Canada!
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thedingoes8mybaby — 20 years ago(January 14, 2006 04:36 PM)
Who the heck in their right mind looks at Jennifer Lopez and sees a white hispanic? You'd have to be smoking something. And, dude, I think we need more diverse roles for people of color, especially those with talentbut having a German actress play a traditional Asian person is ridiculous. It's equivalent to blackface.
And, Alexis Bledel is a white hispanic. Lopez is obviously mixed. -
thetwentysomething — 20 years ago(January 14, 2006 11:45 PM)
What's wrong with African features? This is ridiculous!
I would love that Jennifer was a newcomer with no background information! Nobody would know her ethnicity. There would be pages and pages of people coming up with "ah, she's this mixed with that", or "she look this so she must have some of that", blah, blah.
This is what's wrong with today! We know too much about actors private affairs and personal background info. It breaks the spell and the fantasy of the FAKE MOVIE.
It's not that serious! I bet if they cast her as an African queen everyone would be in an uproar! You can't please everybody. -
thedingoes8mybaby — 20 years ago(January 27, 2006 05:29 PM)
I didn't say anything was wrong with African features. I am black, so I have VERY defined African features. Acknowledging something is not the same as criticizing it.
And, just because someone isn't 100% full-blooded African, it doesn't make much of a difference. I can't think of one black American or mixed hispanic (from somewhere in Latin America), etcwho IS 100% African. That said, just because someone doesn't LOOK like what someone else would EXPECT a black/hispanic to look like, it doesn't make them any less of a black/hispanic person. I can pretty much look at another person of color and identify them as being a person of color, and I've had long and (and often hilarious) conversations with my white friends who couldn't figure out how I could tell.
And while it's a beautiful thought that one day maybe race wouldn't be something we're judged by, I think it's dangerous to attempt to create an environment where ethnicity is irrelevant. People should be proud of who they are and where they came from, which is why I get uncomfortable when some celebrities try to keep their background secret. Although, I agree, ethnicity and the whole concept of race shouldn't change public opinion.
However, this whole thread came about because I think it's a popular thing to do now, in films, to try to white-wash a film- or try to use actors who may be able to 'pass' as white (presumably to a white audience, because, as I've said, people of color can usually recognize such things) in roles. Or, otherwise, add more white characters or interracial relationships. And while I think all of those things are good for film, because they promote multiracialism, it's BAD that this is being done because, perhaps according to some, white audiences can only relate to other whites. Especially since people of color have had to relate to white characters forever. -
Fisant911 — 19 years ago(April 20, 2006 01:09 AM)
you guys dont understand >< all the characters lopez has played that arent latino the race of the character isnt the main point of the character.LIke in out of sight int he book karen sisco is a tall blonde blue eyed girl think uma thurman but in the movie she is a latina but does it make any difference no the accent is not needed either not every italian speaks like a person from little italy.The main point is that is not the race of the character that matters is the acting itself and she does a good job in this film so why should her race matter.
and her mom in the film is sonia braga who is mexican so her character is half mexican half caucasian.