Sometimes the film industry is considered forward thinking and progressive. However when it comes to race it is stuck in the dark ages... sort of. Although through time Hollywood has pushed certain actors of color the majority of the stars they push are white males. The best example of this an article and photo shoot done by Esquire magazine. On three separate covers for the same month there are six people. Out of six people there is only one person of color. Idris Elba is a prime example of why Hollywood is racist. The man has been acting for since 1994. That is well before most of the other men on the cover were shaving their chest. The post isn’t about him though. It’s about the people not on the cover.
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| Horrible Cover By The Way |
The name of the article is “The Next Generation of Hollywood Stars.” Am I to believe that in a country as diverse as the United States there are no up-and-coming Asian actors? The truth is there are quite a few Asian males that could have been on that cover. Sung Kang, also known as Han from Fast Five, could have easily been on the cover too. He’s good looking, charming, and more charismatic in his small role as Han than Taylor Kitsch was in his two blockbusters (that both bombed btw).
An actor like Sung Kang could gain a significant following if Hollywood just showed a little faith. He’s already one of the most loved character in the Fast & Furious series. He’s going to co-star in Bullet to the Head alongside Sylvester Stallone. It isn’t like he would be a hard sell. People like actors they enjoy to see on screen. He isn't the only Asian-American actor out there though. Daniel Dae Kim, Kenneth Choi, and other actors like Daniel Hanney deserve a chance. I understand Hollywood is a business though and they don’t like putting their money on the line.
Let’s be real here. Hollywood is a business and they feel people would not want to see minorities in leading roles. This would be a valid excuse if Sessue Hayakawa didn’t prove it wrong in the early 1900’s. People will go and watch those they find attractive, those they can relate to, and more importantly those that they are use to seeing on the screen. Hayakawa became a star during a time when people were far less accepting of each other and more bigoted than they are now. Hayakawa was a leading male in a time when America was suffering extreme racial prejudice. He was also the last leading Asian male in Hollywood. So I guess what I am saying to Hollywood is grow up, grow some balls, and take a chance.
That is true Jerry. There is not a lot of minorities having leading roles in Hollywood movies today .Most of the actors who get those type of roles are whites. This goes back to the stereotypes that society have towards each race. Popular culture sees Asians as weak, nerdy, and asexual. They are portrayed opposite of what a standard males supposed to be which is the reason why they do not get the major parts. The popular culture use white males as the standard of masculinity maybe why they get the leading roles and the front page covers. The movie industry only care for the money that they will earn instead sending stopping stereotypes
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