I had planned on refusing to blog about politics until Trump’s inauguration, but I know that there are people who would like my opinion on this. And since this issue just refuses to leave the headlines… here you go: a quick and dirty piece on this one, solitary issue.
What I think, contrary to media opinion, is that “whitewashing” actually increases Hollywood’s popularity overseas.
Let’s not lose sight of the obvious and inescapable fact: people do not want to see themselves in the movies they watch.
The whole point of “going to the movies” is to escape from reality. It’s to escape from the mundane, boring world that people must trudge through on a day to day basis.
That said, Chinese people, in China, don’t necessarily want to see Chinese people in Hollywood movies. Many, many Chinese people in China are *sick* of seeing Chinese people. Do you know how many Chinese people are in China? One and a half billion. Yes, that’s BILLION, with a “B”.
Why would an ethnic Han pay money to watch Chinese people in the cinema? If he wants to see the Chinese, he just needs to look out of his window, or turn his head slightly to see his relatives or roommates. Boom! They’re there. They’re… EVERYWHERE.
For most people, “going to the movies” gets you away from people who are like you, your family, your coworkers, and your friends, if only for 2 hours. That’s the real reason that people pay money.
That’s why Sci-Fi is popular. Who on this planet is friends with an alien? Nobody. That’s why they pay the $12.50. To be friends with an talking alien tree for an hour and a half.
This is also the primary motivator behind the Superhero craze. Want to be friends with an indestructable dude who flies? Then see Superman at the local megaplex!
That being said, this also applies to ethnicities. This is why liberals from 99% White communities lavish praise upon films about “The Black Experience”. Because to them, it’s new and different.
This is also why young guys in China watch Hollywood films. It’s because they DON’T have Chinese girls in them. They go to these films to see exotic and foreign white girls like Jennifer Lawrence, not to see some chick who looks identical to the literally tens of thousands of other Chinese girls they’ve seen over the course of their lives. I mean, why would they pay money to see that?
This is why White people are so prevalent in Asian animated shows and movies. Just watch anime from any Asian country for a few weeks, and you’ll see what I mean. Whites are used so much in anime because they’re different. Because to Asians, they’re exotic and interesting. In Asia, the “Magical Blond” is very much a popular and powerful image. To give perspective, think of how liberals here embrace the whole “Magical Negro” trope, and then make that much more prevalent and impactful.
My opinion?
Whitewash everything, and I mean everything. Remember the point of entertainment. Give foreign audiences a distraction from their real lives and problems, and not a reminder of them.