This keeps happening,
It just keeps happening.
I can’t even begin to count how many times people have picked apart these arguments bit by bit and ravaged them in the most obscene ways. Even with that in mind and her audience waning by the day, she tries to continue her insanity with the aptly named “The FREQ Show” starting with a popular subject for this breed of bigots – Whitewashing. I know I usually have more of a build up but I’m keen on getting this over with since people familiar with my work know I’m really getting tired of dealing with Sarkeesian’s particular breed of bullshit. It can’t be helped though, this is my job here after all. Let’s Hammer this in.
Starting out, she goes into the early cinematic history of the practice of whitewashing which is founded upon minstrel show practices and the like. What most don’t realize is this sort of practice is not so much restricted to Western cultures. For example we can look at a favorite culture of mine; Japan. Lets start with kabuki’s Kumadori. In kabuki this nearly 400 year old practice not only is used to depict various ethnicities and depict supernatural themes, but are key in presenting a constant found within Japanese art – accurate emotional emphasis. These stylings combined with a legend of the “Yama-Uba” or “Mountain Hag” created, in the early to mid nineties, the “Ganguro” style favored by women in the city of Osaka and parts of the district of Shinjuku in Tokyo. The style consists of orange and blonde dyed hair, heavily tanned skin, heavy white make up around the eyes, and bright lipstick. This has been very heavily mistaken as Japanese blackface by those unfamiliar with the culture.
Add to this the fact that in contemporary Japan there have been many live action adaptations of anime that ideally should be based on Westerner characters that refuse to use them. Attack on Titan, Full Metal Alchemist, and Black Butler are recent examples but also there is Negima who uses a teenage Japanese girl to represent a 10 year old Welsh boy or samples found in the ever popular Super Sentai and Kamen Rider series. People might link this as a result of “Western colonialism” but to me it seems more reasonable to pit this to human nature of desiring accuracy. In Anita’s early examples she notes the blackface of Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder while neglecting the fun little fact that it was meant as a parody of the concept of both that and method acting, something kind of appropriate considering the #FullMcIntosh meme was born from the #FullRetard meme developed from this film. If this was made as a self-aware parody it would be hilarious. However, with Anita’s highly ideological past, I doubt that’s the case. Still, the jokes do write themselves.
She then proceeds to, in the middle, reference its popularity by showing examples such as Ghost in the Shell (which I have already debunked and demolished TWICE on this site,) Gods of Egypt (which was a commercial failure,) and Doctor Strange (which even she admitted was done at China’s behest due to issues with the original character of The Ancient One being Tibetan.) Therefore having The Ancient One being re-imagined for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a Celtic Priestess is not only reasonable but wouldn’t offend the Chinese, which are the second most important market on the globe at this point. That that can be seen in some Chinese MMORPGs.
After that she decides to harp on an Adam Sandler movie for being in poor taste, you know, like everything else the man has ever done. Also she thought it was a fun idea to attack Johnny Depp (from my homestate of Kentucky) for playing Tanto in the Lone Ranger, even though Depp, like me, is 1/4th Cherokee (enough to be accepted on a majority of Native Reservations mind you) – real cute on that one Sarkeesian, assuming someone’s identity like that. Then again, neither Anita nor Jonathan have been all that keen on legitimate research or accuracy. Now she’s actually insulting real human beings as opposed to fictional characters. Good work ya racist fucks!
It’s at this point of the video that she goes in depth on the ‘reasons’ as she understands them, touching first upon the “China won’t let us” bit which is well…legitimate. Hollywood at this point cares a metric fuckton what China thinks of their films as, like I said, they are one of the largest movie-going markets on the planet. Companies like Legendary Pictures and some parts of both Sony and Disney being owned by Chinese corporations. So yeah, can’t blame white people for that one as that’s Chinese racism (going on by their definition) since that’s coming from their government system, which is on par with America’s. The second she whines about is “best guy got the job”, soo…common feminist ire towards meritocracy, moving on. Last one in this list is “My black friend is ok with it!” Ok, for one I’ve never heard that being said or even reasonably assumed. Besides, why does it have to be a black person? I get that the social justice crowd hates Asians, Russians, and presumes that Muslims fall under Blacks as a race but even if that’s the case shouldn’t they be saying “My PoC friend is ok with it!” This is one of many reasons why most normies ignore this crap. They can’t keep up with it all. Its that damned confusing. I mean, by Daghda’s Beard this shit is all over the place, very sloppy, much confusion.
She follows this up by claiming financial disasters and successes of whitewashed and PoC-led experiences respectively attaching it to supposed audience refinement. This, again, is unfounded because of other factors such as release dates, themes and histories of various vehicles. For example, while Ghost in the Shell was a failure in the states, it was much more successful in its native Japan and in Spain and Brasil – all countries that LOVED the source material and understood why someone like Scarlett Johansson would have been picked for the role of the Major. If Sarkeesian actually WATCHED the movie she would see that it was done to call out some of the things that SJWs claim to hate. Yeah, I’ve held that part back but if you haven’t seen the movie by now likely you don’t care if its spoiled – its an honestly progressive piece that tackles an issue of genuine white supremacy in the actual villain of the piece trying to make the entire world white through cybernetics. How is that for egg on your face Anita, your ilk who DIDN’T WATCH THE MOVIE just assumed shit once again and now you look like the bigots you are. You had a chance practically handed to you to promote trans-humanism like you types enjoy but botched it wholesale to claim outrage bucks. Sure, the movie was mediocre because of an inferior director, but the premise was solid enough of a warning but no, can’t let the Japanese anime stuff start influencing people or it might red pill people!
By the way add that on every market that accepted it, The Red Pill is a massive success. Just thought I’d let that be known, and we get into her going ‘white default’ with what is actually an openly egalitarian approach to casting in Hollywood. If they specified a race for a part? Do you realize how much rage would come out of the social justice crowd? It would be quickly misunderstood and made controversial. She then has the gall to say “Oh the generic every-man is still considered to be white in our culture.” This is laughable because there is this little known 80’s flick that has a black guy as the every-man to put yourself in as… Maybe you’ve heard of it, its called Ghostbusters. Sorry, couldn’t help myself.
Finally there is the “black friend” presumption, I don’t think we even have to take this one seriously because who says that sort of shit? Seriously, the cringe is real.
She ties the whole shitshow up with white savior complexes by mocking some real things that were referenced in fictional stories such as white samurai, mercenaries in other countries, and touching upon movies made by Christians for Christians who care very little for identity politics. This argument also serves up complete Ad Populim fallacies such as presuming all movies have to make the most money to be successful. She then produces perhaps the one legitimate argument she has ever given, “Speak Up,” to vote with your wallet for what you want. This part I actually have no problem with. It’s what we should all do.
Thanks for finally taking #GamerGate’s argument to heart Anita.
This is one reason why I don’t watch American television or movies that often. There are much more interesting subjects in the world and at times, those platforms are just flooded with absolute drivel. So go ahead guys, take Anita’s advice and watch more anime and play your vidya. It will piss her off because it means her words blew up in her face big time.
So… three more episodes planned of this shit coming up…. Oh gods I’m gonna be slammed with this shit aren’t I? Excuse me while I give myself a soapy water enema and please remember to Game Freely!
- Breaking the Narrative Episode 124: Nice Try Kotaku! This Won’t Work Though! - July 8, 2019
- Breaking the Narrative Episode 123: We Shouldn’t Go Straight to Mars! How Anime Got Space Right! - July 1, 2019
- Breaking the Narrative Episode 122: You’re Reviewing What Now? The Dissenter Web Browser! - June 10, 2019
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