There has been a lot of anger spewed around on the grounds of Scarlett Johnson playing Major Motoko Kusanagi(A fictional Japanese Character) in the new Ghost in the Shell film, due for release sometime next year. My interest here is not to defend the producer’s casting choice, but to examine it from a different perspective.
First, let’s address the issue regarding Asians being underrepresented in the media. As of the 2010 U.S. census, Asians represent 4.8% of the U.S. population. The term ‘Asian’ doesn’t do well to convey the diversity of this population, which adheres to many different religions, speaks many different languages, is culturally quite diverse, and is quite phenotypically different from each other. The largest ethnicities counted among ‘Asians’ are Chinese, Indians, Filipinos, Koreans, and Japanese. Each group standing alone would barely make up 1% of the U.S population. Why I bring this to bear is that when arguing a group is underrepresented in something, we need to understand what percentage that group constitutes of the populace. Because Asians make up a relatively small minority of the United States, it seems logical that they would also make up a small percentage of what we see in the media.
The second point I would like to bear in mind is that people argue why filmmakers would cast a Caucasian lead in a film based on a Japanese property. It is essential to recognize that just because a movie is based on works from another culture, it doesn’t automatically mean the film will be set in that specific setting. Keep in mind that this is an American adaptation of a Japanese fictional story. Hence, casting actors that fit the American standards(which, according to the US Census, is still 60% white) isn’t that absurd. There are many instances, for example, when Japanese producers adapt American properties for their own market, casting Japanese actors in roles traditionally played by white actors. I think of the Japanese 1970s live-action Spider-Man TV show.
Finally, quite comically, is how the Japanese view this situation themselves. According to an article by Kotaku, internet comments from Japanese fans suggest that the Japanese themselves don’t view this as a significant issue. In fact, comments reflect how ironic it is that White people in the United States are bothered by this issue more than are Japanese people. I have attached the link to this article here… here…http://kotaku.com/the-japanese-internet-reacts-to-scarlet-johansson-in-gh-1771544034
Da Joanis Project 