MARTHA THOMASES: Hunger Games – Black Like Thee?
This column is going to get to its point in a roundabout way. If you want to get right to the incendiary arguing, skip ahead a few paragraphs. However, once you get there, you may find spoilers for The Hunger Games. Be prepared.
For the rest of you, I have a story to tell. When I was a girl of 10, I had a dog, Nancy. Before she died 11 years later, she and I had many heart-to-heart talks, where I would talk and then imagine what she would say to me.
We had a lot in common, in that we were both female and living in the Midwest. However, at some point, I realized that I was assuming we were even more alike. I thought she loved the Smothers Brothers and the Incredible String Band as much as I did. I thought she was against the war in Viet Nam. I thought she spoke English.
And I thought she was white.
I mean, she was white, except for her head, which was red and brown. Still, this was fur, not skin. It took me a while to recognize my assumptions as racist.
Some of this is how the human brain works. When someone says the word mother, I imagine my own mother. If I read a book with a first-person narrator, I assume the narrator is a middle aged New York woman like myself until the author establishes other characteristics.
Which brings me to my real subject. When I read The Hunger Games last month, I paid attention to the descriptions of the various characters. Sometimes the descriptions, all from the perspective of the narrator, Katniss, merely stated a person’s gender, or hair and eye color. Sometimes the descriptions offered more detail.
The character of Rue is one who inspires more detail. She is small and slight, like Katniss’ sister. She is shy, but smart and good at hiding. Her hair and eyes are dark.
So is her skin.
When I read the book, one of the fun things for me was to try to figure out which territories of Panem corresponded to which parts of the United States. Katniss lived in an area full of coal mines, so I figured she lived in Appalachia. Rue lives in a place that is warm and humid, a place where everyone works in agriculture. I imagined Florida, and maybe her ancestry was African-American with maybe some Cuban.
Apparently, some readers did not pay that much attention. After the movie opened last weekend to record-setting crowds, the Twitterverse was inundated with postings by people who were upset by the casting of a dark-skinned actress to play the part of Rue. There were so many complaints that there is a Tumblr site dedicated to recording all of the posts (which I found via this, so thanks!).
Now, I am not always a fan for color-blind casting. I didn’t like it when they talked about Marlon Wayans for Robin in the Tim Burton Batman movies, although I would like to believe that’s because I didn’t think he was right for the part. I thought making Jimmy Olson black, which was under discussion for a time, was kind of arbitrary and therefore a bit condescending. Both one these opinions may represent a layer of racism I haven’t yet exorcised.
But when an author takes the time and effort to specify a character’s ethnicity, I believe her.
I don’t know who these Twitter posters are, or what kind of lives they lead. I don’t know their opinions on other subjected. I haven’t even seen the movie yet. In any case, Rue is lucky that she doesn’t live in their neighborhoods. Or walk around in a hoodie with Skittles.
SATURDAY: Marc Alan Fishman Jumps On Mindy Newell’s Bandwagon
This was an inciteful article, and I am inclined to agree with the author on all points (except one, i imagine my favorite cat as being black, but i suppose that’s because his meow reminds me of Q-Tip), but the skittle’s comment? In bad taste, and uncalled for on a comic site.
No, it’s not in bad taste, allen.
It’s EXACTLY to the point.
Mindy
lol at my misspelling before someone else decides to point it out :)
or perhaps because it incited me to post it’s ok? more lolz. sorry just got off a 13 hour shift and reading about Trayvon. It’s too soon to make jokes :(
I don.t see that as a joke, Allen. I see it as ironic commentary.
Joke?
Like Mike said, it’s C-O-M-M-E-N-T-A-R-Y.
Mindy
Wow. ;-)
I forget who it was, exactly, but a commentator made a nice snarky comment about those up in arms over the ethnicity of the character: “I guess according to these bigots, black people shouldn’t have survived the Apocalypse?”
Haha, Avery, that right there is very quotable. It’s a pity you don’t know who said it. Serves the bigots right, heh.
Allen, I don’t understand your reaction to my Skittles comment. It is the whole point of the column. Why do you say it is out of line?
I find I agree with Allen, but for different reasons- The whole situation there isn’t sorted out yet, clear evidence hadn’t been found or presented before everyone lit their torches and took their pitchforks in hand.
Otherwise, the article calls great attention to the ignorance of people.
My apologies then, I thought your column was about fictional characters in a fictional setting and idiots getting mad about having their expectations crushed because of their inherent insecurities and opinions, and like I said, I actually agree with your entire article except I see my cat as black based on his voice. my only point was that the Trayvon comment was in bad taste, because that’s not a fictional setting or a fictional person, but a very real dead teenager, and (IMHO) not something that should be relegated to a closing snipe in an otherwise very good article. If the article was actually about that dead teenager, then I missed the point completely.
The connection is that the way we react to fiction, and the way fiction shapes us, is intimately connected to how we react to reality.
People who are up in arms about a dark-skinned character contaminating their movie probably also have deep-seated emotional reactions to dark-skinned humans contaminating their neighborhoods or walking near them in the street. (Whether they acknowledge/act on those emotions or not.)
Perpetuating those reactions is how things like dead teenagers happen.
FANTASTIC column, Martha!!!!!
Humans, like every other animal on this planet are naturally prejudiced. Prejudging is not a crime, we find comfort in that which is familiar. Hollywood knows catering to the majority demographic (Caucasians) is what’s going to sell tickets. And NO thinking your dog is White is NOT racist, it’s human. Except my cat IS Taiwanese, because that’s the family I bought Mei-Mei from.
You’re just repeating racism-apologia talking points. “It’s capitalism to appeal to white people” “racism is natural.” All you’re doing is proving how monstrous capitalism and nature can sometimes be.
Although for the record there’s not exactly a solid scientific consensus for racism being natural and shared by all animals.
The T rex is dead, Today the author may make you angry but tomorrow she will still be an author and you will still be a moron.