Psyche! Tonight’s episode starts with a sketch opening with Obama and the head of the Chinese government and his Chinese translator. I actually didn’t think it was offensive and it was funny, but the Asian characters were played by white people. Doesn’t that feel funny (funny strange, not funny ha ha) to you? Just hire a freaking Asian and more girls, please.
On the flip side, if I were an Asian cast member and were only called upon to play foreign, non-English speaking characters, I would also be annoyed.
Forget it, I cannot be happy.
The girl playing the translator is Persian, so I guess there’s a little diversity there–although she and the other new girl are pretty much indistinguishable right now. Which makes it particularly effed up that there aren’t any other black cast members. Like I want to do a “Really, Lorne?!” sketch: “Really?! Lorne, Kenan is the only funny black person in America? Really, Lorne?! And Lorne, you have a black president and his whole family, and really, Lorne, you didn’t think it might be a good opportunity to have some more representation in your cast, so you can satire them? Because, really, Lorne, Fred Armisen with some tanning is not good enough. Really! And Lorne, really, casting two young women who look pretty much the same is going to work out so much better. And Lorne, really, can you stop with the lame sketches where the running gag is that the guy is gay? Really! Lorne! Really!?”
it bugs me. i am a total quota queen.
on a tangent, the obamas chose art for the white house and none of the artists were women, which bugs me, b/c dude, they’re international figures — they could impact a female artist’s life economically and beyond. you need to look at that.
also, a.o. scott, for his top ten movies of the past decade? no female directors. one black (spike lee) and one gay (gus van sant), everyone else, the usual.
i will say, yes, it’s good that one girl is persian, but they both look bikini babes and always play back-up singers so i haven’t noticed them yet.
I do think that the Obamas’ not choosing a female’s art to display in the White House is kind of f’d up, because their choices represent a lot more than their personal tastes, whether they want them to or not.
For A.O. Scott, on the other hand, I’d think it was just as f’d up if he’d listed a film he didn’t think was truly deserving, just because it was done by a female or minority. I used to do a list of my ten favorite records of the year to post in my store, and for a long time I made sure to include at least one hip-hop album and one album by a female artist. And after a while, I felt that by doing it I was being condescending, so I stopped. I’m not saying my ten favorite records every year are by white dudes, but if it happens that they are, I’m not going to lie about it. Is that wrong?
Racist!
mc abe, i hear you. and i like your logic. i guess here’s where i stand — i don’t want someone to put some artist on your top ten list just b/c of their gender or race; it does have to be a list you mean, but i also think, our default culture is white male — so that’s what we’re naturally comfortable with and naturally dig. to make a change, you have to be aware of these things. so for a.o. scott, i dunno, i think he’s looking at film — which has a ton more of stuff by guys than girls. i would want him to look at his list and make sure that films in the running are some films by girls. like “hurt locker”? directed by kathryn bigelow and i thought it was awesome. he doesn’t have to like it, but i just want to make sure he’s even considering some girls.
the white house — yeah, i agree. it’s an economic thing and a public thing — your personal choices are a public statement, but i think ao scott is a public figure, and for that matter, so are you in a way. if you nominated one record by a girl that you genuinely liked and posted it in your store and and it inspires one aspiring female rocker out there, i’m down with that. BUT i think you listen to ALL MUSIC and so i don’t have a problem with you. i think, whatever, the answer is to mix up the people who get to choose these lists? but lists are stupid too. it’s all about your taste.
whatever, i doubt i’m being clear.