I even owned a
(I was never able to find all of them...especially Shana)
When I heard talks of a live version being made I was all smiles.
On Friday, the 25th the cast was announced. I quickly posted the link to an article on my FB feed and went about my day. It was a busy day. On Saturday I woke up to further investigate...i.e. I click on my own link and I read the article.
I couldn't wait to see who was chosen.
Everything is...looking...ok...wait!!!!
HOLD UP!!!
Why is the actress cast as Shana (the dark skin, purple afro wearing Hologram on the far right) about four shades lighter than my cartoon version?
I know there are talented brown skin (cocoa, chocolate, hazelnut) actress that can sing.
Why wasn't one of them chosen? If not for talent for keeping honest to the damn cartoon.
Growing up Shana was one of the few ( I think of 3) characters that looked like me :-)
I have nothing against Aurora Perrineau. I can't I know nothing about her. Apparently she had a role on Pretty Little Liars ( I love and watch) but I don't remember her.
Her father is Harold Perrineau. Now him I know...him I love...He played Augustus Hill in Oz and Damon Pope in Sons of Anarchy.
Good acting runs in the family but my beef isn't about acting.
I'm pissed and so are some other people that here was a perfect opportunity to show true diversity while staying true to the original character.
My first thought when I saw her was "Is she mixed?" then I said "REALLY? You gonna do Shana like that!!!"
Integrity Toys got the memo that Shana is of the darker complexion.
The director, Jon M. Chu held an open casting call (social media at it's best)
[youtube=http://youtu.be/yzVnNVrunAE]
Not one of entries had a hopeful wonder that looked like Shana?
The director was wants to "reinvent" Jem for a current audience?
Current audience devoid of color? When the past audience did just fine with it?
I don't buy that Aurora Perineau was the BEST choice.
I do buy that Aurora Perineau is the Hollywood standard of the easiest and safest way to say "we have a diverse cast".
While she may be half white (her mother) and half black most of the world sees her as Black.
That's all we need.
But it isn't because that isn't all there is.
Our First Daughters of the White House
are beautiful shades of brown.
Lupita Nyong'o
named People magazines Most Beautiful Person of 2014 (days before the cast was revealed) is gorgeous shade of chocolate.
Hollywood needs to let go of it's "safety net" and take the rose tinted glasses off.
What I see in that cast line up is NOT diversity. I see a group of young, beautiful women who kinda look the same, save for eye and hair colors...
I don't even think their hair textures are different!
Brown and dark skin women deserve to be represented in films and TV shows because we exist. Not enough is being done to show that.
We don't deserve a diluted version of us.
This casting choice is a diluted version.
People are going to say "It isn't that serious. It's just a movie...The girl is BLACK."
To quote a friend that posted a comment on my FB page regarding the link to the cast article, she said "Where is the Black girl?"
Sometimes what is seen on the surface is what matters.
~Until Next Time~
xo
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