It's curious and amusing to me to see people complain about one (1) tv spot that has a dubstep track to it. Out of six or seven tv spots, and two or three theatrical trailers, there is exactly one with dubstep. It is a good way to catch the eye and ear of younger people. A smart decision.
Shockingly, I do not recall anyone complaining about the use of -
- E.S. Posthumus' "Unstoppable" in nearly every preview for Sherlock (both the first and second movie), despite it being a movie set in the late 1800s. Of course, those are movies based on fictional events so clearly that makes it acceptable. Or any number of other period pieces that have used contemporary music or dialogue.
Ray did well at the theatre and had a majority Black cast, yes. It was also about an American Icon. Of course, 'did well' is subjective. It did 75 million domestic on a 40 million budget. Walk The Line starring Joaquin Phoenix and about Johnny Cash, released the same year (infact three weeks later), did 120 million domestic on a 28 million budget.
Bad Boys did well well, yes, though again 'did well' is subjective. It did 65 million domestic and 140 million worldwide. With Will Smith. Bad Boys II did a lot better - 138 million domestic, about 270 million worldwide (on a 130 million budget) with Will Smith having made himself a bonafide superstar at that point.
The Tuskegee Airmen story was told before, yes, though for a made for TV movie and not a theatrical release. Lucas has also been trying to get this movie made for 23 years (so the his last four films comment is really irrelevant).
If you listened to the interview or read other pieces about it you'll also notice that Lucas, IIRC, said there was no MAJOR white roles in this film, and I am unsure of how much time Cranston's character (or the few other white people cast) receives. As for him being with-held from the trailers and posters, well, he's actually in the theatrical trailers. Though I have yet to see him in a tv spot.
You'll also maybe note how Lucas said after funding the movie himself he thought for sure he'd at least be able to get the ads and marketing funded. Yet, when he went to receive it he was told "we have no idea how to market this film."
Because marketing war stories is so hard. I can't imagine how hard, really, I'd hate to see anyone market a war story about something like horses.
Oh. Wait.
There are four big Black movie stars that come to my mind immediately and probably to the average public. Will. Denzel. Halle. Freeman.
Four.
I mean I guess the average person might be able to name Idris Elba, but probably more due to the fact that people got upset when he was cast as Heimdall in Thor.
Here are the white movie stars I can name off the top of my head. Angelina. Brad. Cruise. Hanks. Craig. Ford. RDJ. Depp. Streep. Bale. Gosling. Clooney. Winslet. Leo. Radcliffe and Pattison to the under 30 crowd just because of Potter and that awful series Twilight. This is 16 without really thinking. There are tons more to name that the average person would know just from the exposure they get in media and movies.
It is doubtful the average person even knows who Viola Davis is.
Just because someone's a liberal doesn't mean they aren't racist, or don't think racist thoughts even if they're subtle, or don't benefit from White Privilege or want to continue to benefit from it.
Do you think The Last Airbender getting whitewashed by the studio was just random?
Or Garrett Hedlund being cast as Kaneda in the live-action Akira, based on an anime? A movie that is casting more white actors day by day.
Or this -
http://www.theinterrobangs.com/2011/03/why-the-casting-of-the-hunger-games-matters/- a nice piece on the role of Katniss in The Hunger Games going to Jennifer Lawrence, and how a character that has no 100% legitimate racial identity (she is described as olive-skinned) had only a request for Caucasian actors on its call sheet.
Or how magazines and photoshoots lighten the skin color of POCs - case in point Naya Rivera of Glee, who is a WOC having her skin so lightened in a photoshoot for Elle coming out later this month alongside her white castmates, fans of the show had a hard time recognizing her when looking at the shots.
Or how when Neil Gaiman was getting ready to sell the rights to Anansi Boys (so it would be made into a movie) was told how his Black characters would be changed to white because "of course, Black people don't like fantasy." -
http://nerdbastards.com/2011/07/01/neil-gaiman-talks-american-gods-and-doctor-who/
So we can talk about how why yes, Will and Denzel can headline, and maybe even Halle. Freeman is a universally recognized actor.
But that's the problem. Four. Not a lot of Black people (or POCs in general) are given leading roles or even a chance to have leading roles in big movies. There's Tyler Perry movies, the occasional Black film that can get a semi-wide release (Just Wright, Death at a Funeral remake, I can't even remember any ads for Jumping The Broom which has an amazing cast - btw none of these were even released in my area). No unknowns are ever really given a chance, there's no Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Caulkin, etc to carry a movie. There's hardly ever any chances.
On TV can you really name any shows that have POCs as a lead character? I think Community and Pretty Little Liars come closest since they are the very definition of an ensemble show. Glee has lots of supporting POC, of course they're all written in terribly stereotypical fashion.
Do you think if Red Tails fails at the box office we're going to see a big-budget majority Black cast movie in the future? I mean, really?
Denny had valid reason to post this, whether you think he was trying to stir up something against Liberals or not. It is a valid issue, a valid concern.
At least the movie looks better than the Pearl Harbor movie.
