The Student Room Group

Auditions in the entertainment biz are racist

We like to think that we live in a non racist society where everyone has an equal opportunity. But the entertainment and fashion biz directly contradict this as they demand applicants to be of a particular race or skin colour when they audition for roles say for film, music videos, adverts or even as extras.

Don't believe me? Check any audition casting and you will see clearly that only a specific race of individuals can apply for the different roles.
In any normal job, selection of applicants is not based on race or ethnicity as otherwise that company would be sued for discrimination etc.
The entertainment biz you might say is not racist yet their selection process is. Why the double standard?

For gods Sake I never said anything about historical roles. I meant contemporary films, music vids and adverts. CONTEMPORARY!
(edited 12 years ago)

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I imagine it would be rather odd to have a white, German actor playing the role of a militant black panther.
Original post by SchadenfreudeDude
I imagine it would be rather odd to have a white, German actor playing the role of a militant black panther.


Ah so race and skin colour does matter in the entertainment biz!
Hence my point.
In any normal job, selection process is not based on race or skin colour or otherwise that company would be sued for discrimination etc.
(edited 12 years ago)
I think schadenfreude was enunciating that your point was stupid, not that you didn't have one.
Original post by MancStudent098
I think schadenfreude was enunciating that your point was stupid, not that you didn't have one.


Ah so if a black guys child hood dream was to play the part of superman in a film, he would be inherently let down due to social stigma because only White people can be superman, right?
For goodness' sake. It's not racist or discrimination to request a white actor to play, say, Hitler, any more than it is to request a black actor to play Martin Luther King, or even just a bald/tall/female/ginger person to play a certain part. You need to learn the difference between racism and casting. Just because the decision may be made on skin colour does not mean it's racism, it just means they need a person with that colour skin - a characteristic just like hair or height or gender. I mean, what, shall I go and audition for the part of Rosa Parks and kick up a fuss because they wouldn't cast me as her because I'm white? :rolleyes:

Even if it's a fictional character, it doesn't mean they've thought "oh only white people are allowed to play this", it means they've written the scripts and planned the plot beforehand and have a clear vision of what the character should look like and are casting according to this.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Bella Occhi
For goodness' sake. It's not racist or discrimination to request a white actor to play, say, Hitler, any more than it is to request a black actor to play Martin Luther King, or even just a bald/tall/female/ginger person to play a certain part. You need to learn the difference between racism and casting. Just because the decision may be made on skin colour does not mean it's racism, it just means they need a person with that colour skin - a characteristic just like hair or height or gender. I mean, what, shall I go and audition for the part of Rosa Parks and kick up a fuss because they wouldn't cast me as her because I'm white? :rolleyes:

Even if it's a fictional character, it doesn't mean they've thought "oh only white people are allowed to play this", it means they've written the scripts and planned the plot beforehand and have a clear vision of what the character should look like and are casting according to this.


The casting of the black dude in the movie Thor caused some controversy because Norse gods were White.
If you look at the BBC as an example, it's fair to say that the proportion of ethnic minority presenters, newsreaders, DJs etc is much larger than the national proportion, so that's probably fair enough.
Reply 8
This is a monumentally stupid post.

I bet OP applied to play the part of an African mercenary, only to find his ginger hair holding him back.
If you can't see the reasons for being VISUALLY (not racially, ethnically, religiously) selective when casting someone whose job is to look and act in a way that is set by a script, you are truly thick.
You might as well hound the entertainment business for rejecting Eric Bana to play the part of the hot hoe in Transformers. I mean, So what if he's an Australian male
Reply 9
This is ridiculous. Films could not be authentic without race and gender selection for roles. Schadenfreude was simply showing that your point makes no logical sense.
Reply 10
Well you can't really have a film about prehistoric man in Africa without all of them being black
Original post by slavetosociety
The casting of the black dude in the movie Thor caused some controversy because Norse gods were White.


I don't understand what you're trying to say here. Of course it would cause some controversy, as the Nordic people were white. Personally I have no objection to them casting a black actor as whoever he played (haven't seen the film) but I can understand why it might cause controversy. However I maintain that this is in no way racism, in fact you've actually contradicted your own point here!
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Planar
Well you can't really have a film about prehistoric man in Africa without all of them being black


You are missing the point here like the rest who posted....
Original post by slavetosociety
We like to think that we live in a non racist society where everyone has an equal opportunity. But the entertainment and fashion biz directly contradict this as they demand applicants to be of a particular race or skin colour when they audition for roles say for film, music videos, adverts or even as extras.

Don't believe me? Check any audition casting and you will see clearly that only a specific race of individuals can apply for the different roles.
In any normal job, selection of applicants is not based on race or ethnicity as otherwise that company would be sued for discrimination etc.
The entertainment biz you might say is not racist yet their selection process is. Why the double standard?


Racist means that you believe in the absolute superiority of one race over all others, not that you acknowledge that races exist.

Stop whining, I'm sick of touchy feely people like you who see discrimination and racism everywhere (except within of course). Can't you think of anything better to talk about or complain about or entertain yourself with?
Reply 14
Ok, so you'd be happy with a Black guy playing Hitler and me playing Malcolm X, Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela?
Original post by Steevee
Ok, so you'd be happy with a Black guy playing Hitler and me playing Malcolm X, Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela?


FFS, you people are such idiots. Read the ****ing thread and then comment.
Reply 16
Original post by slavetosociety
You are missing the point here like the rest who posted....


What is the point then?
Reply 17
The point is race does play a part. And that's firstly no bad thing (under circumstances) and its certainly not racist.

Circumstances aforementioned: If a producer was making a film, and this producer happened to be a member of the KKK, then yes, that would be racist, and that would be a wrong circumstance to not cast a role. Who would want to operate under a KKK member, who knows, but its just a point.

However, taking your point of Thor: Historically, black people wouldn't have reached that far North, not to mention been part of the roving war-parties. The fact they did it was on a racial basis, and to prevent incurred "racial wrath" they cast a role for a black guy.

Now, I'm not PC, but I am strongly against Racism when used as an insult, or to hold someone back. But if a producer wants to cast a film following some historical points, then s/he should be entitled to not cast a role for someone not race-wise accountable to that area given the circumstance, time, current affairs, etc.

For example, you wouldn't cast a white person as a child soldier for the RUF in Sierra Leone. White people were executed there, so there's no way you'd see one running around with 12 year olds armed with Kalashnikovs in a film like, say, Johnny Mad Dog.

Its not racist to deny a black person a role because you want to retain some accuracy. Every comic of Superman (another example you made) has Superman portrayed as white; sorry, but a black person or whatever race is going to be out of place.

In the same deck, a white person playing for the Zulus in the film Zulu? :rolleyes:

Grow up; film producers sometimes do like things to be on par. Its not racist, unless you're doing so upon the aforementioned circumstance.
Reply 18
Shut up. Jesus ****ing christ!
Reply 19
Original post by slavetosociety
FFS, you people are such idiots. Read the ****ing thread and then comment.


No good sir, you are the idiot.

If an advertiser wants 3 white guys in an add to portray a certain kind of feel, then why should he have to include a token black guy? And the same is true vice versa. Grow up.

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