Lucasfilm calls John Boyega their hero… but they certainly haven’t treated him that way
Lucasfilm calls John Boyega their hero… but they certainly haven’t treated him that way
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Thank you. For posting an unbiased, reasonable, and an all around/over all view on this subject sir!
Optimistically speaking, you would have a company that reflects the racial diversity in the surrounding area. However, you'd have to consider that not everyone can have every job. And then consider that you might even have to apply that to each individual job and the headache starts. Practically speaking, enforced and encouraged diversity is the simplest and most direct solution, but it runs straight into what you pointed out, it isn't healing the issues. That would likely require an overhaul of the education system among other things… good luck with that. Our education system is super screwed up. Not like anyone in power is gonna fix it. God knows I wouldn't want that job.
Why not fix the system so that all people more or less receive an equal opportunity to success. It's not a meritocracy if you push others down and don't let them reach their full potential. These companies want to support the movement but also not rock the boat. If they rock the boat they might actually cause chanre
I still say Disney chickened out of having a romantic plot between Rey and Finn and put Rose in there because theyre fine with two non-white characters having the most forced and cringey kiss, but they couldn't have black man kiss the lead white female. That won't fly in ol"Mississip
Every time I hear someone speak on China I think about how the POTUS talks about China. China is the new boogie monster like Russia used to be. People are making stuff sound too political to be unbiased opinion.
Ask yourself what type of character John Boyega was in the trilogy and you will see what Lucasfilm really thinks about black people. Actions speak louder than words. Overcompsation after the fact let's you know how bad it really is
You nailed everything about the situation , if only people would listen and understand.
I really appreciate you for always being willing to have a conversation. That takes character and I feel you have always shown this. I did cringe and get a little frustrated with what you were saying because it appears you danced around this "core issue" that you are looking to solve. To look at the only two options being blacks/POC are either unqualified in most cases (for unknown reasons that should be address) and thus the pool of candidates is small. Therefore studios are left to just hire any black person or POC or find ways to train and get qualified blacks/POC is just untrue. Their are PLENTY of qualified black people/POC in all fields especially entertainment. We are regularly overlooked. That is the issue. The problem is not resolved because the issue is unknown, it is not resolved because the system does not want to course correct. Sure, there are communities that lack educational opportunities, but that has more to do with economics than race (although of course, there is a disparity in who is economical poor in this country that includes communities of color). My point is, the pool of qualified blacks and POC's is vast and plentiful. We (blacks/POC's) are not asking to be made into a quota, as you stated that diminishes our hard work and efforts. We are not given the same opportunities. That is the issue. You started to touch on it but then went around it- studios and companies are saying they are supporting black/POC communities in word, but failing in deed. They already know this and will only course correct with consistent pressure. They know the issue and now that they see the public see's the issue, hopefully they will change. I just strongly disagree with the notion that my community is unqualified and needs help because we lack education/training or that there are a gifted few in this small percentage of our community. No. We are in need of the opportunity. A fair chance, not a handout. Thanks for the content.
Promoting equality everywhere except where it's needed most.
There are two reasons why finding minority actors is hard. For one: Minorities have less chances in live from the beginning. There are simply less of them because they tend to go to worse schools, grow up in poorer famillies etc… even though genetically, they have as much potential as white people there is statistically a smaller chance they will realize it. On top of tjis there is another reason why minorities aren't hired much. People subconsciously discriminate them because there has been a white dominant culture for decades, if not millenia. You have to consciously abbandon your prejudicesness in order to hire them.
It sounds like what you’re saying is that Black people are inherently unqualified for these jobs. Just because these white studios feel like Black people are “unqualified” doesn’t mean that it is the truth of the situation. These studios with a history of racism aren’t hiring black and minority actors because they want to keep the status quo. Black actors are just as qualified as white actors in EVERY situation. These studios have an agenda and if they are saying that they are going to have to go out of their way to find black actors then are bigoted, prejudiced, racist, and ignorant. There are hundreds of qualified black actors that have been denied jobs by these studios for decades because they “didn’t fit the role“. Now because black people have had enough of 400+ years of racism, bigotry, prejudice, and oppression these white studios say that they are going to “try” to find black actors for jobs that have always been there. IGNORANCE and RACISM.
Saw this episode of patriot act and thought you https://youtu.be/zm5QVcTI2I8
Maybe you will learn something
Respect.
Eh burn, Disney!
The solution is balancing the economic scales.
John Boyega's actions help to support a claim I have regarding the sequels: that being that while I may hate some of the characters, I have nothing against the actors themselves. I hate MaRey Sue, but I have nothing against Daisy Ridley, and hope she goes on to better (more well thought out) movies. Finn I actually liked, and was upset that they wasted him, so I'm glad that John Boyega is doing well and is using his newfound popularity to speak out during this crisis. Hope he gets some good movie roles down the road.
The really is Finn was the greatest character that never was in this Disney Trilogy.
You know it’s a top tier jimmy rustle when Thor drops the f-bomb.
That aside, I heartily agree. Disney talks big on their stances regarding to moral/societal issues, but their actions say otherwise.
It won't stop until we have dismantled capitalism, capitalism is the economic engine of white supremacy. Black liberation and anti-capitalism go hand in hand. So basically when we get a new socialist republic will we have gotten to the point where that's a reality. I hope this answers your question in the video. It's a big elephant in the room that the media will not mention.
They did my boy John dirty in Star Wars, in the last movie it was so cringy watching him scream for Rey with that black woman holding him back from trying to save her! Lmao
I think this is the first time I've heard Thor swear in a video
3:38 at the moment this is okay beacause for a long time minority’s did work hard and gave it there all only to be pasted up because of a white candidate. Putting people in power puts more people like them in power and this doesn’t just go for government it goes for all businesses. It seems un fair because it is, but it is needed
Yep
Pretty sure the CCP will lower your social credit score if they see this
Some really good points here. It does feel like Lucasfilm felt casting John boyega and putting him front and center in the first movie, just to make the white girl the hero for the whole franchise, putting John in the background for the next 2 movies. It seems they felt giving him the spotlight for half a movie makes them not racist
GASP! You mean marketing strategies are strategies to market a product to a specific demographic?
So China gets the poster where technology is highlighted, the army is highlighted, and famous american actors Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are highlighted?
Yes, this changes were made to sell the movie to China. Yes, it's horrible that the only black actor gets squished down, especially at this times.
But every single movie does this to some degree, we just didn't notice or didn't care before They market the product to the country just like they do when they import Ghibli films and put celebrities instead of voice actors to try to get butts in seats, since americans wouldn't watch an anime movie
Thor makes very good points about examining all sides and thinking for ourselves. One point I would add is that we need to educate ourselves on the situation, facts, and complexities of the issue, especially history and statistics. There is a point where we all have hidden prejudices and can be prone to confirmation bias, so sometimes “thinking for ourselves” isn’t as simple as just thinking about it. Researching the facts is crucial to thinking for ourselves.
The issue with systemic racism, white privilege, and prejudice has do with opportunity. Minorities start the race with a multitude of obstacles that white people NEVER EVEN KNEW EXISTED. You…without realizing it… Made an argument about affirmative action. But what you and man fail to understand is that affirmative action was put in place because of the old boys club in all hiring circles. When the NFL and NBA are around 75 percent black but 1 percent of the owners and 5 percent of the coaches are black… Something is wrong. In the highest placed of leadership are white men. And it isn't always on merit. Actually it's rarely on merit. It's on who you know and your connections. That's where the race is rigged and those that don't acknowledge that do a disservice to making progress in this country.
My man!
Most audiences who werent absolute fans thought that stormtroopers were either clones, robots, or mindless nazi soldiers…
The concept of a stormtrooper gone rogue had so much potential but never did anything with it besides TFA, they could've had Finn seek out his previous squadron and have them go rogue like he did or something interesting
John Boyega is a talented actor and they wasted his potential
Putting Disney aside for a moment. I think when companies promote their diversity it's for a multitude of reasons, some good, some bad.
1. They do it to let minorities know that their company has an accepting work environment that won't tolerate any kind of bigotry or discrimination.
It may sound silly to someone who doesn't have this fear or doubt looming in the back of their head, but when I see a company that specifically says they are accepting and willing to protect my rights as a person who's gay, I feel that much more inclined to apply there bc I know I won't have to worry about hiding who I am. When entering a new job, there is a part of me that questions, "Should I avoid mentioning that I'm gay if it's brought up?" Especially if my boss and co-workers are predominantly male. I've had straight men start to avoid me in the past once they knew I was gay, normally they end up saying it was bc they were afraid they'd have to walk on eggshells around me, even though most of the time what they had to say wasn't even offensive. At worst it was a joke that fell flat and at best it was really funny. I've seen this get better over the years but it's still something that I have to deal with occasionally. And on the worse end of the spectrum, you could just be straight up discriminated against, bullied, getting the worst opportunities at work, and most importantly being fried. Thankfully I don't really have to worry about this bc I live in a very progressive and accepting city, but I have many friends who came from places where they had to worry about those things. That's why companies saying diversity is a priority of there's is positive.
2. They say they are for diversity to have the appearance of being accepting without actually being accepting.
It's unfortunate bc it makes the whole hiring process seem like a giant hoax. I could go on glassdoor or see the company's reviews somewhere else just to make sure it's not a front. Unfortunately, I bet all of this is amplified with black people bc they can't hide their skin color. But I think it's a waste of time when I live in such a progressive city, as I mentioned before.
My first point only really applies to places that are generally not accepting in the first place. Overall, it does seem like things have been getting better, at least where I'm from in the US. But I don't know if the diversity initiative is all that effective or if it's just that people more broadly are becoming more accepting, it could be both. I'm honestly not sure bc I don't know how you'd accurately be able to measure that. But to address your point with Disney, you're right, they are total hypocrites. And John Boyega deserved better during the sequel trilogy.
Thank you for not pandering to people and for speaking your mind. You bring up a great point in that we should stop looking at race as a reason for hiring, but how qualified one is. As a minority, I've been frustrated with how people all over social media have been claiming I must be oppressed because of my skin color and that I hate white people. I don't want to be given things because of my race, that just pushes us back in time. I just want to be treated equally.
More and more it feels like all this excessive diversity & anti-racism rhetoric is just people in big business trying to atone for their sins of actively comitting the racism they accuse all of us indulging when they sell out overseas. Or they're just trying to pit those minorities against the white working class so they don't notice what they're up to behind the rainbow logo and the bandwagon hastag.
Thor, I generally love your videos, but you're way off base here. Stop arguing about "the best qualified person." In how many jobs does the best qualified person actually get the position? Is every cashier, fast food worker, mechanic, or whatever, the absolute best qualified person on Earth for that particular job? Of course not. Competency is what counts. And not you, Thor, but so many people (especially in your comment section) really mean (when they say "best person for the job) that "I don't care how qualified they are, as long as they're straight, white and male."
Show any generic white man in a suit to these folks, and they automatically assume he's qualified for any job in the world. Show a woman or nonwhite person, and immediately the screams come out: "Tokenism! SJW! Forcing politics and diversity down my throat! Why don't you get someone QUALIFIED?!" This is regardless of the person's credentials or experience. That's why affirmative action is needed; that's why Kathleen Kennedy was right to wear a "The Force is Female" shirt; that's why Rose Tico was an important character; that's why Rian Johnson was perfectly right to subvert expectations [and making the best film in the Saga in the process], and that's why more of these themes need to be pushed, regardless of how much the whiny fanboys complain. It needs to be pushed until it is accepted as just a natural part of life to see a diverse cast, without a second thought.
The fact that Boyega was downplayed in the Chinese TFA poster reinforces that point. It's sad that Disney caved on that, and on the two women kissing in TROS. Even sadder is that many Fandom Menace geekboy commenters on your channel complained even more loudly than Chinese censors about such inclusion. Disney does need to do better, but many fanboys need to go home and rethink their lives, as Disney is doing much better (financially, artistically, and morally) than they ever will.
As always, just my 2 cents.
If you want to understand what happens to black people with talent… Maybe you should watch Ed Dwight Jr's story…
https://youtu.be/Xj1sJQW98nE
maybe the reason why we don't see talented black people is because Star wars fans in America and China weren't interested in seeing talented black people in leading roles. maybe the reason why John boyega didn't get a better role in Star wars is because the non-black audience didn't care about the black person in Star wars… Again, this is why I hate the Star wars community…
https://youtu.be/Xj1sJQW98nE
What I love about this idiotic proposed paradox is it intentionally forgets one very important thing… Maybe there are a lot of qualified African Americans for the job… And they don't get hired because white owned companies prefer to hire other white people, regardless of the African Americans qualifications. African Americans called this the good old boy network… White people hire their friends that they know over risking the controversy of integrating their staff and filling the role with people outside of their own network… Even if it will directly or indirectly cause more profit for the company.
that would mean the only option for African Americans to find a suitable position… is to go for African American owned businesses… Which systemic racism actively looks to sabotage.
Videos like this is the reason why I do not like the Star wars fan community…
4:01 you don’t have to be vague, we know what side you’re on. Apologies for the multiple responses. But it’s good for your numbers I guess
3:30 it may imply that however that’s not anything that is different from white people. Think about Tony Stark or Captain America, those were roles made for white men. So part of the reason RDJ and Chris Evans got those roles was because they were white. This litterally isn’t anything new in Hollywood
3:02 that is one of the solutions, yes. They’d be normalizing different races as the lead, something that hasn’t been done. This could create more interesting stories as there are different perspective that a writer would have to write if the lead is a minority.
Hey disney if BLM how come Finn got such little respect in the Disney SW Trilogies? Lies disney… lies…
2:00 why hire minorities over white people? This question is asked under the assumption that the hiring process is already somehow in favor of minorities. Minorities take up almost half 40% of the US population and yet the vast majority of acting jobs are taken by white peoples. This is exacerbated by the fact that the majority of lead roles are given to white people. Every Star Wars movie had a white lead and every marvel movie has had a white male lead with the exception of captain marvel and black panther. Then, on top of all of that, every time a woman or minority is cast as the lead, supporters and haters make a huge deal about it. We talk about identity politics as if it’s a bad thing that people are challenging the status quo but the truth is in front of our eyes. Hollywood needs to face changes if it’s going to be more representative of the worlds population. If you don’t think that representation matters it’s probably because you already have representation.
Disney/LFL seems to me to be a company all about verbally championing diversity but doing little about it. Ok… as with many things, I guess I have to draw a line between the LFL movies and everything else. Because there is plenty of diversity in other LFL projects. But in the movies, they've been proclaiming since Disney bought LFL that they're all for diversity, but not really showing it. The casts are more diverse, but all the leads have still been whites. The directors have all been white men. The writers have been white men. Etc. Not that there's anything wrong with being a white person, but they've proclaiming that they day isn't far off when a non-white person will direct a Star Wars movie. As far as any announcements or rumors go, that day still isn't coming. If it's because the people that they're getting are the best for the job and happen to be white men, that's fine, but I argue that JJ Abrams, Rian Johnson, Chris Terrio, and possibly others that've been hired and then fired and replaced by other white men may not have been the best people for the job. And the characters… Like I said, all white leads. Han Solo, fine, you're not going to change his race, but the other leads have been, while female, still looking not just white but related, without being so. Meanwhile, it's been said many times since this tweet was made that Finn was the character with the most potential and started out as the co-lead, only to be made into the slapstick stereotype black sidekick.
Like the man said, actions speak louder than hollow, provably insincere words.
LoLz I never realized he was taken off posters. I thought only Rose Tico was… oof… What a fall for one of the most interesting characters (personalized storm troopers, force sensitive, betrayed the Empire… I mean First Order, sorry for that 😉 , sexually assaulted in-film). I joke, I joke… But for real, he was a waste of a character by the last movie. It legit made me sad.
I knew stuff was getting serious when Thor dropped the F bomb
As much as being mean to someone because of skin color is racism I believe being nice to someone because of skin color is racism
The Sequel Trilogy could've had a black man as the new hero figure, but instead it had to be yet another WHITE SAVIOR story.
Tsk tsk, Disney, you're not doing it right…
100% believe that this is true, we should be fighting for true equality and not a fake upside down version of our current society