Whitewashing in Film:
Why does the film industry whitewash movies?
What is the impact of whitewashing in movies?
How have activists responded to whitewashing?
Welcome to my English 328W project, which is on whitewashing in film. As you can see from the image above, whitewashing has existed for many years. The film industry has always prioritized white actors and actresses over those of color—even when casting for characters of color. From the young age when are introduced to film, we are conditioned to see white actors and actresses as "better." Whitewashing sustains itself through the domino effect: the more we watch whitewashed movies, the more we support the casting of white actors in film. I was inspired to do research on this subject after reading about the backlash that Avatar: the Last Airbender had after casting white actors and actresses for characters of color (Click here) for my project proposal). I had been a fan of the Nickelodeon show and had subsequently accepted the film until I became aware of the inherent whitewashing of the film. At this moment I realized that I had been conditioned to accept whitewashing as a standard for film, and would no longer tolerate it.