West Side Story White- Washing Controversy in Australia

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

http://www.onstageblog.com/onstage-blog-news/2018/7/13/australia-opera-planning-on-whitewashed-production-of-west-side-story

[QueenAlice]

Fine. But when the creatives have already stated that they are aware that the casting is not what is expected but that they may be planning a different take on the material,  shouldn't we at least see what they're planning before screaming foul?

[mar6411]

More click bait for Dave19.  He just salivates over these and then moderators come in and his are among the posts remaining.  So predictable.

[GeorgeandDot]

Of course it's in Australia.

[qolbinau]

GeorgeandDot said: "Of course it's in Australia."

What is this supposed to mean? 

[GeorgeandDot]

qolbinau said: "GeorgeandDot said: "Of course it's in Australia."

What is this supposed to mean?"

Exactly what it sounds like it means.

 

[EllieRose2]

Australia is the most racist place I have ever been to.  They think blackface is hilarious and generally treat POC like garbage.  I am not surprised and I doubt they will make ANY changes. 

[SweetLips22]

EllieRose2 said: "Australia is the most racist place I have ever been to. They think blackface is hilarious and generally treat POC like garbage. I am not surprised and I doubt they will make ANY changes."

ER2--you is talkin' outa yer a-hole. Australia has come a long way since it's infamous White Australia Policy and is still trying to learn and accept the part of their original land holders. The first settlers were white from England and over the years other nationalities arrived making up the multi-cultural society that is Australia today--a mix of peoples living together sharing different backgrounds-mostly in harmony.

Acceptance and change doesn't happen overnight and some people are moderates others radicals and some sit on the fence and accept.

The majority of my upbringing was all white, never came in contact with black and the only foreigner was a white Greek who moved in next door. The only coloured was on the screen and depicted by the Americans as servants, poor, the baddies or definitely 2nd class. We learnt initially from TV and the screen.

As in all countries, some people develop mentally and emotionally, others don't, can't and do not.

There is a massive influx from India and Asia, especially in Melbourne, mainly with students, so that changes dramatically the colour of the population on the street.

To brand Australia 'the most racist' is obviously from a personal experience or what you observed and would certainly like to hear of your tale where you witnessed an Australian 'treating a POC like garbage'.

And Yes, in the 1970s Britain, America, Australia, in fact the whole world LOVED both on TV and on stage, George Mitchell's The Black and White Minstrel Show.

I know for a fact the sold out audiences where there for the music, variety and spectacle and certainly NOT for the blackface[the colour was actually called Max Factor Negro No2-probably more offensive-not black]-influenced by Al Jolson.

The blame game is a merry-go-round--sometimes it doesn't pay to go on the ride..

 

[GeorgeandDot]

The fact that you referred to a PoC as "Coloured" just further proves EllieRose2's point....

[SweetLips22]

GeorgeandDot said: "The fact that you referred to a PoC as "Coloured" just further proves EllieRose2's point...."

Well you're another <<edited by BWW staff>> for picking out the one word 'coloured'--I'm totally confused-Americans have changed the word for POC [there-does that make you happy] so many times over the years. To me, a person whose skin isn't white, they are coloured and if you are offended, I am not sorry.

[GeorgeandDot]

I am a person of color <<edited by BWW staff>>. I will tell you what is offensive. Australia is a racist country. It is. America has not changed the word for colored "so many times." I prefer to be called black, or Blasian (since I am mixed), or a person of color or a woman of color. This hasn't changed since the 70's get with the <<edited by BWW staff>> program. I guess you still stick with colored, negro, and occasionally <<edited by BWW staff>>, I'm sure. Seriously, <<edited by BWW staff>>.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Wait, they want to take racial tension out of West Side Story? Seriously? Race and immigration provides the crucial background to the story.

Also, that The King and I picture in that article might be one of the worst things I've ever seen. 

[dearalanaaaa]

qolbinau said: "GeorgeandDot said: "Of course it's in Australia."

What is this supposed to mean?"

I will second Dot. Australia is and has always been racist. Online I've seen Australias call people N****, Nazi's, and every other racially degrading word. Just because you aren't racist doesn't mean the large and vocally most apparent majority is too.

[RippedMan]

I’ve been and saw a ton of Asians and Indians. So.... I don’t know what to say? I feel like people like to call a “lack of diversity” when black people aren’t involved. And yet there is so much more diversity to the world.

[qolbinau]

Thank you RippedMan. Many people in this thread don’t know what they’re talking about. I mean, there are of course issues - but I suggest they actually go to the most populous cities (especially Sydney and Melbourne) and realise that the country is probably not what you think it is. There is no Western country in the world where Asian people can have a better life or likely make up a greater proportion of the city populations. The population of Latino people is so small I would claim most Australians would not distinguish them from white, and the selection pool for cast will be small. The context is completely different than the USA.

There are no excuses for Teddy. That was a Puzzlement.

If you want to know what’s racist walk into any American fast food restaurant, especially in cities, and look at the racial demographics of the workers. Tell me how much are they getting paid and how can they move up the world? In Australia due to accessible higher education, a high minimum wage and public healthcare there is genuinely so much opportunity to succeed regardless of your race, socioeconomic status or background. Rather than embarrass yourself you could learn a thing or two from the country and how to provide opportunity to everyone. (See: 2016 Bernie Sanders advocacy).

[SweetLips22]

Thanks G&D for stepping in for ER2 and trust you can calm down from your angry response to see how I tried to respectfully explain my observations.

I can't defend a whole country but both contributors have taken this personal vendetta against Australia and lumped it into the one so-called racist hotpot. That I find is unfair.

I will leave this thread knowing that I have actually tried to defend my country, Australia.

[EllieRose2]

Lots of Asians live there, huh?  How odd then they could not find ONE, literally ONE Asian man interested in musical theater.  This is one of the disgusting photos in modern musical theater history.  

[qolbinau]

I already said I cannot excuse that casting, but do you just care about the casting of one person in one role, or how POC are treated in the population? You are mad if you think that any POC would be better off living in America than in Australia. America just doesn't have the political system to give everyone equal opportunity. What should matter most is whether people can afford to live, receive an education and take care of their health. Australia is among the best in the world. Among Western nations, America is among the worst and it's POC that are suffering most. We know how to take care of our citizens, even those who are disadvantaged. Your claim that Australia "treats POC like garbage" is just absurd.

[Dave28282]

qolbinau said: "The population of Latino people is so small I would claim most Australians would not distinguish them from white, and the selection pool for cast will be small. The context is completely different than the USA."

Very true. 

The fact that the creatives go for talent in this case instead of color counting, is a good thing. This attitude is the beginning of equality. Making a fight whenever your color of choice doesn't get his/her way is color counting and separating. All countries have different contexts and luckily, color counting is not one of Australia's priorities. I am 100% positive that when the best person found was a poc, they would have hired her, but they do not throw the best people aside for the sake of it.

[Dave28282]

GeorgeandDot said: "I guess you still stick with colored, negro, and occasionally......"

I know you were not talking to me, but many poc Americans I know are doing this all day, every day.

"Get your black "A-word" over here, thanks "N-word", when posting a pic of 3 friends on insta, using the title "black power!", Oh my god, that Starbucks drink is such a white sorority girl drink, oh my god, that's sung so white like a honky "C-word", oh my god, he moves worse than a white boy's dad."

This color fetish in the smallest daily activities is what people should not stick to. Why are you not saying anything about that?

Do you, or do you not want racial separation? You can't have a double agenda here.

Because the people who do this all day, are the problem.

Edit: You really need to make up your mind about your actual standpoint. Because, do we allow these kind of remarks for all people, both ways? That's fine with me, I am not easily offended and people should be able to take jokes. Or do we not allow them, both ways? That's fine with me too, if people get too offended by them. But saying "one race can, and other races can't" is the core of the problem.

Double agenda's will never achieve equality.

No race will ever accept to be forced to treat another with velvet gloves, when being treated like sh*t themselves. Not even if you feel you have earned the right of doing it in return.

[GeorgeandDot]

I'm so happy that I have white men to explain racism to me. I don't know how I'd live without you.

By the way, no to literally everything that you're saying.

[Gizmo6]

GeorgeandDot said: "I'm so happy that I have white men to explain racism to me. I don't know how I'd live without you.

By the way, no to literally everything that you're saying."

LGBTQ+ people get this all the time. Straight people don’t get to define what homophobia transphobia etc is 

 

[qolbinau]

The definition of what 'homophobia' is, is an intellectual discussion. Some person's sexuality may or may not influence whether they can contribute to that - I'm more interested in the ideas that people say than what their sexuality is (or other demographic characteristics, such as gender, race, age, education, nationality, religion). The idea that someone can only contribute to intellectual discussions depending on non-intellectual factors is exactly why the so called 'progressive' moment is becoming less progressive, less intellectual, less scientific and less right as time goes on.

[Dave28282]

GeorgeandDot said: "By the way, no to literally everything that you're saying."

No? You never hear POC making these remarks? 

Why do you choose to live like an ostrich then?

Because I hear it every day, all day, fact.

[Dave28282]

qolbinau said: "The idea that someone can only contribute to intellectual discussions depending on non-intellectual factors is exactlywhy the so called 'progressive' moment is becoming less progressive, less intellectual, less scientific and less right as time goes on."

Precisely. People like GeorgeandDot live by color counting and separating. Deciding who is able to speak and who is not, based on race. That reminds me of things in the past..... You can not decide these things for people or have double standards about privileges. This whole mindset is wrong. It really exposes if that person lives by the idea "color first" or "person first".

It has always been wrong, but it gets more and more embarrassing as time goes on.

The step these people need to make is to get over the idea that they have earned the right to discriminate, separate, judge, and have certain privileges over others.

This step is where the road to equality begins.