I’m not gonna lie. I’m extremely disturbed. First the bullying in our schools, the homophobia with the Clementi/Ravi case and now, the outcry over casting decisions for Hunger Games.
If you haven’t heard, the scuttlebutt is that some people are downright angry that several key characters in the film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ novel were…not quite what they pictured.
Namely, and I quote: “why did the producer make all the good characters black smh” and “why is Rue a little black girl?”
Um, because she was in the book. And even if she hadn’t been, what difference does it make? Rue is an innocent, sweet child who was thrust into the games as cruelly as all the other kids. Her death was tragic–on the page and on the screen.
Not all agree with me. In fact, one such tweeter admitted that Rue’s skin color on the big screen ruined the movie for her.
Another took it one step further: “Kk call me racist but when I found out rue was black her death wasn’t as sad”
Okay, I’ll bite. That is extremely racist. And seriously messed up. A young child’s death isn’t sad because her skin is darker than yours? This sentiment hearkens back to the day of Nazi Germany. It echoes the hatred heaped on the Irish in America’s early days. It encompasses the sheer viciousness of our planet’s history. It is a sad commentary on just how un-evolved human beings really are.
I’m not gonna lie, people’s ignorant, undereducated and outdated beliefs creep me out.
I think this is why my younger juvenile lit is full of bullies. I like to tackle the issue of fitting in. I like to empower my characters and encourage them to take control of their destinies by believing in themselves and not abiding by the labels provided to them by others–ignorant, undereducated and outdated others.
By doing so, I hope to empower and encourage kids to come out stronger, smarter and less likely to spread hate and prejudice themselves. We need to break the cycle of bullying in our society–by kids and by the adults who should know better.
I applaud Ms. Collins for the beautiful portrayal of her characters. I applaud the casting decisions and am thrilled that the Hunger Games movie was not white-washed. Because, guess what? We are only as good or as bad as our behavior. And bad behavior knows no skin color.
On days like this, I’m embarrassed to be blonde-haired and blue-eyed. I don’t want to be judged by the color of my skin. Because, honestly, I am the sum total of what I’ve done, what I believe and what I feel. Not what I look like.
I’m too disturbed to ask any questions, so please feel free to share your thoughts on the topic. Any tips you have on how writers can help perpetuate acceptance rather than intolerance would be greatly appreciated.
To read more about this, hop on over to the post Racist Hunger Games Fans Are Very Disappointed.
Words from the Woods 