Hollywood Still Whitewashing

There are new questions being raised about the level of diversity in Hollywood. Paramount Pictures is releasing “The Last Airbender” this summer. The film is based on the Nickelodeon cartoon series “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” The original character is Asian but the lead actor in the movie is white, as are most of the major characters. Fans of the original TV series are upset over what is known in the movie and TV business as “whitewashing,” picking white actors to fill main roles instead of people of color. Critics point to examples like the 2008 movie “21,” based on a book inspired by the true-life story of a mostly Asian group of card players. In the film, mostly white actors played the main role. The recent release of “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” stars Jake Gyllenhaal in the title role instead of an actor with a Middle Eastern background. Veteran film watchers remember Elizabeth Taylor being cast as “Cleopatra.” When Lena Horne died earlier this month, it was pointed out in her obituary that her parts in movie were routinely cut out when those films were shown in the South.