Author Topic: #WeNeedDiverseBooks  (Read 9899 times)

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Offline RavynousHunter

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Re: #WeNeedDiverseBooks
« Reply #15 on: May 04, 2014, 09:17:10 am »
Hrm...in lieu of execution, how about exiling them to a tiny little nothing of an island and filming the resulting carnage for a reality show?  At least, that way, you'd make some money out of the deal.
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Re: #WeNeedDiverseBooks
« Reply #16 on: May 04, 2014, 09:18:06 am »
All films shall include at least one lead female role. Film companies are obliged to make reasonable steps to include non-white major characters, and will face a fine should their films not uphold a certain quota.
I can get behind the other parts. This, however, is a terrible idea.

Offline RavynousHunter

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Re: #WeNeedDiverseBooks
« Reply #17 on: May 04, 2014, 10:41:33 am »
Yeaaaaaaaaaah...what if it were a world where there were only white men because of some horrid disease?  That's severely limiting, creatively, and it'd only lead to even MORE tokenization.
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Offline The Right Honourable Mlle Antéchrist

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Re: #WeNeedDiverseBooks
« Reply #18 on: May 04, 2014, 11:03:49 am »
It also contradicts the bit about not changing the race/gender of characters in adaptations of novels.
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Offline Sigmaleph

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Re: #WeNeedDiverseBooks
« Reply #19 on: May 04, 2014, 11:54:01 am »
Hollywood may not adapt any book and change the ethnic identity or gender of any character. Any executive producer demanding such shall be punished by a lifetime ban from any form of entertainment work.

You must really hate Lucy Liu's Watson.
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Offline dpareja

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Re: #WeNeedDiverseBooks
« Reply #20 on: May 04, 2014, 01:18:20 pm »
Hollywood may not adapt any book and change the ethnic identity or gender of any character. Any executive producer demanding such shall be punished by a lifetime ban from any form of entertainment work.

All films shall include at least one lead female role. Film companies are obliged to make reasonable steps to include non-white major characters, and will face a fine should their films not uphold a certain quota.

And when the book being adapted has only white male characters as main characters?
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Offline RavynousHunter

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Re: #WeNeedDiverseBooks
« Reply #21 on: May 04, 2014, 02:17:28 pm »
Hollywood may not adapt any book and change the ethnic identity or gender of any character. Any executive producer demanding such shall be punished by a lifetime ban from any form of entertainment work.

All films shall include at least one lead female role. Film companies are obliged to make reasonable steps to include non-white major characters, and will face a fine should their films not uphold a certain quota.

And when the book being adapted has only white male characters as main characters?


Then, fuck the book and the author's creative vision!  DIVERSITY!
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Offline Yla

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Re: #WeNeedDiverseBooks
« Reply #22 on: May 04, 2014, 05:35:48 pm »
I am vaguely sympathetic to these goals, but Freedom of Art trumps.
That said, I've stopped trying to anticipate what people around here want a while ago, I've found it makes things smoother.
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Offline m52nickerson

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Re: #WeNeedDiverseBooks
« Reply #23 on: May 04, 2014, 06:35:24 pm »
The No More Racist Bullshit and Don't Be a Prick Act (2014).

From this day forth.

Hollywood may not adapt any book and change the ethnic identity or gender of any character. Any executive producer demanding such shall be punished by a lifetime ban from any form of entertainment work.

All films shall include at least one lead female role. Film companies are obliged to make reasonable steps to include non-white major characters, and will face a fine should their films not uphold a certain quota.

Any executive meddling in a project shall be punished by execution. All employees on the corporate side of the industry are legally obliged to record themselves every day repeating "the artists know their craft better than I know mine" three times. Failure to do so will be punished by execution.

Act pass May 4, 2014 and struck down one week later by the US Supreme Court for violating the First Amendment.

The only way this is going to change is if people change there spending habits.  You all know the old saying, money talks and...well you know the rest.
« Last Edit: May 04, 2014, 06:38:15 pm by m52nickerson »
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Offline Ultimate Paragon

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Re: #WeNeedDiverseBooks
« Reply #24 on: May 04, 2014, 06:41:08 pm »
The No More Racist Bullshit and Don't Be a Prick Act (2014).

From this day forth.

Hollywood may not adapt any book and change the ethnic identity or gender of any character. Any executive producer demanding such shall be punished by a lifetime ban from any form of entertainment work.

All films shall include at least one lead female role. Film companies are obliged to make reasonable steps to include non-white major characters, and will face a fine should their films not uphold a certain quota.

Any executive meddling in a project shall be punished by execution. All employees on the corporate side of the industry are legally obliged to record themselves every day repeating "the artists know their craft better than I know mine" three times. Failure to do so will be punished by execution.

Act pass May 4, 2014 and struck down one week later by the US Supreme Court for violating the First Amendment.
Yeah, it would be even less constitutional than the Bill for Anti Online Bad-Mouthing.

Offline WatermelonRat

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Re: #WeNeedDiverseBooks
« Reply #25 on: May 04, 2014, 07:03:38 pm »
While I agree with the general sentiment, as an aspiring author, I get a bit nervous when things like this come up. I'd like to see more diversity in literature, but at times these discussions can lead to overemphasis on race in a story, overlooking plot and characterization.

As it happens, the protagonist in the novel I'm currently writing is Korean. I've spent over a year crafting her into a unique and interesting character, and if I manage to get published, I don't want her race to be the the first thing people mention when discussing it, even if it's in the form of praise. It would feel like a reduction of her character.

Offline Lt. Fred

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Re: #WeNeedDiverseBooks
« Reply #26 on: May 04, 2014, 08:36:18 pm »
Yeaaaaaaaaaah...what if it were a world where there were only white men because of some horrid disease?  That's severely limiting, creatively, and it'd only lead to even MORE tokenization.

Hence why you judge all the published work from the entire year, instead of using the individual film as a basis for measurement. Master and Commander or Saving Private Ryan is okay, but if you're only making films about white men, you're doing something criminally wrong.

The No More Racist Bullshit and Don't Be a Prick Act (2014).

From this day forth.

Hollywood may not adapt any book and change the ethnic identity or gender of any character. Any executive producer demanding such shall be punished by a lifetime ban from any form of entertainment work.

All films shall include at least one lead female role. Film companies are obliged to make reasonable steps to include non-white major characters, and will face a fine should their films not uphold a certain quota.

Any executive meddling in a project shall be punished by execution. All employees on the corporate side of the industry are legally obliged to record themselves every day repeating "the artists know their craft better than I know mine" three times. Failure to do so will be punished by execution.

Act pass May 4, 2014 and struck down one week later by the US Supreme Court for violating the First Amendment.

The only way this is going to change is if people change there spending habits.  You all know the old saying, money talks and...well you know the rest.

While that is true, clearly some action needs to take place. Hollywood's racism is not an actual response to market pressure, as has been demonstrated at least a million times; this is intrinsic, not extrinsic. My thought is that something from the outside needs to step in and make change.

Now, my Act is obviously tongue in cheek, but wouldn't it be nice if some broad coordinating body or educational organisation kicked the goddamn industry in the head until it came unstuck from its ass?
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Offline m52nickerson

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Re: #WeNeedDiverseBooks
« Reply #27 on: May 05, 2014, 02:33:26 pm »
Any outside attempt to force Hollywood into more diversity will fail.  If you make a rule that say book adaptations can't change the ethnicity of a person and Hollywood thing that movie may not do as well without the which the movie does not get made.  As it is right now movie studios are not taking chances. 

If you have some type of quota system you as simple going to get very low budget moves introduced to balance things out.

 
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Offline I am lizard

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Re: #WeNeedDiverseBooks
« Reply #28 on: May 05, 2014, 03:49:39 pm »
Say, why is it no one ever talks about LGBT representation, like more non sexualized canon lesbians or trans people in non-joke non-stereotypical roles.


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Re: #WeNeedDiverseBooks
« Reply #29 on: May 05, 2014, 04:12:12 pm »
Say, why is it no one ever talks about LGBT representation, like more non sexualized canon lesbians or trans people in non-joke non-stereotypical roles.



They do talk about it, but the problem is that such things are invisible.  A character could be lesbian, but if no one mentions it or if said character never interacts with a female in a way that proves they are lesbian, then no one will know.  (See: Dumbledore for a gay male example)

Race, however, is very apparent.  Culture is also apparent in the usage of clothing and mannerisms.  These things are highly visible, and human beings are very visual creatures.  (Though oddly enough, our sense of smell is closest tied to our memory.)

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