[Movies] The Hunger Games racist?

[Neyze]

So I just saw this movie yesterday, and overall I was very satisfied. But am I the only one who noticed this? District 11, one of the poorest districts. Home of Thresh and Rue. All of the people are black. And it's a farming district. Coincidence?

Also speaking of Hunger games and racism, what are your thoughts on this?
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/3213...s-jennifer.htm

Apparently many people are upset that the sweet little girl they imagined in the book as white is actually black.

Check out some of these tweets:

"Why does rue [sic] have to be black not gonna lie kinda [sic] ruined the movie," tweeted one Twitter user.

"Ewwww rue is black?? I'm not watching," another wrote. Many replied to the topic with the use of derogatory slang like "b----" and "n-----."

"Awkward moment when Rue is some black girl and not the little blonde innocent girl you picture," another wrote.

"Call me racist," tweeted another, "but when i [sic] found out rue was black her death wasn't as sad."

[Krulani]

She was not black in the book. I believe that the casting agency was just looking for a small, pretty, talented actress. Willing to take a white or black girl. I'm sure some would call casting calls that say "looking for young, white girl." racist too. Don't make this a big deal when it really isn't.

[Youvegotfail]

well i have yet to read the books so this is just hearsay, but from what my friends tell me, Rue is described in the books as both "dark skinned" and "brown skinned" at different points. So i don't see what people are mad about.

[Neyze]

She was not black in the book. I believe that the casting agency was just looking for a small, pretty, talented actress. Willing to take a white or black girl. I'm sure some would call casting calls that say "looking for young, white girl." racist too. Don't make this a big deal when it really isn't.

Actually if you would have read the article I linked, you would've saw

In Collins' novel, Rue is described as such: "She has dark brown skin and eyes, but other than that's she's very like [Katniss' sister] Prim in size and demeanor." Clearly, this is no indication here that Rue was ever supposed to be a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white girl.

And even if she wasn't black in the book, that is no excuse for the horrible racist tweets people are sending out.

[CheeseDoodlez]

Im so tired of the damn racist card being brought up with everything these days.

[blakdog]

Of course they are racist. Everyone is racist these days, right?

[Venziir]

That doesn't make "Th Hunger Games" racist, well atleast not all the tweet stuff, that's just people being people really.

[Neyze]

Im so tired of the damn racist card being brought up with everything these days.

Oh come on. It's a poor district with the only black people in the movie, and they're farmers. You can't tell me that just happened by chance.

That doesn't make "Th Hunger Games" racist, well atleast not all the tweet stuff, that's just people being people really.

No, of course the tweets don't make the movie racist. That isn't what I was talking about.

[Demonakat]

How was the movie racist? Really?
They had an asian guy be like a ninja, but is THAT brought up? NO. It's because a farming district had black people in it. The movie would have been racist if it excluded any race BUT white people. The District 11, where the black people were, wasn't even full black. They were mixed with white people.

Rue WAS black in the books, i remember picturing a little black girl when I read it.
The whole thing about twitter is people can be assholes on the internet, that's what the internet is for. These same people would be scared shitless to say this stuff in front of a black person.
They're ignorant and couldn't read properly if they actually thought Rue was a white girl.

---------- Post added 2012-03-29 at 02:24 PM ----------

Oh come on. It's a poor district with the only black people in the movie, and they're farmers. You can't tell me that just happened by chance.

Not the ONLY black people in the whole movie... There were others, Lenny Kravitz is black isn't he? Unless you don't count him because he's half.

[RyanEX]

Well let's consider.

It's a world where the rich people from Capitol assign people to Districts to perform the tasks required to keep them living the high life. It's not a stretch that they'd assign people based on colour or even possibly religeous beliefs. How do we know that the asian kids didn't come from an all Asian district?

The writer was giving people a look at an alternative way of looking at the future and all the retards could say was "Hey look at that district with only black people...RACIST".

It's getting fucking stupid now.

[blakdog]

Oh come on. It's a poor district with the only black people in the movie, and they're farmers. You can't tell me that just happened by chance.

I know right? Because the main character's district wasn't poor and full of white people, at all.

[Bristae]

well i have yet to read the books so this is just hearsay, but from what my friends tell me, Rue is described in the books as both "dark skinned" and "brown skinned" at different points. So i don't see what people are mad about.

She absolutely was....

"And most hauntingly, a twelve-year-old girl from District 11. She has dark brown skin and eyes, but other than that, she's very like Prim in size and demeanor."
―Katniss Everdeen, while watching Rue's reaping.
-- The Hunger Games Chapter 3

[Odina]

Oh come on. It's a poor district with the only black people in the movie, and they're farmers. You can't tell me that just happened by chance.

yet district 12 is even more poor and lower on the totem pole and they are all white coal miners....

If they were not broken into social casts then the movie and books would loose so much of the emotional power they carry! The book and movie were trying to illustrate the discrimination of people by skin color, trade, area they live etc etc! THIS is one of the main points of the book to is to illustrate just this so naturally it did not happen by chance!

[Neyze]

I know right? Because the main character's district wasn't poor and full of white people, at all.

Valid point, but imagine district 12 was cast with all black people. Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Haymitch, every main character. I can guarantee the movie would not have been as big a hit. Look at the tweets sent out in anger of a minor character being black. If the main characters were black, it would be a lot worse.

[Arrowstormen]

But! Africa. It's true. It's a real life bias. The people was awful, but I wouldn't call the book racist. Also, ain't all the districts poor? District 12 didn't look too cool either.

[Beazy]

How was the movie racist? Really?
They had an asian guy be like a ninja, but is THAT brought up? NO. It's because a farming district had black people in it. The movie would have been racist if it excluded any race BUT white people. The District 11, where the black people were, wasn't even full black. They were mixed with white people.

Rue WAS black in the books, i remember picturing a little black girl when I read it.
The whole thing about twitter is people can be assholes on the internet, that's what the internet is for. These same people would be scared shitless to say this stuff in front of a black person.
They're ignorant and couldn't read properly if they actually thought Rue was a white girl.

---------- Post added 2012-03-29 at 02:24 PM ----------



Not the ONLY black people in the whole movie... There were others, Lenny Kravitz is black isn't he? Unless you don't count him because he's half.

I KNEW, I knew that guy from somewhere, I was sitting there the whole damn movie thinking he looked so damn familliar and i couldnt think of his name. . . Lenny fkn Kravitz. Ill be damned.

[Demonakat]

Valid point, but imagine district 12 was cast with all black people. Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Haymitch, every main character. I can guarantee the movie would not have been as big a hit. Look at the tweets sent out in anger of a minor character being black. If the main characters were black, it would be a lot worse.

...all of hollywood's biggest hit movies are full of white people. it's a proven fact that this WORLD is racist. Look at hollywood's biggest stars. the ONLY actor to transcend race is.. will smith.
in fact, in hitch, they recast the actress that played his love interest because they didn't think WHITE america would want to see him with a white woman.

[blakdog]

Valid point, but imagine district 12 was cast with all black people. Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Haymitch, every main character. I can guarantee the movie would not have been as big a hit. Look at the tweets sent out in anger of a minor character being black. If the main characters were black, it would be a lot worse.

I'm not going to put any weight to a bunch of tweets made by internet trolls. lol I didn't even bother to read them.

Besides, I'd have to say Rue is a significantly important character in the film and probably plucked more heart strings than the Main character. People seriously need to get over this whole race thing. I didn't even think about any of this crap until now.

[Demonakat]

I KNEW, I knew that guy from somewhere, I was sitting there the whole damn movie thinking he looked so damn familliar and i couldnt think of his name. . . Lenny fkn Kravitz. Ill be damned.

ahaha yea, lenny kravitz is a beast of an actor now, who knew?

[Neyze]

But! Africa. It's true. It's a real life bias. The people was awful, but I wouldn't call the book racist. Also, ain't all the districts poor? District 12 didn't look too cool either.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure the highest # districts are the poorest and the lower ones are richer.