Black Face, Brown Face, Red Face, Blue Face

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Robert Beltram's parents were Mexican-Americans, though with some indigenous ancestery somewhere.  He considers his ethnic background to be Latindio.

Johnny Depp's an interesting case, as he has in fact been adopted by the Comanche tribe, and while Indian culture is tribal, my understanding is that doesn't extend to ethnic background.  While some Comanche have considered his honorary membership to be brown-nosing (not unfairly, I might add), he is effectively part of the tribe regardless.

Cool thanks cain. Thats also interesting about depp

[Wolfgang Absolutus]

Something else to consider which I think has only been said by one other person in this thread is how activities of this nature, particularly stuff that people like Fred Armisen do, sets up barriers for entry for people of other races who are up and coming. Why hire a black actor to do something when you could get a racial monkey wrench like Armisen to do it. Why hire anyone else of any race when you can get a couple of tan white people to cover all the ethnic bases. I'm not passing a moral judgement here really, but it is perhaps something else to discuss.

[Doktor Howl]

Why hire a black actor to do something when you could get a racial monkey wrench like Armisen to do it.

A what, now?

[Wolfgang Absolutus]

Why hire a black actor to do something when you could get a racial monkey wrench like Armisen to do it.

A what, now?

Someone who can passably play anyone of any race. Fred Armisen often does this.

[Doktor Howl]

Why hire a black actor to do something when you could get a racial monkey wrench like Armisen to do it.

A what, now?

Someone who can passably play anyone of any race. Fred Armisen often does this.

I see.

[Cain]

Something else to consider which I think has only been said by one other person in this thread is how activities of this nature, particularly stuff that people like Fred Armisen do, sets up barriers for entry for people of other races who are up and coming. Why hire a black actor to do something when you could get a racial monkey wrench like Armisen to do it. Why hire anyone else of any race when you can get a couple of tan white people to cover all the ethnic bases. I'm not passing a moral judgement here really, but it is perhaps something else to discuss.

It could be a problem.

Except look at all the free publicity a movie gets when it casts someone of not-the-expected-ethnicity.  That seems to work regardless of the ethnicity in question.  In fact, it seems to garner more interest when a non-white actor gets a part that is considered normally a white person's role, than the other way around.

[LMNO]

And yet when they cast Michael Douglas and Matt Damon as Liberace and his lover, I didn't hear much about why they couldn't find two actually gay actors to play the roles.

[Cain]

Wait, there are non-gay actors?

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

Wait, there are non-gay actors?

Isn't Lou Diamond Phillips Filpino or something? I've seen him play Mexicans and I think Natives...

[Reginald Ret]

I grew up around people who changed their haircolor way too often so i am now incapable of remembering haircolor, it is just not an identifying mark to me.

Maybe if everybody changed skincolor as often as possible a similar effect could be triggered in society as a whole?
Finally the make-up industry can be used for something worthwhile.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Lol. 
That reminds me- granny apple- are you now or have you ever been a white person?You said dok made an assumption. I now want to know if there was a legitimate reason for you to say that or if you were just trying to deflect and hoped it went away.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Something else to consider which I think has only been said by one other person in this thread is how activities of this nature, particularly stuff that people like Fred Armisen do, sets up barriers for entry for people of other races who are up and coming. Why hire a black actor to do something when you could get a racial monkey wrench like Armisen to do it. Why hire anyone else of any race when you can get a couple of tan white people to cover all the ethnic bases. I'm not passing a moral judgement here really, but it is perhaps something else to discuss.

I was basically going to come back and say this, so instead of saying it, I will simply agree vehemently:

THIS THIS THIS.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Why hire a black actor to do something when you could get a racial monkey wrench like Armisen to do it.

A what, now?

Someone racially "adjustable". Like a monkey wrench.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

As far as the acting thing goes its not like the actress playing uhura is putting on facepaint for the role. For native americans a lot of them also have european ancestry so what percentage of background is acceptable? What about antonio banderas playing an arab?

The 13th Warrior was an exercise in suck, anyway. 

I'd stay away from the blood quantum thing, for the most part. The thing with Depp is, as a casual observer I've never seen him particularly involved with Native things on any level, and now that he's playing Tonto he's got "ancestry".

I'm not particularly involved with Native things, other than walking around being Native all the time and occasionally high-fiving with other Natives. Because that's totally a thing we do.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

As far as the acting thing goes its not like the actress playing uhura is putting on facepaint for the role. For native americans a lot of them also have european ancestry so what percentage of background is acceptable? What about antonio banderas playing an arab?

The 13th Warrior was an exercise in suck, anyway. 

I'd stay away from the blood quantum thing, for the most part. The thing with Depp is, as a casual observer I've never seen him particularly involved with Native things on any level, and now that he's playing Tonto he's got "ancestry".

I'm not particularly involved with Native things, other than walking around being Native all the time and occasionally high-fiving with other Natives. Because that's totally a thing we do.

I think "Native all the time" is key here. I never HEARD about any ancestry or adoption - or anything - in connection with Depp until this movie started happening.

So maybe it was "all the time" and nobody bothered to notice*, which would be sad, but it happens. Or maybe it's all something that was started because of this movie, which would be squick.

ETA: *In spite of Depp being in the public eye forever and every OTHER little detail being duly reported on.