The Last Airbender

I find this article to be extremely opinionated. The writer is flipping out that the cast is mostly white. I don't see why this matters. They are allowed to hire whoever they want. If they felt that a white actor out performed an actor of a different race, hire the white guy. The skin color DOES NOT MATTER. Yes I understand that anime based characters tend to be Japanese. This is a live action movie correct? This is an ENGLISH live action movie, correct? There will be white people in an english movie, it happens.

Due in theaters in summer 2010, "Airbender" has already begun to face a bit of controversy over the casting of white actors like Rathbone, Ringer and McCartney to play Asian characters — a concern the actor was quick to dismiss. "I think it's one of those things where I pull my hair up, shave the sides, and I definitely need a tan," he said of the transformation he'll go through to look more like Sokka. "It's one of those things where, hopefully, the audience will suspend disbelief a little bit."

As always, the actors will be playing their part. They will be in role and look as their character should. As long as the actors are true to the original story, I believe everything will be fine, and we will have a great movie, one which I have been anticipating for quite a while.

The author of the article writes us a nice tearjerker...

When my brother and I were in high school, our favorite class was Drama. While we were rehearsing for the next day's class or participating in a school play or dancing it up at the after party, I don't think there was anything we liked more. During such times, it even surpassed our love of—dare I say it—comics. But we never even entertained the notion of actually pursuing it as a career. Not because we didn't want to, but because we had too much pride to spend our entire lives pretending to be Long Duk Dong, or a Chinese food delivery boy with one line, or a Kato to some Green Hornet. Or even worse, having our hearts broken over and over going after roles that specifically call for Asian Americans like "Avatar, The Last Airbender" only to see them go to white actors. Back in my Drama days in high school, I used to dream of being white so I could pursue acting.

With discrimination like this "Avatar" casting continuing to happen uncontested in Hollywood, my future kids will nurse the same pitiful wish.

And it infuriates me.

let me begin by saying that I am sorry it worked out this way, but at the end of the day, the execs in hollywood have to bet their cash on each movie they make. Unfortunately that means Least Common Denominator.

They're trying to sell this thing to the nickelodeon watching masses, and more importantly to their parents.

Don't forget who's gonna buy those movie tickets.

As a fan I would be excited to see anime getting mainstream attention. If the prejudice bothers you (as it should), you should make your opinion known by writing to the movie producers, etc.

Boycotting the movie will only make it seem like there is a lack of interest, and that won't help anime or the asian american actors.