MovieChat Forums > Pitch Perfect (2012) Discussion > A Very Racism Film...

A Very Racism Film...

posted 12 years ago by film_professor
79 replies | jump to latest

...towards blacks and Asian alike.

1. As if the producers couldn't find a few hot black girls who could sing(you know there's tons out there) but instead use a he/she person.
2. The he/she person had limited dialogue and reduced to background wallpaper basically.
3. The Asian roommate hating white people. Which is anything but since most Asians get along just fine with whites, especially in college.
4. The quiet Asian girl. Just another way to silent the few minorities in the film, making them look anti-social and culturally out of place amongst the whites.
5. Of course there was no way they'd be able to beat that black group so for the sake of making whites the film's hero, what do the writers do ...turn the talented black high school student into a lying cheating villain.
6. Totally butch a black cultural classic like "No Diggity".
7. No black male leads or secondaries.

The usual white Hollywood racism going one I suppose. Just my two cents.

[–] lordjames-1 12 years ago

Even though I liked the movie, I did get the feeling that whoever wrote this did not grow up among Asian people. (definitely did not have west coast PC sensibilities) It definitely felt like the most interaction they had with Asian people was from observing 80's comedies or a bad roommate situation in college.

[–] postcardstocali 12 years ago

Depending on which ethnicity her roommate was it's understandable. The numerous Korean families in my county tend to stick with each other and do not really socialize with anyone else.

[–] zephyrus17 12 years ago

I think that's quite understandable. Living in a foreign country, it's always more comforting to find cultures/people that you are familiar with. Similarly, if an Italian were to work in Japan, he/she would seek out fellow Italians.

[–] Ecthelion2005 12 years ago

You can never win this one. If they put black characters then "always" must be in a positive way or is racism.
I think it will be better just not put any token black character, no blacks no racism.

[–] TheOnlyVindicator 10 years ago

I gotta second that, Koreans are clannish and racist, more than Chinese and Japanese. There was a time in this country when most Asians were descendants of immigrants in the 1800's seeking farmland and railroad work. You would see some Koreans, but they were often mistaken for Chinese and Japanese, which probably pissed them off to no end. Don't hate, I am Japanese, and we have different experiences. Many of my family was interned in camps in the 40's and despite that many of us served in WWII and we try to be involved and get along with people.

[–] zziiyy 11 years ago

Total opposite. They were shunning the west coast PC sensibilities. Guess what? While a Korean girl can be very friendly, they can also act like Kimmy Jin and just want to be with people from their culture.

[–] SawyerVsSylar 12 years ago

Need a tissue, with all that whining?

"A man chooses. A slave obeys." - Andrew Ryan

[–] Zaphenzo 12 years ago

Wooooow. That is retarded. People are way too oversensitive these days.

1) Umm, I found the black girl that got kicked out at the beginning very attractive. And she sand very well in the auditions.

2) She had plenty of dialogue and she was one of the soloists in the final act.

3) Really? When did she show hating white people? Because she wasn't social with Beca? Beca wasn't social to begin with, so that made sense. And she even was nice to Beca later in the movie.

4) Seriously? Wow. You are reading way too much into this movie.

5) Okay, so let me get this straight. You're complaining about the predominantly black group (of course them being mostly black isn't racist......) being better than the girls? And then that ONE of them happens to be a cheater, it's suddenly calling out an entire race?

6) Really? A 'black cultural classic'? Why, because it's done by black people, so suddenly white people aren't allowed to sing it? And the word it butcher, not butch.

7) First of all, there was a black guy on the trebles. And a black guy in the Tonehangers. But there weren't any Mexican people in the movie. So obviously it's racist against Mexicans. And Russians. And Serbians. And Europeans. And Africans. And South Americans. I mean, seriously. This is ridiculous. Should every movie go out and cast at least one person from every single race or ethnicity on the planet in order to avoid being racist? Most actors/actresses are white. That's why blacks are called a minority. Because there are less of them in America. Therefore, more white people to choose from, therefore more of a chance of most of the people in America being white. This is the DUMBEST argument against this movie I have ever heard.

Seriously, going over your comments, like saying not being enough black characters and white characters not being allowed to sing songs made famous by black people, YOU are racist, not this movie. Get over yourself.

[–] Zerose 12 years ago

"3) Really? When did she show hating white people? Because she wasn't social with Beca? Beca wasn't social to begin with, so that made sense. And she even was nice to Beca later in the movie."

To be fair, she did say something like "Oh. The white girl is back." while sneering at Beca at one point. She was also hostile to all but students of Korean ancestry. You see this at least three times (the student fair where she abandoned Beca to join the Assocation/Union of Korean American Students table; gaming with two Korean American girl friends; arriving in her room with two Korean American friends).

That said, it *is* a weird portrayal. Probably playing up a joke about the general suspicion that 'Asian Americans prefer to stick with own kind,' but the joke didn't work. Not for me. A dumb joke, in fact.

[–] linotheundead 12 years ago

Zaphenzo, YOU. ARE. MY. HERO.

Someone had to say it. You summed it up perfectly. 5 stars!

[–] superlisaj 12 years ago

This is the DUMBEST argument against this movie I have ever heard.

That.

Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.

[–] greenduckiesgirl 11 years ago

Okay, this response was awesome. Especially number 7.

[–] radiantpeanut 10 years ago

Number 7) I don't know if you're aware but Mexicans are from Mexico. What I'm trying to say is, there are more Latin American countries other than Mexico.

It would be so nice if something would make sense for a change.
Alice in Wonderland

[–] writinman2004 12 years ago

This post is just full of stupid.

[–] paudie 12 years ago

Beca's roommate only wanting to mix with Koreans was kind of odd I thought.

I kept expecting her to turn out to be really friendly to Beca in the end but it never happened. it wasn't racist as it was only one girl but not what I expected in a "light" comedy

You're an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks, to collect a bill

[–] nicklopez501 12 years ago

If no diggity is a major black cultural song then holy *beep* is that race in trouble. That's almost on the level of saying "fu*k tha police, hoochie mama, me so horny, or gin and juice" are important black cultural songs.

[–] Tplayne85 12 years ago

Not really

[–] velcronewsletter 10 years ago

THIS

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let's not go to camelot, it is a silly place

[–] odshooter22 12 years ago

Shouldn't have put any black people there in the first place. It's like the characters that were black were put in the movie simply so the producer could say "See! Look, we have black people!! We're cool now right?!?! Oh yeah, and an Asian chick so we cover our asses on that too."

[–] DavidTL 12 years ago

First of all, she wasn't a he/she. She was a girl.

Secondly, it was the character of her. It has NOTHING to do with her background her being like that.

The asian roommate was nothing to. If it was just another American it would have been the same, except she was American, not asian.

And no, the point of the black group was because they won the competition and the Bellas lost, but it was to make you think hope was lost, but when it turns out the kid when to JFK High School, the group was kciked out and a place opened up for the Bellas. It being a black group kicked out is not being racist. If they were white, you wouldn't have said anything. Infact, yes you would have, you would have said "why weren't there any black groups?". Because there wasn't. There was a black girl in the Bellas and a black guy in the Treble Makers. The film isn't being racist.

And why can't they sing "No Diggity"? The film is racist because white people sung it? It's a good song, why can't they sing it?

And no black male leads or secondaries? The film is set in American and more people are white than black. I have never seen a Spanish film or a Japanese film or a British film where the main character isn't from that country, and if there has been, its rare. So its not Hollywood racism, its all of the worlds racism.

So shut the F up. You don't know what you are talking about. Any excuse to think of racism in a movie. Any excuse.

http://www.youtube.com/user/LyleBennet

[–] jerrydignan 12 years ago

I am absolutely amazed that, on a thread dedicated to exposing racism.....you say ridiculously homophobic things about the lesbian character....and aren't even called out on it.

"he/she" is absurdly ignorant.

Shut up duck. -My wife at the lake

[–] ecidnac 12 years ago

Thank you for pointing that out. I was appalled at the he/she thing myself. What an ass.

Also, the fact that they called Cynthia Rose a dude was ignorant in the first place (why? Because she's wearing a plaid shirt and hat? When she comes up to the stage she adjusts her shirt and you can clearly see breasts in her tank top.) If their intent was to make her look like a stereotypical butch lesbian they probably would've buttoned the shirt.

I'm a firm believer in the philosophy of a ruling class, especially since I rule.

[–] gothor 12 years ago

Guys, it's an obvious troll. Just grab some popcorn and enjoy the show. This thread is performance art.

________________________________________
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[–] ecidnac 12 years ago

I was hoping it might just be a troll looking for some attention but some people just amaze me these days with the depth and breadth of their ignorance so sometimes I just can't tell.

I'm a firm believer in the philosophy of a ruling class, especially since I rule.