William Yu Photoshop's Film Posters to Combat Hollywood Racism
Riley von Niessen — May 15, 2016 — Marketing
References: starringjohncho & designtaxi
Mainstream movies have been under fire for whitewashing their casts in a form of Hollywood racism, evident in protests of the Oscars and having non-white characters be cast as Caucasian actors. Digital strategist William Yu makes a statement against Hollywood racism by changing the leads of popular recent films to actor John Cho.
Included are altered posters for 'Avengers Age of Ultron,' "Me Before You,' 'Bring Him Home' and 'Doctor Strange.' Yu uses the hashtag "#StarringJohnCho" to promote the project, referring to it as "the call for an Asian-American leading man." He asks supporters to Tweet the hashtag to bring awareness to Hollywood racism and put an end to whitewashing through unfair casting.
The website cites examples of this that include Scarlett Johansson as Motoko Kusanagi, Emma Stone as Alison Ng and Jim Sturgess as Jeff Ma and also states that "only 1% of lead roles go to Asians."
Included are altered posters for 'Avengers Age of Ultron,' "Me Before You,' 'Bring Him Home' and 'Doctor Strange.' Yu uses the hashtag "#StarringJohnCho" to promote the project, referring to it as "the call for an Asian-American leading man." He asks supporters to Tweet the hashtag to bring awareness to Hollywood racism and put an end to whitewashing through unfair casting.
The website cites examples of this that include Scarlett Johansson as Motoko Kusanagi, Emma Stone as Alison Ng and Jim Sturgess as Jeff Ma and also states that "only 1% of lead roles go to Asians."
Trend Themes
1. Whitewashing Awareness - Digital campaigns promote awareness of the issues in Hollywood whitewashing and bring attention to underrepresented demographics in popular media.
2. Diversity in Casting - Production studios explore creative casting options by giving opportunities to underrepresented demographics in leading roles to increase diversity in media representation.
3. Celebrating Diversity - Filmmakers embrace and celebrate diverse perspectives in cast and storylines resulting in more authentic and relatable media content.
Industry Implications
1. Film and Television Production - Production companies have an opportunity to create media content that is inclusive and fought against racism on all levels.
2. Marketing and Advertising - This trend gives advertising agencies the chance to take hold of their creative energies and come up with out-of-the-box strategies for fresh campaigns targeted at underrepresented demographics across different platforms.
3. Social Justice Activism - The creation of digital campaigns to combat issues like Hollywood whitewashing demonstrates a growing consciousness to fight for social justice and inclusion in all aspects of modern life.
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