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View Poll Results: Does ethnicity or gender factor in a portrayal of a fictional character? | |||
Yes | 71 | 53.79% | |
No | 27 | 20.45% | |
No comment | 7 | 5.30% | |
Doesn't matter | 34 | 25.76% | |
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 132. You may not vote on this poll |
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Thread Tools |
03-02-2011, 12:16 PM | #1 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: california
Posts: 2,164
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Unlike many of you, I haven't read all GI Joe books, so my familiarity with characters is due in part to growing up with the toys and watching the animated series and movies. As much as I love GI Joe and what it stands for, I don't take everything so literal or personal. I guess what this comes down to is all the hateful and sly comments regarding Marlon Wayans depiction of Ripcord in ROC. He didn't create or attempt to reinvent the character. It's just getting awfully old reading all the crap that people have to say. Yet none of it appears to be intelligible. It begs the question, does ethnicity or gender really factor in a portrayal of a fictional character?
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03-02-2011, 12:30 PM | #2 |
Retired Viper
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Markham, ON
Posts: 45,213
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See this is a tricky one. In a nut shell is does not matter, but... GI Joe has Hundreds of characters, and they only really showcase a few. They could have easily given Wayans a different name and still have done everything the same. It is like if they changed Duke to another race. Duke is the Poster boy for "Cracker" Whities.
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03-02-2011, 12:36 PM | #3 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Euless, Texas
Posts: 8,842
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I think the problem was more of him as an actor over who he was playing.. People said they would have had no problems if he was Stalker or some other character as well.. but Ripcord was an Irish boy from Ohio.. Although the cartoon didn't showcase the character much, the comics did. I don't think that he would portray the character as he should have been. (And pretty much they were right)
I imagine for nostalgia people were upset that Ripcords Ethnicity changed, but I also believe that if it was a different ethnic actor people would have mind less. You attach a Wayan's name to just about any movie and most people will avoid them unless they like slapstick and often bland humor. Personally, I like Damon Wayans. And Keenan has had some great ideas.. and several not so great.. But Marlon just isn't that good of an actor to me, no matter what character he would have played. but I would say the same thing about Channing Tatum playing Duke. LOL
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03-02-2011, 12:36 PM | #4 |
Iron Grenadier
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: The Last Frontier- Alaska
Posts: 607
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The only issue I had with the change in the movie was the fact that there were other choices of characters to choose from- why change the race or gender of any fictional character that already exhists. I do also have an issue with a girl playing Peter Pan in a Broadway play...
They could have chosen M. Wayans to play Stalker- to me that would have made more sense. I too am playing chatch-up with all the current books out there with different timelines, ect so my only memory of Ripcord was an Irish red headed white guy. WHO NEVER GOT INVOLVED WITH SCARLET... Thats just my thoughts- and my wife tells me I'm usually wrong :/
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03-02-2011, 12:37 PM | #5 |
Cobra's Hockey Team Coach
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Ky.
Posts: 1,307
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Somewhat, making a character a different person is fine if its same code name/different person. Take the green lanterns as an example, the black one is his own person and not the same person(hal jordan). I say using the same personal name and changing race, gender, even age ruins it for me considering I'm the type of person who hates actor changes. That's me though.
The one thing that does irk me is changes for affirmative action\P.C. reasons. You want a black batman? Do it because the story makes sense for a black batman, not because people are bitching for one.
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Looking for WWE Mattel figures. Will trade for Joe's or Jakks Last edited by joedelta; 03-02-2011 at 12:40 PM.. |
03-02-2011, 12:40 PM | #6 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: california
Posts: 2,164
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Quote:
See this is a tricky one. In a nut shell is does not matter, but... GI Joe has Hundreds of characters, and they only really showcase a few. They could have easily given Wayans a different name and still have done everything the same. It is like if they changed Duke to another race. Duke is the Poster boy for "Cracker" Whities.
Quote:
I think the problem was more of him as an actor over who he was playing.. People said they would have had no problems if he was Stalker or some other character as well.. but Ripcord was an Irish boy from Ohio.. Although the cartoon didn't showcase the character much, the comics did. I don't think that he would portray the character as he should have been. (And pretty much they were right)
I imagine for nostalgia people were upset that Ripcords Ethnicity changed, but I also believe that if it was a different ethnic actor people would have mind less. You attach a Wayan's name to just about any movie and most people will avoid them unless they like slapstick and often bland humor. Personally, I like Damon Wayans. And Keenan has had some great ideas.. and several not so great.. But Marlon just isn't that good of an actor to me, no matter what character he would have played. but I would say the same thing about Channing Tatum playing Duke. LOL |
03-02-2011, 12:43 PM | #7 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Euless, Texas
Posts: 8,842
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I never said change is bad.. They changed Firefly's ethnicity in the new comics and that doesn't bother me.
My whole deal with the Ripcord change is more of who they hired to play him over what color the guy is.
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03-02-2011, 12:44 PM | #8 |
Iron Grenadier
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: NY
Posts: 937
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My only problem with Wayans being "Ripcord" was that he was more of a pilot than a paratrooper.
Then they never fully release a figure for him that comes with a plane or a parachute. |
03-02-2011, 12:46 PM | #9 |
We get insurance, right?
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: At the Cobra, Cobracabana
Posts: 6,612
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Doesn't matter to me, as long as the character still "works". My only problem with RoC Rip was that they made him into the "class clown", and the fact that he seems annoyed with his position and duties in the Army. The IDW universe fixed that. Ripcord is still black, however he's a very squared away professional soldier. HALO Jumper isn't a job you get "stuck" with. You have to pursue it. It's a very serious, and slightly insane job. IDW Rip is a great character.
I don't care what race, gender, ect. a character is, as long as they are still that character. RoC Ripcord, wasn't Ripcord, imo. Wayans did a great job with the character he was given, but it wasn't Rip. IDW Ripcord IS Ripcord with the race change.
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03-02-2011, 12:50 PM | #10 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: california
Posts: 2,164
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Unfortunately, what I gather is, the majority of people (based on previous forums that I've read and some comments in this one) were at odds with a black actor portraying a white character. Wayans would have been fine had he portrayed Stalker, who incidentally is black. Ripcord is still Ripcord, despite race or gender. Face it, ROC came up short, not because solely because of the actors cast or their abilities to portray the rolls. The film came up short because of a number of other factors too.
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