By, Hipolito Munoz, Managing Editor/Publisher
Everyone, and I mean everyone, is excited about the new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens. The new story helmed by JJ Abrams, is so powerful that even the distribution companies, ie theaters, are taking a lower cut for the film. That is the power of audience when it loves a visual work of fiction.
The introduction of people of color and more prominent female heroines, first created a panic in many fans because well, the main fictional character, was no longer Anglo, but that eventually passed and we are all now on board and will pay the extra cash to go see it in an IMAX theater. I am going to be selling my car to pay for the tickets. So its all good in LaLaLand, but there are certain choices that have been made that should make us pause and consider how the film is creating a problem for other cultures.
If we notice, John Boyega is not Anglo, and many of us celebrated that choice by Abrams and the studio. Well, China is one of the most coveted markets for Disney and in order to make the poster more palatable for the Chinese government, they decided that John Boyega, would not be in the poster. This tells you what at the end of the day is important to corporations, money. I am also a cynical fool and a two faced critic of this move, because I am probably going to see the film at least once.
The terrible injury is perpetrated to the people of China. They will notice that a hero is not represented publicly because their government feels that they are too racist to accept a person of color, this time a black person, to be the hero that many of us experience as part of our lives with our black colleagues.
I am disappointed that this decision was allowed to stand, but I also know that once the people of China experience the story and the thrills of the film, like all of us, they will embrace the beauty of diversity, am I being too Pollyanna? Probably, but I hope not.
