Well, nothing new to report. The Internet is once again blowing up over whitewashing. The focus is back on Scarlett Johansson and Paramount Pictures for Johansson's role as Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell. When Johansson was first reported as being the one to play Motoko in the upcoming movie, the internet exploded into a fury of why she shouldn't have the role—all of them centering around the fact that she wasn't Japanese, or even of Asian decent. Since Ghost in the Shell is an older, popular anime and an even older manga than that, many fans of Japanese anime and manga want the live film adaptation to be as true to the parent material as possible. I'm included in that grouping.

I don't mean to say that sarcastically about Johansson and Paramount Pictures being on the hot seat again due to the recently released photo from the upcoming movie. Hollywood just won't accept whitewashing as being a problem. That, and Hollywood has no time to care about proper representation. They're only concerned with what will bring in the money.

Whitewashing—in my opinion—is a serious issue that needs to addressed. Quite a lot of the world's society has the idea of whiteness so high up on a pedestal as the idea of perfect beauty. In the Philippines, for example, advertisements for beauty products and the beauty products themselves are centered around the idea of making your skin fair. Double eye lid surgery is a thing that exists in Asian countries. And photos of darker skinned celebrities not just in America, but also in places such as the aforementioned Philippines and in India's Bollywood are being edited to make the celebrities look lighter than they actually are.

Unfortunately, all of this is an issue that probably won't be changing soon. But maybe if we complain enough, Hollywood will listen. Maybe, but that's also wishful thinking. Wishful thinking that I often partake in, because it isn't fair for movies and other productions to be created that are based off of "historical events" and the like and not display something that is historically accurate (yes, Exodus and Gods of Egypt, I am looking at you). I am deeply saddened by the fact that cultures and races that are deemed "minorities" aren't being properly represented for the beauty that they possess. 

But you know what else deeply saddens me? Verbal attacks toward an actress that had no part in being chosen for the role she is playing. Except, maybe, auditioning—if by chance she did that. But with such a big name as Scarlett Johansson, she probably didn't even have to audition. Hollywood casting is a completely broken system that doesn't care about minorities. As I said, they're only concerned with making money. Does that suck? Hell yes, it does. But it's not going to be something that changes soon. And being pissed at Johansson about her role, as if she had a choice in being chosen, isn't fair to her. Now if you're not an ignorant buffoon yelling at Johansson and Paramount about Johansson being the lead actress, and instead are yelling at them both because you realize that Hollywood's system is unfair and that the reality is we may not ever get a perfect Ghost in the Shell movie with proper representation—then by all means, keep yelling. Except maybe aim your hatred and disgust toward Paramount, instead. Especially when considering they'd probably drop the movie if some big name, Johansson or otherwise, hadn't accepted the role of Motoko.

Now that I've gotten it out of my system that this casting does suck, but there's nothing we can really do about it, I'm going to give you a few things to mull over. Some "good" that has come from Johansson being cast as Motoko:

Now, just because I am saying these things do not write off the fact that I am completely against whitewashing and think it's unfair, and that many "minority" actors and actresses are often pushed under the bus when they shouldn't be. I still think whitewashing is unfair. I still think it's a serious issue that needs to be addressed. I still think Hollywood's system sucks, and I still want it to change.