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‘Ghost in the Shell’ marketing campaign backfires

By MICHAEL LOGARTA

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Hollywood’s live-action take on Japanese property “Ghost in the Shell” has been the focus of much criticism ever since it was announced that its heroine, the Major, would be played by Scarlett Johansson instead of an Asian actress.

Well, the powers-that-be behind “Ghost in the Shell” went ahead with their plans, anyway. Recently, they initiated a viral marketing campaign aimed at further igniting interest in the upcoming film.

The campaign is introduced in a video called “I am Major.”

In the video, Johansson, as the Major, says, “I am hunted. I am the hunter. I am fearless. I am coming for them. I am Major.”

The video also poses the question, “What are you?” before directing viewers to the website IAmMajor.me.

The website tasks the visitor with coming up with their own “I am Major” image to feature their own caption and, if they choose, even their own background picture. These pictures can then be saved to your computer and shared online.

This, however, has led to unintended results for those behind the campaign, as irate netizens are using it as a platform to air their grievances about the film’s casting.

Twitter user Valerie Complex was among the first to post images pointing out what they feel is the problem with the movie.

 

 

“I didn't create the hashtag #iammajor, but I certainly hijacked it,” Complex told Mashable. “I cannot speak for Asian women and I am not trying to speak for them, but it's clear how they feel about this. So I did what I did to stand in solidarity with them, and to send a message to Hollywood that we aren't going to sit idly by while they co-opt and transform stories seemingly meant for other demographics of viewers.”

“Ghost in the Shell” isn’t the first film to cast a white actor in a role that many feel should have gone to an Asian.

In the 2015 film “Aloha,” Emma Stone was cast as Captain Allison Ng, a character meant to be one-quarter Hawaiian and one-quarter Chinese. 2009’s “Dragonball Evolution” not only cast Justin Chatwin as Goku, it also spelled “Dragon Ball” wrong.

 

 

 

Films inspired by religious myths, such as “Gods of Egypt,” “Noah,” “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” and “Prince of Egypt” have all awarded main and supporting roles to Caucasians.

 

 

M. Night Shyamalan’s disastrous “The Last Airbender” infamously had white actors assuming the main heroic roles, while Asians played the villains. The cartoon “Avatar: The Last Airbender” on which the movie is based features an all-Asian roster of characters.

And then we have last year’s “Doctor Strange,” in which the role of the Ancient One—an Asian character in the comics—was given to Tilda Swinton.

 

 

Even TV shows, such as the upcoming Netflix show “Marvel’s Iron Fist,” have not been spared from ridicule.

 

 

By using the campaign this way, netizens are pointing out that whitewashing is endemic in American entertainment.

“Ghost in the Shell” hits theaters on March 31, 2017. — BM, GMA News

Tags: ghostintheshell, scarlettjohansson, racism, raceissues, hollywoodwhitewashing
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