Progress? I think, yes!

I read a few articles by USA Today and BBC America among others that covered the news that over a dozen Native American actors walked off the set of Netflix's new film The Ridiculous Six (starring Adam Sandler) because of its offensive portrayal of Native Americans and their culture according to the American Press.

Among some of the scripted offensive stereotypes were the female characters who's names were Beaver's Breath and No Bra, and the Apache woman who peed while smoking a peace pipe. Netflix had apparently defended the film by saying something along the lines of because "ridiculous" is in the title the film is intended to be stereotypical and offensive but humorous, because it is a satire of Western movies and it "features a diverse cast that is not only part of it - but in on the joke."

Well you know what, props to the actors that walked off: Loren Anthony, Goldie Tom, Allison Young, David Hill. But what's really wrong about this picture is not how little Netflix cares about actors walking off the set but the producers and directors who didn't care at all. They had apparently told the actors to leave if they found it offensive as if it was no big deal at all. Obviously, they have their stars Adam Sandler, Taylor Lautner, and Steve Buscemi who play the leading Natives anyway. What do they care, they'll easily find actors to replace the extras...

The second thing that is wrong is that Natives don't even get to play the leading Natives. Why are they the ones that are just cast as extras and in supporting roles? If that happens, producers obviously don't care about the 8 that walked off the set because they're extras and obviously the leads won't walk off the set because they're not offended at all because they'r not Native American. It's just a bunch of white people - Hollywood ridiculing a people and culture that they know nothing about and have no business doing... Navajo actress Allison Young says, "We are still just Hollywood Indians."

But there are a several positive conclusions to be drawn here. First, rather than just doing a job because it's a job, the actors that walked off the set are not only respectable and dignified people for refusing something that was beneath themselves, but because they have set forth a precedence that could lead other actors in the future who are also stuck with similar projects to do the same. Yes, maybe the movie will continue to be shot and supported by Netflix like this one with famous, white, leading actors, but you know what? Eventually it'll stop working. How believable is it for white people to play the roles of ethnic minorities. What if Raj in The Big Bang Theory was white? Ethnic actors are needed and will forever be needed. Hollywood will eventually have to realize that you just can't make a film with the actors that you need if you are going to ridicule their cultural background in a way that's degrading. Having a bunch of white people trying to ridicule a culture that is not only second hand and unfamiliar but that is physically SO not them, ultimately defeats the purpose of the film. The "ridiculous" stereotypes won't be funny because they'll be so inaccurate. Just as ethnic minorities can't play white people, white people can not play ethnic minorities. They'll figure it out... as more and more people walk off the set of films like these. "Our dignity is not for sale," - Native American actor, David Hill.