By resumegold30 *Please follow on Instagram *
Everyone looks at the world with different lens. When I say the words tv cultural approbation, what do you think of?
I think of many things. The first thing I think of is the definition. According to Google, cultural approbation is the adoption of an element or elements of one culture by members of another culture. Thus, tv cultural approbation is the adoption of one culture
There are two sides of this issue. One side believes that any actor should be able to play any character that he or she wants to play. The other side believes that actors should play characters that are in line with his or her nationality/ethnicity.
Is it important? To me, it is an important issue. Something that people should not take lightly. I do not believe that anyone should play any character.
Plain and simple, if there is a minority role available, a minority should play that role. For example, a Chinese role should have a Chinese actor/actress playing it. An African American role should have an African American actor/actress playing it.
Others opposing this point of view, usually say this…everyone wants a good job. The best person for the job should get it.
I do believe this. However, sometimes you can’t just look at the best acting. You have to look at who will represent this role better and understand the struggles this character may be facing due to his or her diversity. The chances are that a Caucasian person may not understand the same struggles that an Indian person is going through. The viewers deserve to have someone on screen that is authentic and represents them. The person may be a good actor, yes, but that is not the only thing at stake when producing quality material.
In the past, diversity in the acting field was very hard to find. Thankfully times are changing. We know times are changing because people are now starting to take note of this issue. Changes are becoming more apparent.
Here are some examples:
We see examples of this every day, without batting an eye. Ever watch those movies Mask of Zorro or Legend of Zorro? One of the main stars is Catherine Zeta Jones. She is such a lovely actress. She plays the Hispanic female character Elena De la Vega. However, she is from Swansea, Wales. She does a great job portraying this character. Yet, why take this role from a Latina woman? There are not too many Latina roles in Hollywood.
Cartoons are not immune to this either. The beloved cartoon Family Guy has a main black character named Cleveland. Cleveland was voiced by a white voice actor named Mike Henry for twenty years. He stepped down from the position, saying, “It’s been an honor to play Cleveland on Family Guy for 20 years. I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color. Therefore, I will be stepping down from the role.”
There is not a clear resolution to this topic. There are many people on both sides of the issue. You can make a difference, by voicing your opinion on this issue. Please tell me what you think. Your ideas are important, and the world needs to hear them. Stay tuned for more articles.
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