Scarlet Johansson Bows to Pressure, Bows Out of Playing Trans Man

[Carolyn Marie]

https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/7/13/17569486/scarlett-johansson-transgender-man-rub-and-tug-movie

 

She's done the right thing for the right reasons.  Good for her.

 

Carolyn Marie

[VickySGV]

Mild, but polite applause.  Her publicized casting was an attempt to gain investment in the film which is needed.  I know that the Trans activism groups are not able come up with the $$$, and we still do not have enough actual influence to stop serious investors who think they can make their desired return on their investments.  I accept the apology, but suspect there things other than altruism going on.  I will be watching her future casting calls with a little more interest than I might otherwise just to confirm some suspicions.  The same as I will be watching production progress of the film --- I doubt it will be soon, or with a Trans actor, and may have the Trans role re-written to cis.  I am cynical I agree.

[RikkiWilson]

I personally don't believe she backed out because of backlash. I think she backed out because people planned to boycott (pretty sure I've read she's also a director for it?). I still plan to boycott because she'd still make money if she is a director. 

[Maid In Bedlam]

First of all I am actually glad this Johannsson girl backed out of it.

 

But a point i would like to throw out there is: Should trans actors only be the ones allowed to play trans roles?

 

You could put the question Should convicted murderers be the only persons with the knowledge of how they feel be the only individuals to be in the roles of Murderers?

 

It has been the case where many trans roles have been filled with non trans actors examples would be Edward Redmayne The Danish Girl, Jeffrey Tambo Transparent to name a couple. 

 

Sadly I believe it would be all down to the financial side of things and not the etthics

 

For example. its ethically wrong to give a convicted murderer a staring role in a film because of what he did in his past was morally wrong. Even if you could argue the murderer could act more true to life because of his or her past history and they did there time. So does that also translate to a trans actor being morally wrong for a role because they are trans but no one has ever heard of them therefore they are not infamous enough.

 

 

Personal Opnion. I could always be that Actress they are looking for if the moneys right ?

 

 

Let me say right off the bat. I do not hold any opnion on this im just playing devils advocate

[Katt]

I don't think comparing the portrayal of transgender people should / could be compared to something like murder; one is someone's life experience with something they cant control and one is a crime that is violent and voluntary attack on someone's life. That aside I find two major reasons trans actors should be the first approached when casting these roles.

 

First, consistently casting cis actors in these roles contributes, however unintentionally, to the wrong and harmful view of trans people as just putting on different clothing and acting. Media such as movies and TV does play a part in how its viewers interpret the world, so continuing to cast cis actors in trans roles does harm to the way trans people are viewed because the portrayal, however well acted and respectful, is inherently in genuine to the people they are representing.

 

Secondly, it's more likely to produce more lifelike and immersive content when a trans actor who does know what it's like to live as a trans person is chosen to portray the part because however good of an actor the cis person chosen to portray the role is, they have to work an uphill battle because they don't have those experiences. Why go through re-shoot after re-shoot to try to get a believable performance out of a non-trans actor when you can just save yourself the time by casting someone who is acting from memory rather than from script? 

 

Scarlett Johannson doesn't have to look too far for a role to play, the reason she dropped out of this role was because a Black Widow movie is in the wings, after all, but there are plenty of trans actors who are looking for roles.