५ ऑगस्ट, २०२३

"Casting a 5-foot-11, rom-com heartthrob in a role traditionally played by dwarf actors was what the film’s director, Paul King, called 'a real lightbulb moment.'"

"'You go, 'Hugh Grant’s an Oompa-Loompa! Yes, please!"' he [said]. Or maybe, 'No, thanks,' if you’re a performer with dwarfism who’s been typecast in bit parts your entire career, now confronting a future in which even those can be CGIed to fit the frames of A-listers."
Dwarf actors are, “incredibly slowly,” being offered more diverse roles than in decades past, [the actor George Coppen said]. But “we still need the traditional roles like your gnomes, your goblins, your elves, just to get some money, just to pay the bills. If people like Hugh Grant are going to come along and push us out, what’s next? Are we going to be replaced in ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’?” 
Maybe. “7 DWARVES MORPH INTO NORMS” was TMZ’s headline last month about an upcoming live-action remake of the classic Disney cartoon, starring Rachel Zegler as Snow White. The tabloid published leaked photos showing mostly non-dwarf actors heigh-hoing through a field.....

There's nothing in the article about the use of the word "dwarf," so I am assuming this is the word these actors want used.  

A comment over there: "Is this story serious? This feels like somebody is writing a parody of social justice stories." I get that but it also makes me feel bad. These actors are real people and they've devoted themselves to performing in these roles —  your gnomes, your goblins, your elves, your Oompa-Loompas. They had a niche, and it's getting CGIed out of existence.

५१ टिप्पण्या:

rhhardin म्हणाले...

Mother in law: I think it's immoral that any human being should acquire that much wealth. I don't know how you sleep at night.
Hugh Grant: A machine that plays the ocean.

- Two Weeks Notice

Dogma and Pony Show म्हणाले...

Maybe dwarf actors should embrace AI as a means by which they could be cast in tall people roles.

Rusty म्हणाले...

I wanna hear what Brad(That's MY urinal!) Williams has to say.
I'd like to see a remake of the Wizard of Oz from the Lollipop Guild's point of view.
Better yet Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs from the dwarfs side. Which would be a hilarious comedty or a very disturbing porno.

Leland म्हणाले...

Won't be long before we won't need actresses anymore either. We already don't need females in women sports.

Spiros म्हणाले...

Are the Disney dwarfs even human? I think they're a separate species...

Bender म्हणाले...

Putting a tall person in a role for small folks is awful, just awful. And it is too. No sarcasm here.

But I've seen the trailer. Nothing to be said about the PERVASIVE number of Black people in prominent positions in white Victorian/Edwardian society?

Makes you wonder why they didn't go all the way and have Wonka identified at birth as female with the name of Willa.

Quaestor म्हणाले...

I'm not surprised Hugh Grant is snatching the bread from the dwarf actors' mouths. Movie actors are constantly virtue signaling in public because few have any private virtues, so thoughtless abuse of little people, real and figurative, is to be expected from the likes of Mr. Grant. However, what's both unreasonable and unwarranted is yet another "Willy Wonka" POS.

Ice Nine म्हणाले...

>There's nothing in the article about the use of the word "dwarf," so I am assuming this is the word these actors want used. <

I suppose so. Well, that and the fact that they are, you know, dwarves.

madAsHell म्हणाले...

Democracy dies in outrage.

Ice Nine म्हणाले...

Hugh Grant, huh. Presumably, the producer wanted a known, marketable star in the role. QED.

Kate म्हणाले...

Grant is no longer a rom-com heartthrob. He's Paddington's nemesis. When he showed a talent for campy menace, his CV changed.

This is the leading edge of the danger of social justice. As children we loved the Munchkins. Willow is an icon. Little People were cast for their size. Then we were told to stop noticing that. Now they're obsolete, and all the wonder has been lost.

mikee म्हणाले...

Cyrano with Peter Dinklage worked, and ended up being a moving adaptation of the story.

The Oompas have been played by successively taller actors in each movie version. Wilder's Oompas were played by little people. The Oompas in the Depp version of Willie Wonka were all, or each, a 20" tall miniaturized Deep Roy, who at 4'4" is a tallish little person. And Grant is only 5'10" himself. So I'd say the Oompas may have been "growing in the role" each version, but have yet to be played by a truly tall male. There is still time for a Lebron James Ooompa at 6'9". Or a female version played by either little people or Amazonian plus/full size models.

We will leave consideration of the multisexual and transgendered Oompa theorizing to a future generation. Hopefully, many generations hence.

Ice Nine म्हणाले...

Thousands of Caucasian TV commercial actors: "Welcome aboard."

Louie the Looper म्हणाले...

I’ve had it up to here with dwarves.

mikee म्हणाले...

I wrote that Grant was 5'10". His bio reads 5' 10 1/2" height. The article says 5' 11" and now I realize that he is an actor of such versatility as to be able to change his physical height to suit the audience and the role. I bet he'll be a great Oompa.

Temujin म्हणाले...

Disney is trying so very hard to tank their business. They still have learned nothing from a few years of bombs at the box office.

As for dwarves...that would seem to be true that the bread and butter roles- those no one else can or should play- would be those of small people. Like...dwarves in Snow White. But it's also true that there can certainly be other roles for great actors who are small in size. Like Peter Dinklage.

Krumhorn म्हणाले...

Everyone has a grievance. Some have grievances that dwarfs all the others’.

- Krumhorn

hombre म्हणाले...

"Snow White and the Seven Tall Oompa Loompas." I remember it well. LOL!

The cultural attack is extended to white dwarfs.

FullMoon म्हणाले...

Joe says:
They can learn to code.

William म्हणाले...

The uses of enchantment: I think dwarves are stand-ins for children and allow children to participate in the fantasy. They love and take care of the mommy figure. It's all very chaste although there's definitely an Oedipal subtext. Anyway, what's the point of Snow White going off with Prince Charming when she's surrounded by seven hunks who are utterly devoted to her....This casting decision subverts the power and appeal of the children's fantasy......I've got a boffo idea for a remake of Pinocchio. Every time Pinocchio tells a lie or does something unworthy, his penis grows larger. Unable to live with the shame of this, he prays to his fairy godmother. She delivers him from his predicament by transforming him into a real life little girl. Now there's a movie that many in our Hollywood community could devote their best efforts into making.

Bob Boyd म्हणाले...

Relative to those of other animals, Oompa Loompa mating strategies are unique in their relationship with Ozian cultural variables such as the institution of the Lollipop Guild. Casting Hugh Grant simply doesn't work. The decision shows a complete lack of understanding of both Oompa Loompa cultural processes and fundamental biological drives. Anyone who has spent even a little time in Oz could tell you that.

Dave Begley म्हणाले...

Willy Wonka remake? You can’t replace Gene Wilder. That’s the real issue.

Randomizer म्हणाले...

This isn't a parody of social justice stories, but the inevitable outcome of the inherent contradictions.

A person with dwarfism must face a litany of disadvantages due to the condition. Let them use the condition to their advantage in the couple of opportunities that may come up. Dwarf tossing offends our sensibilities, but the dwarf is getting paid and showed up to work. In Hollywood, there is tremendous competition for any part. Hugh Grant doesn't need to take an Oompa Loompa job.

The article says that Peter Dinklage is a critic of dwarf typecasting and that, after his success on Game of Thrones, he can afford to take this stance. Being self-aware doesn't make Dinklage any less of a jerk for screwing over his peers with a similar condition.


Biotrekker म्हणाले...

"Seinfeld" cast a little person as Mickey Abbott, who plays a little person actor who Kramer meets at an audition. they become friends, he has a personality and a temper and he gets married to a person of normal height. He's treated like just another person, generally.

Dinklage just pulling the ladder up after himself is typical Hollywood.

Static Ping म्हणाले...

It is a pretty typical way to "help" certain groups. Dwarfs are oppressed, so we won't ever hire any dwarfs so that solves the problem! Similar to how the oppression of Native Americans is solved by removing their names from all sports teams so we do not have been bothered to hear about them. It is saving them by erasing them.

The other typical solution is to take an established character, then race/sex/whatever swap it to be more "diverse," and then declare success, even if the story is utter garbage that no one likes. Nothing benefits an oppressed group like equating their group with substandard trash.

traditionalguy म्हणाले...

Dwarfs are learning It’s not about being a person, it’s about sexual preferences that can be used as weapons against the normal humans.

Oligonicella म्हणाले...

Absolute proof that the woke bs espoused by Hollywood is exactly this - bullshit posturing for virtue signalling without applied rational thought.

Xmas म्हणाले...

"Midget" is the bad word. Dwarf and dwarfism are the appropriate terms. Though the term for non-dwarf is "average height person" not "normal person".

(Also midgets have a completely different disorder that is curable.)

Oligonicella म्हणाले...

Thinking again, Hugh Grant taking the role, knowing full well the history and politics involved, displays himself to be a shallow, selfish person.

Richard Dolan म्हणाले...

Niche seems to have become a synonym for ghetto. That certain niche roles were reserved for a "special class" used to be said about black opera signers, limited as they often were to Aida, Othello, Monostatos and a few other roles if they could get any role at all. Talent + grit (and the advantage of standing on the shoulders of even grittier artists who came before them) ended that niche-ghetto. Perhaps that will be harder for dwarfs to pull off, but it is essential that those with talent + grit need to focus on it. If you want to be seen as an individual uniquely suited to some role, and better than the non-dwarfs who might also be seeking it, you first have to believe in yourself and keep pushing to convince others that you're right. Whining about preserving your little ghetto won't get you there.

Free Manure While You Wait! म्हणाले...

"Are we going to be replaced in ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’?” "

First they came for the word dwarfs, and I did not speak out...

Fun Fact: The C in CGI stands for cartoon. Because that's what you're watching.

gilbar म्हणाले...

under this topic, of misappropriating racial positions (see? No Otters.. THIS TIME)
Cali Gov Newsom has Vowed that the next Cali Sen (he appoints) WILL BE a black woman..
Newsom made the commitment in 2021 after upsetting Democrats by appointing then-Secretary of State Alex Padilla, California’s first Latino senator, to replace Kamala Harris after her election to vice president.

Think about this. He appointed a Latino to the Senate.. Which is THE FIRST TIME for Cali;
And this was "upsetting" to democrats, who DEMAND That (at LEAST) Half of Cali Senators be black.

As Al Smith would say.. Let's take a look, at The Record
How many people in Cali, claim SOME black ancestors? According to the 2020 census: 6.4%
How many people in Cali, claim to be Hispanic? According to the 2020 census: 39.4%
(this group, is EVEN Larger than whites (38.3%)

The Plurality of Cali folk are Hispanic.. Very Nearly HALF.. There are MORE THAN SIX Hispanics in Cali for every black..
YET! democrats DEMAND, that (at LEAST) half of Cali Senators be (and REMAIN) black.

This seems Even worse than having Huge Grant pretend to be a dwarf

gilbar म्हणाले...

oh! and there are very nearly THREE Asians in Cali for every black (17% to 6.4%)
But in Cali.. ONLY blacks are guaranteed representation. Why IS that?

Andrew म्हणाले...

From the show Frasier:

[to a caller] "Roger, at Cornell University they have an incredible piece of scientific equipment known as the tunneling electron microscope. Now, this microscope is so powerful that by firing electrons you can actually see images of the atom, the infinitesimally minute building blocks of our universe. Roger, if I were using that microscope right now, I still wouldn't be able to locate my interest in your problem. Thank you for your call."

tim maguire म्हणाले...

Should we care that there are no longer roles catering to little people, like some height-challenged affirmative action program? If we can CGI tall people into dwarves, maybe we can CGI dwarves into tall people. Would it be a disaster if they’re just another body on the casting couch?

Besides, now that Peter Dinklage has built a career around serious dramatic roles (The Station Agent was excellent, BTW), why should anybody feel entitled to gnome freebies?

Curtiss म्हणाले...

If writers and actors can be replaced by AI, then directors too, no?

rehajm म्हणाले...

I thought they were leading role material now- Tyrion Lannister and all…

Clyde म्हणाले...

This is hardly new. 2001's Lord of the Rings did essentially the same thing with hobbits and dwarves.

RNB म्हणाले...

Will no one think of the actual Tolkienian dwarves, gnomes, goblins, elves, and Oompa-Loompas who have been pushed out of roles by humans masquerading as them?

iowan2 म्हणाले...

Seems strange when just a few hours ago, a gay man was required to be cast in the role of gay male. Straight males were not to be considered.
The woke cant keep up with their own agenda.

Andrew म्हणाले...

Everything else aside, the trailer of Wonka looks completely awful.

In the original Gene Wilder movie, the Chocolate Factory was magical, but the rest of the world was normal. People were eager to get the golden ticket because their regular lives were nothing special. If you can get magical chocolate as a regular occurrence, the story makes no sense.

AlbertAnonymous म्हणाले...

Dwarf actor typecast in bit parts ?

Ok I see what you did there

AlbertAnonymous म्हणाले...

Dwarf actor typecast in bit parts ?

Ok I see what you did there

AlbertAnonymous म्हणाले...

Dwarf actor typecast in bit parts ?

Ok I see what you did there

Chris N म्हणाले...

Ever since what happened in 1941 at that Esso station in Ames Iowa and that dwarf, there can be no peace.

No quarter.

No dwarves.

Gahrie म्हणाले...

This is hardly new. 2001's Lord of the Rings did essentially the same thing with hobbits and dwarves.

Yes, but at least they were still pretending they were dwarves.

Gahrie म्हणाले...

Thinking again, Hugh Grant taking the role, knowing full well the history and politics involved, displays himself to be a shallow, selfish person.

My first thought was: Why would you take that role? He must have a huge mortgage to pay. I could see playing Wonka, or even Grandpa... but an Oompa Loompa?

Michelle Dulak Thomson म्हणाले...

I am curious how this relates to giantism (gigantism? I think so). Are extremely tall people confined to play basketball players? Or are (e.g.) Fezzik and Hagrid also to be played by Hugh Grant?

Xmas, my understanding is that midgets and dwarves are, yes, the products of different chromosonal abnormalities, resulting in different physiognomies as well. "Thalidomide babies" (e.g., Thomas Quasthof) are yet a third group, with full-size torsi but rudimentary limbs. I would call a midget a midget if that's what s/he wanted.

Oligonicella म्हणाले...

CGI = Computer Generated Image

Bill R म्हणाले...

...slighting dwarf actors.

I think we're being a tiny wee bit oversensitive here, tossing around accusations just a little too freely.

Free Manure While You Wait! म्हणाले...

"Oligonicella said...
CGI = Computer Generated Image"

AKA, cartoons. Makes no difference how they are generated, in reality, they're still cartoons.