Comments on: Hollywood mixes a smooth one

By: JT

JT — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 04:59:55 +0000

You’re an absolute moron for even wasting webspace with this comment/opinion.

They entire show is based around “Normal” actors having conversations, and also mixing in racist terms. (Jew, Jap, Mic, Guinea) One of these terms are used atleast once in every episode.

I did not understand your point, and to be quite honest….I’m not sure if you were even writing to make a point. Maybe you just wanted to sound intelligent with your versatile writing technique. It’s boring and mediocre.

By: Melissa Olson

Melissa Olson — Tue, 02 May 2006 22:49:41 +0000

I don’t think Adrian Grenier is Native whatsover. I has long been fashionable for so many people, including celebrities, to claim to be Native American. Usually, when someone identifies as native am they take care to specify ethnicity. Even then I think this whole thing about Grenier could have easily been a rumor started without his knowing.
I think it’s interesting that the writers of Entourage have chosen to portray Vince as mixed. Though I think it would have been cool if it had come up before now. I think the use of a racial slur is really problematic. Make Japanese-Americans the double Other, and mixed-race Japanese Americans a triple-double other–if that makes sense. I don’t think any use of derogatory words is acceptable, anywhere.

By: Renu

Renu — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 16:10:32 +0000

Interesting point, John. Surely we would be remiss in congratulating HBO for perpetuating racial slur usage, given the mission of this blog.

My point in highlighting this story was that the writers of Entourage chose to handle this situation in a very natural way. Congratulations were for not handling mixed-race/mixed-culture issues like a circus sideshow of misunderstood freaks.

I don’t know if you are a frequent viewer of the show, or if you have any experience with Agents. It would have been untrue to the nature of Ari’s character for him to be sensitive about anything, including the sweeping use of racial epithets; it’s all about the lowest common denominator to him. Rather than derail the quick-fire dialogue that *is* Entourage, the situation was acknowledged, handled, and moved past… much as we all know could happen in real life.

Sure, there could have been a big love-in about using racial epithets, between Vince, Eric and Ari. I personally would have found that patronizing and really just embarrassing. Though Ari could have dropped another good “let’s hug it out, b**ch”.

Is Ari a prick for using “jap”? Absolutely. Am I surprised by the dialogue, given that it’s Ari’s character? Absolutely not.

By: lyonside

lyonside — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 15:41:31 +0000

Carp… I didn’t mean to be Anonymous. So not my style.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 15:18:51 +0000

Haven’t seen it, but I think MMW was congratulating the way it was handled. You didn’t have to HEAR about the entire family tree, noone broke into song/tears/hugs, and the statement was being said by a visually plausible character.

[caveat: while I am very aware that mixed people can look like any and none of their heritages, I am also aware that when a “mixed” character is in a movie/show, they often don’t resonate w/ people in the mixed community if not played by someone who COULD potentially be mixed. OT case in point: Ian Malcolm’s “daughter” in JPII - that kid looked NOTHING like Goldblum, and it was beyond my suspension of disbelief to think that genetics could be that wacky. It was more of a distraction to me as a veiwer than the cold fact that Ian Malcolm wasn’t even IN the BOOK sequel, for very morbid reasons.]

By: John S.

John S. — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 03:20:36 +0000

So the character is mixed, but the agent does say “Japs.” Are we congratulating HBO for including a mixed character but also an ethic slur?!?