Thread by @usnehal

@rezaaslan Honestly, we are past a point of thinking all brown is the same. There is tremendous diversity in South Asia.

The accent. The way of talking. The head movements. None of it is remotely Afghan. There was a way to actually represent Afghan or Pathan culture beyond casting.

@rezaaslan Asking the people whose identity is being used to either play the part or at least inform the character development is essential to moving past caricatures to representation.

As for brown savior: Mammies often “saved” their mistresses/masters.

harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-t…

@rezaaslan Key part of the article on way Mammies are portrayed.

I’d like to see how this sitcom would be different.

I get the argument that it is important to get sympathetic/likable Muslim characters on the screen. Maybe this is the extent of progress possible.
But was it?

@rezaaslan Let Afghans control or inform how their own culture/people are portrayed.

My skepticism is driven by having had Persian folks assume everyone from Afghanistan to South India are the same and casting implies same mindset - been told I look “just like” Mindy Kaling. Huh?

@rezaaslan Personally, the accent and head movement is going to distract me as being so amateur with really no effort at authenticity. South India is lovely but is not Afghanistan.

My best friend in med school was Pathan. Afghans are a have a rich heritage and dignified, humble culture.

@rezaaslan I would not expect my limited knowledge of an intensely private culture to suffice to form an entire character.

A best practice in anything is to use an actor actually of the culture or ethnicity and to have substantive input from the culture.

Another example from past:

https://twitter.com/usnehal/status/1310334903725236226

@rezaaslan @rezaaslan what comes across is defensiveness rather than acknowledging limitations of the process or end product. Imagine you had a certain budget, timeline, or external stakeholders to please or deliver to. Yes, is a coup to get a Muslim character. Still, are many compromises.

@rezaaslan This movie was made by a Pakistani American man yet left many Pakistani and South Asian women, women, furious at their portrayal for white audience

No, can’t please everyone. But no one likes to have their identity used for laughs, including Jewish women

theguardian.com/global/2017/ju…

@rezaaslan And now even in c-suite level job interviews ppl feel like is appropriate to talk about that movie (The Big Sick) & about arranged marriages instead of my 100 day plan for success as an executive. I could have done without my identity constrained that way

forbes.com/sites/georgebr…

@rezaaslan The reality is all selling is to white audiences. There are a lot of ways to sell to the customer like this

Many of us are just skeptical & have every reason to be. There are too many past examples. Trailer had certain markers of lack of authentic character development/casting

https://twitter.com/usnehal/status/1224475479014506496

@rezaaslan @threadreaderapp please unroll

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