I'll Give Cameron Crowe A Chance Because He's Not Katy Perry

Friday, June 05, 2015

Sometimes as an Asian American and POC I do need to make sure that I'm giving leeway and room for growth to non-POC and non-Asian Americans. I'm not giving out free passes, but I don't have to condemn someone to life in exile if I feel like they want to learn and grow and educate themselves - and maybe it's the Almost Famous in me, but I do think there's a difference between Cameron Crowe and his response to criticism:

Thank you so much for all the impassioned comments regarding the casting of the wonderful Emma Stone in the part of Allison Ng. I have heard your words and your disappointment, and I offer you a heart-felt apology to all who felt this was an odd or misguided casting choice [...] I am grateful for the dialogue. And from the many voices, loud and small, I have learned something very inspiring. So many of us are hungry for stories with more racial diversity, more truth in representation, and I am anxious to help tell those stories in the future.

Versus Katy Perry's response to cultural appropriation:

I guess I'll just stick to baseball and hot dogs, and that's it [...] I know that's a quote that's gonna come to fuck me in the ass, but can't you appreciate a culture? I guess, like, everybody has to stay in their lane? I don't know.

You still have to prove it at some point, but give me someone who's at least trying to understand and change and move forward and use their place to help, now that they understand more, versus being all defense and tuning everyone out like their name is Lebron.