We are asking for the producers and director F. Gary Gray of “Straight Outta Compton” to replace Sande Alessi Casting. Aside from the blatant misogyny and violence promoted by the musicians featured in the movie, the casting call also promotes racist stereotypes and colorism. Colorism, “is a practice of discrimination by which those with lighter skin are treated more favorably than those with darker skin,” About.com. Colorism is the wicked step child of White supremacy. The casting call is nothing more than modern day paper bag test and as Film/TV Editor at The Urban Daily, Contributor at NY Times and Roger Ebert film site, co-host of @CinemainNoir, Film Fatale said it’s” Not that much different from a slave manifest or auction list.” She is right. According to Gawker.com, women are being graded by their race, weight and hair. The casting sheet from Sande Allesi Casting, says,
“SAG OR NON UNION CASTING NOTICE FOR FEMALES-ALL ETHNICITIES- from the late 80’s. Shoots on “Straight Outta Compton”. Shoot date TBD. We are pulling photos for the director of featured extras. VERY IMPORTANT – You MUST live in the Los Angeles area (Orange County is fine too) to work on this show. DO NOT SUBMIT if you live out of the area. Nobody is going to be flying into LA to do extra work on this show - and don’t tell me you are willing to fly in.
SAG OR NON UNION FEMALES - PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR SPECIFIC BREAKDOWN. DO NOT EMAIL IN FOR MORE THAN ONE CATEGORY:
A GIRLS: These are the hottest of the hottest. Models. MUST have real hair - no extensions, very classy looking, great bodies. You can be black, white, asian, hispanic, mid eastern, or mixed race too. Age 18-30. Please email a current color photo, your name, Union status, height/weight, age, city in which you live and phone number to: [email protected] subject line should read: A GIRLS
B GIRLS: These are fine girls, long natural hair, really nice bodies. Small waists, nice hips. You should be light-skinned. Beyonce is a prototype here. Age 18-30. Please email a current color photo, your name, Union status, height/weight, age, city in which you live and phone number to: [email protected] subject line should read: B GIRLS
C GIRLS: These are African American girls, medium to light skinned with a weave. Age 18-30. Please email a current color photo, your name, Union status, height/weight, age, city in which you live and phone number to: [email protected] subject line should read: C GIRLS
D GIRLS: These are African American girls. Poor, not in good shape. Medium to dark skin tone. Character types. Age 18-30. Please email a current color photo, your name, Union status, height/weight, age, city in which you live and phone number to: [email protected] subject line should read: D GIRLS
The casting call relies on antebellum racist stereotypes where of course Black women of a darker hue are “D Girls,” not women and are “poor, not in good shape.” This is insulting and racist. We find the Sande Alessi Casting’s excuse of being an “innocent mistake” insufficient. Colorism is purposely and deeply rooted within the Hollywood psyche where there is a sick normalcy of disrespecting and humiliating Black women here, here and here.
Black Americans account for over 37 million people in the United States and have over $1 trillion in buying power. We spend millions on movies and are incredibly loyal consumers. We are not to be measured and graded like carton of eggs. We are not a stereotype and we say no more. We will not take our hard earned grade D dollars and support this movie until they change this agency.
Sign the petition calling for the replacement of the Sande Alessi Casting agency on change.org below.
https://www.change.org/petitions/straight-outta-compton-and-f-gary-gray-and-universal-studios-straight-outta-compton-replace-the-sande-alessi-casting-agency#share
“We are asking for the producers and director F. Gary Gray of “Straight Outta Compton” to replace Sande Alessi Casting.”
They probably won’t replace ’em. As a matter-of-fact, the cast probably gave all of this the go-ahead.
This is appalling. Grading women as A to D based on ones gradual distance away from being light skinned???
I agree that the cast more than likely gave all of this the go-ahead.
I had an interest in the film. Not anymore. It’s time to start promoting the boycott of this movie
I shall not front: I never ever planned to go see this movie. I have so little interest in this film that I could get a sneak preview pass and would hand it over to someone else. 95% of rap I find totally void of any value. That said this casting call out shows just how vulgar, mean and degrading Black women are seen in the world. Of course the less mixed, less exotic looking Black female is a ‘A’ class. Of course those who are dark brown and/or have no growing past the base of their neck are ‘D’ class. This is just a Hollywood version of what most Black American women work and socialize in from schools, churches, family gatherings, bars and poolhalls, street corners to what the average rap video uses to promote the music, this is really no surprise. Its just rarely laid out so explicitly. But as they if ya didn’t know…now ya do.
Garbage. Black women need to boycott crap like this.
I wouldn’t see this movie any way. I actually started not supporting black men at all unless they so me a reason for my support because the majority of them are like this. They just want to replace the white man as the face of power, but want the hierarchy to stay in place with black women at the bottom, but them in place of white men. Put your money in black women’s pockets instead.
Exactly
Exactly.
I thought this was a joke when I first about this and this is a prime example showing black women that they need to stop supporting garbage like this just because it has black faces in it. The reality is that I have no interest in seeing this film any way and the fake concern from the movie studio is only a way to still get those dollars.
I’m sure the producers, NWA, explicitly told these dingy women exactly what they wanted. Since white women have 0 solidarity with us and really do believe they are better BECAUSE they’re white they rolled with it. It was no mistake they just didn’t expect any protest. Both groups are so used to being able to step on black women. This is why I support 0 black male entertainers and trust very few white women. I hope this project dies because no one wants to lose their money being associated with such fuckery. Black women wake up and demand respect!
What many people fail to realise is that these men, Ice Cube and Dr. Dre were the creators of the “Gangsta Rap” genre who started the misogyny and the blatant disrespect that we have today in so-called hip hop music. They are the ones who started calling black women bitches and whores in their music, so why on earth would any one support this?
BBG- doesn’t the casting agent work at the behest of the director? My point is, it doesn’t really matter what casting agent is retained, they all are following the orders of the director. If it isn’t Sande Alessi, then it will be the next casting agent.
I bet the producers and director either wrote or approved the casting sheet, so changing the casting agent would result in more of the same. The Broadway play based on Tupac’s music, Holler if Ya Hear Me, bombed and closed a week after opening so there may be less interest in a rap centric movie and this flick may be tabled for the time being. Good riddance.
PRODUCERS tell casting directors who to handle.
I meant to type HIRE. Producers tell casting directors who to hire.
I’m not surprised.
How do we start a protest?
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the sad, but true, reality is that there will be plenty of dark-skinned black women who will happily answer the casting call as a “d” girl. I can hear it now: “gurrrrl…I’m gonna go get my hur did so I can be in that movie!”. and they’ll spend their hard-earned money (or subsidy) on the longest, straightest, shiniest weave they can buy. there are still too many of us black women willing to participate in anything black, even if it’s at the expense of our images and self-esteem. I saw this happen during the tiger woods scandal. I heard black women remark bitterly that none of tiger’s girls looked like them. and all I could think was “aren’t you glad?”.