Did Paramount Whitewash The Last Airbender?
NEW YORK (AP) — The hopes of many are resting on the shoulders of 12-year-old Aang. Ever since he first came out of a block of ice in the Nickelodeon cartoon series “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” the other tribes in his fictional, Asian-inspired world saw Aang and his power over the elements as their last chance for peace after a century of conflict. Now Paramount Pictures and director M. Night Shyamalan also have high hopes for Aang: that he will attract audiences to see their big-screen — and big budget — version of “The Last Airbender,” opening July 2. Yet fans of the original TV series say whatever hopes they had for the live-action movie have been dashed by what is known as “Whitewashing” — the selection of White actors to fill the main hero roles instead of the people of color they say the source material requires. “To take this incredibly loved children’s series, and really distort not only the ethnicity of the individual characters but the message of acceptance and cultural
