TIL - Aliens (1986) and Short Circuit Used Brown Face

[Senzo Tanaka]

I'm late to the party here but here it is for those that don't know.

We all know and love the Vasquez character from the 1986 movie Aliens but did you know the actress wasn't a Latina? Mind blown...

I knew that she ended up being John Connor's foster mom in Terminator 2 and looked different but I didn't know it went this far.

What most did not realize at that time, and what many still haven’t figured out, is that Vasquez, a Latino woman, was played in Aliens by Jenette Goldstein, a freckle-faced white actress. It’s a testament to Goldstein’s acting abilities, to say the very least, that most never caught on to the fact that Vasquez was not played by a Latina actress, but what’s worth discussing here is that Vasquez was, well, not played by a Latina actress. In an effort to appear less white, Goldstein was outfitted with dark contact lenses to hide her blue eyes and yes, she was even covered in full face-and-body makeup to cover her white skin.

The makeup took an hour,” Goldstein told Starlog Magazine back in 1987, reflecting on the film. “The makeup woman said I had the most ornery freckles she had ever seen. It was freezing cold on the set, and we were oiled up all the time. The fake sweat and water made the makeup run a lot, so it was a toss-up between looking sweatier and having my white skin show through.

This one might blow my mind more however since it's one I grew up with it. The Indian character that creates Johnny 5 in Short Circuit is a white guy...

Granted, I think if a movie role calls for a certain ethnicity, you should cast someone that is actually that ethnicity. That said, both actors completely nailed it. Vasquez looks identical to an actual Latina and Benjamin sounds and acts like Indians in tech I have worked with before.

It's safe to say that this will probably never happen again and that my childhood was a lie.

 

[Medical Marijuana Man]

White people do it better what can I say?

Soul Man needs a sequel!

 

[Headkicktoleg]

That dudes pencil neck is infuriating

 

[HunterSdVa29]

that dude was on Law and Order like 20384923804803840430 times as either a Perp or Defense Attorney

 

[Khabibs Tiramisu]

I'm so offended by this!!!



Kidding aside, i'm an asian and I don't find these things offensive at all. As long as these decisions are not meant to be racist, and it's these movie companies that pay for these things, they can cast who they want for all i care. They casted Tilda Swanson as the ancient one in Dr. Strange and she was awesome, that's all i care about.

It's more insulting when they cast asians just for diversity and shit.

 

[Wet Blanket]

Don't forget Remo Williams.

 

[minute bull]

Never forget Remo Williams!

 

[GearSolidMetal]

Wherever someone lives that has criticized Aliens, should be nuked from orbit.

Its the only way to be sure.

 

[Gref]

 

[loyalyolayal]

That dudes pencil neck is infuriating

Needs to train with alpha necks.

 

[GeorgeO]

That dudes pencil neck is infuriating

Not gonna lie: this comment had me laughing out loud. People's obsession with necks in the Mayberry is truly hilarious.

 

[Staph infection]

That dudes pencil neck is infuriating

That pencil neck had prime Michelle Pfeiffer.

 

[Medulla Omoplata]

I think it's fine. Actor's are pretending to be other people, that's what they do. Why does sex/race have to be off the table.
There is a difference between pretending to be a different race and full-on racist black face caricature.

 

[minute bull]

Unbelievable. More unbelievable? If you acted like a man just once in your bum life, shidoshi.

 

[Seano]

You know whats most interesting? No one gave a fuck until 2018.

Who cares?

 

[Senzo Tanaka]

I don't care in the "I'm offended' sense. It's just interesting. Vasquez and Benjamin were so well played I would have never known they were white actors playing another ethnicity.

If I were Indian, I could see them being offended because Benjamin is a caricature and almost poking fun of Indians. Vasquez though, there's nothing really to complain about.

 

[loyalyolayal]

That pencil neck had prime Michelle Pfeiffer.

Spoiler: Deep down

 

[Plissken]

It wasn't done in a way to be insulting to either ethnicity, so it's not really a big deal. Back in the 30's Noble Johnson played Amarican Indians/Native Americans, Russians, Middle Easterners, East Asians, etc. and he was black, but he (and the makeup people) did his job so damn well nobody noticed or cared.
I think one should look for an actor of the portrayed ethnicity first, but really you should pick the best person for the job, sometimes that requires you to stick to an ethnicity though, and sometimes an actor can look that ethnicity with a bit of makeup and some hair dye. It's a lot tougher to have a white guy play a black man and vice versa.
I think it was more insulting that Martin Scorcese chose Cameron Diaz and Leonardo Decaprio to play Irish immigrants in Gangs of New York because neither had the ability to pass for such whereas at least Fisher and Jeannette made the effort/could pass. Woody Allen mistook Jason Biggs from American Pie as Jewish and cast him in one of his films because he thought him to be Jewish, but then learned on set he wasn't (I remember this from a Conan appearance Biggs did). People still think Alan Alda is Jewish due to his casting in Woddy Allen movies.
There's a balance you need to fulfill, but if the actor is believable in the part they are doing their job.

 

[MaureenCretis]

Never forget Remo Williams!

You must run *very* fast!

 

[minute bull]

You must run *very* fast!