The internet has been giddy with excitement over the upcoming N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton ever since that first promotional photo was released showing the actors playing young Dre, Eazy, and Cube. A biopic about the World’s Most Dangerous Group? Yes, please! But the internet, known for its fickle and fair-weather nature (also, porn), has just begun to sour on the film. An open casting call posted on the Facebook page of the Sande Alessi Casting company has the internet vomiting outrage and defecating social justice. Check out this casting call that the Huffington Post called “So Offensive It Will Make Your Jaw Drop.”
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: SandeAlessiCasting@gmail.com 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: SandeAlessiCasting@gmail.comsubject 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: SandeAlessiCasting@gmail.com 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: SandeAlessiCasting@gmail.com subject line should read: D GIRLS
I think most sane people will see how this is pretty offensive. Having the “D Girls” being the darkest/least attractive and the “A Girls” be the hottest/lightest-skinned – this is going to cause a few heads to shake and fingers to wag, including mine. But I don’t know if this qualifies as jaw-droppingly offensive. I mean, if you think that was sexist than you probably won’t like the group N.W.A.. The title of this film comes from an N.W.A. song where Eazy-E says “So what about the bitch who got shot? F*ck her! You think I give a damn about a bitch? I ain’t a sucker!”
I’m a proponent of people calling out racism and sexism when they see it. But we, the people who make words on the internet, should probably curb the outrage a bit. Is the casting call helping to perpetuate a racist standard of beauty? Yes, and that’s why it’s shameful and why it was removed from Facebook after it was exposed. Is the casting call “racist as hell,” probably not. Unless, of course, hell is far less racist than we all imagined.