0:00:00.329,0:00:02.809 Vlog Every Day in August, whoo! 0:00:03.440,0:00:04.580 Los Angeles! 0:00:05.020,0:00:07.980 A year and a half ago, it was announced that[br]Sony and Marvel had gotten into an agreement 0:00:07.990,0:00:12.320 so that Spider-Man could finally join the[br]Marvel Cinematic Universe and I did a video 0:00:12.320,0:00:14.969 about that, which I'll link to in the doobly-do. 0:00:14.969,0:00:19.789 Basically it was that Spider-Man doesn't have[br]to be a white guy and, in fact, I thought 0:00:19.789,0:00:21.960 it made more sense if he weren't one. 0:00:21.960,0:00:24.740 Here it is August 2016 and there are rumors? 0:00:24.740,0:00:25.740 Has it been confirmed? 0:00:25.740,0:00:30.330 That Zendaya will be playing Mary Jane Watson[br]in Spider-Man: Homecoming. 0:00:30.330,0:00:33.630 And my response to this is: Delight! 0:00:33.630,0:00:36.570 I'm so happy about this possibility, it's[br]gonna be awesome! 0:00:36.570,0:00:42.000 But there's been a lot of backlash on the[br]internet and I want to speak to that backlash. 0:00:42.000,0:00:46.180 Back in February 2015, I talked about how[br]the aspects of Peter Parker as Spider-Man 0:00:46.180,0:00:49.460 that mattered had nothing to do with the color[br]of his skin. 0:00:49.460,0:00:54.530 Ah, and so now, I could, potentially, argue[br]that the characteristics of Mary Jane that 0:00:54.530,0:00:57.190 matter have nothing to do with the color of[br]her skin. 0:00:57.190,0:00:59.050 But if I were to make that argument? 0:00:59.050,0:01:03.301 I would be saying that the premise of the[br]backlash on the internet is valid. 0:01:03.301,0:01:09.000 That there is something of substance to people[br]saying that Mary Jane Watson should not be 0:01:09.000,0:01:11.720 Zendaya for x, y, and z reasons. 0:01:11.720,0:01:16.100 I would say to you that because she's a made-up[br]character, there are only a few reasons why 0:01:16.100,0:01:21.600 you would want her to be specifically the[br]white, redheaded character from the comics. 0:01:21.600,0:01:25.510 And I wrote down some bullet points for myself,[br]so I wouldn't forget. 0:01:25.510,0:01:31.100 The first reason why you might be upset that[br]Mary Jane in the movie would not be white 0:01:31.100,0:01:36.780 with scarlet red hair is: You don't realize[br]that Mary Jane Watson isn't real. 0:01:37.600,0:01:38.100 I... 0:01:38.110,0:01:41.530 If you have some sort of mental illness that[br]makes it difficult for you to understand what 0:01:41.530,0:01:43.820 is real and what is not, then I feel bad for[br]you. 0:01:43.820,0:01:45.040 I'm very sorry! 0:01:45.040,0:01:49.860 But that still doesn't change the fact: she's[br]not real. 0:01:49.860,0:01:55.450 Second possibility: Your demand for MJ to[br]have red hair is actually disguising your 0:01:55.450,0:02:00.570 racist distaste for anyone who is not white. 0:02:00.570,0:02:01.729 I mean. 0:02:01.729,0:02:02.729 Check yourself. 0:02:02.729,0:02:04.690 Is that what's going on? 0:02:04.690,0:02:11.980 Reason 2B: Your demand for MJ to have white[br]skin is a not very disguised sign of your 0:02:11.980,0:02:14.660 racist distaste for anybody who's not white. 0:02:14.940,0:02:17.280 Again, check yourself. 0:02:17.280,0:02:20.800 Is it that you want Mary Jane to be white? 0:02:20.810,0:02:24.560 Or is it that you want everybody to be white? 0:02:24.560,0:02:27.600 And the last reason that I could think of[br]for you to protest this so hard? 0:02:27.600,0:02:33.599 Is that you are so used to having an unequal[br]representation in your favor, as a white person, 0:02:33.599,0:02:37.980 that anyone who looks at all different from[br]you getting any representation feels like 0:02:37.980,0:02:40.650 it's an attack on you. 0:02:40.650,0:02:42.370 It's not. 0:02:42.370,0:02:47.620 It's making one character in a very white[br]franchise not white. 0:02:47.620,0:02:51.380 And if that upsets you so much, think about[br]why that is. 0:02:51.380,0:02:56.380 Is it because you've had so much representation[br]of white people that that's what you're used 0:02:56.380,0:02:57.380 to? 0:02:57.380,0:03:00.680 And any change against that freaks you out? 0:03:00.680,0:03:02.450 Makes you feel uncomfortable? 0:03:02.450,0:03:08.110 Makes it seem like all of a sudden, you are[br]not the centered audience for this story? 0:03:08.110,0:03:09.760 Maybe you shouldn't be! 0:03:09.760,0:03:15.510 Maybe you've got a million other representations[br]in media that are for you. 0:03:15.510,0:03:22.130 And this one character in this one product,[br]showing one part of a story, doesn't have 0:03:22.130,0:03:24.349 to be about you. 0:03:24.349,0:03:31.120 And I would say, "It's time for us to have[br]fewer people representing white people in 0:03:31.120,0:03:36.760 media and more representations of other types[br]of people in media." 0:03:36.760,0:03:37.890 It's time. 0:03:37.890,0:03:44.730 If we get to a point where every single movie[br]is majority or exclusively not white people? 0:03:44.730,0:03:49.630 Then, you'll have been put into a disadvantageous[br]position and I'll expect you to protest. 0:03:49.630,0:03:51.069 It'll be very reasonable. 0:03:51.069,0:03:52.830 But until that time? 0:03:52.830,0:03:57.440 As long as people who look like you make up[br]the vast majority of films? 0:03:57.440,0:04:01.560 You can just choose not to go if you like,[br]and the rest of us will enjoy it. 0:04:02.160,0:04:07.459 So, as I said, I specifically wasn't going[br]to try to justify MJ's potential non-whiteness 0:04:07.459,0:04:13.560 in Zendaya to any of the flipping out fanboys,[br]because their flipping out is inherently 0:04:13.560,0:04:14.560 unreasonable. 0:04:14.560,0:04:21.250 Zendaya is a fun and excellent actor who looks[br]like she could portray a model who has confidence. 0:04:21.250,0:04:22.999 She's a great Mary Jane Watson character. 0:04:22.999,0:04:25.490 Why would I have to defend that? 0:04:25.490,0:04:33.069 Tell me in the comments your thoughts on WHY[br]people are so upset about a potential not-white 0:04:33.069,0:04:35.819 Mary Jane Watson. 0:04:35.819,0:04:36.819 Are you one of those people? 0:04:36.819,0:04:38.930 Feel free to give me your reasons. 0:04:38.930,0:04:40.330 Perhaps I missed something. 0:04:40.330,0:04:44.110 Or tell me anything that matters to you, because[br]I want to know what matters to you. 0:04:44.110,0:04:47.960 And we've come to the end of my video, thank[br]you so much for making it this far. 0:04:47.960,0:04:50.020 Here at the end is where I always say: 0:04:50.020,0:04:51.099 Tomorrow 0:04:51.099,0:04:53.580 will be even better! 0:04:53.580,0:04:54.740 Hopefully not for racists.