Featured Image Credit: Hasbro
Topics: TV And Film
One of the original showrunners for the '90s hit show Mighty Morphin Power Rangers has commented on the casting of the original series.
If you grew up in the '90s like me, you might remember the absolute cultural phenomenon that was Power Rangers.
I seem to recall being able to catch a few minutes of the original series on GMTV before my parents whisked me off to the school bus.
Marvel's Thunderbolts* comes to cinemas on 1st May.
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There have been several Power Rangers reboots and revivals over the years, but that original series is quite special for anyone who remembers growing up with it.
Despite that, it might be fair to say there were a few aspects that felt a little culturally inappropriate.
For example, the show cast Black actor Walter Emanuel Jones as the Black Ranger, and Asian actress Thuy Trang as the Yellow Ranger.
Even if unintentional, the stereotyping done for the casting has been frequently discussed and criticised over the years since the show's original airdate.
In the latest episode of Hollywood Demons [thanks, CBM] titled "Dark Side of the Power Rangers", showrunner Tony Oliver addressed this, saying: "None of us are thinking stereotypes."
Oliver says that later, "my assistant who pointed it out in a meeting one day," and that "It was such a mistake."
It wasn't just Oliver's assistant that saw this either. Behind-the-scenes footage filmed by crew member Jeff Pruitt confirms the cast were aware of this issue too.
At one point, Jones looks at the camera and says: "My name's Walter Jones, I play Zack. I'm Black, and I play the Black Ranger - go figure."
A few weeks ago, Jones appeared on Toon'd In with Jim Cummings. When asked about playing the Black Ranger, he responded that it felt "powerful", and expresses how being a role model for children in 40+ countries didn't feel prejudiced.
He does, however, remark that it was "a little odd" once Trang was cast as the Yellow Ranger. But he also says that kids didn't care.
Jones and Trang left the show during the second season, with new Black and Yellow Rangers introduced. This time, Korean-American actor Johnny Yong Bosch played the new Black Ranger, while Black actress Karan Ashley played the new Yellow Ranger.