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PEOPLE ARE NOT too happy about the recasting of president’s daughter in the upcoming sequel to ‘Independence Day’.
News broke that Maika Monroe — an on-the-rise actress from recent independent movie hits like ‘It Follows’ and ‘The Guest’ — had been cast in the role.
Re-casting the role
The casting was initially a minor item highlighting how Monroe is climbing up the Hollywood ranks, but the problem for many is the news meant that the actress who initially played the role in the original 1996 film was now getting the boot.
Young actress Mae Whitman played the president’s daughter in the first “Independence Day.”
The role launched Whitman’s successful acting career, which has included starring roles in hit TV series ‘Parenthood’ and most recently the successful teen comedy, ‘The Duff,’ which stands for ‘Designated Ugly Fat Friend.’
Reaction
Fans of Whitman, now 26, quickly came to her defense after the casting news.
People on social media have been calling out Fox, the studio behind the “Independence Day” sequel, for allegedly recasting the role with a more “conventionally hot” actress to play opposite Liam Hemsworth, who will reportedly be the love interest of Monroe’s character.
Marshall Flores / TwitterMarika Monroe was very good in It Follows, but there's no good reason why Mae Whitman should not reprise her role as POTUS's daughter in ID2
— Marshall Flores (@IPreferPi314) April 28, 2015
Lilly / TwitterI honestly think they recast Mae Whitman bc they felt like they she wasn't good enough to be romantic interest with Liam Hemsworth,
— 🗣 Lilly (@klphoen) April 29, 2015
Even actress Anna Kendrick took to Twitter to voice her displeasure with the recasting:
Anna Kendrick / TwitterWhat the actual fuck? @maebirdwing is talented as hell, and JUST proved she can carry a film. Smh. https://t.co/Njrsb7Gb1Z
— Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47) April 28, 2015
Whitman has been quiet about the decision, though she did reply to Kendrick with this:
HitFix‘s Drew McWeeny reports that Whitman didn’t even make the shortlist of actors for the role and he thinks the reason is obvious:
“…the oh-so-cute actors whose names were on the list all seem to be more of a conventionally ‘hot’ type than Whitman, making it look clearly like they were chasing a certain something.”
But over at ScreenCrush, Britt Hayes called out her male colleagues who think they’ve rushed to judgement that the decision by Fox was solely based on looks.
“The prevalent thinking I’m seeing from a lot of my male writers on Twitter is that Whitman is not ‘conventionally attractive,’ and therefore Fox went with someone who is. This thinking is offensive on various levels. First of all, comparing the attractiveness of two women, even in an attempt to rationalize a disagreeable situation such as this one, is awful and perpetuates a competitive culture in which women are forced to examine themselves through the lens of what men find attractive. That this was the first speculated narrative is unfortunate — and whether or not it’s true, it’s depressing to see men I respect insisting that a woman wasn’t hired because she’s just not pretty enough….”
Monroe has also been mum about the controversy. Only tweeting an article announcing the casting.
Fox has not yet given a reason for why Whitman wasn’t considered for the sequel.
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Genuine question, not trolling or stirring…….what sectors still aren’t open that sees/warrants almost 100,000 people still being on the PUP? There’s a massive labour shortage in the country and there seems to be a percentage of people benefiting financially from staying on the PUP as opposed to going back to work. That includes foreign nationals who went back to their birth country and are in receipt of the payment (matter of fact, not speculation).
@Barry Evans: they should make everyone on it turn in person next week to collect it. Then they will know how many in the country or not.
@Barry Evans: The ELE sector was permitted to resume activity last month however it’s going to take time to rebuild it. Students aren’t just going to start coming here again overnight and until there is enough to facilitate more classes there will still be a lot of teachers out of work. Speaking for myself I am not benefiting financially from staying on the PUP as opposed to going back to work and will be only too happy to return to my post when it becomes available.
@Barry Evans:
There may be a shortage of people who want to give their labour for cheap, or for free.
But there’s not a labour shortage.
@Dean: I can assure you that there’s a labour shortage and its not for jobs paying thrupence haypenny. Look at the construction sector and there are massive shortages of labour across the board. Your comment is a throw away one based on nothing
@Barry Evans:
Shortage of supply = value increases. So we were taught.
Shortage of houses and prices go up. But a “shortage” of labour and employers won’t offer the asking price; they just complain that there’s no one to work (for their low wages which don’t get people above water).
@Dean: What are you talking about, it doesn’t look like you’ve worked in a while or your possible unskilled. Over the past 12 months an acute labour shortage has occurred within many sectors. Rates of pay have increased to attract suitability skilled workers to fill these positions.
@Barry Evans: Nightclubs & music venues still closed off the top of my head but a lot of people have left the country and many don’t want to work nights anymore and have moved into 9-5 jobs. Lack of language students most of whom would work 20 p/w in hospitality jobs and chronic housing issues doesn’t help either
@Mary Finn: They got 20,000 to do that this week
@Dean: employers won’t offer the asking price??? Are you having a giraffe? Labourers are being offered 18 quid an hour on sites and they still can’t get people. Hardly minimum wage! There’s a whole cohort in this country who don’t want to work or have grossly over valued themselves. Sounds like you’re definitely falling into the second bracket. I accept that there are some sectors like nightclubs and entertainment who are still stood down or dusting themselves down and starting again but it doesn’t get away from the fact that there’s a shortage of people willing to work. With regard to shortage of supply = increased value, a lot of companies are locked into fixed overheads, fixed price contracts etc from before this sh 1 t storm but sure go right ahead and only see one perspective!
@Barry Evans: The event industry is not yet re opened. No events at RDS for example. Husbands boss said business will resume in 2022 eventually. PUP is needed or otherwise drop a lifelong carrier. I get it you are not happy with people on PUP, Ireland is the slowest country in EU to re open events…
@Pupi_51%: it’s not that I’m unhappy with people being on the PUP. If people from a particular sector for which they’re qualified, such as the one you mentioned, still can’t work then I have no issue whatsoever with them being in receipt of the payment. Once it can be verified in writing by their employer that the sector/organisation still isn’t operating or generating revenue. I dont however believe that’s the case in almost 100,000 recipients of the payment as per the article. If you can be working you should be working, simple as that!
@Barry Evans:
Nightclubs
Live Venues
Airline Travel is long way off normal (this is big)
Some Public Transport (Nightlink)
That is just a start… But the economy is not back on speed and there is places that it might never come back (due to us changing habits)
Slated for saying it a month ago and likely to be again now but when is enough enough. There are so many jobs out there. Sure people don’t want to do them, sure they don’t all pay well but it’s nearly 2 years since covid hit…. Can’t possibly be absolutely no other option for alot of the 100k.
Thats on paper only, paper and reality are very different. If you know you know.
@To Mt: very mysterious comment. Guessing the department moved away from paper a long time ago ;)
@To Mt: how can they not know how many people are on PUP? How do you know more? Be less mysterious and more specific.
The department should send our questionnaires to see if people are still entitled to it.
@Chris Gaffney: they did
have your say