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When a representative of Warner Bros. Last week that “Scooby-Doo” character Velma Dinkley will be re-cast as East Asian on HBO Max’s new adult show Mindy Kaling, Twitter went into a frenzy with racist and traditional Scooby comments.
“Well, it’s not a movie then it is,” one wrote on Twitter.
Another user replied, “Velma is not real, sister.”
The slew of complaints that brought Velma to the popular page was followed by an equal number of fans who defended Kaling’s decision, pointing out something haters were missing about an East Asian version of the character: it was already done.
“Scooby-Doo where are you!” The original animated show that inspired many new releases, was created in 1969 and only ran for a year on CBS. It featured an all-white cast of characters, voiced by the all-white actors, and their dog, Scooby. It has been reimagined several times since then, including several animated and live-action versions.
Over the decades, 12 actresses have voiced the animated feature film, and four more have starred in the live-action adaptations. In “Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins” and “Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster”, live reruns from 2009 and 2010, Velma played Hayley Kyoko, an actress and singer of Japanese origin. Gina Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actress, voiced Velma in the 2020 animated film Scoop! The character also had dark skin.
The pitfalls of reimagining characters as people of color
Although some on Twitter have made openly racist comments about Kaling’s new project, some have shared concerns that Velma’s obsessive portrayal as an Asian American plays into the archetypal minority myth that Asians are hardworking.
From left, cartoon character Scooby-Doo, Nick Palatas, Kate Melton, Robbie Amell and Hayley Kiyoko attend Cesar Milan’s 40th birthday celebration at the East Valley Animal Shelter in Los Angeles on September 8, 2009. Richard Vogel / APfile
Sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen said that side characters like Velma have the potential to fall into this trap if they are one-dimensional. But if the new show is built around her and gives her a good arc with her friends and love interests, this can be avoided.
“She grew up with Scooby-Doo and Velma, and I could definitely see her being from East Asia,” Yuen said. “Hopefully it’s not that typical of the minority but in a roundabout way. This is a kind of book but it’s multifaceted. The fact that it can be dumb, that was kind of revolutionary at the time.”
Controversy and racism often occur when people of color are represented in traditional white roles. In 1997, a live-action adaptation of “Cinderella” appeared black singer-songwriter Brandi in the titular role. While the film is now remembered as a classic, it was met with racist comments from both viewers and industry professionals. A similar backlash followed the announcement that singer Halle Bailey had been cast as Ariel in an upcoming live version of “The Little Mermaid.”
Yuen, a Scooby-Doo fan, said she hopes Kaling’s team not only put an Asian face on the character but instead develop a backstory that aligns with her ethnic and cultural identity. She also sees the need for authentic Asian American stories rather than simply re-imagining old favorites.
“It’s lazy for Hollywood to try to use old materials and try to revamp them when they can really create real freshness by focusing people of color, focusing BIPOC stories rather than just trying to revamp old ones,” she said, referring to Black. people, indigenous people and other people of color.
While this recycling doesn’t satisfy the need to represent Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Hollywood, Yuen bonded with Velma as a child and said she thought seeing her as an Asian American could be fun.
“As a geek of Asian American descent, she was a geek and geek but into fashion and all kinds of things, I hope she can embody so much more than a nerd,” she said.
Velma, the LGBTQ symbol
Fans on Twitter have also noted that Velma must not only be a colorful person, but also be quirky.
Last year, “Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated” producer Tony Cervon posted on Instagram that Velma was actually supposed to be gay in his adaptation, which ran from 2010 to 2013. Cervon said in his letter that the character was aiming for a romantic relationship with Marcy Fletch , her competition on the show.
Due to the early cancellation, the two were unable to “act according to their feelings”.
Yuen acknowledged how important Velma’s character is to fans, including herself, but encouraged fans to put the discussion in perspective.
“She’s a fictional character,” she said. “Scooby-Doo and the gang—it was a talking dog. For someone to say, ‘This character is supposed to be this,’ I mean, come on.”
Sakshi Venkatraman
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Picture Credit!