Last Airbender Star Argues Team Avatar Were All Rich, Privileged Kids - Dante basco claims zuko was privileged

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Last Airbender Star Argues Team Avatar Were All Rich, Privileged Kids​

Avatar: The Last Airbender star Dante Basco observes in a podcast that Team Avatar was made up of kids who came from rich and privileged backgrounds.

BY KATHERINE STINSONPUBLISHED 9 HOURS AGO

Avatar: The Last Airbender star, Dante Basco, argues that Team Avatar were all rich and privileged kids. Basco was the voice of Prince Zuko, the exiled Fire Nation prince. Avatar: The Last Airbender continues to be a beloved Nickelodeon animated series even thirteen years after the show ended its three-season run back in 2008. The popular series told the story of Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), the Avatar and last Airbender, the only person in the world who could bend earth, fire, air, and water and also restore balance to the world after the Fire Nation attacked.




Team Avatar was comprised of Aang, Toph Beifong (Jessie Flower) of the Earth Nation, and Sokka (Jack De Sena) and Katara (Mae Whitman) of the Water Tribe. Prince Zuko would later join Team Avatar in an excellent act of redemption after realizing that his father, Fire Lord Ozai (Mark Hamill), was on the wrong side of history. Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph and Zuko all came from enormously different backgrounds and lifestyles, but together they made a formidable team that ultimately saved the world.


RELATED:What Aang's Team Avatar Names Really Mean

Basco noted in a recent episode of Nickelodeon's Avatar: Braving The Elements podcast that the members of Team Avatar did come from privileged backgrounds. The actor's statement was making that a negative aspect of Team Avatar, but Basco's observation adds interesting ATLA insight. Read Basco's quote, via comicbook.com, below:

"If you think about it... the OGs, they're actually all rich kids...I mean, Prince Zuko is the prince of the Fire Nation, Toph is Toph Beifong, she's like from the richest family. And then even the Water [Tribe] -- Katara and Sokka... their dad is the chief... they're all refined characters... that they all came together. And then, of course, the Avatar is the Avatar."

Basco's statement is technically correct, although what constitutes privilege in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender is debatable. As Basco notes, Aang technically had the most privilege out of Team Avatar due to his status as the Avatar. However, Aang was still constantly in danger the entire series, with Zuko himself hunting him down in order to restore his honor with his father. Toph's family was extremely wealthy in the Earth Kingdom, but her parents automatically discredited her due to her blindness, failing to realize how powerful she was as an Earth bender.


While Sokka and Katara were the children of the Southern Water Tribe chief, their lives were arguably the most challenging. Zuko was a Fire Nation prince, but his father was abusive and exiled him as a young teenager. So while Basco's statement is accurate and could definitely be debated by Avatar: The Last Airbender fans endlessly, what matters the most (and what Basco noted in the statement above) is that Team Avatar made the decision to help Aang save the world.


Nobody could argue that the life Team Avatar chose for the three seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender was easy. However, Aang, Sokka, Katara, Toph and Zuko decided to keep fighting and moving forward. The world certainly was better off not because of the lives they were born into, but the choices they made to make life better for others.

 

[WhatIsThePunchline]

I mean in the sense that they need a story and the entire series isn’t about some dirt farmers in the rural Earth Kingdom then yes they’re privileged. Zuko was an abused prince and still despite being clearly a victim of abuse was outfitted with a ship, crew, etc.
Aang’s people were killed yes but he is also innately a metaphysical linchpin of the setting.
Toph is socioeconomically privileged even if she’s emotionally neglected.
Sokka and Katara are the most normal folks, but the most important part is:
It doesn’t matter, nobody cares, the show is 15 years old, etc etc

It is pretty subjective:

As other people have said, Aang was born into monkhood, pushed into a position he never asked for, and gets saddled with a duty that will define the rest of his life. His highly dangerous life.
Toph is partially blind and so disconnected from her parents she needs to run away with a bunch of strangers to make her way in life.
Sokka and Katara belong to an ethnic group that has been slowly going extinct over the past hundred years. (hell Aang's group was genocided)
Zuko is mentally and physically a victim of abuse.
Clearly they're all from an oppressed underclass.

With the magic of modern progressivism and the theory of intersectionality you can make anyone be anything you want at any given moment. Next month they could make an article about how Zuko represents abuse victims or some shit.

As for who cares eh... it was a pretty good cartoon.

 

[Male Idiot]

Aang privilaged? The little asian kid that got tibethed and nankinged? Wut?

 

[Zero Day Defense]

He is a Plotdevice and not a real character,,,,

your face is a plot device

 

[Coldgrip]

• A teenage girl who dies before having to take on any royal responsibilities and becomes a moon god

That's rough buddy.

 

[Johan Schmidt]

Actors are retarded. - News at 10.

Actors are by and large dumb, they're living toys. The men are walking, talking props, and the women are walking talking props that get bareback slammed by the producer for roles. Taking anything they say seriously is like looking at a dog wearing a sports T-shirt. Sure, if it's my team it's kind of cute, and I'll give a 'whoo' if I'm hammered enough. But if it's not I don't care, that dog didn't put any thought into its choices, and neither do most actors. They - like dogs - are well trained, retarded, but often times fun to watch.

 

[Kheapathic]

What would Uncle Iroh have to say about this?

Probably what most uncles say when they come into your room at 1AM.

 

[FoolhardStar]

Besides the article being a loud screech for attention from a retarded actor trying to start some sort of controversy with the series or film they were in (not the first or last time), it still reels me the fuck back to think that anyone could look at Team Avatar and call them privileged.

Aang had a lonely childhood full of responsibilities that took him away from his friends and anything he found fun, and then lost his entire people to a genocide. He found that out when he was still a kid, by the way, after being absent for a literal age, so that's some nice baggage. Sokka and Katara both lost their mother and had to largely grow up by themselves and try wrangling their tribe without their father, that's why Sokka overcompensates and Katara acts like a mom. While Toph does come from a wealthy royal background, she's completely blind and her parents only spoil her, they don't care about what she wants or who she really is. You could write an entire fucking book on wealth and influence not exactly equaling privilege or a good life with Zuko and Iroh, they're the most praised parts of the show character-wise for a reason.

I wish it wasn't just the main cast that got this retarded take, I'd love to see Bosco try and explain how Azula was privileged with being a princess and also Ozai's favorite when it arguably made her even worse off than Zuko.

Probably what most uncles say when they come into your room at 1AM.

My uncle never came in and spouted wisdom while drinking tea.

 

[Iron Jaguar]

Probably what most uncles say when they come into your room at 1AM.

 

[Dysnomia]

Rich, privileged kids aren't vagabonds constantly being pursued by enemies. If they were rich they'd just have daddy's lawyer sue the Fire Nation into bankruptcy.

 

[Daddy's Little Kitten]

You don't bite that hand that feeds, you flip, or whatever the fuck he is.

 

[KingofNothing]

Yeah, this article is being unfair to Dante and is essentially clickbait. I actually listened to the podcast because I was curious on how dumb it was going to be and it was mild as shit. I wouldn't even considered what he said about Team Avatar to count as privileged. He just noted that compared to Team Korra, they came from more refined backgrounds, which they did and left it at that. This is just another case of journos trying to make headlines out of nothing.

You can listen for yourself at about 35 minutes in

Meet the Cast with Zach Tyler Eisen

Listen to this episode from Avatar: Braving the Elements on Spotify. That’s right! It’s the voice of The Avatar himself, Zach Tyler Eisen! Join us for this rare appearance by the wonderful former actor who gave us Aang. Janet and Dante revisit Zach’s experience of recording ATLA, which he did...

open.spotify.com

 

[Jack Awful]

Being the richest kids in the southern water tribe still means living in abject poverty in a frozen wasteland, barely surviving as the fire nation regularly raids you, killing your friends and family in front of you.

 

[Michael Janke]

Now can they explain how Eskimos/waterbenders become Rednecks/Swampbenders? Relocating into a marsh/swamp/hammock is enough to do that? Never could figure that bit out.

im guessing they were their for hundreds if not thousands of years. eskimo culture is one of rationing and sacrifice. im gonna assume the swamp is way more resourceful and people fell into different roles.
if anything, the swamp benders were there first because the poles dont have the necessary conditions for humanity to thrive.

 

[Evil Enchilada]

This kind of privilege discourse does nothing but invalidate one's personal struggles one might have, and it's kind of counterproductive since you are still basing one over their material worth. That's a yikes and a half, Basco. I don't know why you had to say that, with all honesty.

 

[Michael Janke]

This kind of privilege discourse does nothing but invalidate one's personal struggles one might have, and it's kind of counterproductive since you are still basing one over their material worth. That's a yikes and a half, Basco. I don't know why you had to say that, with all honesty.

the avatar kids aren't really priveliged. zuko and toph are the closest but even they have major problems.
this isn't 90210 or entorage, its the wrong show for this subject.

 

[The Lawgiver]

God what the fuck happened to dante basco? Seems like only a few years back where he was liek showing up in shit and was one of the most approachable of the voice actor guys out there to the point people reccomended him random shit to read or watch on his social media and shit. Never expected a guy like him to become one of the people going on about "priveledged rich kids". He plays the most priveledged guy in avatar. Aang's just some fucking monk kid burdened with the whole "destiny! chosen to save the world!" stuff who then finds out after being frozen for years that " oh yeah your family and friends are all DEAD! That's right, they're fucking DEAD! The water nation guys aren't wealthy they're like straight up based on fucking inuits which last I checked weren't really "wealthy" unless you count icefishing in cold ass temperatures as wealthy. Yeah sure toph and zuko are from wealthy families but the 3 that are the main crew for like the opening of the series till some ways in are literally normal fucking average folks in their world.

Interesting to see him morph into another george takei if these statements are true. Kinda wonder what makes people into this kinda creature.

 

[Unpaid Emotional Labourer]

But only white people have privilege and I thought all these people had to definitely be brown and played by brown actors because otherwise it’s a war crime.

 

[Kane Lives]

Yeah, this article is being unfair to Dante and is essentially clickbait. I actually listened to the podcast because I was curious on how dumb it was going to be and it was mild as shit. I wouldn't even considered what he said about Team Avatar to count as privileged. He just noted that compared to Team Korra, they came from more refined backgrounds, which they did and left it at that. This is just another case of journos trying to make headlines out of nothing.

You can listen for yourself at about 35 minutes in

Meet the Cast with Zach Tyler Eisen

Listen to this episode from Avatar: Braving the Elements on Spotify. That’s right! It’s the voice of The Avatar himself, Zach Tyler Eisen! Join us for this rare appearance by the wonderful former actor who gave us Aang. Janet and Dante revisit Zach’s experience of recording ATLA, which he did...

open.spotify.com

Or journoscum desperately trying to racebait clicks, and inadvertently smearing an actor in the process. And people wonder why racial hatred is at an all time high. With "journalists" like these, who needs Al Sharpton to stir shit up?

 

[The Old man]

Yeah, this article is being unfair to Dante and is essentially clickbait. I actually listened to the podcast because I was curious on how dumb it was going to be and it was mild as shit. I wouldn't even considered what he said about Team Avatar to count as privileged. He just noted that compared to Team Korra, they came from more refined backgrounds, which they did and left it at that. This is just another case of journos trying to make headlines out of nothing.

You can listen for yourself at about 35 minutes in

Meet the Cast with Zach Tyler Eisen

Listen to this episode from Avatar: Braving the Elements on Spotify. That’s right! It’s the voice of The Avatar himself, Zach Tyler Eisen! Join us for this rare appearance by the wonderful former actor who gave us Aang. Janet and Dante revisit Zach’s experience of recording ATLA, which he did...

open.spotify.com

Thanks I tried looking for it on yt but couldn't find it, I didn't know it was on Spotify.


Just curious, what did you think of the podcast?

 

[Super-Chevy454]

At this rate, the 2010 ill-fated movie will look like a masterpiece.