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‘Queen Cleopatra’ Netflix Docuseries Controversy Explained
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by Firewall: [QB] Here is another take on race swapping. Why It Seems Every New Black Character is Met With Controversy [QUOTE] An essay about the challenges of introducing diversity in film How does living in a society monopolized by white characters impact someone's imagination? In literature, for instance, readers often assume that protagonists are White people. "Many authors take specific care to describe the skin tone of non-white characters while not doing the same for their white counterparts," a strategy that portrays black characters as unusual, out-of-the-ordinary, or exotic. Another impact on our imagination can be found in the film industry, where White audiences often react negatively to learning a Black person is selected to play a part initially played by a White person. Racism has a way of crippling the imagination and as a result, diversifying characters in a society where whiteness is seen as the default is often met with controversy. Well-written stories are retold in different ways over time, and this has always been the case. For example, at least 36 films portraying Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet have been created, and at least 12 films depicting the Grimm brothers' Cinderella. Indeed, there are many differences among these portrayals. Still, when a casting director decides the actress should be Black, as opposed to White, there is a much different reaction than when a character's hair or eye color changes from one rendition to another. For instance, some critics "ridiculed" Brandy for playing Cinderella in a 97' film that featured Whitney Houston as her fairy godmother. Despite the film's success and lasting impact, many were initially resistant to accepting their diverse cast as legitimate. “ Variety described Whitney Houston’s Fairy Godmother as “a frightening caricature, one certain to send the kids scurrying into Mom’s lap.” And the New York Times called it “a cobbled-together ‘Cinderella’ for the moment, not the ages.” What critics of diversity often misunderstand is their obsession with "traditonal" is often rooted in anti-Black bias. Many characters were initially portrayed as white, not because they had to be, but because of the racial culture surrounding the production of a film. For instance, even though Disney started producing movies in the 1930s, they've only released one film featuring a Black princess so far, Princess Tiana, in the Princess and the Frog in 2009. Given the company's desire to reproduce many of its older films, they've added black characters to movies like the Little Mermaid and Peter Pan and Wendy because keeping the race of cast members "traditional" would only perpetuate the notion that white characters should be the default. Black people are undoubtedly capable of acting, singing, dancing, and playing fictional characters. So, why is there so much pearl-clutching every time a Black actor is cast for a role that a White person once played? Because white supremacy thrives by centering whiteness, and including diverse characters in previously whites-only storylines disrupts that narrative. The suggestion that changing a character's race somehow diminishes that character is tinged with racism. For instance, when Disney announced that Yara Shahidi would play the role of Tinkerbell, the usual critiques came raining down. Some boycotted the movie altogether because they decided to cast a Black woman. In contrast, others called it "unnecessary." Still, others suggested swapping the race of characters is a way writers avoid originality, implying that casting a Black person was a lazy marketing strategy to get attention. In contrast, others swore their complaint had nothing to do with race; they were just upset the new Tinkerbell didn't have blonde hair. Finally, some gave examples of changing some of the few Black Disney characters, like Princess Tiana or T'Challa, from Black to White, seemingly trolling the post. While many supported a Black woman cast as Tinkerbell, others seemed to dread and anticipate some racist responses. You can't say on the one hand, "we don't need to change the race of characters because race doesn't matter," and also try to assert that "it's offensive or nontraditional to include diverse characters," because, spoiler alert, if you didn't care about race, you wouldn't be obsessed with keeping white characters white or view non-white characters as nontraditional. If American society started with racial groups on an even footing, then race-swapping wouldn't be necessary because Black people would already be equitably represented in literature and films. However, including black characters in old stories is a way of changing the narrative. Some people want to know why they see more Black characters these days, why the new Little Mermaid and Tinkerbell characters will be played by Black actresses, or why Denzel Washington played Macbeth. The answer is simple — diversity is the best tonic for the white-dominated film industry. Comic book writer Chuck Dixon complained about "race-swapping" in modern entertainment. "Aren't there any interesting African American characters on their own? Aren't there any characters who build upon that heritage? That build upon that history in a positive way?" Yes, Dixon, thanks for asking. There are many positive stories we can tell about Black Americans, and there are filmmakers who are in the process of creating those stories, and many more already exist. No one has to lecture Black people about the numerous stories we have and how valuable, engaging, and captivating they are. "Black folks come from a long line of storytellers, and we seek out the stories that shed light on who we are in this country." Dixon's upset that Black people are invested in telling their own stories and becoming part of stories they were previously omitted from. Critics like Dixon also failed to consider that early Black Americans were systematically enslaved, stripped of their surnames and status, and prohibited from using their original African languages. Instead, they were required to learn and speak the language of their masters. Thus, successfully passing down pre-colonial stories amongst Black Americans is limited by the brutal racism they endured. So, claiming Black people don't have their own stories to tell is not only racist, but it also perpetuates the myth of white mediocrity. How the abundance of white characters in the film industry impacts your imagination and expectations for what protagonists should look like really depends on your worldview. If you believe that previous filmmakers were right to select all-white casts and characters, you will likely protest any attempt to include Black characters now. But, if you believe that Black people should have always had a seat at the table, you're likely to celebrate the inclusion of Black characters in the modern era. Boycotting a movie because a Black character will be a protagonist is decidedly racist and exposes the way bigotry restricts and binds the imagination. Research conducted at the University of Southern California suggested that out of high-grossing films, very little progress has been made in terms of "portraying more characters from non-white racial and ethnic identities." [/QUOTE] https://medium.com/afrosapiophile/why-it-seems-every-new-black-character-is-met-with-controversy-fd08b423ee3b [QUOTE] Note- There are plenty of black characters under disney but if means few lead black movie roles,then will be true of the past but not now and upcoming,and more so for tv that will not be true. She is incorrect to say/write that thier are few black characters under disney these days from tv to movies,comics,cartoons etc..(i think she might be talking about movies but even then she is wrong)of course she does say things are changing and becoming more diverse as well,from disney etc... [/QUOTE] [/QB][/QUOTE]
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