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Reply 80
Original post by xTeex
He was still black regardless of his appearance. And I said LIGHT SKINNED black actors, didn't I? You needn't use a white actor to achieve that appearance.

Samuel L Jackson is a bad example since he's dark skinned, so that would be clearly an unusual actor to use.

His skin was white. He was still black. I find it bad to use an actor that isnt black at all to play a black actor ONLY because his skin was white. They could have even lightened another actor for the role if they wanted to. It's down to laziness.

I get your view but I don't agree.


I assume these light skinned actors have part black and part non black ancestry.
Original post by Dinasaurus
Non-white people can go red and get a tan as well.


But again, in the context of the book it's clear that she's white. I find it hard to believe that if Rowling thought Hermione was black she'd write that Hermione had a sun tan, or that her skin was now very brown after a holiday if it was always brown.
And apparently Hermione's mum is described in Goblet of Fire, as white. And Rowling's own concept art. Rowling is clearly being diplomatic over the issue, but Hermione is definitely white in the books.
Original post by xTeex
He was still black regardless of his appearance. And I said LIGHT SKINNED black actors, didn't I? You needn't use a white actor to achieve that appearance.

Samuel L Jackson is a bad example since he's dark skinned, so that would be clearly an unusual actor to use.

His skin was white. He was still black. I find it bad to use an actor that isnt black at all to play a black actor ONLY because his skin was white. They could have even lightened another actor for the role if they wanted to. It's down to laziness.

I get your view but I don't agree.


How many black actors have you seen that are that light skinned? I haven't seen any for sure and I love movies.

We are literally using skin colour here as a distinguishing feature. If the skin colour is not accurate then don't use the actor. That is not an unreasonable sentiment, there are plenty of roles that are ambiguous or are for black actors.

Likewise we will have to agree to disagree
Reply 83
Original post by Maker
I assume these light skinned actors have part black and part non black ancestry.


Thats a bad assumption to make. I have a sister that is fully black yet light skinned, and our mother is darker skinned. And many people have both black parents and are way lighter. No black person is 100% black, but they identify as that as thats how they see themselves.
Ideally historical characters should be portrayed as accurately as possible but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

The BBC are so worried about being PC that they wouldn't say a sh*it's brown for fear of offending someone.
Original post by TercioOfParma
How many black actors have you seen that are that light skinned? I haven't seen any for sure and I love movies.

We are literally using skin colour here as a distinguishing feature. If the skin colour is not accurate then don't use the actor. That is not an unreasonable sentiment, there are plenty of roles that are ambiguous or are for black actors.

Likewise we will have to agree to disagree


Most black actors are light skinned tbh, how many are dark?
Original post by xTeex
Thats a bad assumption to make. I have a sister that is fully black yet light skinned, and our mother is darker skinned. And many people have both black parents and are way lighter. No black person is 100% black, but they identify as that as thats how they see themselves.

How do you know that? I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of mainland Africans are 100% black.
Original post by Dinasaurus
Most black actors are light skinned tbh, how many are dark?


There is a difference between being light black like Will smith, and being light skinned like Michael was towards in the closing years of his life
Original post by TercioOfParma
You still kinda chose a stupid person to make the comparison with, apparently he had vitiligo, which made him white (although there is some dispute over skin bleaching).

It would make more sense in his case to portray him with a white person than Denzel Washington, for instance, since the skin colour is more accurate.


Why was it a stupid choice? He was black.

Personally I don't mind a white person playing MJ. However if I'm going by your logic I would have to say:

"It would be more accurate to have MJ played by a person who also had vitiligo than a white person. MJ was NEVER caucasian. He was black. Have him played by a black person or someone who has vitiligo. Because a caucasian person playing MJ is completely INACCURATE. "
Reply 89
Original post by TercioOfParma
How many black actors have you seen that are that light skinned? I haven't seen any for sure and I love movies.

We are literally using skin colour here as a distinguishing feature. If the skin colour is not accurate then don't use the actor. That is not an unreasonable sentiment, there are plenty of roles that are ambiguous or are for black actors.

Likewise we will have to agree to disagree


Even if an actor was mixed race they could have used them, also. I'm not even cutting out bi racial people. But that actor was white. But yeah. If he's good for that role in their opinion that's on them.

Agree to disagree.
They also did it with Nancy in Oliver Twist I know that was fictional but it is typical of the awful bbc, the people who decide these things need shooting.
Original post by misslovinggrace
Why was it a stupid choice? He was black.

Personally I don't mind a white person playing MJ. However if I'm going by your logic I would have to say:

"It would be more accurate to have MJ played by a person who also had vitiligo than a white person. MJ was NEVER caucasian. He was black. Have him played by a black person or someone who has vitiligo. Because a caucasian person playing MJ is completely INACCURATE. "


Very few black people have vitiligo, and yes it would be more accurate to find a black actor with vitiligo, unfortunately they're very rare. MJ was not caucasian, it would be stupid to assert that, however, his skin was such that the most accurate common representation would be to a white person. White person would be more accurate than a black person since the skin colour is closer, although best case scenario black person with vitiligo.
Reply 92
Original post by Dinasaurus
How do you know that? I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of mainland Africans are 100% black.


Mainland Africans, perhaps. But I was talking more African Americans and Black British. Black people that arent mainland African.
Sorry for not specifying. I know this because ive seen videos where black people get their genes tested specifically and many of them contain about 15% upwards european genetics. This has been present in all of them. Africans may also contain that but I didn't see any for mainland Africans.

Colonisation probably changes that too since Europeans were present in Africa.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by pol pot noodles
But again, in the context of the book it's clear that she's white. I find it hard to believe that if Rowling thought Hermione was black she'd write that Hermione had a sun tan, or that her skin was now very brown after a holiday if it was always brown.
And apparently Hermione's mum is described in Goblet of Fire, as white. And Rowling's own concept art. Rowling is clearly being diplomatic over the issue, but Hermione is definitely white in the books.


The media would crucify her if she was any less 'diplomatic'.
This isn't a historical drama as such, but rather an adaptation of Shakespeare.

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Reply 95
Original post by xTeex
Thats a bad assumption to make. I have a sister that is fully black yet light skinned, and our mother is darker skinned. And many people have both black parents and are way lighter. No black person is 100% black, but they identify as that as thats how they see themselves.


You need a DNA test to see your ancestry. You are the one making the assumption here.
Original post by NickLCFC
The new series of the 'The Hollow Crown' on the BBC has cast a black woman (Sophie Okonedo) as Margaret of Anjou. This is an actual historical figure who was the wife of Henry VI and thus was Queen of England from 1445-1461 and from 1470-1471.

See the trailer for the new series:

[video="youtube;W0kO-pVsc3E"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0kO-pVsc3E[/video]


The only reason I post this is because there always seems to be an outrage when movies/tv shows are supposedly 'white washed'. For example, more recently, Scarlett Johansson was cast as an Asian character in a Hollywood adaptation of a Japanese anime franchise: 'Ghost in the Shell'. There was outrage because this was apparently 'yellowface' (see this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB0lrSebyng).

That is just a fantasy character however. The difference with this is that it's a real historical figure being represented inaccurately. Just imagine the outrage if someone like Martin Luther King was cast as a white guy.


Problem with the Scarlett Johansson thing was she was photoshopped to be portrayed as white.

And really your comparison between nelson mandela and MLK isnt valid. They're people who are known for fighting against the own injustice they face so not only would a white actor be inaccurate in portraying them but also that it would skew and dilute the meaning of what they fought for. It was a fight for the freedom of blacks done by those victimised by the oppression.

That said, its an inaccurate portrayal but since race isnt a theme in this programme it is totally understandable why there is no media coverage.
Original post by TimmonaPortella
They cast a black man (Johnson from Peep Show) as York in their production of Henry V ages ago.

Personally I think it's fine. I'd like everyone in England to be able to join in our culture, and I don't think a production of a play need necessarily be realistic in every way. I don't like the idea of blocking black people from getting involved in the works of such a huge figure in English literature just because they happen to be set in the middle ages.

On the other hand, I'm not particularly interested in all the Hollywood 'whitewashing' complaints :dontknow:

I saw Johnson in Othello. Fantastic actor.
I think white people should be played any white actors and other people should be played by other actors.
Nothing but social justice warriors getting their knickers on a twist and looking to complain about the BBC. How often have white people portrayed non-White people? It's happened so frequently that many British kids grew up believing Jesus resembled a Swedish hippy.

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