The Student Room Group

BBC Cast a Black Woman as a Historical English Queen.

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.
(edited 8 years ago)

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Reply 1
Britain. YES!
Reply 2
Doesn't shock me I know the BBC is full of self hating anti-White cultural Marxists which is why I will never, ever give them a cent.
That's retarded. People would be screaming from the rooftops if they cast colin firth as nelson mandela
Hypocrisy.

People claimed that replacing Hermione with a black woman isn't bad because Hermione is fictional... which is fair enough, I wouldn't care if a black man was cast as James Bond.

Outrage when a white person replaces a historical non-white person in a film or TV show... which again is fair enough...

Nothing when a black woman plays a historically white person... not even a peep from mass media.

See it only matters if a white person does bad.
This does bug me.

I have no issue with historical drama/fantasy casting non white actors in roles that are not specific. I.e not casting Idris Elba as Henry the eighth But in an actual historical drama, then keep the ethnicity accurate (seeing as your putting so much money into things such as sets and costumes)
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:
Reply 7
'Ghost in the Shell' character should've been played by someone who looked more Asian.

Wife of Henry VI should've been played by a white woman.

What's so hard about sticking to the original? Unless it's from a book or something where it's not made clear what ethnicity that character is...

No actually I'm quite divided on this now. Non-white actors/actresses would have a narrower range of roles...
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Why the **** do people actually care about the skin colour of someone in a role. They gave avatar as an example with them being lighter skinned than the originals, who gives a ****? "sorry guys have to turn you down for the role, too white", that would be racist and ****in ridiculous.

People didn't care when attack on titan live action was played by japanese people rather than Europeans. So why at this?
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BBC nuff said. On the day of the revoluton though the whole of the BBC executive order will be the first to be imprisoned under charge of treason.
Original post by Vikingninja
Why the **** do people actually care about the skin colour of someone in a role. They gave avatar as an example with them being lighter skinned than the originals, who gives a ****? "sorry guys have to turn you down for the role, too white", that would be racist and ****in ridiculous.

People didn't care when attack on titan live action was played by japanese people rather than Europeans. So why at this?


She was white, it would be inaccurate.
Original post by Vikingninja
Why the **** do people actually care about the skin colour of someone in a role. They gave avatar as an example with them being lighter skinned than the originals, who gives a ****? "sorry guys have to turn you down for the role, too white", that would be racist and ****in ridiculous.

People didn't care when attack on titan live action was played by japanese people rather than Europeans. So why at this?


Some people care because this is and was a part of English culture. It could be considered quite disrespectful to portray it so inaccurately.
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Can't wait for the people who will complain this is "PC gone mad" or "anti-white" who invariably then use the "PC gone mad" crap to argue with people who complain when a white person is playing a minority.

Oh and can we stop with the ******** about this being a serious accurate historical drama. It is an adaptation of a Shakespeare play, when Shakespeare took huge artistic licence to suck up to royalty and appeal to the masses.
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 13
Britain in on the right path to pass Sweden in cuckish behaviour. The two are competing tohether with Germany who is more political correct.
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.


It was yellow face because they LITERALLY thought of using CGI to make ScarJo appear more asian, this woman is not in white face.
Reply 15
we queen now
Original post by Venusian Visitor
You're a cuck, If it's for a joke or spoof then whatever but a deadly serious historical drama, I'd be pissed off if they cast Martin Luther King as a white man. Defend your culture.


I am defending my culture. I want everyone in the country to be involved in our culture as much as possible, including black people in Shakespeare.

It is a serious work, but it isn't aiming at total realism. You can tell that it isn't going for total realism because people don't really talk to each other in iambic pentameter all the time.
Original post by Dodgypirate
Hypocrisy.

People claimed that replacing Hermione with a black woman isn't bad because Hermione is fictional... which is fair enough, I wouldn't care if a black man was cast as James Bond.

Outrage when a white person replaces a historical non-white person in a film or TV show... which again is fair enough...

Nothing when a black woman plays a historically white person... not even a peep from mass media.

See it only matters if a white person does bad.

Even JK Rowling was fine with the Hermione thing, she even said she never even originally stated Hermione's race.

Also there's less outrage because far more people know about Hollywood blockbusters with A list actors in than they know about some BBC period drama or w/e it is.
Original post by TimmonaPortella
I am defending my culture. I want everyone in the country to be involved in our culture as much as possible, including black people in Shakespeare.

It is a serious work, but it isn't aiming at total realism. You can tell that it isn't going for total realism because people don't really talk to each other in iambic pentameter all the time.


Well that's nice of you but it's not equal. If it was the other way around people would go nuts.
Original post by Chutzpah
Doesn't shock me I know the BBC is full of self hating anti-White cultural Marxists which is why I will never, ever give them a cent.


Technically speaking BBC is funded by tax payers. So you will eventually have to pay them...
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