[Closed] We all know what ‘whitewashing’ is in film and media, but ‘colourism’?

Hmmm. Identity politics is getting a bit out of hand. Will there come a point where actors only play themselves and each of us has to be our own MP because we are all unique and no-one can represent us but ourselves?

Both are petty, you are effectively discriminating due to skin color.

We seem to have taught a generation to look at the colour of a person's skin first and apply rough stereotypes unthinkingly based on it.

All in the name of anti-racism.

Where does it end though? Want to play Batman, well you best be a billionaire who witnessed their parents murder.

Where does it end though? Want to play Batman, well you best be a billionaire who witnessed their parents murder.

At least it may mean we get no more Superman films. 🙂

There is quite an interesting film on the subject.

So does this mean a black James Bond would be a bad thing? Because he is pretty darned white and a casual racist in the books.

So does this mean a black James Bond would be a bad thing? Because he is pretty darned white and a casual racist in the books.

Would that not be a clear case of "cultural appropriation", and therefore The Racism ?

So does this mean a black James Bond would be a bad thing? Because he is pretty darned white and a casual racist in the books.

He's already been played by actors from different countries, with different accents, hair colour and eye colour.

Imagine weekend at Bernie’s but with an actual corpse. From comedy classic to creepy in one go. I live in the vain hope that one day all sides of these arguments will meet in the middle and we can all stop acting like daft bastards

It really comes down to the quality of the actor.

Just look at Tom Cruise. In the Jack Reacher films, he completely convinces you he's  6'7" (or whatever) and black.

As much as I´d like Idris Elba to play 007-not cause he is black, but for my appreciation of his character Stringer Bell, a black spy in Russia is a hard sell. Even more so than a black pro-swimmer in a quirky Welsh school in netflix´s "Sex Therapy".

As much as I´d like Idris Elba to play 007-not cause he is black, but for my appreciation of his character Stringer Bell, a black spy in Russia is a hard sell.

Absolutely, we wouldn't want a Bond film to be unrealistic, would we?

It's a bit silly but I suppose if it helps people realise that theres huge variation between people of different skin colours.
Would people be upset if Hitler was played by Owen Wilson ?

Sequence 2 random African's genomes & a random European genome & it's more likely that the European & 1 African will be more closely related than the 2 Africans.

Honestly, isn’t this just getting more than a little bit petty?

Probably to you but you're not black so realistically have no skin in the game

Probably to you but you’re not black so realistically have no skin in the game

Did you just tell someone what skin colour they aren't and that their skin colour means that their opinion is not important ?

@johnners

You could have argued that James Bond could use masks if infiltrating in such territories, or that they could develop gadgets that temporarily play with an enemies perception, instead you chose to be condescending.

I would also like for James Bond to stop being such a supersoldier. I never enjoyed the pouting crossfitter look.

Judging from almost every commercial I see on TV, everybody is married to somebody black and has two lovely mixed-race children so at the present rate by the year 2500 we will all be a beautiful coffee colour like Lewis Hamilton and Tiger Woods so the question won't arise any more.

I told someone who white that they probably don’t appreciate the various facets of racism, striving for equality and how it affects bame people and how their opinions may reflect this, but you knew that as you’re just trolling as normal

Surely Smith only has to identify as more black and the problem is solved?

Similarly, the OP. only has to identify as being coloured and kilo will have nothing to complain about.

Personally, I'm glad it's now Ash Wednesday as I can go back to identifying as a pancake.

I doesn't appear to be a widely held view thankfully. I mean really, some people think that a Black Man, can't play a Black Man in a film because he's the wrong kind of Black Man? I mean wtaf.

Frankly the whole 'cultural appropriation' thing turns my stomach, it's corrosive and small minded.

@kilo

Whilst your point is valid, it is still to some extent discriminating based on skin. You are in effect assuming that a person with a particular skin colour, will have experienced what you consider the typical challenges associated to having that skin colour, and as such have first hand knowledge that otherwise would not be available.

Frankly the whole ‘cultural appropriation’ thing turns my stomach, it’s corrosive and small minded.

Exactamundo (I am not Hispanic).

Just look at Tom Cruise. In the Jack Reacher films, he completely convinces you he’s  6’7″ (or whatever) and black.

Reacher's black?

Honestly, isn’t this just getting more than a little bit petty?

non-story whipped up by social media and frenzied tweeters.
if you look at the feeds on Twitter, in amongst the more traditional news are headings of "backlash" which constitutes a news outlet reporting something and a nobody tweeting something against it.
next up, there will be reports of a "backlash" based on YouTube comments.

Surely the only person in a position to object to who plays Richard Williams in a biopic is Richard Williams.

Surely the only person in a position to object to who plays Richard Williams in a biopic is Richard Williams.

Spot on. Otherwise what do we do? What level of difference in skin colour is acceptable?

I tell you who the worst offenders are.

The Avengers.

They had  Mark Ruffalo, a white guy,“greening up” to play the Hulk, the pale skinned Paul Bettany playing a red man and Josh Brolin, rampaging about   in Blue Face.

Bradley Cooper isn’t even a real raccoon FFS

Just look at Tom Cruise. In the Jack Reacher films, he completely convinces you he’s 6’7″ (or whatever) [b]and black.[/b]

Erm.... ?

Similar to Samuel L Jackson complaining that Daniel Kaluuya wasn't really suitable to play a fictional black American, it's a strange world - by this reckoning the end point is no "acting" can actually take place and so story telling becomes defunct.

 by this reckoning the end point is no “acting” can actually take place

Tom Cruise was way ahead of the curve then?

Similar to Samuel L Jackson complaining that Daniel Kaluuya wasn’t really suitable to play a fictional black American, it’s a strange world – by this reckoning the end point is no “acting” can actually take place and so story telling becomes defunct.

Pfft, SLJ complains that Daniel Kaluuya doesn't know what it's like to be in a mixed race couple in America, because he's not American. I bet he's never even BEEN to Dagobah, let alone done any real Jedi training.

I reserve judgement on this issue - what's more interesting to me is the fuss about straight people playing gay characters and able people playing disabled characters. And trans characters come to think of it.

I know it's facile to say things like "next they'll be saying right-handed people can't play left-handed people", but seems to be a kernel of common sense there.

Whether it's Bryan Cranston playing a disabled person, Will Smith playing a blacker person or Rachel Weisz playing a gay woman - it basically comes down to the economics. The Rock was in a movie where his character only had one leg. It's not gonna be easy to find someone with his box office pull who actually only has one leg.

So should any other groups (apart from ethnic ones) have tacit "protected status" in how they who represents them on screen?

Frankly the whole ‘cultural appropriation’ thing turns my stomach, it’s corrosive and small minded.

It can be quite a problem though in some contexts.

What if a basic white middle class singer/songwriter decided to release a drill album? Objectively might be outstanding and do well commercially. But in doing so he's used his existing advantages to the detriment of another group of musicians who then would be unlikely to succeed as the market is already flooded.

You've heard Ed Sheeran's new album as well then Spoony?

What nobody has mentioned is the sad fact that *whisper* lots of black people use skin toning creams so as to appear less black. Michael Jackson was the stark staring bonkers example but there are plenty of others who have mysteriously become paler as the years have gone by.

It's a cream with hydroquinone, a photographic chemical. The WHO allows 2% but most American and African manufacturers are using 7% for that quick bleaching effect.

Frankly the whole ‘cultural appropriation’ thing turns my stomach, it’s corrosive and small minded.

It can be quite a problem though in some contexts.

What if a basic white middle class singer/songwriter decided to release a drill album? Objectively might be outstanding and do well commercially. But in doing so he's used his existing advantages to the detriment of another group of musicians who then would be unlikely to succeed as the market is already flooded.

In this case some people are arguing that in this case there was an opportunity to cast someone 'black' and that instead they've given it to someone 'brown'. If you're on the receiving end of the discrimination that sort of thing probably matters.

There are other roles where casting could be more gender/race/orientation blind. Would it really make a difference if Möbius in the matrix films was a white lesbian? But it wouldn't work if Laurence Fishburne tried to play the lead in a biopic of Margaret Thatcher.

You’ve heard Ed Sheeran’s new album as well then Spoony?

I was trying not think of him while I wrote that! But yea, if he decided to release a rap album about gang life then that would be a good example. As it is he just make fairly derivative songs about getting into ladies knickers with elements of rapping.

And why did edit create a new post?

What nobody has mentioned is the sad fact that *whisper* lots of black people use skin toning creams so as to appear less black. Michael Jackson was the stark staring bonkers example but there are plenty of others who have mysteriously become paler as the years have gone by.

It’s a cream with hydroquinone, a photographic chemical. The WHO allows 2% but most American and African manufacturers are using 7% for that quick bleaching effect.

So what do you infer from this? It's definitely a thing - I give you that - but what's the relevance in this context please?

So what do you infer from this? It’s definitely a thing – I give you that – but what’s the relevance in this context please?

That colorism is a thing and puts pressure on groups to try and change their appearance to make themselves acceptable to a racist/colourist market?

It can be quite a problem though in some contexts.

What if a basic white middle class singer/songwriter decided to release a drill album? Objectively might be outstanding and do well commercially. But in doing so he’s used his existing advantages to the detriment of another group of musicians who then would be unlikely to succeed as the market is already flooded.

In this case some people are arguing that in this case there was an opportunity to cast someone ‘black’ and that instead they’ve given it to someone ‘brown’. If you’re on the receiving end of the discrimination that sort of thing probably matters.

There are other roles where casting could be more gender/race/orientation blind. Would it really make a difference if Möbius in the matrix films was a white lesbian? But it wouldn't work if Laurence Fishburne tried to play the lead in a biopic of Margaret Thatcher.

I think that would be great, if we say that *this* is only for people of that race and *that* is only for another aren't we just reinventing Jim Crow for the 21st century?

That colorism is a thing and puts pressure on groups to try and change their appearance to make themselves acceptable to a racist/colourist market?

And I agree with that, just wondering if that was where Globalti was going with it.