Well it’s a writer for cosmopolitan so she sounds like someone who is obsessed with race or needs to be “represented”. Although the race swap in this show was flat out idiotic because if you read Song of Ice and Fire GRRM is very clear about what Valerians look like so it makes him look stupid to race swap. Honestly I’m sick of this idea that you can’t have an all white cast. Not even if it makes sense? So if a show takes place in ancient China will they throw a random white person in the cast?
Of course fans who point this out are toxic but like I said, if they wanted a show in that world to have black people then make a show about the Summer Isles.
Oh yea! I remember that. But the Ice and Fire world has non white regions so it looks dumb to have black people for the sake of having blacks people for a group that has been clearly described as white. But then again, when I read the wheel of time I thought the book was clear on the descriptions of the characters. Also since wheel of time had plenty of women in the books and different races once they left their village I figured they wouldn’t need to change anything. How naive I was.
... the thing is, was this not really obvious, right from the get go?
As I understand it, HotD is a prequel to GoT, which didn't have any black characters in that group.
So unless we're pulling a "Surprise! Daenarys was actually black the whole time!" approach, means that any black people in that group are going to have to go, are they not?
Same with Rangs of Power, prequel to a (successful) franchise that visibly had zero blacks. Begging the question where did all these black dwarves and black elves go?
This is the thing about Rangz - there are black people in Middle-Earth. The Haradrim. But in the second age, Harad was called Umbar and the people of Umbar hadn't yet taken up with Sauron.
If you wanted a story about black people in Second Age Middle-Earth all you had to do was set it there. Could have been an interesting story, too, fall of an empire (of sorts) and the turn to evil, that's the kind of thing that needs a good scripting team to make work, but when it does work, it works pretty well. And I'm assuming that for a billion dollars Amazon could find a competent scriptwriter somewhere.
But no, what the RoP team were actually after was to colonise and deconstruct classic LotR, because that's the only way in which this makes sense. And just like Johnson's TLJ, the main expectation being subverted is that this would make anything like as much money as they wanted to see.
You also have established movies like Robin Hood with Kevin Kostner (and Morgan Freeman) where a black character from an area of the world, where the show doesn't take place, is part of the main cast.
Nothing would've stopped the RoP team to get 2-3 people from Umbar to be relevant characters. Make something up how they got there (and how they befriended other main characters) and why they are staying. Hell maybe let them have connections back to Umbar and when they need help 4-5 ships from Umbar arrive (with all black crews) to help out in a battle or something.
(I haven't watched RoP, so no clue if that would be viable)
ASOIAF fans: You can't just slot a black family into an existing story and have it make sense.
NPCs: Shut up, racist!
Random black woman: You can't just slot a black family into an existing story and have it make sense.
NPCs: So true.
I actually agree with most of those points. It made no sense to randomly have some black Targaryens.
As to the rest, since I have not the slightest interest in watching anything ASoIaF-related unless GRRM gets off his fat ass and finishes his book series (whose first book came out 26 years ago), I can't really comment.
I’m the same way. I haven’t watched HOTD or refuse to buy the book or his other stuff because of how he can’t finish the main series and attacks fans who ask about it
The most niggerdly of concerns. Walking down stairs is enough to impress one—well of course, she's from a civilization that never unlocked two-story architecture.
Can black folks have anything?
No. You'll have what you're given, because you're incapable of creating anything of your own.
It's amazing. All the time I grew up watching movies from Hong Kong or Japan and playing Japanese video games that didn't have a single white male to be seen in them, I never even realized that they weren't "for" me.
Exactly. The logic falls apart when you think about it a little bit. I loved the Dynasty Warriors games and watched a lot of kung fu movies growing up. Had no problem enjoying it
Well it’s a writer for cosmopolitan so she sounds like someone who is obsessed with race or needs to be “represented”. Although the race swap in this show was flat out idiotic because if you read Song of Ice and Fire GRRM is very clear about what Valerians look like so it makes him look stupid to race swap. Honestly I’m sick of this idea that you can’t have an all white cast. Not even if it makes sense? So if a show takes place in ancient China will they throw a random white person in the cast?
Of course fans who point this out are toxic but like I said, if they wanted a show in that world to have black people then make a show about the Summer Isles.
Oh yea! I remember that. But the Ice and Fire world has non white regions so it looks dumb to have black people for the sake of having blacks people for a group that has been clearly described as white. But then again, when I read the wheel of time I thought the book was clear on the descriptions of the characters. Also since wheel of time had plenty of women in the books and different races once they left their village I figured they wouldn’t need to change anything. How naive I was.
... the thing is, was this not really obvious, right from the get go?
As I understand it, HotD is a prequel to GoT, which didn't have any black characters in that group.
So unless we're pulling a "Surprise! Daenarys was actually black the whole time!" approach, means that any black people in that group are going to have to go, are they not?
Same with Rangs of Power, prequel to a (successful) franchise that visibly had zero blacks. Begging the question where did all these black dwarves and black elves go?
This is the thing about Rangz - there are black people in Middle-Earth. The Haradrim. But in the second age, Harad was called Umbar and the people of Umbar hadn't yet taken up with Sauron.
If you wanted a story about black people in Second Age Middle-Earth all you had to do was set it there. Could have been an interesting story, too, fall of an empire (of sorts) and the turn to evil, that's the kind of thing that needs a good scripting team to make work, but when it does work, it works pretty well. And I'm assuming that for a billion dollars Amazon could find a competent scriptwriter somewhere.
But no, what the RoP team were actually after was to colonise and deconstruct classic LotR, because that's the only way in which this makes sense. And just like Johnson's TLJ, the main expectation being subverted is that this would make anything like as much money as they wanted to see.
You also have established movies like Robin Hood with Kevin Kostner (and Morgan Freeman) where a black character from an area of the world, where the show doesn't take place, is part of the main cast.
Nothing would've stopped the RoP team to get 2-3 people from Umbar to be relevant characters. Make something up how they got there (and how they befriended other main characters) and why they are staying. Hell maybe let them have connections back to Umbar and when they need help 4-5 ships from Umbar arrive (with all black crews) to help out in a battle or something.
(I haven't watched RoP, so no clue if that would be viable)
I've been saying this. Tolkien's works had plenty of other races and countries outside of The Middle Of the Earth
But that would require talent, and not taking an active approach at ruining the things you like.
The entire point of 'critique' in the academic sense is to provide the critic with the power to Kafkatrap whomever they wish.
It's not about the criticism, it's about power-- like it always is with leftoids.
ASOIAF fans: You can't just slot a black family into an existing story and have it make sense.
NPCs: Shut up, racist!
Random black woman: You can't just slot a black family into an existing story and have it make sense.
NPCs: So true.
I saw "HOTD" and was like "Highschool Of The Dead's author died, though, and they're not making a season 2, what is being changed?"
That other HotD didn't even ping on my radar.
I actually agree with most of those points. It made no sense to randomly have some black Targaryens.
As to the rest, since I have not the slightest interest in watching anything ASoIaF-related unless GRRM gets off his fat ass and finishes his book series (whose first book came out 26 years ago), I can't really comment.
I’m the same way. I haven’t watched HOTD or refuse to buy the book or his other stuff because of how he can’t finish the main series and attacks fans who ask about it
In hindsight I don’t blame you at all
I mean it wouldn't hurt you to finish out season 5 but after that you'd have to lightly pick thru the carcass of the rest of it.
The writer of this article definitely has issues but she stumbles across some points
The most niggerdly of concerns. Walking down stairs is enough to impress one—well of course, she's from a civilization that never unlocked two-story architecture.
No. You'll have what you're given, because you're incapable of creating anything of your own.
Or they can just not watch it. Someone needs to have the guts to use their phrase against them. It’s not for you
It's amazing. All the time I grew up watching movies from Hong Kong or Japan and playing Japanese video games that didn't have a single white male to be seen in them, I never even realized that they weren't "for" me.
Exactly. The logic falls apart when you think about it a little bit. I loved the Dynasty Warriors games and watched a lot of kung fu movies growing up. Had no problem enjoying it