Anne Boleyn channel 5

[Harry Bloomfield]

Rarely watch tv these days as it's mostly garbage, but the adverts are getting ridiculous. Anyone who didn't know would think The UK was almost exclusively ethnic. Maybe the advertisers are forced to do this to comply with the brain washing and social engineering that's going on. It's all about the diversiddity, innit!

Yes, it goes way over the top. Only rarely do they show normal, both white couples/all white families in the ads.. Likewise some programs seem to be presented with mostly gay couples. I may be an exception, but I don't know of one single gay couple in real life. It's as if diversity is being forced upon us by TV entertainment

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Another case of the 'woke brigade' attempting to re-write history?

There is something seriously wrong with you.

Quite. It seems the only ones kicking up a stink about a black actor playing a (possibly) white person is the potential racists, not the 'woke brigade', whoever they are supposed to be.
While white actors have been playing 'known' black people for many years, the feeble excuse of: "there were no suitable actors available" was proposed and accepted.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Interesting point John, how many actors were there? or are you suggesting the actors could have been replaced by footballers?, FFS.

You're being obtuse, intentionally or not, I'm not sure, you're so good at it.
JohnD was obviously referring to the discrimination faced by black footballers (and even more so, managers, etc), as an analogy to the black/white actor arguments.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Yes, it goes way over the top. Only rarely do show normal, both white couples/all white families in the ads.. Likewise some programs seem to be presented with mostly gay couples. I may be an exception, but I don't know of one single gay couple in real life. It's as if diversity is being forced upon us by TV entertainment

Do you think it could be less to do with what many call PC, or the 'woke brigade', and more to do with appealing to a wide audience for their product?
Only yesterday, I mentioned that many French ( and other foreign) artists now sing in English as well as French (or their mother tongue)* in order to widen their appeal to international audiences. It has nothing to do with legislation or politics.

I suspect the majority of people are hardly aware of your specific observations.

*Many classical singers speak English, Italian, German and French to help with their pronunciation when singing classics, etc. The same is true of other foreign singers who want to sing English/American songs, etc. They speak extremely good English.

 

[ellal]

I may be an exception, but I don't know of one single gay couple in real life.

You obviously don't 'get out' much do you...

It's as if diversity is being forced upon us by TV entertainment

So you'd rather ignore that the population is indeed diverse?

Would you rather only the heterosexual version to be portrayed?

 

[JohnD]

normal

FFS

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

but I don't know of one single gay couple in real life.

You obviously don't 'get out' much do you...

Have you met all your friends, work colleagues, acquaintances, etc, partners?
How would you know who was homosexual, who was bisexual or who was heterosexual?
"Hello, Harry, I'm pleased to meet you. I'm heterosexual/homosexual/bisexual, I'm (or not) currently in a relationship, and my name's Bobby".

No doubt some will amuse themselves quoting me.
It's not my normal self-introduction. (I don't usually tell them my name )

 

[Ihavenojob]

I see no problem, they are actors after all, portraying someone they are not. You can have a black person playing a white person, or vice versa, a man can play a woman and vice versa, an able bodied person could play a disabled person, but possibly not the other way round.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I see no problem, they are actors after all, portraying someone they are not. You can have a black person playing a white person, or vice versa, a man can play a woman and vice versa, an able bodied person could play a disabled person, but possibly not the other way round.

A white person would usually 'black up' to play a black person.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

I see no problem, they are actors after all, portraying someone they are not. You can have a black person playing a white person, or vice versa, a man can play a woman and vice versa, an able bodied person could play a disabled person, but possibly not the other way round.

For sure, but when the colour/disability/disposition/ etc of the real person is not genuinely known, then it doesn't matter how the author/actor decides to portray them, that's literary/artistic licence.
For instance, should Jesus be cast as a white or a black person?
But when casting/playing real people, then some likeness is sought, the closer perhaps the better, within the actors abilities. But at the same time, artistic, literary licence still is allowed an interpretation.

In fiction, the situation is further confused.
For instance, in the Sharp novels by Bernard Cornwell, Sharp was originally a Londoner with a prominent scar down his face, and black hair. When the TV series was introduced, Bernard Cornwell adopted the description and introduced a new novel to accommodate Sean Bean's northern accent and appearance.
Whereas, Ian Rankin scrupulously avoided watching the televised series of Rebus so that he would not be influenced by the TV representation of his character.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

A white person would usually 'black up' to play a black person.

And a black person would similarly have to use make-up to play a white person.
It's not the use of make-up that is/was the problem, it was the discrimination behind the exclusion of black actors, and the dehumanising of black people.

Blackface is part of a history of dehumanization, of denied citizenship, and of efforts to excuse and justify state violence. From lynchings to mass incarceration, whites have utilized blackface (and the resulting dehumanization) as part of its moral and legal justification for violence. It is time to stop with the dismissive arguments those that describe these offensive acts as pranks, ignorance and youthful indiscretions. Blackface is never a neutral form of entertainment, but an incredibly loaded site for the production of damaging stereotypes...the same stereotypes that undergird individual and state violence, American racism, and a centuries worth of injustice.
https://www.vox.com/2014/10/29/7089591/why-is-blackface-offensive-halloween-costume​

 

[Ihavenojob]

A white person would usually 'black up' to play a black person.

Black people have "whited" up to play white people, both should be allowed as long as it isn't done in a derogatory way. They don't have to black or white up to play a part. David Bowie played the elephant Man with no make up, it was the acting that mattered.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

t. David Bowie played the elephant Man with no make up, it was the acting that mattered.

I never saw that.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Blimey, Ihavenojob, I'm tempted to give you a like for your comment, but that might mean you being associated with the 'woke brigade', and I wouldn't want to wish that on you.
And you'd have to amend your signature comment.

 

[Ihavenojob]

I never saw that.

It was a stage play. I never saw it, but he had good reviews.