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“I was very disappointed in John’s recent comments about diversity. I respect his passion for Tolkien’s works and I hope he revisits the issue of multiracial casting in a future episode and revises his take.
In his July 23rd episode, John argued that Cynthia Addai-Robinson wasn’t the “right choice” for the part of Tar-Míriel in “The Rings of Power” solely because of the color of her skin.
John admits he hasn’t watched a full episode of Addai-Robinson’s performance in “The Rings of Power.” He didn’t say anything about her work in “Spartacus,” or “Texas Rising” or “Arrow.” He just saw her skin tone and declared she wasn’t the “right choice.” To judge someone before you’ve even seen their work is the very definition of pre-judging them—prejudice.
In the bad old days, racists would argue that Shakespeare’s plays should only be performed by whites. Happily, in recent years, Shakespearean casting has opened up, clearing the way for great actors like Denzel Washington to take on “Macbeth.” Should we return to the bad old days where Shakespeare was whites only? Of course not. Does John want to roll back casting history and stop Marvel from casting a Mexican Namor or DC from casting an Israeli Wonder Woman? That would be crazy and wrong, and deny us Gal Gadot, among other things, who turned in one of the best superhero star turns in recent memory. And I can’t wait to see Tenoch Huerta’s spin on Namor the sub-mariner in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
If multiracial casting is good for Marvel and Shakespeare, why not for Tolkien? Why shouldn’t the part go to the best actor, regardless of race or ethnicity? If John can believe in a world filled with dragons and balrogs, why is it so difficult for him to accept seeing a brown-skinned woman from Númenor (a country that only exists in fiction)? If some people can’t suspend their disbelief when it comes to race, isn’t that their problem and not the problem of a casting department that is simply filling roles with the best actors?
I hope John rethinks his take and presents a more insightful view on a future episode.”
From Kingston with Love via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
07/31/22
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