Fury over Black Hermione Granger

[Morrus]

I get the idea of expanding a lot of the movies with actors of a variety of races, but I guess I don't like changes to known characters just for the sake of changes or to mix in colors. Regardless of what anyone says to me it would be weird to have a black Batman [or in this case Hermione], but it would also be weird to have a white Storm.

The harm to you, though, is zero. The societal benefit is not. So, hey, who cares if you find it weird? Societal change requires a period of transition; we all just have too deal with things feeling weird. Just like the real-live Downton Abbey type people had to deal with their first black Lords, or the UK had to deal with its first female Prime Minister. Fictional characters are harmless, and pointless, and help lead the way. They can, and should, utterly be sacrificed to the societal benefit.

I think we're at the point where it's safe to ridicule people who object to skin-colour based casting. Anyone who considers skin colour in a different way to how they consider eye colour or hair colour needs to just shut up at this point. Is Steve Rogers blond or dark-haired? Is The Doctor English or Scottish? Is James Bond white or black? Is he blond and English, or dark-haired and Irish? Or equivalent characters from your country? Is Batman really Welsh? Is Superman really English? Is Spiderman English? Is Robin Hood American? Or Australian?

These things don't matter as long as the actor does a good job.

 

[Umbran]

Fictional characters are harmless, and pointless, and help lead the way.

If they help lead the way, they aren't pointless. That makes them rather pointed. Pointing the way, in fact

That, is part of the source of the argument. There's a large batch of resistance (often unconscious) to racially diverse casting because there's folks who are not comfortable with the way being led in that direction.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

A black Hermione would have been a brilliant move in the movies, assuming the part was well acted.

 

[Morrus]

If they help lead the way, they aren't pointless. That makes them rather pointed. Pointing the way, in fact

That, is part of the source of the argument. There's a large batch of resistance (often unconscious) to racially diverse casting because there's folks who are not comfortable with the way being led in that direction.

Is that really the sentence you chose to excise from the rest of that paragraph? It rather makes me come across as saying the opposite to what the whole post says.

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

I get the idea of expanding a lot of the movies with actors of a variety of races, but I guess I don't like changes to known characters just for the sake of changes or to mix in colors.

That's an interesting thought. What if the actor cast for the role wasn't cast because she was black? What if she was cast because she was the best actor to audition for the role, and she just happens to be black? Would it still bother you?

 

[Hand of Evil]

no issues for me, if she was the best performer, she should get the role.

 

[delericho]

DO you care?

Vernon Dursley has the right of it - the whole wizarding world is a self-perpetuating elite based on inherited power and privilege. It's a disgusting anachronism that has no place in 21st century Britain and should be torn down and replaced.

Do I care whether our oppressors are white or black? No, not really.

(And in case it's not clear - yes, that was a joke. I know no more about Noma Dumezweni than I did about Emma Watson when she was cast. I'm sure she'll do a fine job.)

 

[Dioltach]

I don't recall a similar outcry when a black actor was cast as Ford Prefect in the HGttG movie some years ago. Or when a black actress became Moneypenny at the end of Skyfall.

But I do remember the fuss when it was announced that Starbuck would be a female character in the new BSG (and to a lesser extent Boomer, who was less essentially a "manly" man in the original).

Not sure what point I'm trying to make, except that all these castings seem to have worked out fine and perhaps people should trust the directors and see the performances before kicking up a fuss.

 

[Neonchameleon]

First things first, it's a better fit than Emma Watson.

Second, Hermione is stated as having pale skin once. In the course of seven books - and not in the first trilogy or the first three hundred pages of any book. With that level of not caring it's hardly a core feature, and bigger changes are made in almost any interpretation. (And before anyone says "Rowling only doesn't describe skin colour for white people" I'd point out Blaize Zabini).

Third, a black Hermione improves the narrative through thematic resonances.

 

[Dog Moon]

The harm to you, though, is zero. The societal benefit is not. So, hey, who cares if you find it weird? Societal change requires a period of transition; we all just have too deal with things feeling weird. Just like the real-live Downton Abbey type people had to deal with their first black Lords, or the UK had to deal with its first female Prime Minister. Fictional characters are harmless, and pointless, and help lead the way. They can, and should, utterly be sacrificed to the societal benefit.

I think we're at the point where it's safe to ridicule people who object to skin-colour based casting. Anyone who considers skin colour in a different way to how they consider eye colour or hair colour needs to just shut up at this point. Is Steve Rogers blond or dark-haired? Is The Doctor English or Scottish? Is James Bond white or black? Is he blond and English, or dark-haired and Irish? Or equivalent characters from your country? Is Batman really Welsh? Is Superman really English? Is Spiderman English? Is Robin Hood American? Or Australian?

These things don't matter as long as the actor does a good job.

I don't think we're ever at a safe point where it's safe to ridicule people for whatever reason, for either ridiculing the actors because of their skin color or ridiculing those who ridicule the actors.

And societal changes are fine, I have no problem with that. I know I sometimes watch TV shows and notice how they tend to be either all white cast with one minority or all black with like one white guy. I wouldn't mind it being a better mix and to be honest I would prefer that. That would be a nice point for us to get to. However, I still think that certain figures she be kept truer to their source [such as a white batman and a black Storm]. Now, does it harm me if people choose not to follow this? Will I be upset if say Denzel plays Batman? He's a great actor and I like basically all of his movies. I would probably still see it even if it would feel weird that Batman isn't played by a white actor. So no, it doesn't harm me at all. But then again, my opinion was only that I dislike it. I don't understand why anyone would be FURIOUS at it like apparently people are furious at a black Hermione. That's just crazy!

Now, if they had chosen Brad Pitt to star in the movie Malcom X instead of Denzel, yeah now THAT is something I could see people getting mad about because that would change the story entirely. THAT I would understand.