Fury over Black Hermione Granger

[Maxperson]

The most obvious one.

Ahh, okay. Bond uses a gun and dresses in a tuxedo, spideman uses webs and dresses in a costume, and Bruce Lee dresses normally and uses nunchucks.

What does that have to do with anything?

 

[Maxperson]

This is a logical fallacy.

If you don't have the perfect key, then the lock cannot open.

However, if you swap out one actor for another, the play can go on (and has for zillions of Shakespeare performances).

Therefore, an Actor is more like a diamond than a key, using your analogy.

Sure it can. I have had keys that were not perfect. Sometimes you had to jiggle them a bit, but the locks opened.

 

[Cor Azer]

That said, since this play isn't really Harry Potter, I don't really care what color Hermione is in it. If however, JK Rowling makes another Harry Potter movie and Hermione is black without some sort of explanation (magic gone wrong), I won't go see it.

Emphasis mine.

Having never read Potter, I have no horse in this race, but I've seen this sentiment elsewhere as well (on this topic, but also frequently on stuff related to ASoIaF and Game of Thrones), and I have to say, I don't get it.

I get that not everyone will like a particular adaptation, but that turn of phrase makes it seem like such a described piece of media doesn't count as an adaptation (which is clearly wrong).

Otherwise, it's a superfluous truism - obviously, yes, it's not the next Harry Potter book, because it's not a Harry Potter book.

Or is the issue that Rowling didn't write the adaptation? My understanding is she's involved in the production, so it's not like this a glorified fanfic (compare to some of the recent Trek fan productions which while often quite faithful and occasionally good, have no official backing). She's just not writing, which to be honest, makes sense. Writing a play is a different skillset than writing a novel.

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

Ahh, okay. Bond uses a gun and dresses in a tuxedo, spideman uses webs and dresses in a costume, and Bruce Lee dresses normally and uses nunchucks.

What does that have to do with anything?

Oh you coy little harlot. Acting as if you don't know which difference I'm referring to. Come on, give it one more try.

 

[cmad1977]

I depends on what you are comparing. Two diamonds can be both perfect and different. The perfect key for the lock is going to have only one way for the teeth to be since changing the teeth will cause it to be unable to open the lock. Other perfect keys will be identical to the first in in that regard. A role is like a lock.

Face palm.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Sure it can. I have had keys that were not perfect. Sometimes you had to jiggle them a bit, but the locks opened.

Doesn't matter what color the key is though. As long as the teeth are in the right place, they can be a perfect fit. That is the point people are making about actors. I can understand there being an issue if you worry about continuity (i.e. the actor in part 1 was white and now the actor in part 2 is black, yet this isn't addressed). For certain movies that kind of change would be quite jarring, but if you are talking about a remake where the character is a different race, I think that i s very different, and you are more getting into the territory of the perfect keys. If race is particularly essential to the character, then obviously it could still be an issue. If it is not essential, then it really isn't a problem.

 

[Maxperson]

Doesn't matter what color the key is though. As long as the teeth are in the right place, they can be a perfect fit. That is the point people are making about actors. I can understand there being an issue if you worry about continuity (i.e. the actor in part 1 was white and now the actor in part 2 is black, yet this isn't addressed). For certain movies that kind of change would be quite jarring, but if you are talking about a remake where the character is a different race, I think that i s very different, and you are more getting into the territory of the perfect keys. If race is particularly essential to the character, then obviously it could still be an issue. If it is not essential, then it really isn't a problem.

I'd never go see a female or black 007. I'd never go see an Asian Spiderman. If they tried to give me a white Martin Luther King or Powerman, I'd be upset. Once race and sex are established for a character, they should be adhered to.

 

[Bedrockgames]

I'd never go see a female or black 007. I'd never go see an Asian Spiderman. If they tried to give me a white Martin Luther King or Powerman, I'd be upset. Once race and sex are established for a character, they should be adhered to.

Like I said, for historical figures or characters where race is important, I understand. A white Martin Luther king or black FDR wouldn't exactly work in a movie. And for connected films I get it (having someone black in part I then white in part II would make for odd consistency. But a black Annie or Asian Walker Texas ranger would not bother me if they are starting a new one.

 

[tomBitonti]

I'm surprised no-one has raised the reason which would actually make sense to use: Harmione is a mudblood, a person with wizardry powers born of mundane parents (parent?). Her racial similarity to other students is useful then to enhance the audience distaste for the discrimination that she faces. Placing a black actress next to an otherwise white cast would tie the discrimination to discrimination against people of color.

(The schools do reflect the regions from which their students are drawn. Compare the Hogwort's students with the students from the other schools. Students such as Cho are clearly the minority. And the inclusion of Cho as a person of Asian descent means that Rowlings was thinking of the races of the students.)

Thx!
TomB

 

[cmad1977]

I'd never go see a female or black 007. I'd never go see an Asian Spiderman. If they tried to give me a white Martin Luther King or Powerman, I'd be upset. Once race and sex are established for a character, they should be adhered to.

Because the race of bond or Spider-Man is integral to their character. Makes sense...
If you don't make sense.