I thought the colour-blind casting was irrelevant to the quality of the movie
So did I, actually. The quality, at least to me, was mediocre. As I did mention, I believe - I think any other casting choices in any of the roles wouldn't have made a difference. For what it's worth, I thought Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway were average, too.
Unfortunately, a lot of kind, empathetic, Liberal people tend to default to matters of fairness and equality. Why shouldn't a black actor be cast as Ulysses? Shouldn't everyone have equal chances? Does that mean, just because you're [insert race of your choice, minus Caucasian] you won't ever be able to be part of great artistic projects? Personally, I don't think that's how it should be at all. Nor did I say that, again. What I said is we're currently living in uneven times. Can you genuinely tell me there would be no media backlash if they staged a production about the Orisha, for instance, with a White and Hispanic cast? I doubt that. It would be appropriation and offensive to West African cultures. Which I agree with. I just don't understand the double-standard.
Seems to me we're a lot more worried about appropriating other people's cultures and not saying the wrong thing than about our own culture. Not usually good, that.
Yes, the Odyssey is a myth, but stories function heavily in terms of their audience. And myths, more importantly function through the cultures that believe and repeat them. Just as Hollywood has, in the past, loved to whitewash other cultures, it is now doing the same in reverse to Western culture. Which yes, is primarily fair-skinned, if only in our cultural imagery and symbols. The way we represent our history to ourselves, which is one of the building blocks of any ethnic groups and nation.
The image that what the hell, Europe and European culture and history was never primarily white anyway is for one inaccurate, and for another, dangerous to our sense of identity in the long run. If it wasn't yours in the first place, what's the harm in losing it. Something your country is, unfortunately, experiencing first-hand at present.
Personally, I had no clue Musk had talked about it until after I saw the movie. I still have no clue what he said, as I didn't bother to read the headlines. I don't care. I can't say I'm a fan and I think he's someone with problems making a lot of mistakes right now. Is it worrying that what one man says can create such a ruckus? Indeed it is. Didn't influence my opinion, which I went and formed for myself, just as you did yours. To wrap up, it was never (as it almost never is in modern Conservative or Centrist, more accurately, discourse) about racism or hating that they should cast black Helen. I don't care if they do blue Helen next. It's about the much deeper issue of sacrificing the myths and stories that have built the West on the altar of political correctness. Something other cultures would (wisely) not do, and something that is already biting us in the behind.
All that being said, glad you enjoyed the movie. I hope all your future movie-going experiences are as fruitful. Thanks for stopping by.
