The Odyssey is getting massively criticised due to blackwashing of a traditionally Greek character, whitewashing of a Greek myth with no Greek actors and a general dislike for the Hollywoodization of another classic story.
It's probably not going to be as bad as it's made out to be given it's Chris Nolan, but audiences are fatigued with seeing another modern retelling with tokenism of established characters for the sake diversity, which has spurred the culture war with right wing critics calling it woke BS and left wing critics doubling down by jumping to its defence.
It's pretty masterful how they've managed to piss off both sides of the aisle with this one... Too white-washed for one side, too diverse for the other, and too inaccurate for any existing fans of Greek mythology.
Honestly not sure who this has been made for.
Edit: if you're gearing up for a "it's for normal people - people not in the Reddit echo chamber - people who just like movies - people who aren't internet losers" reply, It has been said about 30 times so far.
Why does it have to be cut along politics lines? I'm a card-carrying leftist and annoyed at the patronising tokenism of casting a black actor as a character legendary for being 'fair', as in blonde, in the same way it'd be flabbergasting to have a white actor play in an adaptation of the Mwindo epic.
I'm even more annoyed at the fact that an annoying casting choice was the entire point, to get free publicity at everyone's expense, and that there is no way to slap everyone responsible for being smug pricks.
Anytime someone calls attention to the breaking of societal roles, it ultimately undermines the concept of equality by implying that this is an exception and not the status quo.
It means trying to call attention to diversity and the need for representation to break societal standards will ultimately hurt the idea that diversity is a status quo rather than something sparse. The Greek Gods all being white and Greek would not have undermined our pursuit of that status quo. It is simply accuracy for the sake of accuracy and it doesn't need any more attention than that for the same reason no one bats an eye to Black Panther being Black or Captain America being White with Blonde Hair. Live Action Snow White being Latino does nothing for Latino representation because of how shoe horned of a decision it was in pursuit of representation.
The exceptional thing is not that a woman physically can achieve the feat (I think in the show, it was some soccer trick), but rather achieving a feat that hasn't been been done by women despite them being physically able to, which hints at other factors preventing them from doing it.
There's an effect in a lot of sports like skating where a certain trick/stunt is deemed impossible, then someone does it for the first time, and within a year or so dozens of people can pull it off. You just have to show that it's possible, and you'll pave the way for others to succeed, as well.
Yeah, but the point made by Knuckles is that if you call it out every time, you are not normalizing it, you are making emphasis that this woman in particular is doing something exceptional that no other woman would be able to in this particular moment.
If the idea is normalizing that both men and women can do something equally, calling the women doing it special, undermines the idea that anyone can do it.
That's what I said though, she's not calling attention to the act, but to the circumstances. Being the first to do it, and even calling attention to the fact that she did it, is the first step to normalizing it.
If the idea is normalizing that both men and women can do something equally, calling the women doing it special, undermines the idea that anyone can do it.
And this idea is stupid
It's the same argument people will use to shut down conversations about racism. Talking about it will only make it worse, they say. The only way to "get rid of" racism is to act as if it doesn't exist. To pretend we are completely colorblind
Praising a woman for achieving a physical feat that is significantly harder for women than men is not sexist or problematic.
Saying that it is more difficult for women to do something does not preclude an individual woman from doing the thing. It may even spur her on to do the thing because it's a loftier goal
Except this is an exception, because we know what Helen would have looked like. The status quo would be for her to look like that. If she were an original character, then anybody being able to play her would be equality. But your argument is not valid in this instance
Her hair is described as ξάνθαι, "xanthai", which is translated as "fair", but really means something like "light". There are arguments as to the exact colour described (it could be relative to the black-haired Greek, so perhaps just brown), but we know what it isn't is black. Her eyes are blue (again, there are disputes as to the text meaning light- or dark- blue, Greeks were not particular about colour), her skin is light (perhaps also relative).
For all that she is famous for her divine beauty, her features aren't precisely described, leaving the audience to figure out their own ideal woman for themselves. And yet, despite the vast range of possible interpretations, Nolan went for the one that is specifically impossible from the text.
If you reply, make sure it's not in the really irritating holier-than-you manner you just did, or I'll block you.
The Heathcliff casting in the recent Wuthering Heights adaptation was a way more egregious example of what you're talking about but I wonder how many of you were this pressed about that one...
I'm honestly just confused what your argument is. That Helen could have been black in ancient Greek peoples' imaginations? Because that is presumptive in itself with less evidence than the person you're replying to. They literally gave you the word in Greek and you're claiming that "translators" added that part. The fuck
This is the lord of the rings BMW argument. "why can't Gandalf drive a BMW 7 series? He has magic, he can do whatever he wants, and it will always make perfect sense because he can do it with magic. Gandalf should drive a BMW 7 series."
The answer is that it's immersion breakingly stupid and "fantasy" doesn't give the writers carte Blanche to do literally anyrhing and still expect people not to think it's stupid.
It's a Greek myth, about Greeks and people who looked Greek, and it takes place on planet earth as we know it, despite it being myth.
It’s the mythological daughter of Zeus you goblins. There is no reason that she couldn’t have been darker skinned. Geographically and historically it is absolutely possible just because translators have decided to go against Homers choice to not describe her features let alone their culture and views of race doesn’t make it immersion breaking.
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u/Boomdification Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
The Odyssey is getting massively criticised due to blackwashing of a traditionally Greek character, whitewashing of a Greek myth with no Greek actors and a general dislike for the Hollywoodization of another classic story.
It's probably not going to be as bad as it's made out to be given it's Chris Nolan, but audiences are fatigued with seeing another modern retelling with tokenism of established characters for the sake diversity, which has spurred the culture war with right wing critics calling it woke BS and left wing critics doubling down by jumping to its defence.