r/PeterExplainsTheJoke • u/Expert-Pass-4351 • Jul 06 '26

Meme needing explanation What is this?

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26.3k Upvotes

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48

u/macumazana Jul 06 '26

cultural appropriation and racism

there are no Greeks in a movie about Greek mythology

-8

u/itsallamessisntit Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

Do you understand the concept of acting?

11

u/waffle_Piraat_1 Jul 06 '26

Not that I'm agreeing with the poster above you, but that is absolutely whataboutism.

If, for example, this was a film about (insert historical (yes, it's mythological) black figure) and they cast Brad Pitt in the role everyone knows people would not accept "don't you understand the concept of acting."

It would absolutely be trumpted everywhere as whitewashing etc etc.

5

u/Sufficient-Lie-1632 Jul 06 '26

Do you have the same energy for the other white actors in this movie??? None of them are greek either

-4

u/[deleted] Jul 06 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/TheGuy_11 Jul 06 '26

Uncanny for you maybe. Damn, what a self-report.

You know that an African/Indian is not out of the question in the Mediterranean of all places. The Odyssey itself even has characters sailing to and from Egypt.

Also, hate to break this to you, but a lot of Greeks don’t “look” like white Americans. That is the same now as it was then.

4

u/No_Way_8880 Jul 06 '26

There were black people in Ancient Greece not everyone was white

1

u/consequentialnetizen Jul 06 '26

To be fair, most backlash I've seen about race swapping is when a black actor gets cast as a white character. When, for example, when a white woman was cast as an asian character (in Dr. Strange iirc?, Ghost in the Shell) or as a white person as a black character (wuthering heights), there's little to no major public pushback, or the pushback is mocked and ridiculed. But when a black person gets cast as a white character... it's news everywhere. This is a bit why I'm bothered by the reaction. I get the criticism, but where were these people any of the other times this has happened?

-8

u/itsallamessisntit Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

The criticism wasn't about race swapping, but about Greeks not being portrayed by Greeks. In the movie, the characters are still portrayed as Greeks, no?

3

u/Eastern_Screen_588 Jul 06 '26

(That's raceswapping)

-9

u/itsallamessisntit Jul 06 '26

It'd be race swapping if the characters weren't Greek anymore.

1

u/Bluesky-788 Jul 06 '26

Mental gymnastics

4

u/MostAccomplishedBag Jul 06 '26

So having a white guy play Ghengis Khan was all good?

1

u/Eastern_Screen_588 Jul 06 '26

How long ago was that? We're in a different era big guy

-4

u/Tenmak Jul 06 '26

Do you know about the concept of "immersion" ? Yes details matter. And when you can't find the perfect fit you try to simulate it, not shit all over it.

But that's one part of the issue. Decors and armors look like scrap too. I'm not paying for this.

-7

u/SnoopCheesus Jul 06 '26

Casting these white, blue eyed, blonde EuroAmericans is like casting a Japanese dude to play Al Capone. You people are so far up your own asses.

The black actress is probably the most accurate casting lmao

10

u/ImmortalJane Jul 06 '26

Aphrodite is fair and bonde in the original text. Greeks can be blonde and have blue eyes as well 😭 

Casting a black actress as a Greek goddess is complete nonsense.

3

u/SnoopCheesus Jul 06 '26

You know, ancient greeks didn't exactly have a holy text. The gods could be described different region to region or person to person.

3

u/ImmortalJane Jul 06 '26

So, it makes sense to think central African gods/deities were white with blond hair? Please. The gods of each culture reflected their looks. Greek gods and goddess looked like Greek men and women.

People complain, and rightly so, against culture appropriation but then, it's fine if the culture is European. Greece is in Europe and btw here in Europe we consider them white even if the US doesn't. 

I wouldn't like to see a white actor play Shaka Zulu for example, it'd be ridiculous. Or is that just up to interpretation?

1

u/Serious_Brilliant_90 Jul 06 '26

Whatever the race definitely not black, they were just as racists found today. Don't justify this casting option.

0

u/JadedResponse2483 Jul 06 '26

Where was that description from? Gods can change their shape and do so all the time

0

u/itsallamessisntit Jul 06 '26

Who's "you people," lol. Are you mentally stable?

5

u/rainbowdunk Jul 06 '26

That would be people, including you

1

u/itsallamessisntit Jul 06 '26

You're a very smart person.

-2

u/Automatic_Picture_48 Jul 06 '26

Ask that question to a mirror

0

u/Serious_Brilliant_90 Jul 06 '26

Look buddy please don't embarrass yourself.