This thread has been bugging me since I first posted in it. I was asking myself "Is it true, what those people accuse me of? Am I a racist for expecting a white Queen Guinevere?". I don't want to be a racist, so I did some soul searching and had a hard look at my motivations.
I would be just as bothered if they cast white actors in a movie about an African myth. It bothers me when they cast white actors to play Native Americans. Does this make me a racist against white people, too?
No, I don't think I am a racist. My boyfriend's skin is as dark as Angel Coulby's. His mother is black. His father is part Native American. As deeply as I can look into my soul, I find that I have nothing at all against non-Caucasian people. In fact, I think it is a ridiculous accusation.
It's just a matter of accuracy. Why can't they cast actors of the ethnicity that is probably the most realistic one?
It's not just about race or the color of the skin. Just yesterday I watched an episode of Person of Interest in which "German" people spoke the worst German I've ever heard. It did bother me too. The US is so huge, can't they find any bilingual actors? If not, there are so many German actors who speak decent English, why can't they cast some of those to play the German characters?
Basically, why can't they cast actors with the proper characteristics, be they racial, linguistic or whatever?
I know Merlin is based on a legend. But this legend is anchored in a specific time/space. For example they use swords and horses and live in a stone castle. It would be weird to see Merlin call Arthur on his cell phone while sitting under a palm tree or cross the Sahara in a spaceship, right? We know this just wouldn't match the story, which has talking dragons and magical spells, yes.. but which is also set in Britain in the 5th or 6th century, where they had no cell phones, palm trees, spaceships or Sahara.
But then ethnicity becomes relevant at least to some extent too.
For example let's take Harry Potter. Harry Potter is based on fantasy elements, just like Merlin. Just like Merlin, Harry Potter is also set in a specific time/space (more-or-less-modern day UK). Wouldn't you find it weird if a vast majority of characters in Harry Potter were played by Asiatic actors? It would be kinda weird, because we know more-or-less-modern day UK is not populated mainly by Asiatic people. Fantasy or not. I feel the same way about a black Queen Guinevere. It doesn't matter whether Merlin is a fairytale or not. It still happens in Britain around the 5th or 6th century.
As for the question about black people living in Britain back then: well, I don't know. I'm no archaeologist. However, I've learned in my biology classes that the genes for darker hair, skin, eyes etc. tend to be more dominant and the genes for lighter hair, skin, eyes etc. tend to be more recessive. Therefore, when I look at today's average British people (those who have lived there for centuries, of course, not the most recent immigrants), it seems very unlikely to me that those people had a lot of black ancestors. Or else they just wouldn't look the way they look.
I understand that many people have suffered from racism, personally or collectively, and that this is a touchy topic. But not everything related to race is a matter of racism. If you think I am a racist, I recommend you gain some emotional distance.
If Merlin was shown using a cell phone, and I complained about it being unrealistic, nobody would be offended about that. Why is it that as soon as race is involved, it becomes a huge taboo that nobody must talk about or else they are immediately labeled as racists?
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