I don't know of you've noticed, but there's been an annoying rise of racist and misogynistic fans popping up on social media who feel the need to spread their disgust of women and POC being cast in major roles on shows such as Obi Wan, She-Hulk, Sandman, Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, and House of the Dragon.
On the 26th season premiere of The View, moderator, actress and EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg, who has acted in her share of Sci-fi and fantasy TV shows and films had time today to drag the basement dwellers with loose Twitter fingers during today's Hot Topics.
via Uproxx
The View returned for its 26th season on Tuesday. While there were some noticeable changes, like Alyssa Farah Griffin starting her permanent co-hosting gig and new seats so Joy Behar (or the others) don’t fall out of them, some things stayed exactly the same. Namely, Whoopi Goldberg bringing the fire.
As the panel discussed the recent racist attacks on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon for daring to be inclusive in their casting, Whoopi came charging to the fantasy series’ defense. “Are you telling me Black people can’t be fake people too? Is that what you’re telling me?” she said. “What is wrong with y’all?”
Goldberg then got a jump on the inevitable backlash that’s coming down the pipe for Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey. Via The Wrap:
“Y’all are gonna lose your minds when you see the new Ariel. ‘Cause you know — and I don’t want to upset any mermaids who are watching the show, you know, because I know there are many communities of mermaids of various colors!” Whoopi said. “And when I say ‘of various colors,’ I’m not playing. There are violet mermaids, there are pink mermaids, there are black mermaids, there are Latina mermaids, there are mermaids of every ilk. And you know why there can be? Because it’s the world that we would like to see better.”
As Whoopi’s co-hosts agreed with the ridiculousness of getting mad about representation in make-believe series, Goldberg capped things off with a blunt blow that only she can deliver.
“All of y’all who have problems because there are Black hobbits? Get a job!” she said. “Get a job! Go find yourself, because you are focused on the wrong stuff.”
I think it's quite pathetic that people can't enjoy a show without getting on social media to gripe over the fact that characters from a book that you have accepted as white are changed to a different race or gender.
These so-called genre and Tolkien purists always want to find a moment to piss in someone's cereal. Who cares that the race of an elf has been changed, or that some of the characters aren't as accurate as they are in the book.
Where was that energy when Peter Jackson changed certain character traits in the LOTR trilogy 20 years ago? As a fan of moving pictures, the only thing I care about is the dialogue, pacing and plot choices. If a project lacked any or all three of the aforementioned, then I'd have an issue.
I don't have a problem with a strong female character as the lead, or a Puerto Rican actor playing an elf. People seriously need to get a life.