https://en.sputniknews.africa/20230514/cleopatra-was-white-get-over-it-netizens-on-continued-attempts-to-defend-new-netflix-drama-1059251400.html
'Cleopatra Was White, Get Over It': Netizens on Continued Attempts to Defend New Netflix Drama
'Cleopatra Was White, Get Over It': Netizens on Continued Attempts to Defend New Netflix Drama
Sputnik Africa
Adele James, who stars as Cleopatra in the Netflix drama, has recently commented on the debate over the series and in particular phenomenon of blackwashing, sparking another wave of criticism and outrage online.
2023-05-14T18:23+0200
2023-05-14T18:23+0200
2023-05-15T08:22+0200
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Adele James, who stars as Cleopatra in the Netflix drama, recently commented on the debate over the series and in particular the phenomenon of blackwashing, sparking another wave of criticism and outrage online.This statement urged netizens to reiterate that if the series is presented as a documentary, it should be produced in a way that isn't out of step with history and doesn't contradict historical facts known about one of Egypt's most prominent historical figures.Many netizens who commented on the actress' statement agreed that Queen Cleopatra VII Philopator, one of Ptolemaic Egypt’s most famous monarchs who ruled from 51 to 30 BC, had no African roots and was white-skinned.Netizens insisted that the queen was Greek, saying that "it's absurd that anyone would claim different." One user noted that this kind of historical fact is not difficult to document and "anything different is historical revisionism," suggesting the following: "Can you imagine if someone made a movie about the life of Colin Powell and cast his character as a red-haired Irish guy?"Another user wondered what a film about a royal family with a dark-skinned cast would look like, proposing that Prince Harry be portrayed by Michael B. Jordan.One netizen expressed their satisfaction with the fact that Egypt had spoken up, criticizing casting James. Last month, the Egyptian government weighed in on the dispute over Netflix's drama-documentary portraying the queen as a black-skinned woman, stating that Cleopatra had "white skin and Hellenistic characteristics."Some social media users also criticized how James' statement had been presented by an American media outlet. It was described as if the actress were "addressing a colorism controversy."The users called colorism "an interesting euphemism for racism." Others pointed out that the report itself is polemical and called it "a word salad," noting that if the queen hails from Greece, she can't be of "African ancestry."However, some people online tried to express another viewpoint, stating that even though Cleopatra was Greek, the race of the actor "should be what the producers want their art to reflect," adding: "If you don't like it, don't watch." One user noted that they don't care about the character's skin color.The general public's outrage corresponds with the low ratings of the series, which was released on Thursday. The drama received a shockingly low rating of 1.1 out of 10 on IMDb, based on over 34,000 user reviews. It's doing no better on Rotten Tomatoes, with only 13% on the Tomato meter and 1% audience score based on over 1,000 ratings.
https://en.sputniknews.africa/20230420/egyptian-lawyer-sues-netflix-over-black-cleopatra--1058728287.html
https://en.sputniknews.africa/20230428/she-had-white-skin-egyptian-ministry-calls-out-netflixs-blackwashing-of-cleopatra-1058902645.html
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north africa, egypt, netflix drama, racism, blackwashing, controversy, online backlash
north africa, egypt, netflix drama, racism, blackwashing, controversy, online backlash
'Cleopatra Was White, Get Over It': Netizens on Continued Attempts to Defend New Netflix Drama
18:23 14.05.2023 (Updated: 08:22 15.05.2023) Last month, a trailer for the Netflix documentary "Queen Cleopatra," starring a black actress, caused public outrage online, with accusations of trying to rewrite history by linking the queen's origins to black Africans. Following the series’ release, online backlash continued, with netizens accusing it of falsifying historical facts.
Adele James, who stars as Cleopatra in the Netflix drama, recently
commented on the debate over the series and in particular the phenomenon of blackwashing, sparking another wave of criticism and outrage online.
"Blackwashing isn’t a thing, is it?" she said, adding: "I find it sad that people are either so self-loathing or so threatened by Blackness that they feel the need to do that, to separate Egypt from the rest of the continent."
This statement urged netizens to reiterate that if the series is presented as a documentary, it should be produced in a way that isn't out of step with history and doesn't contradict historical facts known about one of Egypt's most prominent historical figures.
"When you make a documentary movie about an actual real person from history, if you race swap that person, then you didn't make a documentary, you tried to rewrite history the way you want it to be. Your movie is a work of fiction. Based on the life of a real person," one netizen tweeted.
Many netizens who commented on the actress' statement agreed that Queen Cleopatra VII Philopator, one of Ptolemaic Egypt’s most famous monarchs who ruled from 51 to 30 BC, had no African roots and was white-skinned.
"Cleopatra was of Greek descent. No African roots[...]. Cleopatra was white, get over it," they stressed.
Netizens insisted that the queen was Greek, saying that "it's absurd that anyone would claim different." One user noted that this kind of historical fact is not difficult to document and "anything different is historical revisionism," suggesting the following: "Can you imagine if someone made a movie about the life of Colin Powell and cast his character as a red-haired Irish guy?"
"Ptolemy XII Auletes, a Greek general of Macedonia, was Cleopatra's father. Cleopatra's mother, who was either Cleopatra V or Cleopatra VI, had Greek fathers who were Macedonian generals. Cleopatra's odds of looking Greek, are better than her chances of looking African," one user commented.
Another user wondered what a film about a royal family with a dark-skinned cast would look like, proposing that Prince Harry be portrayed by Michael B. Jordan.
One netizen expressed their satisfaction with the fact that Egypt had
spoken up, criticizing casting James. Last month, the Egyptian government weighed in on the dispute over Netflix's drama-documentary portraying the queen as a black-skinned woman, stating that Cleopatra had "white skin and Hellenistic characteristics."
"Cleopatra was provably light skinned. To claim otherwise is to ignore literally all available evidence based on genealogy, history, and even depiction," one netizen tweeted.
Some social media users also criticized how James' statement had been presented by an American media outlet. It was described as if the actress were "addressing a colorism controversy."
"So when Netflix race-swaps it's 'colorism'... Could have sworn there was an actual, accurate word for that," one user stated.
The users called colorism "an interesting euphemism for racism." Others pointed out that the report itself is polemical and called it "a word salad," noting that if the queen hails from Greece, she can't be of "African ancestry."
"5 years of complaining about cultural appropriation and why it is evil for white people to dress up as Native Americans, Indians, Japanese and Mexicans and now they dress a black woman up as a white Grecian woman. Riiiiight," a netizen tweeted.
However, some people online tried to express another viewpoint, stating that even though Cleopatra was Greek, the race of the actor "should be what the producers want their art to reflect," adding: "If you don't like it, don't watch." One user noted that they don't care about the character's
skin color.
"The problem is not the skin color, it's the trying to convince people it's fact!" another netizen argued.
The general public's outrage corresponds with the low ratings of the series, which was released on Thursday. The drama received a shockingly low rating of 1.1 out of 10 on
IMDb, based on over 34,000 user reviews. It's doing no better on
Rotten Tomatoes, with only 13% on the Tomato meter and 1% audience score based on over 1,000 ratings.
"Good, go woke go broke. Especially for documentaries. At least be accurate," one user tweeted.
