It's Not Real!

The internet’s biggest weakness is The Dunning-Kruger Effect. Not only are people an expert in areas they don’t understand, they’re proud of that. They also make that everyone else’s problem, which is bad when having a thoughtful, nuanced conversation. This is especially true with representation in fictional media. Because it feels like media literacy is wanting, and that’s bad.

Take The Odyssey. The latest from Christopher Nolan’s filmography, it’s been getting plenty of positive buzz because of its execution. It’s also been receiving unwarranted criticism online for its casting, particularly Lupita Nyong’o. Despite being talented, even having an Oscar, she’s been attacked for “blackwashing” a Greek story. Elon Musk has even complained for months on social media. While this’d normally be easy to ignore, Musk has incredible political and financial influence.

But also, this isn’t a real story. The Odyssey’s a work of fiction about Mount Olympus, sirens, cyclopes and the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. Essentially, race-swapping a character isn’t a big deal. Especially since black people lived in Ancient Greece, contrary to popular opinion. Europe was never an ethnic monolith.

That I have to say that is embarrassing. It should be common knowledge to anyone with any kind of sense. Unfortunately, not everyone’s gotten the memo, instead couching their bigoted ideologies and rhetoric. It’s why “incel” is upsetting to incels, or why “TERF” upsets TERFs. And like with Musk, this has spillover.

I’d end here, but it doesn’t stop at The Odyssey. Media literacy for any ancient text is insulting. Even Scripture gets misappropriated to cause real damage. We see it with textual literalists, who use it to justify forcing their beliefs on others, and textual rejectionists, who use it to justify being jerks about God and spirituality. All the while, Maimonides rolls in his grave.

Scripture isn’t a history book. It has history in it, and some of its characters were real, but it doesn’t line up 100% with actual events. The text even makes that clear, as there are Mandela Effects that occur through osmosis: the forbidden fruit wasn’t an apple. The Hebrews didn’t build the pyramids, but rather storage cities. Jonah wasn’t devoured by a whale, but a massive fish. None of the text is accidental, it’s meant to teach us something, but understanding that requires being well-versed.

Going back to The Odyssey, the text doesn’t focus on modern descriptions. That’s not important to its themes and messaging. Having a black woman in it, therefore, shouldn’t matter. But even if the text did describe modernized features, she’s not real. She isn’t Harriet Tubman. Her race is irrelevant! If that bothers you, then it says more about you.

I can hear the counter-argument about robbing a white actress of a role. White people don’t have to worry about equity. There are plenty of roles available for them, the doors will never be shut for them. Minorities don’t have that luxury. Ignoring how they’ve had roles stolen by white people before, there aren’t as many opportunities because Hollywood’s cowardly. In some cases, they’ve had to fight for roles. In others, they’ve relied on the generosity of casting directors.

Giving opportunities to minorities has helped raise the self-esteems of minority consumers. And yes, this hasn’t always been successful, as sometimes minority roles are tiered. I know Jews are frequently shut out of representation on the big and small screens, causing debates about whether or not they’re “actually a minority group”. But that there are opportunities at all shows how far Hollywood’s come, and how much further it has to go. That’s more important than complaining about authenticity.

I also don’t think this is a big deal compared to other problems. Take Tom Holland and Anne Hathaway. They’re cast as son and mother, even though Hathaway’s approximately a decade older than Holland. Considering Matt Damon plays Hathaway’s husband, isn’t that creepy? It might be “accurate” to the times, especially since marriages started over family bonds, but this is Hollywood in the 21st Century. Bending reality for modern sensibilities would do wonders here, especially since the movie’s working in minority casting.

Little details like that feel more pressing, despite them being minor. Complaining about Nyong’o’s casting, however, is reaching for sour grapes. It’s also racist and overlooks what she can bring to the role. Remember, she’s an Oscar winner. And she won that Oscar for a tough role in an even tougher movie. I know that Oscar winners can also turn in bad performances with the wrong direction, but she deserves a chance, no? I’d say so!

Above all else, this is all petty and childish complaining. I get Nolan not being your jam. I love a lot of the man’s work, but I acknowledge he sometimes doesn’t click. I don’t get, however, making this into an issue of racial purity. Because I assure you the “white race” will be fine, like it always is. If that’s not reassuring, then I suggest getting outside and touching grass. I promise you’ll feel so much better after doing that.

Now, if you’ll excuse me…