In an interview with Collider, Hudson Thames, who voices Spider-Man, had this to say:
"I thought it was awesome. I mean, my biggest fear was that it was gonna be annoying and woke, and it wasn't, and I was like, 'Yes, this is great, it's so well written,' like it feels real. I'm the oldest of five boys, so I feel like I kind of know what's happening in their lives and in high school, and it felt like it was doing that justice."
I’m sorry, what?I’m not sure what to make of this. If it’s an act, like what Jerry Seinfeld’s been doing, then I’m disappointed in Thames. Not only is he almost 31, meaning he’s old enough to know better, but Spider-Man has always been “woke”. The character was created to give teenagers representation at a time when they were relegated to sidekicks. His struggles, outside of supervillains, have always centred around paying bills, marriage troubles and caring for his elderly, widowed aunt. You know, stuff real people struggle with? How’s this not “woke”?
If this is Thames being serious, perhaps it’s time for him to be educated. “Woke”, like “politically-correct” and “SJW”, has become another racially-charged buzzword used by people who are angry they can’t be openly-racist. We can debate this forever, but these terms have been floating around more as minorities have gotten attention and accurate representation in media. It doesn’t help that the people using the phrase can’t define it when confronted. You don’t need to look hard for that.
Additionally, “woke” has been used by the people in power to justify enacting laws that harm the vulnerable. Whether it’s stripping DEI initiatives, or scrubbing trans and non-binary identities from government websites, this has all been done to “combat woke-ness”. It’s also expected to get worse, given who’s currently President of The United States. Woe to all!
This has also trickled down to entertainment. With Disney specifically, references to Riley’s lesbianism in Inside Out 2 were removed post-production, while a Pixar series on Disney+ had a trans character’s storyline changed. You may think this is incidental, but queer youth exist. Don’t they deserve to have their stories told? Or is it a problem because “woke”?
I haven’t even gotten to the nasty repercussions, which I’ll skip for two reasons. Firstly, they’re traumatizing to segments of the population, and I want to respect their dignity. And secondly, I’m not living in The US, so I’m not an expert. That said, you can research everything online. It’s all in the name of combatting “woke ideology”.
By Hudson Thames making that remark, he’s contributing to the greater problem. I’m not even sure he’s aware, or he might not care. I don’t know for sure. Yet in the context of the show, there are definitely aspects that, from what I’ve heard, could be considered “woke”. The most-prominent is having Coleman Domingo, a black actor, voicing Norman Osborne, as well as having him mentor Peter Parker instead of Tony Stark. Wouldn’t that be considered a “woke” change, going by this logic?
I haven’t even gotten to the nasty repercussions, which I’ll skip for two reasons. Firstly, they’re traumatizing to segments of the population, and I want to respect their dignity. And secondly, I’m not living in The US, so I’m not an expert. That said, you can research everything online. It’s all in the name of combatting “woke ideology”.
By Hudson Thames making that remark, he’s contributing to the greater problem. I’m not even sure he’s aware, or he might not care. I don’t know for sure. Yet in the context of the show, there are definitely aspects that, from what I’ve heard, could be considered “woke”. The most-prominent is having Coleman Domingo, a black actor, voicing Norman Osborne, as well as having him mentor Peter Parker instead of Tony Stark. Wouldn’t that be considered a “woke” change, going by this logic?
You’ll notice I’ve been putting “woke” in quotation marks. That’s intentional. Not only is the term loosely-defined, I don’t want to give credibility to racist buzzwords. Let’s not kid ourselves: calling something “woke”, unless done in jest, is racially-charged. Like “politically-correct” and “SJW”, as well as the casual misuse of “DEI” nowadays, “woke” is a thinly-veiled alternative to less-than-savoury language that fell by the wayside when minorities started getting respect. It’s not the be-all-end-all people claim, especially when most can’t even define what it means.
Outside of that, it doesn’t even make sense. What was Thames implying here? That the show he headlines was going to suck? Because I don’t think he’s doing a good job at promoting the series. Giving something negative PR as its debuting isn’t a great idea. I’d argue time and distance help, and even then you need tact.
Let’s flip this around for a minute. Thames is, for lack of a better term, white. Say someone called his Spider-Man “woke” because he’s in it? And what if Thames were black? Don’t you think he’d be offended? I would!
Outside of that, it doesn’t even make sense. What was Thames implying here? That the show he headlines was going to suck? Because I don’t think he’s doing a good job at promoting the series. Giving something negative PR as its debuting isn’t a great idea. I’d argue time and distance help, and even then you need tact.
Let’s flip this around for a minute. Thames is, for lack of a better term, white. Say someone called his Spider-Man “woke” because he’s in it? And what if Thames were black? Don’t you think he’d be offended? I would!
Yes, I’m “taking the bait”. I’m “overreacting” to nonsense. I’m aware this is trivial, and that I’m giving oxygen to a nonstarter. That might be true, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be miffed. I’m allowed to comment on something that has negative ramifications. That warrants a response, silly as it is.
Even still, it’s not like using this terminology for Spider-Man, a superhero whose existence is “woke”, is appropriate or fitting. What’s wrong with proper representation? What’s wrong with advocating for better? Like Nicepool says in Deadpool & Wolverine: “It costs nothing to be kind.” I think Thames could stand to learn from that, regardless of his intent.
Even still, it’s not like using this terminology for Spider-Man, a superhero whose existence is “woke”, is appropriate or fitting. What’s wrong with proper representation? What’s wrong with advocating for better? Like Nicepool says in Deadpool & Wolverine: “It costs nothing to be kind.” I think Thames could stand to learn from that, regardless of his intent.
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