Actor Jeffrey Wright, who played a race-swapped version of Commissioner Gordon in Matt Reeves’ The Batman responded to backlash of the casting describing it as “f***ing racist and stupid.”This Substack is reader-supported.
Except that was the least of the controversies most critics had with "The Batman". If anything it was the slow poison of other items going in the film with regards to references to a great reset, the awful on the nose dialogue about elites from Catwoman and a variety of other off putting champagne socialist talking points and themes pumped into the film. The race swaping of Gordon was just a minor eyerolling issue. But the outright nerve of Jeffery Wright kvetching about this around five years later? After his checks have been cashed? Come on, knock it off and stop craping on your audience that you made bank off of.
Where's Wright IP? I got one, bunches of other substacks have very origonal IPs. Let me see what you got before changing someone elses work. It all coat tail riding, fan fic and crying when called out.
I assume you are being sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek, but on the off chance you aren't or that there are people who won't get it... There are lots of fascinating and entertaining characters from other ethnicities, both male and female, both fictional and historical. The problem is that they do not have the same fan following of the icons. Bass Reeves was a real US Marshal in the wild west. Luke Cage is a great Marvel Super Hero. Red Sonja and Lara Croft are cult classics. The problem is, the racists, feminists, and Leftists won't let us enjoy them.
The new Red Sonja movie was released this year and there is a Lara Croft movie that was just cast. Luke Cage had a TV Series. I'm not sure if it is still running. I think the reason we do not see more of these is twofold. On one hand, the ones we have seen were so heavily politicized that the movies were lousy and Hollywood shies away from putting good money after bad. On the other hand, there's name recognition. Batman and Spiderman are a huge draw while many would say, "Luke Cage who?" Black Panther is a really fun and intersting character, but the two movies made for him were just totally awful and inherently racist and sexist. Audiences don't like to be lectured or browbeaten. I suppose there is a third reason and that would be there are no creative talents in Hollywood. They don't know how to tell a good story so they adopt and co-opt things that were successfully done by others.
I actually like him as an actor, and I didn't care what race he was for that role. But I also love icons and that icons have particular races, cultures and history. When we take that away, take away our races, cultures and history, we become this miasmic marxist grey society of ...oh wait... yeah okay, that's what they want... duhhhh....
Your final point is accurate, but your lead in is incorrect. The race of supporting characters and even iconic characters is not all that important. If Batman were written today, it is likely and appropriate that James Gordon would be black. The modern Gotham is far more black than it was in 1939. Gordon's character is what matters, not the color of his skin. The same could be said for Bruce Wayne himself. What we should be outraged by is when these iconic characters are twisted for the politics of the writer/actor/director. A Bruce Wayne spouting ebonics and having clawed his way out of the ghetto would be a travesty. Now, a Batman who adopted a black Dick Grayson is an entirely different and acceptable story. It is the story that matters.
What backlash? I don't remember any backlash at the time about Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon. I liked him in the part, myself, and I'm an old Batman fan.
Mr. Wright, sir, you are the racist. I have absolutely no problem with you being cast as Jim Gordon and I think you will do an exceptional job with the role. Seeing that you are a racist and likely a flaming liberal, I won't pay to see the movie, but I'm sure I will enjoy watching it with you in it. All that said, your comments beg the question, would you say the same things if a white actor was hired to play Othello or Martin Luther King? We've seen black actors being cast for iconic and historic white characters. I would also want to hear your thoughts on why a race that represents about 13% of the US population should be wildly over-represented in our media and entertainment. It seems that the loudest voices crying out about racism are always the voices of racists. Never forget the warnings of Booker T. Washington, certainly not a white man, "There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs-partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs."
I see Hollywood push black cultural appropriation of European culture, the attack on white culture and American values. Progressives DEI need to question why there is no achievement of their own.
Or…. Hear me out. Replacing white characters thinking it makes a better story…. That sounds pretty racist.
Except that was the least of the controversies most critics had with "The Batman". If anything it was the slow poison of other items going in the film with regards to references to a great reset, the awful on the nose dialogue about elites from Catwoman and a variety of other off putting champagne socialist talking points and themes pumped into the film. The race swaping of Gordon was just a minor eyerolling issue. But the outright nerve of Jeffery Wright kvetching about this around five years later? After his checks have been cashed? Come on, knock it off and stop craping on your audience that you made bank off of.
Where's Wright IP? I got one, bunches of other substacks have very origonal IPs. Let me see what you got before changing someone elses work. It all coat tail riding, fan fic and crying when called out.
There are no interesting or worthwhile minority or female characters. I completely understand why we need to race and gender swap!
I assume you are being sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek, but on the off chance you aren't or that there are people who won't get it... There are lots of fascinating and entertaining characters from other ethnicities, both male and female, both fictional and historical. The problem is that they do not have the same fan following of the icons. Bass Reeves was a real US Marshal in the wild west. Luke Cage is a great Marvel Super Hero. Red Sonja and Lara Croft are cult classics. The problem is, the racists, feminists, and Leftists won't let us enjoy them.
Exactly! So why aren’t they telling those stories?
The new Red Sonja movie was released this year and there is a Lara Croft movie that was just cast. Luke Cage had a TV Series. I'm not sure if it is still running. I think the reason we do not see more of these is twofold. On one hand, the ones we have seen were so heavily politicized that the movies were lousy and Hollywood shies away from putting good money after bad. On the other hand, there's name recognition. Batman and Spiderman are a huge draw while many would say, "Luke Cage who?" Black Panther is a really fun and intersting character, but the two movies made for him were just totally awful and inherently racist and sexist. Audiences don't like to be lectured or browbeaten. I suppose there is a third reason and that would be there are no creative talents in Hollywood. They don't know how to tell a good story so they adopt and co-opt things that were successfully done by others.
This exchange reads to me like a conversation of one.
What’s wrong with that?
I actually like him as an actor, and I didn't care what race he was for that role. But I also love icons and that icons have particular races, cultures and history. When we take that away, take away our races, cultures and history, we become this miasmic marxist grey society of ...oh wait... yeah okay, that's what they want... duhhhh....
Your final point is accurate, but your lead in is incorrect. The race of supporting characters and even iconic characters is not all that important. If Batman were written today, it is likely and appropriate that James Gordon would be black. The modern Gotham is far more black than it was in 1939. Gordon's character is what matters, not the color of his skin. The same could be said for Bruce Wayne himself. What we should be outraged by is when these iconic characters are twisted for the politics of the writer/actor/director. A Bruce Wayne spouting ebonics and having clawed his way out of the ghetto would be a travesty. Now, a Batman who adopted a black Dick Grayson is an entirely different and acceptable story. It is the story that matters.
I loving icons and those icons have a particular race, culture and history doesn't care whether you think it's incorrect or not.
It's my opinion! And you then correcting me with a 'likely' is not the look you think it has. Whatever.
Of course, Jeffrey Wright is playing the race card. He’s clearly the real racist.
Commissioner Reggin?
What backlash? I don't remember any backlash at the time about Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon. I liked him in the part, myself, and I'm an old Batman fan.
On the other hand, I hated Pattinson as Batman.
This clown peaked in his first movie about that “beloved” creep, basquiat. Aur revoir,… Jeffrey.
Mr. Wright, sir, you are the racist. I have absolutely no problem with you being cast as Jim Gordon and I think you will do an exceptional job with the role. Seeing that you are a racist and likely a flaming liberal, I won't pay to see the movie, but I'm sure I will enjoy watching it with you in it. All that said, your comments beg the question, would you say the same things if a white actor was hired to play Othello or Martin Luther King? We've seen black actors being cast for iconic and historic white characters. I would also want to hear your thoughts on why a race that represents about 13% of the US population should be wildly over-represented in our media and entertainment. It seems that the loudest voices crying out about racism are always the voices of racists. Never forget the warnings of Booker T. Washington, certainly not a white man, "There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs-partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs."
I see Hollywood push black cultural appropriation of European culture, the attack on white culture and American values. Progressives DEI need to question why there is no achievement of their own.