First Rachel Dolezal, and now THIS!?!?!

[SwimExpert]

A black actress will play Hermione in a new Harry Potter play.

Swaziland-born Noma Dumezweni will take the lead role in the much-anticipated stage production of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."

Harry Potter's Hermione to be played by Noma Dumezweni - CNN.com


Suuure, Hermione. Just become black. I mean....it's whatever you want, really. It's totally believable. What are these people thinking? Hermione is not black, she is white. You can't just snap your fingers like magic and make someone black when they are white. You can't just choose to be black like you can choose to be a doctor, or an actress, or a police officer. I mean, if you want to work for the NAACP, that's perfectly fine. If that's a cause you are passionate about, then by all means go work for them. But you can't live in a land of make believe and pretend to be a color that you're not.

 

[Arianrhod]

A black actress will play Hermione in a new Harry Potter play.

Swaziland-born Noma Dumezweni will take the lead role in the much-anticipated stage production of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."

Harry Potter's Hermione to be played by Noma Dumezweni - CNN.com


Suuure, Hermione. Just become black. I mean....it's whatever you want, really. It's totally believable. What are these people thinking? Hermione is not black, she is white. You can't just snap your fingers like magic and make someone black when they are white. You can't just choose to be black like you can choose to be a doctor, or an actress, or a police officer. I mean, if you want to work for the NAACP, that's perfectly fine. If that's a cause you are passionate about, then by all means go work for them. But you can't live in a land of make believe and pretend to be a color that you're not.

You do know that Hermione is a fictional character, right?

 

[SwimExpert]

A black actress will play Hermione in a new Harry Potter play.

Swaziland-born Noma Dumezweni will take the lead role in the much-anticipated stage production of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."

Harry Potter's Hermione to be played by Noma Dumezweni - CNN.com


Suuure, Hermione. Just become black. I mean....it's whatever you want, really. It's totally believable. What are these people thinking? Hermione is not black, she is white. You can't just snap your fingers like magic and make someone black when they are white. You can't just choose to be black like you can choose to be a doctor, or an actress, or a police officer. I mean, if you want to work for the NAACP, that's perfectly fine. If that's a cause you are passionate about, then by all means go work for them. But you can't live in a land of make believe and pretend to be a color that you're not.

You do know that Hermione is a fictional character, right?

Yeah, what's your point? Are you conceding that Rachel Dolezal and Hermione being black is fiction?

 

[TNHarley]

I am surprised she is allowing that. JR is a racist nationalist. lol

 

[mdk]

Muggles.

 

[HenryBHough]

So instead of "Muggles" we'll have to accept "Thuggles"?

 

[Katzndogz]

If Rowling wanted Hermione to be black, why didn't she write her as black in the books?

 

[SwimExpert]

If Rowling wanted Hermione to be black, why didn't she write her as black in the books?

Yes! This. Exactly this. I mean, this makes about as much sense as writing alien characters on a TV show with human faces, and then one day writing them with with totally different faces. Oh wait....

 

[Katzndogz]

If Rowling wanted Hermione to be black, why didn't she write her as black in the books?

Yes! This. Exactly this. I mean, this makes about as much sense as writing alien characters on a TV show with human faces, and then one day writing them with with totally different faces. Oh wait....

Someone might make the new Lassie movie with a dashound or chihuahua.

 

[Meathead]

If the actress was cast because she is black, it is obvious that it is a decision influenced by politically correctness. I imagine it is.

That makes it cheap, as I understand much of the new Star Wars movie is.

 

[konradv]

The only problem I have with her is that she appears to be rather old to be playing Hermione. I've never read the Potter books, but is Hermione ever defined as definitely white?

 

[Meathead]

The only problem I have with her is that she appears to be rather old to be playing Hermione.

Would you have a problem with Huck Finn and his father being played by blacks? It would be far more befitting. Perhaps it was Twain's political correctness that they were written as white.

 

[mdk]

So instead of "Muggles" we'll have to accept "Thuggles"?

This breaks me up. lol

 

[SwimExpert]

The only problem I have with her is that she appears to be rather old to be playing Hermione. I've never read the Potter books, but is Hermione ever defined as definitely white?

The entire cast is old. From what I understand, the show is some kind of Hogwarts 30 year reunion bit, or something. And no, Hermione is never specified a race in the books. Apparently Rowling has posted on twitter in response to the faux outrage, pointing out that Hermione's description states that she has brown, frizzy hair and is witty.

 

[tinydancer]

A black actress will play Hermione in a new Harry Potter play.

Swaziland-born Noma Dumezweni will take the lead role in the much-anticipated stage production of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."

Harry Potter's Hermione to be played by Noma Dumezweni - CNN.com


Suuure, Hermione. Just become black. I mean....it's whatever you want, really. It's totally believable. What are these people thinking? Hermione is not black, she is white. You can't just snap your fingers like magic and make someone black when they are white. You can't just choose to be black like you can choose to be a doctor, or an actress, or a police officer. I mean, if you want to work for the NAACP, that's perfectly fine. If that's a cause you are passionate about, then by all means go work for them. But you can't live in a land of make believe and pretend to be a color that you're not.

On some works there's leeway to be sure. Great interview I heard on CBC with truly one of my favorite actors of all time, Yaphet Kotto. I am a fan. Big time.

And he really laid out great arguments pro and con where one could go with classical characters such as Bond vs other roles.

Now I just adored him in Alien when he played off of another kick ass actor Henry Dean Stanton who left us far too soon (boy oh boy I wish Harry could have lived forever) but when I lived east and I had cable Homicide: Life on the Street was just killer in TV detective shows.

Here's how he explains it in a nutshell.

The first African American actor to play a major Bond villain, Yaphet Kotto, has said that 007 cannot be black.

In an interview with the Big Issue, Kotto was asked for his views on the controversy surrounding Roger Moore’s recent suggestion that Bond should be “English-English”. The actor, who played Dr Kananga/Mr Big in 1973’s Live and Let Die, replied: “He cannot be black. Political correctness be damned, [we] have to stay with what is literally correct.”

Kotto, 75, added: “James Bond was established by Ian Fleming as a white character, played by white actors. Play 003 or 006, but you cannot be 007. A lot of people say we should be allowed to play everything. Don’t be ridiculous. If I say I want to play JFK, I should be laughed out of the room.

“Black men should stop trying to play roles created by whites. These roles are not written for black men. We have pens [to create] roles that no one else has established.”

By the way I had the pleasure of knowing him briefly. This man is gracious, charming and absolutely engaging. And I love him to death every time I see him punch the shit out of Ash trying to kill Ripley in Alien.

Former 007 villain Yaphet Kotto says James Bond cannot be black

 

[tinydancer]

So instead of "Muggles" we'll have to accept "Thuggles"?

OMG! I laughed. Come on now though. Lord forgive me I laughed.

 

[Arianrhod]

Yeah, what's your point? Are you conceding that Rachel Dolezal and Hermione being black is fiction?

No, I said Hermione is fictional. Rachel Dolezal is a real person with issues.

White actors/singers have played Othello. Black actors have played Lear.

If Rowling's okay with it (and she is), you're free to boycott a performance you wouldn't have seen anyway.

If Rowling wanted Hermione to be black, why didn't she write her as black in the books?

From the OP you obviously didn't read:

J.K. Rowling, author of the hugely successful Harry Potter series, has applauded the decision, adding that "white skin was never specified:"

 

[Arianrhod]

The only problem I have with her is that she appears to be rather old to be playing Hermione.

Would you have a problem with Huck Finn and his father being played by blacks? It would be far more befitting. Perhaps it was Twain's political correctness that they were written as white.

Explain how that would work in context.

 

[SwimExpert]

No, I said Hermione is fictional. Rachel Dolezal is a real person with issues.

White actors/singers have played Othello. Black actors have played Lear.

If Rowling's okay with it (and she is), you're free to boycott a performance you wouldn't have seen anyway.

But do you really want Hermione to become a Klingon? One day all smooth faced, and then all of a sudden her forehead is all bumpy, and shit...

 

[Arianrhod]

No, I said Hermione is fictional. Rachel Dolezal is a real person with issues.

White actors/singers have played Othello. Black actors have played Lear.

If Rowling's okay with it (and she is), you're free to boycott a performance you wouldn't have seen anyway.

But do you really want Hermione to become a Klingon? One day all smooth faced, and then all of a sudden her forehead is all bumpy, and shit...

Could be an interesting cross-over.