Author Topic: Diversity Culture  (Read 758 times)

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Offline Queefer Sutherland

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Re: Diversity Culture
« on: August 12, 2022, 07:48:32 pm »
The fans that are opposed to the addition of diversity, whatever their argument may be, are completely dismissing the perspective of entire groups of people. Many of the individuals that are passionate followers of Tolkien’s works and the recreations made of them, have been fans of the stories for years- maybe even their whole lives. For those people, Tolkien’s worlds were a unique and immersive experience that inspired the reader to be courageous. In most cases, they even had a character, or multiple, that they connected to and saw themselves in, but being an almost entirely white cast, this was an experience that in many ways, only white viewers could have.


By making some of the prominent and respectable characters of the world people of color, or by fleshing out the story arcs of a few female characters, the Rings of Power writers made the world more accessible to a broader audience. Now, a whole new generation of young people, at a greater number, can watch this series and see themselves in the characters. That is the purpose of diversity in film, so that the immersive, connecting effect of the characters is not reserved for only one group of people.

I don't particularly have a big problem with a few black characters or more prominent female characters.  I think it's lame and unnecessary hypersensitive politically-motivated weaksauce, but if it turns out to be a really good show then whatever that's by far the most important thing.  I'm a bit worried about some of visuals/special effects for the show, but that's a different subject.

I think the above argument is pretty stupid however.  We are all human beings regardless of skin colour.  You don't need to see someone with your own skin colour in order to relate to them.  That's like saying people with blue eyes or red hair need to see people with characters with blue eyes or red hair in order to relate to them.  Some of my favorite films and shows like The Cosby Show have all-black casts and I can relate to those characters quite a lot because those characters were quite like my family.  The gender argument is a bit more poignant since gender affects your lived experience more than the pigment of your skin.  But having a relatable and likeable character doesn't have to be of your same gender either, especially if they are elves from Middle Earth.
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