Race Swapping History is stupid! Use Real People That Existed!
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- Опубликовано: 8 ноя 2024
- There has been a recent trend of show and movies blatantly race swapping historical figures. Under the guise of representation. However they seem to leave out all of the real historical figures that they don't have do that with. In this case figures of Native African descent. If you care so much about representation, shouldn't it also be accurate? Lets talk about it.
Just ONE tiny niche of untold TRUE history, that’s a wealth of content and that SHOULD be made is: The Black Patriots of The Revolutionary War. Here’s just a little taste of epic heroic Black history AND equally American history that continues to get zero recognition and celebration..
“Black men -- both slave and free -- served bravely at Lexington and Concord and then at the Battle of Bunker Hill. In fact, according to documents, a former slave named Salem Poor performed so heroically at Bunker Hill -- exactly what he did has been lost to history -- that 14 officers wrote to the Massachusetts legislature, commending him as a "brave and gallant Soldier" who deserved a reward.
The famous picture of George Washington crossing the Delaware on Christmas Day, 1776, also features a black Soldier who many historians, believe is Prince Whipple, one of Washington's own bodyguards..
140 black men signed up for what was better known as the "Black Regiment," according to Williams, and served until Gen. Lord Charles Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Va., in 1781.
In fact, they fought so bravely and inflicted so many casualties on Hessian mercenaries during the battle of Newport, R.I., in the summer of 1778, that Williams said one Hessian officer resigned his commission rather than lead his men against the 1st Rhode Island after the unit had repelled three fierce Hessian assaults. He didn't want his men to think he was leading them to slaughter.
The 1st Rhode Island was a segregated unit, with white officers and separate companies designated for black and white Soldiers. It was the Continental Army's only segregated unit, though.
In the rest of the Army, the few blacks who served with each company were fully integrated: They fought, drilled, marched, ate and slept alongside their white counterparts. There was never enough food or clothes or even pay for anyone, but they shared these hardships equally.
Most historians believe that 10 to 15 percent is a more accurate representation of black Soldiers who served in the Revolution. They served in almost every unit, in every battle from Concord to Fort Ticonderoga to Trenton to Yorktown.“
I thoroughly appreciate you taking time to write and share this.
There are 54 countries in Africa, and many of them have had a lot of interactions with other nations. Maybe instead of trying to rewrite history to represent black people, we instead represent actual African culture and history?!?! Seriously, I wish I knew more about African history.
Couldnt agree more.
I'm white European, and I'm absolutely in favour of this!
To me it would be completely new stories. I would also like to see well-known historical events from another angle, like how did the natives (not only in Africa) experience the discovery and colonization of their homes? How did they get independence back? What is the aftermath of colonization and slave trade?
@@Flugkaninchen Funny thing is. There are plenty of african stories that dont have to include colonization or slavery. Thousands of years of history that doesnt have to do with that.
I been said they are many african writing stories and history and this is why I agree with young rippa channel on many points.
I rather honor true history .
@@enterthenerd3591 Absolutely. What I said above was only an addition.
Movies about Africa as it was before Europeans set foot on the continent would of course be amazing!
I totally agree with you on this, race swapping is just the laziest way to deal with the problem of non-white roles in film and tv. There is so much untapped potential for historical or mythological stories from the African continent and people don't even seem to consider it an option!
In regards to the vikings point as well, the Norse, raided, traded and came into contact with so, so many different people they could have very easily just made a character for the show that was black and awesome in their own right. PoC deserve to have awesome original characters and not just have race swapped roles designed for white people with no real thought or care put into them!
Film is about Storytelling. If race swapping a character helps you tell the most nuanced and best version of the story why not do so? You're basically holding yourself back if you don't. Would Hamilton be the Smash Hit it was if it wasn't presented the way that it was? Look at the wiz a Riff on The Wizard of Oz. You can tell that same story with Italian Immigrants or Porto Ricans cause they have shared similar experiences. My problem with Hollywood Race Swapping is because they put it in your face that that's what they are doing. You can have an African American playing a Part and not even KNOW they were African American until they tell you. Black people come in a range of colors from a range of backgrounds and ethnicities. You mean to tell me no light skinned sisters didn't read for the part of Ariel? Cleopatra? No they wanted the controversy for the publicity. No one gave two shits that the Rock, a half Black, half Samoan dude played a GREEK warrior in the Scorpion King. NOT ONE FUCKING PERSON. Hell in every subsequent movie Mathayus has gotten whiter, where was the outrage? The Rock, a Black Man has played the Son of Zeus, No outrage. This just goes to show you can play any role you want IF you look ambiguous enough like Zoe Kravitz or Giancarlo Esposito. Gus Fucking Fring was Bugging Out from Do the Right Thing.
Think we're approaching a time where there will be no white male actors (unless they're gay) in TV and film,oh except for evil baddies of course.
Why does Hollywood race swap black actors into European mythology instead casting them in stories about African mythology? There are a lot of interesting, potential stories out there that remain untouched.
Race swapping real life, historical people seems particularly strange and dumb.
Rejected Princesses has some amazing folklore from around the world! One of my favorites is called Thákane, and it's about a dragon-slaying 'princess' from South Africa who goes on a journey to help her lazy brothers. If anyone wants to read some cool myths or histories of interesting people, I'd suggest going there. :D
This was a great video. I think it’s more the creators than the audience though. I think what happens is that as much as they may harp about diversity they actually don’t really care. I say this because they always take the easiest/laziest/weirdest approach to include it in a narrative. Cleopatra is a great example of all the Ancient Egyptians you choose the one that was clearly not even phenotypically black. Also Anne Boylin is where they just said “who cares let’s just make her black”. I think when people care it comes out in the final product (whether it’s overall good or bad as a film/tv show)
It’s a shame bc like you said there is an abundance of history and lore to pull from that remains relatively untouched.
Thanks for watching! Its a mixture of both! There cant be a seller if theres no buyer. The studios couldnt feel confidence in these decisions if there werent so many people cheering it on.
The only producer that creates movies with a predominantly back cast that doesn’t portray them as ghetto, impoverished or repressed is Tyler Perry. TPS actually has more than a few absolute bangers, but most of his work is slept on. Why do all other black lead films always have to be about being black instead of just making movies about people who happen to be black?
Even with fictional characters there is a problem. When we think about our real life best friends fondly, the memory of their faces is attached to that feeling. If a friend's appearance suddenly changed so much that they look like a completely different person, it's off-putting.
When we watch really good acting in a movie, we know intellectually that it's fake, but it tricks our brains to believe emotionally that the character is real. When a beloved character's race gets swapped, it's almost as if our own friend's race got swapped. Except in a movie it's even worse because the character was fictional to begin with, so race-swapping can make a viewer overly conscious of the casting and disconnect their immersion.
Hi Nerd, I agree with everything you said.
It is sad to see the huge well of stories, myths ,legends and real historical people from the African continent going to waste at the same time as lazy film makers are race/gender swapping in the name of inclusion, an act that tears people apart instead of bring them together.
Even just bringing some of these stories to the for would be a welcome change.
Sub-Saharan Africa Mythology have the potential to get adapted. But I'll hope they didn't ruined it.
Ryan gosling would play the best Martin Luther King
Studios should've taken the leap and start a new genre around african folklore and history. This could have been new and interesting choice and with talented writers could become profitable, but unlike old directors, they have no vision
I agree
4:17 Exactly! I've been wondering the same thing that there are definitely many indigenous African lores or folktales that must be greatly loved & enjoyed by those particular African communities & perhaps other African communities too that have heard of them. It's so much better to simply bring them in front of the world through some great movie or mini series. I too enjoy stories of different communities whether they're Indigenous Americans or East Asians, there's no reason why African stories can't sell. No need to put African characters in stories where they never existed especially by swapping existing characters from those stories.
I agree with this 100%, I loved Shaka Zulu from the 1980s. Make movies about all cultures. It was a great movie and it would have been dumb to have a white man as a Zulu warrior.
The problem I have is everything being about gender/race instead of the characters or historical events.
I think re-swapping is just stupid. Regardless, if it’s done to historical beings or fictional ones now granted I know it’s for us when it’s done historical ones I totally get that all I’m saying is the practice is stupid regardless.
I LOVE this! I always thought the race swapping for the sake of being woke or at all really was stupid and lazy. There are some instances where I think it can work , like Bridgerton. But instances like the Little Mermaid it’s painfully obvious that there is an agenda there and it’s such a shame when there’s soooo many amazing African stories to be told. Africa has such rich histories and vibrant cultures. I really hope hollywood would get their shit together and start making some quality movies with African stories. But I’m just a silly ol’ racist, so what do I know🤷♀️😂
The largest number of languages & dialects in the world are found in Africa. Africa has TREMENDOUS ethnic diversity -- compare a Berber to a Copt to an Ethiopian to a Nguni to a Yoruba, etc. etc. etc. But the West is STILL paternalizing and dismissing all of Africa as a single unit.
Likewise, why race-swap everything from existing genre fiction? The Woke refuse to adapt good original black fiction about black characters (check out "Rage of Dragons" or "Imaro" for example).
My opinion is this was never about hilighting little known African queen as the show claimed.
The only reason to pick cleopatra was name recognition.
Why does that matter?
You said it : profitability
Race-swaping North Africa/West Asia is a mistake.
I teach in an urban high school. I can't tell you how many students don't realize Africa is a continent, not a country.
Sad isnt it?
Your 900 subscribers needed to be changed to 1000. Great videos btw!
I appreciate this so much
I would love to watch a movie about some of the historie in Africa :)
A movie of the carthage empire would be cool
I like reading. I read since I was eight. And listening to you I recollected that, some time ago I found in the library a book with novels and legends written by native Africans 💥 Those novels showed me how culturally rich Africa is. Such legends can survive through wars and they live longer than political leaders.
Since you called things by name: the idealistic version of pre-colonial Africa is a bs, I think it would make sense to bring native African writers back to life. Especially legends, as they carry lot of information about the past. It would be much better than re-writing the history and putting black people where they never were. That's pathetic and you agree with that.
Coming back to that book. There was let's say ten novels and reading through actual stories I could 'see' Africans as their own people. Unlike many today's haters, they were people with soul. After watching your video I think what Netflix recently does, doesn't help Africans and African-Americans to find their identity at all.
I agree 100% on your commentary! Great job!!
how about not race swapping anyone whether it is a fictional character or not and make new characters and focusing on historically black characters?
thx for giving me a little insight on intesting african figures. As a middle age white man, I never learned too much about it.
I cant wait for a black Genghis Khan 😂😂😂 , or a white Ming ruling his dinasty
John Wayne already did that with The Conqueror with his portrayal as Genghis Khan-sort of:(
5:05 Just marking the African Kings and Queens parts. This is interesting.
(I'm not black.)
I totally agree with this. I want to see a "Somaliwood". An African movie studio to make these movies without the western focal lens, and as a way to bring new industry to a poorer country, to turn it's image around. Also, funding it there would be pretty cheap, I'd imagine.
I remember my grandma telling me “I don’t care what they tell you, Cleopatra was Black”. 😂
For example, I still cannot believe that there are Disney Princesses from all over the world now, but the protagonists of the only disney movies set in Africa are Europeans and Animals. I totally want an African Disney princess. Please tell me there are fairy tales from Africa that would make good Disney movies!
There are plenty. Its a continent with over a dozen countries in it. Also doesnt mean they cant make up a new one as well.
Another thing that's always gotten me was every time there is a culture like good couple of examples in the Jean-Claude Van Damme movie kickboxer he goes to Thailand with his brother and then Thailand has to have a white hero instead of a Thailand hero or someone in a story based in Africa all of a sudden their hero to save them has to be an Asian guy or something like that how come you can't let their hero be part of their culture and race how come you have to bring somebody else in like they're the only one who can help I think this is why I'm going to stop watching any new movies and just stick with my old classics that are good movies not to mention they can't even come up with an original idea they have to reboot or redo or something like that somebody I don't know come up with an original idea that you didn't Jack from somebody
Exactly what I've been thinking!
Piye, Tarhaqa, amenirenas, mansa musa, sundjata keita, askia mohammed toure, amina of zaria, shaka zulu, idris alooma, sonni ali ber these are sum of historical figure in sub saharan africa all with cool and amazing history.
As a North European, I realized some years ago that I don't know nearly enough about Africa. It's a shamefully large gap in my awareness and knowledge. I would absolutely love it, if the entertainment industry explored and popularized African history and mythology; the effect on my knowledge might not be all that, but it would improve my awareness, and give me starting points and motivation for further exploration. In the absence of this, I've set myself the task of reading African literature that explores these things. Unfortunately, as it turns out, my time and energy are too strained to fit in many books. I could fit in a good movie now and then, though, and even a show; I need to do _something,_ even when I don't have the energy to read. I may have to cut down the time I spend watching random cat videos on RUclips, but I'm willing to consider making that sacrifice, willpower allowing.
From what I've read about African history (I've managed to squeeze in some reading), the history of the Horn of Africa would make Game of Thrones seem boring. Adding any fictional drama might prove completely unnecessary. That's only the tip of a continent sized iceberg, though.
Excellent points here.
Oof idk, I would definitely have to sacrifice something other than cat videos on youtube. That’s a hard no for me lol. I agree with everything else though!
Great video man, totally agree with you.
Well, I've believe that they think racism don't matter as long they seek interest on modern viewers as long there part of the viking or some bloodline. They should find someone that looked the same as the first eventhough is not in the special bloodline
There's no real market for POC in movies. It's a business and money talks!
It it purposeful subversion. They do it or attempt to do it everywhere. You can see black people claiming to be the most important historical figures of everywhere, Japan, China, Britain, Ireland, Egypt, Rome, the Greek states, mythologies, religions, etc. whenever black people as a group develop an interest in one of these things they want to be an equal part in it not a guest and not becoming an equal part but retroactively always having been equal or more important in those histories and mythologies than anyone else. We can see them pushing for Japan to have more representation and claiming to be the original emperors of China and important historical figures of other Asian nations as more black people visit and talk about visiting Asian countries. All while claiming a sacred status of their own history and culture and appropriation of anything remotely related to it.
It is a sad and unfortunate truth that some people of african descent participate in. It comes from an emotional place and not one based in objective fact.
@@enterthenerd3591true, I think the narrow band of black history month essentially focusing only on bad aspects and good that followed, IE slavery and Jim Crow and Martin Luther King and inventing peanut butter type shit backfired. No real focus on the wider history, the Ashanti, Mali, Aksumite, Benin, and Ghanaian empires. But then, if they did, they’d have to face a reality that their ancestors weren’t all saints and living in the sense of brotherhood that they have in America, though even still the black on black murder rate of Chicago is 10 times higher than all white supremacist murders of all peoples in the country. So many people seem to believe the trans Atlantic slave trade was the invention of slavery itself, and only existed by way of it. And it gets particularly aggravating having people trying to collectively blame me for 1619 brush off the fact that the last country to criminalize the practice of slavery was Mauritania, in 2017.
@@Michael-cl7xd Hey if you needed to get that off your chest, I hope that helped. Valid points about the other empires of Africa that were echoed in the video. Also valid points about the misconceptions of slavery.
Every group of people has commited atrocities. Slavery being one of them. Lazy thinking is something very popular these days.
Black history month has always been weird for me. Since its focus seems to be more on pain than perseverance. They also dont speak on thing that dont fit a particular narrative.
@@enterthenerd3591it helped, it gets very embittering to be held collectively accountable for millennia with of wrongs.
True, I like to learn about history so I’ve seen examples of it all over, it also exists in the animal kingdom, heard of the slave maker ants? Their bodies aren’t fit for maintaining a colony, they are quite well adapted to non-lethal combat. They raid other species of ants that are good workers and poor fighters, and use them to maintain the colony. There are also reports of some apes capturing and keeping animals such as hyenas with them, though that may be more of a pet thing.
Yes, I do believe that is quite the point, to keep the pain alive. There are the people who do it because grievances are their business, I think also many feel a need to be part of the struggle, that they have to earn their name on some school, some street sign, some history book. It’s been romanticized to an extent.
Both sides, right and left, love to cherry-pick the facts. To hear the left side of America tell it, buck breaking and putting bags on the heads of mothers and sons to make them breed before dumping the kids into a collective raising situation was THE system of slavery itself. All of the worst things that ever happened turned into essentially legal requirements. It was a system of property ownership the same as slavery ever was. And it allowed people to do horrendous things, it didn’t mandate it, at least not in the states. They often like to claim the wounds of places like Haiti which was an entirely different situation for Haitians to the states.
The right likes to act like the civil war was about slavery now days that they are trying to court the black vote, even though the emancipation proclamation wasn’t made until well into the war, included a stipulation that would rescind itself if the seceding states surrendered, and didn’t apply to states that didn’t secede. They’ll try to gloss over it, argue that it was the emancipation then they got the Indians to free the slaves then it was finally over. They skip a bit in the middle. The library of congress actually has collections of interviews with former slaves about slavery, the war, emancipation, freedom, etc. some talk of being taken as slaves by Yankees up north and kept until the 13th amendment was ratified. Tales of yankee soldiers threatening to shoot the infants of slaves to make them help search for valuables their masters hid. Endless stories of the yankee destruction that continued after the war ended. Killing livestock and destroying crops, and confiscating anything that could be otherwise foraged. One of a slave girl who was trying to keep a chicken that had been given to her by the master as a pet, personal property she was allowed to have. The yankee tried to shoot her, and she recounts how her former master threw himself between her and the Yankee as he fired and was shot dead. Neither side wants that story told, the left thinks it invalidates the horrors others went through as a slave and the right doesn’t want to get knocked off their moral high horse.
I think it's wrong to race swap any historical or fictional character.
Say for example they race swapped winsten Churchill or idk George Washington. It ain't gunna make anyone happy
@@BaileyCooperwilkinson Precisely. Why not just make a series about historical figures and their contributions. From whatever group they come from.
The sad thing with that Cleopatra “Documentary“ is that there is an actual black african queen who did it all. Rode into battle, defeted the romans and dictated the terms of the peace. May I present Queen Amanirenas. Who wants a movie about Cleoplatra if there could be a film about her?
I'd say not just for Africa. For the others they just keep putting out stuff that, while not true to the source material, is just repeated uses of ones like Zues, Hades, Heracles, Thor, Loki, Odin, Genghis Khan, etc. when there are a lot of others from those pantheons and countries' histories to talk about. For Africa, except for the made-up countries, most of the stuff I hear about being made is around Egypt. Last I recall hearing anything about from Morocco is when the United States made its first military deployment and squashed the slave trade from the Barbary pirates and others in Morocco, otherwise just an old board game my family had about the Morocco/Egypt War. I can't recall any movies, shows, etc. about Shaka Zula and many others. We had one of my classes in High School we watched a movie about the Tutsis and another tribe I can't recall because it was so long ago. I've done some reading about other things from Africa, but most everything I have encountered is all about Egypt and possibly the biggest thing to make some exception is History's Ancient Aliens program, but we all know about History's "history" now.
Well finally some common sense! Yes races swapping is both stupid and lazy but what's more I will say it's disrespectful towards the original culture background! The race swaps are by now a typical chang from previously white (often also redheaded :)) character to black inexplicably....and the historical figures races swaps are particualr egregious case! It goes back years back, hell even Spartacus show actually race swapped Oenomaos who was supposedly Gallic, but in the tv show he was played by black actor. And I will say and go further even the fictional characters even in fantasy worlds...if they are set in particular cultural sphere as the basis of worldbuildling.....Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is particularly European in terms of cultural and ethnic inspirations of his in depth worldbuilding of cultures, peopels and races (and hell even fictional creatures like Elves and Dwarves have at least basis in European folklore! Norse, Celtic, Germanic....hell if someone used the creatures from say Asian or African culture...like Yuki-onna the snow demon from Japan or Obayifo an african vampire-like creature from myths I bet they would cast to be 'authentic' this points to certain hypocrisy out there.....hell now we have after all entire fictional fantasy worlds based on Asian culture as well, Raya the Last Dragon, Avatar the Last Airbender etc.....and so on and if anyone was race swapping those there would be no end of whining about 'whitewashing' if the race swapping was done the opposite way :).
As you said....everything depends on context....so in particular setting things cannot be as they are in 'modern America' because that is usually meant by 'how the world looks like today'. Heck some francises even total fantasy are often having a lot of inspirations and references to real world culture...Witcher having Slavic and general pan-European cultural influence...and so on.
And when it comes to Africa there are african civilziation and cultures, that really would give enough material....hell no need ot race swap a Danish fairy tale mermaid...when African pepoles have especially of hte Cameroon have legends and evem cults o Jengu, the water spirits of mermaid-like quality!!!!! Effin hell there is all out there if they REALLY wanted diversity they would show TRUE diversity of culture...NOT JUST RACE SWAP WHITE FOLK and call it a day!
its acting, movie shows, god I hope people dont get their education from tv shows :P
How would somebody feel if a black or an Asian character with represented by a Hispanic or white person it's the same thing so why should a Middle East person be represented by someone from Thailand represent them how they are tell the story how will there be myth legend or historical tell it how it is if you want to do anything how about you take each culture and run across them as they're going on a traveling expedition or journey and they run into each other and be like hey I haven't seen someone like you where are you from and let them run across each other and go hey you look really cool where do you come from oh I'm from over here what about you oh you're from over there and have them run across each other as they are traveling instead of swapping who they actually are
I dont really mind it so much unless its being claimed as history. If its just a story about a historical figure in like a fiction piece its fine-kinda like Abraham Lincoln-Vampire Hunter. It tells a story to enjoy but not meant as being accurate. History people that we have pictures of and ones we just have representaions of are different as well. We do know what Ann Boelyn looked liked, but Cleopatra is kinda iffy. There are a lot of things that show her "likeness", but then again there are a lot of historical figures that we really just dont know. Trouble is, so much time has passed and everyone does a slightly different take than another. That along with politically or religious motivations can vastly change the facts of anything. All are just guesses at best, much like Jesus for example. he is always portrayed one way and people just assume it is true.But we just dont know.The passage of time will always keep its secrets.
As far as books and such,changing gender and/or race- as long as it is done well I dont care.
Like the Rings of Power. people are upset about that, but I liked all those characters. And I do think sometimes there needs to be a bit of tweaking to some characters. Most stories more than 50 yrs old revolve around men.And I am not going to critique that much, its just the way it was done at that time. So a little messing around is okay, as long as it isnt forced but is done with respect to the source material. Thats all for me:P thanks and keep up the good videos:)
Hey thanks for watching. Cleopatra isnt iffy. Her lineage is well know. Thete are multiple bust of her in egypt ,greece and rome. None look phenotypically african. There are egyptian women figures who absolutely were. She wasnt. ( She was also a product of incest)
Rings of power is fictional and for the sake of the conversation id like to stay with historical figures.
Was the queen of Egypt white or black. Wasn't she Egyptian tho
Which queen? Cleopatra was of Greek descent. She was not of Native african descent. Her family actually practiced incest to keep it that way.
Well when it comes to trusting anybody that either rights or anything like that unless they know what they're talking about like most of the heroes from the old stories when the villain and the others good example of this Vlad tepes Vlad the impaler of but the Ottoman empire was stealing his land and everything like that taking taxes by kidnapping the children and we're child molesters and they made him like he was a bad guy when he was just tired of the BS and was like you guys got to go and yeah he was a bit gruesome and cruel but I mean he got stuff done and he didn't put up with anything
People suddenly care. This has been happening all through film history. I wonder what changed? Hmmmm? Let's see if we can figure it out...
Not sure what this has to do with this video. When this happenned the opposite way around it was also wrong.
Lets just portray actual people accurately. I actual do mention this in the video.
@Enter The Nerd
Since film was a thing, but suddenly people care. It's pretty sad.
@@graciefreebush394 Who are you addressing exactly?
Your not currently speaking to someone who "suddenly" care? Is there something in the video you actually disagree with?
@@enterthenerd3591
Could you link me to your videos that cover other instances of race swapping in film?
@@enterthenerd3591
I basically disagree with the cancel culture flock in general.