It’s Saturday, I’m at home, there’s a bulldog sprawled across my legs, and I’ve just had the best laugh I’ve had in a long while, thanks to white supremacists.
A group called the Council of Conservative Citizens, a white power organization, is calling for a boycott of the upcoming film “Thor,” the latest Marvel Comics-based movie. The reason? The character of Heimdall, guardian of Bifrost (a.k.a. The Rainbow Bridge that connects Asgard to the land of Midgard, a.k.a. Earth), will be portrayed by actor Idris Elba, who is black. The character is traditionally portrayed as white (what with him being a Norse figure).
Their reasoning (for want of a better word) is that it’s a white character, so it should be played by a white actor and not “a negro” (their term, I stress, not mine). The CCC rants about pro-black liberal agendas and other ignorant, socially backwards concepts, and tries to argue that if other race-based support groups can get peeved over casting Caucasian actors as characters of race (such as putting Jake Gyllenhaal in the role of “The Prince of Persia” or just about anyone in any role in “The Last Airbender”), white folks can get upset over the darkening of Heimdall without it being racism.
One: it’s Heimdall. He’s not a major character. Who cares?
Two: when you refer to Idris Elba as a “negro,” you undermine your claim that you’re not racist.
Three: Hollywood does not do a good job of giving roles to actors of color. That said…
Four: an actor’s job is to portray something they are not. If that ends up applying to race, gender, sexual orientation, whatever, so be it.
Five: How can you boycott a move that looks THIS AWESOME?!
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Yesterday I attended the wake of James Ayube, the Salem soldier who was killed in action in Afghanistan last week. I’ve been friends with his wife for many years and was at their wedding –which happened about three years ago this month, and not too far away from the church where his service was held.
I’ve honestly not thought about the war, but it’s hard not too when it strikes so close to home. I can’t help but wonder what we’ve truly gained from being in the Middle East, and if it’s worth what we’ve lost. I hear all the reasons for being over there, but they all ring false, and so far I have yet to see or hear anything that makes me think it’s been worth all the lives lost.
PS: In case anyone out there feels like blasting me for “not supporting the troops,” kindly go to hell. Supporting the troops and supporting the war are two related but separate issues. I support the troops, and I think the best way to support them is to end the war and bring them home, alive and well, to be with their friends and families.
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Speaking of war: seems the “war on Christmas” is in low gear this year. I’ve not heard quite as much furor over the “secularization of Christmas” as in years past, but nevertheless, I’ll offer my annual two thoughts:
1) It really doesn’t matter if someone wishes you “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”; as long as they don’t tell you to go [expletive deleted] yourself, accept the thought in the spirit it was given and don’t be a jerk;
2) The majority of the trappings associated with Christmas are pagan in origin, so don’t go nuts about how the Christianity has been drained from the holiday. (Fun fact: Pope Julius I moved the celebration of Christ’s birth to December in the Fourth Century to make the transition to Christianity more palatable for the pagans being forced to covert).
The views and opinions in the Enterprise blogs are those of the author and are not neccessarily shared by Falmouth Publishing.
