https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battling_Siki

This guy’s life story is insane.

1st. He’s born in Senegal, technically part of France at the time, brought to Europe and then abandoned. I feel like that’s already more story arc than most movies these days.

2nd. Becomes a teenage boxer. Mediocre boxer.

3rd. Joins France in WWI. France wins the war. He’s a decorated hero, but still black and something of a 2nd class citizen.

4th. Becomes a championship boxer. Shockingly defeating the white French national hero in a huge fight (that may have been fixed) in front of 55,000 people. Also Ernest Hemingway was there front row and he wrote a story about it.

5th. Moves to New York. Refuses to throw fights. Becomes alcoholic and bitter.

6th. Gets assassinated. Dead at age 28.

Tell me this isn’t some sort of Oscar bait fiction?

    • papalonian@lemmy.world
      6·
      2 days ago

      It doesn’t seem like their gripe is with the changing of a character’s race, as much as it is about not telling original stories and giving actual minority character’s stories a spotlight.

      I feel I phrased that poorly, but I think it’s somewhere along the lines of, “I don’t want to see [traditionally white character] as a black person, I want to see [original black character]'s story be told”

      They’re saying that Hollywood execs see that people want more black people in movies, but instead of writing good, interesting original black characters, they’re just casting black actors in pre-existing roles and calling it a day

      • Vogi@piefed.socialEnglish
        1·
        2 days ago

        Rereading the comment I can see that. Been around some people lately with some rather questionable opinions about this and the first sentence raised some alarms. I see it as transition towards more diverse original stories though, I don’t think anything especially the Hollywood execs would change over night, but maybe I am too hopeful.

        hollywood is a psyop anyways, indie movies is where its at especially if you wanna watch more original and diverse stories.

    • Secret_Music@piefed.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      61·
      3 days ago

      I’d also love to get some examples, seeing as it’s apparently such a scourge. I know that it sometimes happens but I’m struggling to think of enough examples for it to actually be this big issue like these people try and make it out to be.

      Personally, I think that people who cry about the “historical accuracy” of an Ancient Greek myth, and the casting of a demi-god that hatched from an egg, need to fuck off.

      • Zarobi@aussie.zoneEnglish
        4·
        2 days ago

        As a Greek person, it would have been cool to see more actual Greek representation in a Greek story of all things. Same thing happened to Egyptians in their Cleopatra Netflix thing. Would have been cool to see some real Egyptian actors, y’know?

        For most affected people, it’s not so much about hating on certain groups, but on feeling left out of the one thing that they really shouldn’t have been. There’s also the historical aspect of course, but I mean, it’s a tv show, not a documentary.

        I can only think of those two off the top of my head, but I think there was at least one other series that got a lot of attention for a similar reason I can’t remember right now.

      • stringere@sh.itjust.works
        2·
        2 days ago

        For the most part, I don’t care about ethnicity swaps. Annie being changed from a redhead was a real blow to my ginger wife who basically had Annie, Pippy Longstocking, Stawberry Shortcake, and Ariel the Little Mermaid. Half of those have been recast.