Why is Spider-Man White? — Page 2

Frankly, I think this is ridiculous and is a slight offense to Spiderman's creator, Stan Lee. His book is not about this issue and if Spiderman were suddenly black it would have to be explained and have a reason for being beyond "oh, he's black now because there should be more black people in entertainment."

It's offensive to suggest that his character who got superpowers from being bitten by a radioactive spider could be black? You're gonna have to explain that one to me. Why does it have to be "explained" at all. Besides the fact that he originated as a white character in the comics, what about Peter Parker or Spiderman dictates that he not only HAS to be white, but that it's offensive if he's not? You'd have blown a gasket if you'd seen the Charlie Brown revival.

Changes are made all the time to the mythology of these characters. The Superman movies don't take place in the 30s, the Batman tv show and the movies take two totally different tacks with the material, Superman died in the comics, etc, etc.

Again, I see no reason why Spiderman has to be white and I've yet to see anyone make a real case for it in this thread.

The reason Peter Parker is white is because he is a square nerd modeled after people like Stan Lee and his friends at the time who grew up in New York. Peter Parker and his family have an extensive mythology and color blind casting simply doesn't apply here.

Square nerds have to be white?

Or maybe just having the last name White is good enough?

why should he be black, phyllis? what's the rationale for making him black? is there a compelling reason why a character created as a white male should be re-invented as black? can we do the dreamgirls as white? can you give me a compelling reason why that would not work? i think i could overcome all the hurdles there and present them as three white chicks. that would be acceptable, no? but why do it? what's the reason? i was furious that that made kate jackson asian. i thought they should have made farrah irish instead.

---

Spiderman originated in 1962 when a student named Peter Parker was bit by a radioactive spider while doing a science demonstration. What was the likelihood of a black student being portrayed in that position in 1962?

Updated On: 6/2/10 at 10:17 PM

So after an almost 50 year history you're going to now change the character's fundamentals and think that's going to fly with Spiderman fans?

If you feel the need to be politically correct then introduce a black superhero and give him his own history.

Updated On: 6/2/10 at 10:22 PM

There are backstories to all the major superheroes. It's a major part of their evolution as characters. They don't just drop out of nowhere like musical theater characters do.

So after an almost 50 year history you're going to now change the character's fundamentals and think that's going to fly with Spiderman fans?

Yeah, Peter Parker is white. That's all there is to it. Had he been changed say 40 years ago then that would be one thing, but he has an image now. It's too late.

He doesn't HAVE to be white but Peter Parker (the geeky, white kid) has been loved and cherished for so long that changing anything about that character makes the fans (including myself) go ballistic. I mean, in the 3rd movie when Peter became emo.....that never happened in the comics. He became a bitch, but not emo, and that caused a big problem among fans.

---

People...it's a cartoon. Yes, okay, I used "cartoon" to provoke. It's a comic. A graphic novel. Whatever. I can't believe there's a heated discussion about this. Besides, what's so politically correct about making Spiderman black? It's just another choice.

Many comic books and their characters changed costumes and personas during updates over the years. Blackhawk is one of them.
Blackhawk's ch-ch-ch-changes.

But those were secondary characters that didn't have a huge fan base. You can't really compare the two. It's like, what if they made a new Indiana Jones movie but made him black? The fans would have an uproar because it's not Indy.

---

Phyllis - Really, if ANYTHING deviates from the original storyline, the fans go crazy. If you changed Peter from taking pictures for a newspaper to making him a news anchor - that's not how Peter was originally written and then you have fans foaming at the mouth.

---

Updated On: 6/2/10 at 11:02 PM

Again, if they make Peter black and make a great movie, then I am all for it. But, don't just do it only for the sake of doing it.

---

Could there be a black Peter Parker in the Broadway Spiderman?