Why is Spider-Man White?- Page 3

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:22pm

I mean various characters got tweaked in the Raimi films, but the overall plot and character development of Peter/Spider-Man was the same as in the comics.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:23pm

Okay, I'll make a confession here. I was a huge Spiderman fan from around 14-17 years of age. Collected everything. I cannot imagine why (A) anyone is so invested as to care and (B) what freakin' difference does it make? If you read the stories as opposed to looking at pictures, there is absolutely nothing about Peter Parker than screams "White!". Nothing.

I don't anyone's saying do it for the sake of doing it. It was a hypothetical
"Why not?". Why shouldn't a black actor be considered? The "fans" sound less like fans and more like fanatics.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:26pm

Like I said - as long as they make a good movie, I don't really care. I was just saying why fans of the comics would have a problem. If they want to make him black, us bitching is not going to stop it. I just ask they they stay true to the original concept of the character and all will be kosher.

[Calvin]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:34pm

Phyllis -- just ask Robert Guillaume.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:37pm

Calvin, Robert Guillaume is being considered to play Spiderman on Broadway?

Cool.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:37pm

This is so stupid. Spiderman is white. From issue 1, he's a white kid. That's it, case closed. This argument would never happen over a black character wondering why oh why he can't be played by a white person. All this PC bullsh*t just gets on my nerves. If people are upset by the lack of black comic book heroes THAN GET OUT YOUR PENCILS AND MAKE ONE!

While we're at it I think we should have a kid with downs syndrome play Harry Potter in the last movie. It's not written that way but they don't get represented enough in high profile entertainment (besides Family Guy, that is).

[Calvin]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:40pm

Just imagine if message boards were around when he did Phantom!

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:40pm

Thank you JC. MY personal savior.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:41pm

Completely agree with you. Jordan. If Storm in X-Men was played by a white woman, there would be an uproar about trying to white wash the character. Reverse this and it's an uproar about why can't it be a black character. But, like I said, if they want to do it, they are going to do it.

Updated On: 6/2/10 at 11:41 PM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:41pm

The only people who sound upset to me are the ones who seem upset by the idea of Spiderman being portrayed by a black actor.

I am always amused by people who say "Case closed" like that means anything.

eta: "Just imagine if message boards were around when he did Phantom!"

Did you see him, Calvin? He was incredible.
Updated On: 6/2/10 at 11:41 PM

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:43pm

ghostlight - No, not at all. If they kept Peter a white guy and made him a football player instead of a science geek, there would be an uproar. It's not him being BLACK that causes the problem; it's changing the character from his origins.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:49pm

Would I be upset if a black actor played Spidey? No. I'd think it was a bit ridonkulous but it's not something I'd go screaming down the streets screaming about. I just think it's a dumb argument. He's white because he's white. I'm white too and when they make a movie of my life (preferably a Lifetime movie) I hope a white guy plays me. That's not racist it's just avoiding confusion. Unless Jennifer Holiday wants to do it. I'd be ok with that.

[Calvin]

Posted: 6/2/10 at 11:51pm

I did not but wish I could have, ghostlight!

And I will give it to you that a lot of this is over the superfans demanding absolutely no deviation from a set character. Look at how much crap The Simpsons got when they tweaked the history of a relatively minor character, Principal Skinner.

But I wonder if some of the superfans (and I'm not talking about anyone on here -- the aintitcool commenter types, more so) would be so vehemently opposed if the campaign wasn't for a black guy but someone just a little more notwhite. Maybe somebody kinda Spanish, like Emilio Estevez.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 12:03am

Soooo.... nobody has heard about some of the issues raised with Prince of Persia and Avatar: The Last Airbender?



Nick Fury (The Avengers/Iron Man) and Felix Leiter (James Bond) are characters from major series that changed their race on screen. I have no problem with those changes, except for the case of Nick Fury which is purely just Samuel L. Jackson with an eyepatch. Their stories do not really change over, especially when their characters are moving with modern time.

Storm's origin had her as a descendent to a Princess in Kenya. So it would affect her story.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 12:07am

Strummer - Nick Fury was changed to black in the comics WAY before the Iron Man film. And I only used Storm as an example but I'll go back to my original example of SPAWN then.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 12:16am

Thanks for the correction, spidey.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 12:27am

no problem, luv

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 8:52am

" If people are upset by the lack of black comic book heroes THAN GET OUT YOUR PENCILS AND MAKE ONE! "

Sorry...but that's a stupid argument. It's like saying "if people are so upset that there are too few black directors more black people should make movies" or "if people complain there aren't enough roles in Hollywood for mature women more older women need to go into acting." The point is the access isn't there.

Spiderman has nothing to do with race and changing the race of the main character would change absolutely nothing about his back story or mythology.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 9:01am

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.

Not the same, because Indy has always been played by one actor, and the new Spiderman movies are hiring a new actor.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 9:07am

The he's white because he's white argument doesn't make any sense. Nor does saying he has to be white to avoid confusion. The only credible reason I can see is that it would prevent a bunch of uptight white people from going apoplectic. I know that makes me the dreaded "PC," but what does it make those who can't even entertain the thought?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 9:15am

Some people are mistaken. I don't want to just be given the role. I want to be able to audition. I truly love Spider-Man. #donald4spiderman

Ha! If he realllly loved Spider-Man, he'd know that Spider-Man is white!

[bethnor]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 9:40am

for the record, nick fury was never "changed." the black nick fury is part of the "ultimates" storyline of marvel comics, which is essentially a reboot of all marvel franchises. in that continuity, he is black, and he was actually specifically designed after samuel jackson (i believe with the hope of one day nabbing him for a movie role).

The only credible reason I can see is that it would prevent a bunch of uptight white people from going apoplectic.

to be fair, it would prevent a bunch of uptight people from going apoplectic, not just the white male ones. it's just that they're the majority of comic book fans, whose nature is to be uptight about continuity. i honestly believe that if spider-man had been black all this time and the character was made white, you would see the same complaining, because it is their nature to complain. much the same way they complained about the joker being the actual killer of bruce wayne's parents, the way they complained that batman killed henchmen in batman returns, the way they complained that hugh jackman was too tall, the way they complained that the witch king broke gandalf's staff, the way they complained that venom was played by topher grace, etc., etc.

i don't think that necessarily makes them racist, it just makes them uptight nerds, which is what comic book fans are by definition.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 9:45am

I still think it's uptight WHITE nerds.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 9:46am

Maybe "uptight nerds" is a good definition of racists.

I mean, I don't know any really cool racists.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 9:51am

Let the record show that it was not Mrs. Stone who introduced the "r" word.