Why is Spider-Man White?- Page 4

[StageManager2]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 10:02am

Phyl, is this some sort of white guilt thing?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 10:04am

I don't think so. I just don't think it's a big deal to consider a black person for the role of Spider-Man.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 10:05am

Why do we assume Phyllis is white?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 10:09am

Because if I wasn't white, I'd have no business have a white character's name as my screen name! Duh!

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 10:24am

Are you saying we couldn't have an all-black Follies, Phyl?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 10:31am

Girl, do you remember that thread? An all-black Follies was posited on here once and some people went apesh*t!

For the record, I'm in the camp that maintains Vanessa Williams would make a smashing Phyllis Rogers Stone.
Updated On: 6/3/10 at 10:31 AM

[ghostlight2]

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

Oh, jesus, don't tell me I opened another can of worms. No, I don't remember that thread, but I can only imagine. I know that the revival at the Belasco was much reviled, but I thought Carol Woods was a marvelous Stella, and Allyson Tucker was stunning as her younger counterpart.

Vanessa Williams As Phyllis? Sure, why not?

Just not as Spiderman.
Updated On: 6/3/10 at 10:40 AM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 10:43am

Ok, now I really want a black Spider Man just to watch people freak out. Especially the comic book purists. I don't think the story has to be retold with only one demographic in mind each and every time (honestly, I don't think we need Spider Man retold again for at least another twenty years). Especially if the only fundamental change in the story is the character's race. Fans have had a white Spider Man for decades. It's not like their being robbed of anything. If they don't like the change in race, then don't go see the film. Go back to your comics, cartoons and DVDs. There are plenty of whitey Spidey resources to last a lifetime. If the comic book industry cannot stand a little re-conceptualization, perhaps it shouldn't be considered an art form any more. It's not as if comics haven't engaged in their own fair share of shark-jumping.

Personally, I'd love an Indian Spider Man.

[Calvin]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 10:43am

I don't remember that one. I do remember the black Maria von Trapp discussion. I think I was in the minority on that one, but I thought it would work, as Julie Andrews looks about as much like the real Maria von Trapp as Esther Rolle does.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 10:50am

Vanessa Williams in Kiss of the Spiderman - Turn off the Pigment!

[tazber]

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

That thread was insane. It always amazes me how the people who populate these boards get so crazy over even the most mature discussions about race.

You would think that if a discussion could be had about race, a board made up of (what seems to be) mostly theater related liberals would be the place.

On that note, I found a funny website with hilariously misspelled
toy knockoffs (for example there was a "RobertCop" doll that was a copy of "RoboCop" etc.) There was a Spiderman doll that I would love to post in this thread, but I won't b/c it's sure to ignite a frenzy.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 12:08pm

I agree Taz. But then some of the most vehemently racist people I have met are liberal gays...and I never understood that either.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 12:13pm

But then some of the most vehemently racist people I have met are liberal gays...and I never understood that either

This.

[Calvin]

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

But then some of the most vehemently racist people I have met are liberal gays

Me too. Some of the most jaw-droppingly racist things I've heard came out of the mouth of a gay (sheltered and born into money) guy from Connecticut.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 12:50pm

Spidey's white because he has a small penis.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 12:52pm

I went out with a guy for a couple of weeks in the late 90s and we were still in the getting-to-know-you phase. As he was driving through a parking lot, about three or four young black boys were playing and accidentally ran in front of his car and then out of the way. He honked and shouted, "F*cking NIGLETS!!" He thought he coined a rather hilarious term for black children. I let him know precisely what I thought of his bigotry and never saw him again.

Oh, and he was the WORST sex I ever experienced. I didn't think it was possible for any gay man to be THAT BAD at sex. It was the only time I ever had to fake it just to get it over with.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 1:00pm

"Spidey's white because he has a small penis."

I think you have that backwards, doodle.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 1:04pm

Um...I was following the thread title?

[twinbelters]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 1:16pm

I would love to see Donald Glover write a treatment about Peter Parker aka Spiderman in a NYC with slight differences, maybe the World Trade Center was never attacked? Maybe a zeppelin is tethered to the top of the Empire State Building? Whatever, small differences.

But, through the story of the film this Peter discovers there is a parallel universe (perhaps more than one?) where there is another Peter Parker aka Spiderman who is white (a newcomer TBD).

That is how I would expect it would be justified. I want a sophisticated science fiction tale worthy of Peter. He is a scientist at the core of his character and a nerdy one at that with plenty of insecurities. You can change the race/ethnicity/sex/sexuality/beliefs of a character as long as you justify it. (The Ultimate Clone Saga was amazing, yeh?)

For instance, I loved the skillful way J.J. Abrams handled the reboot of Star Trek. It served many purposes and was entertaining but it didn't draw attention to itself by making Kirk black for no evident reason. I think Uhura should have been a lesbian Native American, though, just because we don't see enough of them.

I love the idea of color blind casting, but I think it works better in theater than in film--especially if one is adapting well known characters with a set origin. Angelina Jolie's character in Wanted is far from an icon so changing the race there isn't as big a problem. I do think it betrayed the original Mark Millar work, however. But, Jolie is a name and you gotta have a name. One less strong African American woman on screen though. =/ Maybe it will be made up for with Alicia Keys playing 355 in Y: The Last Man. Hey, maybe Yorick should be black? Um, no.

In theater we are asked to suspend our disbelief all around; in film, less so.

Robert Guillaume as Cyrano and The Phantom of the Opera in those respective musicals? Sure, why not? If he was Cyrano in a movie, not so much.

I LOVED the revival of You're A Good Man Charlie Brown and that color blind casting worked because it was consistent in its diversification and it spoke to the universality of the Peanuts characters. I felt it was justified, and had some top notch performers.

It's a tricky thing, but I don't know why Spiderman being white or black or pygmy has anything to do with what Marvel comics and that particular title are about. I don't understand why this question is even being raised as a possibility unless it is backed up by some justification beyond "there aren't enough black characters."

Where's my Runaways movie? That has black characters and Asian characters. Where's the Cloak and Dagger film?? Cloak is black, but maybe he should be Latino because there aren't enough Latino characters in films?

I'm not a *crazy* fan-atic, but I do have a lot of respect for the comic medium. I think changing races on Spiderman at this point is a bit of a novelty move. (Again, unless there is something to say by making that change. Maybe Donald could make a part documentary/part narrative about how Spidey is held aloft by a minority audience who are not represented well enough by Marvel titles?) (I'd kill to see the Bollywood Spiderman. Hey, how about an all black Spiderman musical? Pearl Bailey can be Aunt May!)

And, yes, please don't give us ANOTHER origin story in the next movie. I've seen Thomas and Martha Wayne, as well as Uncle Ben, die enough.

Maybe Donald could be the black Captain America? In fact, if you don't know, BCA was the first Captain America in Marvel continuity as they had to test that Super Soldier serum on someone before they tried it on Steve Rogers.

I think the better question is why they don't make a Spiderwoman (above) movie? I would want it to be inspired by the Ultimate Clone Saga where she is basically Peter (with all the memories and abilities) it just so happens the clone is a girl. It's a fantastic story and I love that Johnny Storm, unbeknownst to her origins, was making out with her in a recent issue of Ult Spidey.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 1:47pm

I almost feel the need to point out that Peter Parker is not, in fact, white...because Peter Parker does not, in fact, exist.

I think maybe some people have over-identified and should light a soy candle and start journaling their feelings. Cause this thread is full of White Crazy.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 1:49pm

You're leaving out the just plain "Crazy", Robbie.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 1:55pm

Well...that's Broadwayworld in general...I was aiming to be more specific!

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 2:18pm

yeah well, robbie you're dead so i think you should just stick to that, ok? ya f***ing ghost.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 2:20pm

I will haunt you till your mantits have sagged so low you'll have to kick them out of the way just to keep from tripping.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 6/3/10 at 2:21pm

"Well...that's Broadwayworld in general...I was aiming to be more specific!"

Point taken - and wait, papa, were you talking to me or robbie?