#26
Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:15pm
No one is saying that the story is more "authentic" if Aida is played by a black actress. We're saying that the point is that they have VISIBLE RACIAL DIVIDE. Otherwise, in that context, what's forbidden, other than the fact that the countries are at war? In a medium so visual as musical theatre, just saying "oh, we can't be in love, it's bad!" isn't enough.
You're telling us what the racial composition of Egyptian society is like TODAY, and I respect your knowledge, but I don't appreciate your insistence that you can have an accurate picture of what it was in Ancient times simply by knowing history, yet your lack of presentation of what you insist is so easy to know. If you know so much, you must be able to prove to me, then, that these people, like those today must have been white, yes?
The point is that we can't prove who was more likely white or more likely black. It's impossible to know. And if you're insisting that knowing history is so important, I'm still going to hold to my argument based on supposed historic accuracy of a culture's own art. For all we know, though, their portrayal of their own culture may not have been perfectly accurate. For something so long ago and undocumented, it's impossible to know for sure, or to think you do.
In regard to this being "too much," the original poster's question was NOT meant to bring up any racist issues - because of the enormous conglomerate that is Disney, the way they did it has rather become the stereotype and automatic assumption for these roles. Since that's the way it was originally done in this particular incarnation of the story, that's the way people think it should be done for other productions of it. She didn't do anything wrong, other than ask a question about the performance of the material. Lay off.
A work of art is an invitation to love.
You're telling us what the racial composition of Egyptian society is like TODAY, and I respect your knowledge, but I don't appreciate your insistence that you can have an accurate picture of what it was in Ancient times simply by knowing history, yet your lack of presentation of what you insist is so easy to know. If you know so much, you must be able to prove to me, then, that these people, like those today must have been white, yes?
The point is that we can't prove who was more likely white or more likely black. It's impossible to know. And if you're insisting that knowing history is so important, I'm still going to hold to my argument based on supposed historic accuracy of a culture's own art. For all we know, though, their portrayal of their own culture may not have been perfectly accurate. For something so long ago and undocumented, it's impossible to know for sure, or to think you do.
In regard to this being "too much," the original poster's question was NOT meant to bring up any racist issues - because of the enormous conglomerate that is Disney, the way they did it has rather become the stereotype and automatic assumption for these roles. Since that's the way it was originally done in this particular incarnation of the story, that's the way people think it should be done for other productions of it. She didn't do anything wrong, other than ask a question about the performance of the material. Lay off.
