Harold Perrineau: Stop Saying My Daughter’s Not Black Enough for ‘Jem and the Hologra

[JamalSpunky]

At least she's not British.



Hollywood did the same thing with Storm of the X-Men, and I just read an article that director Bryan Singer has cast another biracial woman to play the 'African' Storm in his next X-Men movie.

The comic book character Storm was discovered by Prof. Xavier in an African village where she was worshiped as a goddess because of her weather manipulating abilities.

Stop. Storm was an African woman with coca-butter skin color; white, long, silky hair; blue eyes and, depending on the artist, European facial features. In other words she looked like no African woman I have ever seen and never will see. DO I think Halle and this recent chick cast as Storm look anything like her? No. But neither did Angela Bassett or Lupita Nyong'o either. How can anyone be mad about the casting of Storm when I don't know of ANY black women in the world that look like her? Fuck it. I'm more pissed off about the actor they got to play Bishop. The casting is extreme with both black women and black men. For black women they too often go in one direction: more European looking. For black men they go too often in the opposite direction: the blacker the better.

 

[JamalSpunky]

I read that she was actually offered the role, but turned it down. Not sure if it's true or not.

I think she did turn it down but then was tacky about it by throwing shade Halle's way.

 

[orejon4]

Stop. Storm was an African woman with coca-butter skin color; white, long, silky hair; blue eyes and, depending on the artist, European facial features. In other words she looked like no African woman I have ever seen and never will see. DO I think Halle and this recent chick cast as Storm look anything like her? No. But neither did Angela Bassett or Lupita Nyong'o either. How can anyone be mad about the casting of Storm when I don't know of ANY black women in the world that look like her? Fuck it. I'm more pissed off about the actor they got to play Bishop. The casting is extreme with both black women and black men. For black women they too often go in one direction: more European looking. For black men they go too often in the opposite direction: the blacker the better.

I always thought she should have been played by Iman (or someone like her, since Iman's like 60 or so, lol). In the comics I saw she was always darker-skinned but with those keener features and the white hair and weird eyes - her mutant identifiers, I think. I think the character was supposed to be either Kenyan, Somali or Ethiopian, right? I never saw Halle Berry as fitting my image of her. But then again, I'm not a casting exec at Fox, lol.

Hell, we see it on this website. An IR celebrity relationship doesn't really exist unless the black male celeb is 100% Zulu while being dark as night with a bald head. If one looks even slightly "mixed" some fools on this board dismiss the notion that he is black.

*JamalSpunky drops mic*

Like the old song goes,"Am I black enough for ya?"

LMAO! I haven't heard that song in ages!

[YOUTUBE]fFXED_dnZ_Y[/YOUTUBE]

At least she's not British.

Denzel was fine playing Malcolm X, but I always thought that role should have gone to Laurence Fishburne.
.....
But maybe she's 21st century Black.

I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one thinking that about the X film. Where's Pharrell when you need him? Bwahaha

 

[TERRASTAR18]

I do understand why black women in general are sick and tired of seeing light skinned black chicks (many who could pass for an ethnicity other than black/African/etc.) get what it appears to be a majority of roles handed out to black women. Nonetheless the amount of harassment that comes from "black twitter" will never cease to astound me. Those folks are ruthless and pathetic and don't have an ounce of class.

she's not black and doesn't look like the character. he sounds like an idiot.

 

[TERRASTAR18]

I could understand if darker skinned black women weren't getting roles. But, they are getting roles left and right on TV and movies. Way more than their black male counterparts because white men seem to not have the same problems with casting brown skinned black women as romantic love interests.

Maybe, I'm missing something.

Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder, The Flash, Sleepy Hollow, Mnority Report, ZNation, TWD, etc ... all have female leads or are built around those dark brown skinned women.

hollywood has a history of whitewashing so your point isn't relevant.

 

[TERRASTAR18]

Having seen the cartoon Jem, the show didn't focus much on race as a pejorative. Jen and the Hollograms were a group of orphans who used their talents to inspire young people everywhere. They were having fun and trying to change the world through their music. A critic once observed that some of the better looking guys were heroes and ugly guys were creeps doing the dirty work. All in all, Jem was what it was, an animated series that appealed to young girls and was being made by Clastor, a company under Hasbro. I don't see anything wrong here. Did anyone complain about Rosario Dawson when she was in Josie and the Pussycats?

the point is she doesn't look like the character.

 

[TERRASTAR18]

I think they are frustrated because totally African-looking women aren't predominate as leads among women of color. While I can understand people being frustrated, they better get ready for the future. As more and more intermingling happens, ethnically vague women are going to only increase in number.

but that is not the argument here.

 

[TERRASTAR18]

At least she's not British.

Either Hollywood is choosing 'exotic' over Black for African American female roles, or they're going overseas to find Black actors to play leading roles in historical slave narratives, epic crime dramas like The Wire, or the role of MLK.

I agree with Orejon, as the country becomes more blended words like 'exotic' and 'racially ambiguous' are going to become the preferred casting models in movies and TV.


I don't know a thing about this man's daughter, but one of the top young Black female actors on the scene is 22 year old Keke Palmer.

I wonder if she got a casting tryout??

Hollywood did the same thing with Storm of the X-Men, and I just read an article that director Bryan Singer has cast another biracial woman to play the 'African' Storm in his next X-Men movie.

The comic book character Storm was discovered by Prof. Xavier in an African village where she was worshiped as a goddess because of her weather manipulating abilities.

It's not a huge deal, but when Hollywood producers and directors ignore the racial pigment of already known characters from other media, or seem to deliberately cast lighter or White appearing actors to play Black roles, it just creates more controversy.

Denzel was fine playing Malcolm X, but I always thought that role should have gone to Laurence Fishburne.

For what it's worth, if you google a pic of Aurora Perrineau, I'd be kind of shocked she was ever cast in the role of a Black woman.

But maybe she's 21st century Black.

but the thing is biracial isn't black it's biracial.

 

[TERRASTAR18]

Stop. Storm was an African woman with coca-butter skin color; white, long, silky hair; blue eyes and, depending on the artist, European facial features. In other words she looked like no African woman I have ever seen and never will see. DO I think Halle and this recent chick cast as Storm look anything like her? No. But neither did Angela Bassett or Lupita Nyong'o either. How can anyone be mad about the casting of Storm when I don't know of ANY black women in the world that look like her? Fuck it. I'm more pissed off about the actor they got to play Bishop. The casting is extreme with both black women and black men. For black women they too often go in one direction: more European looking. For black men they go too often in the opposite direction: the blacker the better.

then you need to read the black panther comics-

 

[The Dark King]

I always thought she should have been played by Iman (or someone like her, since Iman's like 60 or so, lol). In the comics I saw she was always darker-skinned but with those keener features and the white hair and weird eyes - her mutant identifiers, I think. I think the character was supposed to be either Kenyan, Somali or Ethiopian, right? I never saw Halle Berry as fitting my image of her. But then again, I'm not a casting exec at Fox, lol.



*JamalSpunky drops mic*



LMAO! I haven't heard that song in ages!

[YOUTUBE]fFXED_dnZ_Y[/YOUTUBE]



I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one thinking that about the X film. Where's Pharrell when you need him? Bwahaha

To be fair the black enough stuff is more a defense thing going all the way back when lighter skin people use to shame the shit out of people for having darker skin. No one ever calls lighter skin ugly but darker almost absolutely. I'm just saying it doesn't happen in a vacuum it comes from somewhere.

 

[andreboba]

then you need to read the black panther comics-

Yeah, if I remember correctly, Storm was from some made up nation in Kenya.

Storm was always portrayed in comc books as a dark skinned Black woman.

Only recently have artists begun to lighten her complexion to match I guess Halle Barry's portrayal of her.

But by deliberately lightening her complexion, you sort of change the context of Storm's character within the X-Men.

She was one of the most powerful super hero characters ever written by Marvel, and at one time the leader of the X-Men.

Movie directors should pay more direct homage to that legacy.

 

[Ol'Skool Classic]

To be fair the black enough stuff is more a defense thing going all the way back when lighter skin people use to shame the shit out of people for having darker skin. No one ever calls lighter skin ugly but darker almost absolutely. I'm just saying it doesn't happen in a vacuum it comes from somewhere.

Doesn't matter the why or where it comes from. The whole "not black enough" mentality is beyond ignorant and needs to stop. Especially from individuals on a site called White Women Black Men who profess a preference for white women all the while holding some sort of disdain for lighter skinned black folks & individuals of biracial parentage.

 

[Gorath]

Yeah, if I remember correctly, Storm was from some made up nation in Kenya.

Storm was always portrayed in comc books as a dark skinned Black woman.

Only recently have artists begun to lighten her complexion to match I guess Halle Barry's portrayal of her.

But by deliberately lightening her complexion, you sort of change the context of Storm's character within the X-Men.

She was one of the most powerful super hero characters ever written by Marvel, and at one time the leader of the X-Men.

Movie directors should pay more direct homage to that legacy.

The movies also didn't go into the fact that Storm also had her issues regarding her powers and how it related to being a woman. Despite all this, Storm was a bit insecure. She wanted to love and be loved. She had a few reluctant, even one with Gambit.

 

[Gorath]

the point is she doesn't look like the character.

Can you explain why she should look like the character? Is this film set in the 80's or now? You can only do so much with a character and an actor can only do so much to flesh the character out and get into that character. Give Miss Perrineau a chance.

 

[TERRASTAR18]

Can you explain why she should look like the character? Is this film set in the 80's or now? You can only do so much with a character and an actor can only do so much to flesh the character out and get into that character. Give Miss Perrineau a chance.

well that's the point of a character....it's not about giving her a chance....the character is black...she isn't.

 

[TERRASTAR18]

Doesn't matter the why or where it comes from. The whole "not black enough" mentality is beyond ignorant and needs to stop. Especially from individuals on a site called White Women Black Men who profess a preference for white women all the while holding some sort of disdain for lighter skinned black folks & individuals of biracial parentage.

but biracial isn't black. biracial is biracial.

 

[APPIAH]

I think its wrong for black folk to be attacking biracial people for portraying black characters because it's plain stupid. Funny isnt it that a long time ago some mulatto elite didnt want to have anything to do with dark skinned negroes and married white or mulatto partners to keep the light skin going on in the family. Just saying

 

[The Dark King]

Doesn't matter the why or where it comes from. The whole "not black enough" mentality is beyond ignorant and needs to stop. Especially from individuals on a site called White Women Black Men who profess a preference for white women all the while holding some sort of disdain for lighter skinned black folks & individuals of biracial parentage.

Not saying I agree just get where it might be rooted. Truthfully not being black enough is at the bottom of my concerns

 

[TERRASTAR18]

I think its wrong for black folk to be attacking biracial people for portraying black characters because it's plain stupid. Funny isnt it that a long time ago some mulatto elite didnt want to have anything to do with dark skinned negroes and married white or mulatto partners to keep the light skin going on in the family. Just saying

but they aren't black.

 

[Beasty]

but they aren't black.

Define black