Egyptians complain over Netflix depiction of Cleopatra as black

[Boiler 45,451]

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Zahi Hawass, a prominent Egyptologist and former antiquities minister, told the al-Masry al-Youm newspaper: "This is completely fake. Cleopatra was Greek, meaning that she was light-skinned, not black."

Mr Hawass said the only rulers of Egypt known to have been black were the Kushite kings of the 25th Dynasty (747-656 BC).

"Netflix is trying to provoke confusion by spreading false and deceptive facts that the origin of the Egyptian civilisation is black," he added and called on Egyptians to take a stand against the streaming giant.

On Sunday, lawyer Mahmoud al-Semary filed a complaint with the public prosecutor demanding that he take "the necessary legal measures" and block access to Netflix's services in Egypt.

He alleged that the series included visual material and content that violated Egypt's media laws and accused Netflix of trying to "promote the Afrocentric thinking... which includes slogans and writings aimed at distorting and erasing the Egyptian identity".

[TBoneTX 45,260]

Egypt is racist and bigoted and should be canceled!!!!!

[Mike E 11,739]

What I do not understand is that there were  fascinating sub  civilizations which Hollywood has largely ignored. I get it. Hollywood is mostly controlled by white people and they are not interested.  But there are powerful people in Hollywood like the Smiths, Elba, Freeman, the Washingtons, etc. Why the fixation with color washing ancient Egypt versus depicting more of these:
 

 

Pretty sure most of the monarchs of most of the above were black.

[yuna628 9,671]

So here's the thing. BBC once made a program about claims of Cleopatra's ethnicity. At the time it was quite silly because, while claims have cropped up a looong time ago, the facts don't seem to support it. BBC got into some trouble for using fairly bogus methods to back up their claim as well. Now this is a Netflix production, and obviously they are allowed to make their show however they want. Netflix has been doing that lately with shows like Bridgerton and spin-off Queen Charlotte. While in many cases not historically accurate, I am fine that they hired good actors for the job (I do not let them off that easily with their poor costuming though). BBC produced a few shows like this too, with Anne Boleyn being portrayed by a black actress, and in Hollow Crown Sophie Okonedo was fierce and fantastic as Shakespeare's Queen Margaret. These shows are not going for an accurate racial portrayal and nothing is lost by filling these spaces with excellent black actresses. Adele James, is a mixed race actress, and I think she looks gorgeous here. Should we equally complain about all the other white actresses that have played Cleopatra over the years?

 

Anyway certainly the Egyptians are right at least about half of her heritage, at the same time there is little known about her mother, and that is where other claims come in. At some point a few even thought her to be Jewish and the Egyptians have indeed complained at Jewish actress Gal Gadot being cast in the role for a upcoming film. I am all for accurate portrayals, but in any art there is also room for artistic choices we may or may not agree with. One day we may get an accurate film, but that has not happened yet.

 

Anyway such debates and complaints have been around for a long time. Try on this one from 1990. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1990/02/26/was-nefertiti-black-bitter-debate-erupts/4e7bdc74-18a6-435e-a5f6-df900cb7f014/

Edited April 20, 2023 by yuna628

[Dashinka 24,483]

7 hours ago, Boiler said:

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Zahi Hawass, a prominent Egyptologist and former antiquities minister, told the al-Masry al-Youm newspaper: "This is completely fake. Cleopatra was Greek, meaning that she was light-skinned, not black."

Mr Hawass said the only rulers of Egypt known to have been black were the Kushite kings of the 25th Dynasty (747-656 BC).

"Netflix is trying to provoke confusion by spreading false and deceptive facts that the origin of the Egyptian civilisation is black," he added and called on Egyptians to take a stand against the streaming giant.

On Sunday, lawyer Mahmoud al-Semary filed a complaint with the public prosecutor demanding that he take "the necessary legal measures" and block access to Netflix's services in Egypt.

He alleged that the series included visual material and content that violated Egypt's media laws and accused Netflix of trying to "promote the Afrocentric thinking... which includes slogans and writings aimed at distorting and erasing the Egyptian identity".

Maybe these folks would be fine with a black actor wearing white-face, or Egyptian-Face?

[Boiler 45,451]

The Ancient Greeks of course referred to the Macedonians as Barbarians, The Potelmy line was Macedonian. Now there was if you go back a long time a Nubian period but nobody s suggesting there is any connection.

 

There is information about what Cleopatra looked like the Jewish objection was religious after all there is a common history. I assume most Palestinians have Jewish ancestors 

 

We all know this is American Virtue Signalling and hardly surprising it would not go down well in Egypt

 

Cultural Appropriation or what

Edited April 20, 2023 by Boiler

[yuna628 9,671]

All of the other actors in the show are white. And I don't mean Greek or even Middle Eastern. White. Also they are all using British accents. 

These points should all go towards highlighting it's non-historical accuracy, not just having a black actress in the title role. All of the major performances I can remember, all portray Cleopatra as very very white and not ethnically accurate in any way. This is not much different. Of course the real problem for me here, is if the show is claiming it is historically accurate. They have a bunch of 'Egyptologists' on board that are very problematic persons and it claims to be a documentary. So it seems to me there are going to be whole host of things that will be wrong in this show in terms of accuracy. It's kind of like how The History Channel is supposed to be about history, but Ancient Aliens is a regular feature.

[TedsGirl 193]

This. Made. Me. 😂😄🤣

 

I’m sorry as a Brit who recently became a LPR I’ve been fascinated with these types of things. I cannot even recall the Spike Lee movie now where black couples don’t want to date dark-skinned black people, instead preferring fair-skinned black people and vice versa. Growing up in London I never quite understood this. Black to me is black. 
 

As for Egypt😁😁😁Why does it matter if she was dark-skinned or not? Fascinating for this dark-skinned woman😛 I see a trend coming soon where more alphabet soup and word salad for ethnicities increase, along with the rest we have today🥸🤨🤫🧐 

[Boiler 45,451]

[Boiler 45,451]

[Boiler 45,451]

[Family 3,988]

2 hours ago, Boiler said:

Cultural Appropriation or what

####### for tat..?

 

https://wellcomecollection.org/articles/WpmW_yUAAKUUF6mV

 

Statue of Isis nursing Horus, Egypt, 600–30 BCE, which predates Christian representations of the Nursing Madonna.

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by Family
am being auto censored 🤬 t i t f o r t a t

[TBoneTX 45,260]

Maybe ask Rachel Dolezal (?) what color Cleo was.

[TBoneTX 45,260]

Netflix's Black Cleopatra Exposed

 

By depicting Cleopatra as a Black woman, Netflix's "Queen Cleopatra" is creating a stir.

 

Now, because all four of my grandparents were Coptic, and because the Copts are "acknowledged as the remaining descendants of the civilisation of the Ancient Egyptians, with Pharaonic origins," I cannot resist but offer my two cents.  [...]

 

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2023/04/netflixs_black_cleopatra_exposed.html

Edited April 22, 2023 by TBoneTX

[MarJhi 958]

On 4/20/2023 at 10:42 AM, yuna628 said:

Should we equally complain about all the other white actresses that have played Cleopatra over the years?

Yes, equal scrutiny no matter which direction it goes.