Anne Boleyn

When I started this discussion it was never from a racial or political correctness angle. Call me old-fashioned but I like historical drama to be authentic and to show as accurately as possible what we know about people and places from that era. For me, Anne Boleyn was white. I appreciate that many posters hold a different view as they are entitled to do but playing the race card was never the intention.

lemongrove

A black William the Conqueror anyone? Or Boudicca?
Should a white actor play Martin Luther King?
Come on....you know it’s nuts, but PC-ness ( wildly misplaced) is making a few posters twist and turn.

How many times ?! Anne Boleyn story had nothing to with her being white it was her fate as Henry’s wife . Martin Luther king’s story was all to do with being black therefore has to be played by a black actor

Unless it was a completely fictional story where white people were the slaves then the “ethnic minority” race of course.

I do get fed up with the expression “play the race card”.
It’s a bit like ‘ ooh political correctness gone mad”

It is funny but my parents were both from Ireland, small coutry you might think. He was from the south from a Catholic family, she was from the north from a very orange family. Bitter orange she always called them.

I always say the colour difference (green and orange) was much more significant in their marriage than the colour difference in mine.

I agree with you. Cultural differences are behind so many problems in this world. Sounds like you've had your hands full over the years.

Aveline

That's great worriedwell. Obviously not everyone was oblivious though. I hope life has been smooth for you.

Well not really, he became disabled 30 years ago so I've worked and been his carer and for much of the time was also bringing up 4 kids. Nothing to do with his colour though. So not exactly smooth.

It hasn't caused many problems to be honest, we are the same religion which I think helps as we had a similar education and childhood. I think culture can be a bigger problem than colour sometimes but maybe that is just me.

That's great worriedwell. Obviously not everyone was oblivious though. I hope life has been smooth for you.

Aveline

*FannyCornforth*. Think about it. Perception of difference is hard wired into us. Look at every culture and country throughout history. I didn't say it was a good thing just an unavoidable one.

My husband isn't white. Someone pointed it when we were engaged. I'd never thought about it.

lemongrove

Stop digging a hole ( you’ll never get out!)

You were annoyed by the fact that I was laughing is all.

I am on the side of accurate depictions in tv drama about real people and you are not.Live with it.

Ok, you tell me what I was thinking. You do seem to know everything about everything.

I'll 'live with' our differences very happily ?

I must say that some of the posts on this thread could cure me of insomnia. I just gave up halfway through one - fgs !

Stop digging a hole ( you’ll never get out!)

You were annoyed by the fact that I was laughing is all.

I am on the side of accurate depictions in tv drama about real people and you are not.Live with it.

lemongrove

And you seem determined to label as racist anyone who doesn’t agree with your way of thinking Doodledog
Otherwise what is your comment of ...‘Yup.It’s very simple to grasp the thinking behind the objections’ about? I would say that is most definitely a snide comment from you.

I haven't labelled anyone racist. I said that it is simple to see the thinking behind objections to the skin colour of an across being more important than any of the numbers other characteristics that have been pointed out on this thread. IMO, putting skin colour ahead of any other characteristic is at best prejudice and prejudice can be born of racism, although that is (to me) a very serious accusation that I wouldn't use lightly, so I would only use any such accusation sparingly, and did not (directly or by implication) on this thread. I always try to give people the benefit of any doubt, as I hope my posts on GN will show.

I have never 'played a race card', and the idea that there is such a thing also says a lot about those who use it. Not necessarily that they are racist, but that they object to having racist ideas explored in a way that might paint them in a bad light. The concept that people who don't like racism are 'playing a game' and using a trick card to cheat at the game is a very unpleasant one, I think, and is used to avoid the need to enter into a discussion in a useful manner.

Telling people who have bothered to give serious thought to the thread that they are giving you something to laugh at, however, and setting yourself up as an awarder of a spurious trophy adds nothing to the debate and is, as I say, very rude.

It’s highly likely that Roman legions had black people included, this may be the reason why those of us that have DNA tests done for family history have small percentage of black African heritage. With the migrations of Northern Europeans in mediaeval times the genetics would have been diluted. There were quite likely traders visiting the UK that had black slaves in their crews, they don’t get a mention in the history books I have read.

Which was no doubt their intention 25A

Tell you what Channel 5 have got a great deal of publicity for this programme.

Elegran of course we should have enough self awareness to know that differences don't really matter but unfortunately not everyone everywhere has this. There's always eg Sunnis vs Shiite Muslims, Catholics vs Protestants, Rangers vs Celtic, even playground bullying tends to pick on the ones who look a bit different: the overweight kid, the red headed one, the one with glasses etc etc.
I can't see this human behaviour ever being eradicated

In any case I have stated my reasons just as others have done,
It’s about being as accurate as possible about a real person from history.

And you seem determined to label as racist anyone who doesn’t agree with your way of thinking Doodledog
Otherwise what is your comment of ...‘Yup.It’s very simple to grasp the thinking behind the objections’ about? I would say that is most definitely a snide comment from you.

lemongrove

I wondered how long it would be before the PC brigade pulled the racist card.You get the trophy Doodledog ?
Pathetic.
I prefer any drama based on real people to be as accurate as possible.

I'm not in the PC brigade, and nor do I need your pathos, but thanks anyway.

You seem determined to ridicule those who don't agree with you, which is very rude. Most people on this thread (and the other, virtually identical one) have been polite and stated their reasons for thinking what they do, even when vehemently disagreeing with one another. Your posts, on the other hand have been dismissive and facile. Do you have anything to add to the discussion, apart from snide comments?

Or anyone else that I mentioned.?

It’s entirely possible about the Roman Army trisher but not about Boudicca.

lemon we have very little knowledge about black Britons in history. It is comng to light that many of the Romans who were here were not in fact white. It is posssible that people you think of as white had black heritage. In the NE for example it was Roman soldiers from what is now Iraq and Iran who manned the forts- hence one is called Arbeia You can read more here www.history.co.uk/article/the-history-of-black-britain-roman-africans

I wondered how long it would be before the PC brigade pulled the racist card.You get the trophy Doodledog ?
Pathetic.
I prefer any drama based on real people to be as accurate as possible.

she isn’t white and Boleyn was.It’s a simple thing to grasp surely?
Yup. It's very simple to grasp the thinking behind the objections.

A black William the Conqueror anyone? Or Boudicca?
Should a white actor play Martin Luther King?
Come on....you know it’s nuts, but PC-ness ( wildly misplaced) is making a few posters twist and turn.

trisher

I'm just wondering if we have a drama about the French Revolution should we ensure a French actor always has the part of Robespierre? Should we import Spanish actors for Franco? Where does it end? I'm not sure Hollywood should be allowed to make any films about British history, unless they use British actors.
I'm laughing as well lemon the concept of British parts for British actors is hilarious

It’s your concept only trisher so feel free to laugh at it.
The actor is probably British by birth in any case, but has nothing to do with this situation, which is the fact that she isn’t white and Boleyn was.It’s a simple thing to grasp surely?