What do you do after insisting that only gay actors can play gay parts and only black actors can play black parts (but it’s past time to cast Idris Elba as James Bond) and you get Hollywood to agree to your tribal identity politics terms?
You start applying the paper bag test to black actors.
Will Smith is set to star as tennis superstars Serena and Venus Williams’ father, Richard, in the aptly titled “King Richard,” but the former “Fresh Prince” isn’t getting a very royal welcome.
While Hollywood is clearly intrigued by the project — set to be produced by Tim White and Trevor White’s Star Thrower Entertainment — the public has a different view. The news elicited colorism-related backlash given that Smith has lighter skin than Williams.
By “the public”, the media, as usual means the craziest of social justice activists, black nationalists and whoever other racist lefties drive media narratives.
The term “colorism” is used to describe “the privileging of light skin over dark,” something Hollywood has been accused of more than once.
Clarence Hill Jr. said that while he considers himself a fan of Smith, “there are other black actors for this role.” Similarly, Valerie Complex tweeted about the film, “Colorism at work,” while George M. Johnson reminded people, “Skin color matters in how folk were treated and navigated spaces.”
Now it’s time to segregate black actors by shade. So that one day everyone will be a race of their own based on their exact skin tone on the color spectrum.
Though some might argue that Smith being African-American renders the issue moot, the decision to cast him as Williams has been equated to the casting of Scarlett Johansson in “The Ghost in the Shell.” Smith is considered too fair-skinned, according to some on Twitter.
The issue can never be moot. Each social justice victory must be met with more tribalism, division and a search for new outrages.
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