A Black actress portraying an orange alien generates (white) angst.
July of last year I posted an essay entitled “Too Black to Be Orange”, concerning the “controversy” of casting a Black actress to play an orange alien. This past weekend, a man commented on the essay, saying the casting “is forced diversity” and exhorted me to get the “fuck out of here” with my “outrage articles”. I treated his outrage with casual sarcasm, apologizing for not only “blackwashing” an orange alien, but for “humanwashing” this fictional character as well.
This is the reply, quoted in full:
because you and many people wouldn’t call it white washing if it happened to a white character in fiction. Look, I have absolutely no problem with the black race but there is really no reason for the black actress to be played for starfire. Black washing is the very same as white washing. Its just reversed.
All this person is a name and an opinion; I assume the masculine identity due to the name and non-blackness from the palpable irritation of a black actress portraying an orange alien. I cannot look this person in the face or gauge the seriousness in their voice. I don’t think I would want to, honestly, because I think my first reply would be enough to dissuade such a tone-deaf, prejudiced, and downright idiotic response. I considered not writing this, but then…
