El Noeme Zaire

Rowan: You are still the author and can be as creative as you want to be. It’s fiction. As long as you give the characters a back story and dimension that makes them human (with both good and bad qualities; not just defective), you can tell a great story reflecting something, real, and true about the human condition.

beon: I wouldn’t use “stupid” to describe Halle Berry. She is a very talented artist and businesswoman. The truth is, art and business don’t always include what is best for society, the greater good, moral codes, social group advancements, etc.

Hi Bostic. The way I see it, cultural identities do serve to separate us in some strange ways, but it would still be an error to pretend we are all the same and equal. I don’t think inequalities will ever go away. We can only work to balance our differences through programs and efforts that are based in morality and that seek “equity.” If equity is the goal and we are always reaching for it, we will be okay.

Thanks, Effie. I’m available for Skype conversations if students want to talk with me further about this article. I support teaching on these issues wherever and whenever I can. All the best!

Vincela: Race and racism are a part of U.S. American DNA. However, if you look at the recent outcry against refugee communities in France, you will see similarities. The histories are not the same, but anti-Black racism is a global problem, not just a U.S.-American one. There is anti-Muslim racism (in France, in particular), anti-Semitic racism, there are various deeply held prejudices against nomadic tribal groups in Europe… the word “gypsy” still indicates that kind of prejudice. These are just some examples. If you look for it, you will find it. But if you prefer to remain “color-blind” you will miss both the good and the bad related to these important differences.

As a multicultural feminist reader, I cannot disagree with your analysis. I think much of your rationale includes a set of reasons why I still watch the show with anticipation and high interest. Game of Thrones deals with serious subjects like slavery and rape on deeper levels than I’ve ever seen depicted on television. That being said, it hasn’t quite touched racism as an issue or put a black woman in a serious position of power. Danny’s partner in crime is still the infamous Black woman as sidekick. I’d like to see the show blow our minds by letting Danny’s sidekick achieve more dimension and depth. Or introduce a different Black female character with more subject power and dimension. ‘Nough said!

Very little of the profit motive in the film industry if any is explored here. I would like to see an analysis that includes a survey of studio heads and that answers questions related to how decisions get made related to what films get green lighted and what films do not. If you want to discuss originality, start there.

2016 would make for a good year if the United States had it’s first female president and the studio responsible for making James Bond announced Idris Elba as the first Black Bond. It would make for quite good party conversations at Christmas and New Year’s 2017, I suspect.

What’s missing in the beginning of this article for me is an exploration into the relationship between Bond and M as mother and son. There is potential to also draw analogies to Great Britain and the U.S. as mother and son based on the updated more humanized depiction of Bond in the latest films. The analysis is on point in all other ways, but if I were in a position to join this conversation live, this is where I would take it.

Luv,

El Noeme Zaire