Casting of Angelina Jolie as Cleopatra fuels race debate

There was a trend in the late 80s where African American women wore Cleopatra stuff and strutted themselves as decendents of royalty because they were decended from Africans.

But while Egyptians are on the African contienent, their likeness harkened more to the Mediterranean then African, due to geographic isolation.

But this strikes me as funny now, as I know that black people and recentently arrived Africans do not get along. Africans do not consider blacks Africans.

A friend of mine worked with an Egyptian, and when she saw an AA woman walking around with a Cleopatra necklace,she scoffed and said: your not Egyptian, I am Egyptian, look at me. We look noting alike.

Racism abounds on all levels.

That being said,Hollywood does have a bad habit of sidelining minorities and having them played by white people. How often do you see a black lead or Asian lead? Rarely.

It is only now that women are getting stronger roles then playing a damsel in distress. But the racial divide is still clearly there.And the black people that are allowed mainstream, barely look black. There is a complaint to be made there.

Now all THAT being said, like the PP said, Hollywood is hardly known for its accuracy. And already Hollywood is playing into that. The myth is that Cleopatra was beautiful. She actually wasn't.But Hollywood is playing on the myth, and getting AJ to play her. But any evidence shows that Cleopatra may have been "handsome' or charismatic, she wasn't actually beautiful.She had a beautiful personality, but was not the next Helen of Troy. What images remained actually showed her with a crooked huge nose.

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Now I do sympathize with the AA community for the lack of leads in Hollywood, but AJ can get a tan and look like Cleopatra if they want historical accuracy.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


Good job into playing into stereotypes, that women are only attractive under 25. *eye roll*

reply to post by ShadowArcher


I didn't hear any controversy about Robert Downing Jr. playing Sherlock Holmes. What was the controversy? I thought he did a pretty good job myself, and I was prepared to not like the movie.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

 

Good job into playing into stereotypes, that women are only attractive under 25. *eye roll*

DOH!!!:

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan

Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander
reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

 

Why, because they should have a 19 year old play a 30 something year old? Lol.

She is still beautiful, but she does need to put some flesh on those scrawny little arms and legs of hers.

she could be beautiful if she weren't so skinny.

of course, i really do prefer the rubenesque to the downright plump woman. That does skew my opinion quite a bit.

It isn't the age. I also happen to think a 30something is more attractive than a 20something.

:shk: Ya shoulda kept reading.

Listen, my issue with Jolie for any role, or anything, is that i do not find skinny women attractive. It is painful to see how sknny some of these ladies are. I understand it is my personal preference at play here, and not everyone can be as gorgeous as, say, April Flores.

A few years ago she was a little more attractive. That was before she got so skinny. Now, when she walks, you can hear her.....*clackety clack* *clackety clack*



I don't watch TV, and i watch few movies because of the way women are portrayed. I just don't like to see it made the way it is, where so many girls are pressured into dismorphic disorders because of the pedophiles in Hollywood and Disney.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


Oh ok. I see what you mean. My bad. yea she is getting a bit too skinny. in fact she should plump up a little to play the role, as women were a little more vuluptuous then.

[edit on 19-6-2010 by nixie_nox]

Originally posted by nixie_nox
reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

 

Oh ok. I see what you mean. My bad. yea she is getting a bit too skinny. in fact she should plump up a little to play the role, as women were a little more vuluptuous then.

[edit on 19-6-2010 by nixie_nox]

I will never argue that a woman should plump up a little.

In BTS, are we expected to follow the yellow line above the new post window?

You are an experienced contributor to ATS. Please be an example for our newer members and make every post matter.

I always thought of BTS as like the neighborhood pub or something, where it was mostly off topic stuff?

reply to post by SpectreDC


i think jenifer aniston should get that role!
or maybe...

make brad pitt earn an oscar and make him play the role!!!

or....

1 = legalize time travel
2 = clone cleopatra
3= make her play the role of cleopatra

ya, but how much would the movie ticket cost??

want extra butter with that popcorn?
please turn off all cell phones before 4-D ... 32nd de-century FOX

yep yep,
ET

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


I gave you a rare apology and your still harping on it. ;P

As for the skinniness, I have heard people who have worked in that industry and the modeling industry say, you should see these girls in person. It is heartbreaking, and they are emaciated.

[edit on 19-6-2010 by nixie_nox]

I think someone like Monica bellucci in her prime would have been perfect as Cleopatra. Not only is she beautiful but she has a certain charm, elegance and presence that angelina jolie does not have.


[edit on 19-6-2010 by _Phoenix_]

reply to post by _Phoenix_


I don't know who she is but she does look like she could play the part well.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

 

I gave you a rare apology and your still harping on it. ;P

As for the skinniness, I have heard people who have worked in that industry and the modeling industry say, you should see these girls in person. It is heartbreaking, and they are emaciated.

[edit on 19-6-2010 by nixie_nox]

umm....not harping anything. I was agreeing with you. You know...to show you that i have no ill feelings and all that jazz. Stand down, there is no need for arms here, my friend.

But i am curious about that question i asked, if anyone has an answer. Are we expected to maximize our contributions while on BTS, or is it more for off topic, light hearted banter?

It is something i never even considered before. Then i had a 1 line post edited, even though the post only needed 1 line, and it added a considerable amount to the conversation. Ever since, i have just been wondering about how that gets enforced, since it seems i was incorrect. But that is totally off topic from this thread....and only came up because i gave you a 1 line agreement response and it made me think about that again, and how it applies to BTS.

I loved the first Cleopatra movie with Elizabeth Taylor! The movie was so good race and color didn't even enter my mind. But just for the sake of argument who do you think would good at portraying Cleopatra today?

Originally posted by nixie_nox
reply to post by _Phoenix_

 

I don't know who she is but she does look like she could play the part well.

Yes

She's an italian actress, who's also played in some hollywood movies, for example if you've watched the matrix movies before, maybe you can remember she was the french man's wife.

Originally posted by crazydaisy
I loved the first Cleopatra movie with Elizabeth Taylor! The movie was so good race and color didn't even enter my mind. But just for the sake of argument who do you think would good at portraying Cleopatra today?

The first Cleopatra movie was in 1934 starring Claudette Colbert, another very beautiful woman. Cecil B Demille directed it, and it was also of epic proportions like the 2nd movie.



It is rumored that she was asked to put on some weight for the role



[edit on 19-6-2010 by primus2012]

I just looked at some photos of Halle Berry and I think she has a good look for the part and she is a great actress. Of course her hair is short but that's never a problem in Hollywood.


As for thin actresses, etc. I have been thin all of my life and believe me, I eat. Some people are just naturally that way or they have a lot of activity in their lives and forget to eat. Of course there is anorexia but surely not all of the actresses could have anorexia. I use to model in LA because I was just naturally thin enough to do so. Just food for thought!

Originally posted by crazydaisy
I just looked at some photos of Halle Berry and I think she has a good look for the part and she is a great actress. Of course her hair is short but that's never a problem in Hollywood.

Short hair would be even more historically accurate as the Egyptians either kept their heads shaved or very closely cut and wore wigs to conceal this.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


I have the one liner dilemma myself sometimes. That you have an entire statement summed up in one line.

I think basically someone alerts it, that is when they enforce it.

As for bts, yes it is supposed to be the light goofy, less serious side of ats. So you don't have to feel the need to answer everything with grand profound thoughts.

The funny thing is, going off the coins, Cleopatra wasn't really all that attractive...she apparently just knew how to work it (and of course, her power was probably the bigger lure).

Jolie certainly has the "exotic" look, that will work well for the character, and as many here have already pointed out, the heritage issue seems moot....for history shows the person's roots are not African.

I think she'll be perfect for it actually...

I agree with this 100% I know allot about Cleopatra and her life, she's one of my heroins. There are countless misconceptions about her morals. First of all she was no "hoe," the only two men she ever knew were Caesar and Marc Antony. Julius Caesar was the love of her life, and she mourned his loss greatly. Much like another woman I admire, Jacquelin Onassis-she went to another man for protection. Why Angelina Jolie? Why not Halle Berry? Why not anyone with at least SOME African heritage? Angelina Jolie is WELSH for chrissake.