A picture of Angelina Jolie playing murdered journalist Daniel Pearl’s wife in “A Mighty Heart” has come out. Seeing her in character makes it all the more obvious why African-American groups decried the casting of a caucasian actress in the role of a woman who is half Cuban and appears biracial. Angelina’s skin has been darkened for the role and she looks nothing like herself.
Mariane Pearl was “delighted” that Angelina was picked to play her, but many people are not pleased:
Pearl is the tan, biracial widow of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, whose memoir, “A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl,” will be adapted into a motion picture by Brad Pitt’s production company.
Since the news came out a few weeks ago, message boards across the Internet have been on fire, expressing harsh criticism about Jolie playing the role of Pearl. On BET.com’s own boards, user chantejoy calls the very idea a “new generation of Hollywood in blackface.”
In case you were wondering how Angelina landed the part of a biracial woman, you need look no further than Brad Pitt. He’s a producer of the film and made sure to hire her in the lead role.
I’m not touching this one, but it’s easy to make the decision to report on it since Brangelina is getting on my last nerve lately.
Update: This is contentious topic. Check out the discussion thread on Concrete Loop for more opinions. Most of the people who commented are kind of neutral about it.
Picture from Empire Online via JJB.
I commented about it on the other threat but I wanted to add something here.. I used to enjoy this blog a lot but it has turned into Let’s Bash Brangelina For Any Real or Imaginary Sins — it’s all fun but it tends to attract lunatics, mainly insane Angelina haters and turns off more mainstream (those who believe nobody’s perfect but there is no need to go crazy) people. You will surely get more traffic for it, but at a price.
Millie you are one of my favorite readers and I will take your concerns seriously. There are a lot of anti-Brangelina stories lately and it’s hard to ignore them. I have also started to not like them as much, and I’ll try to explain why and to think about it more to make sure I’m not being overly biased.
One thing that really changed my opinion of Brad and Angelina was the fact that Angelina never fired Mickey Brett after he beat up and threatened people in Namibia. I mean he strangled someone in India just this weekend and there are pictures and video of it. It’s not anti-Brangelina to point out that she really should have canned that guy.
I’m also just covering the stories that are out there and today is a slow news day. It’s true that they didn’t follow up on a promised charity donation. Is it biased to report on this?
I don’t like Aniston either so it’s not like I’m on one side or the other.
When stories come out about them like this it’s hard to report on them glowingly, and I have admitted that I’m souring on them. I’ll do my best to be balanced but I can’t help but slip my opinion in there.
She is all darkened up for this role, and I can’t just publish this picture without including information on the controversy. Note that I didn’t even put my opinion in this piece, and said I wouldn’t touch it.
actors constantly play people with various ethnic backgrounds. It is not some horribly offensive thing for Angelina to be playing a woman who is part Afro-Cuban and half Dutch. If you have actually read Mariane Pearl’s book you would be amazed at how much she and Angelina have in common in terms of what they belive in and learning about and respecting different cultures.
She looks absolutely amazing and totally carries it off
I actually kind of liked all the Brangelina bashing. They annoy me something fierce!
Bash away. They get on my last nerve!
Of course Marianne was “delighted” – Angelina is HOT. I think anyone would be flattered by such a casting decision. I agree that Ang doesn’t look like herself in the photo, but who else could have played her that looks more like Marianne Pearl?
millie, I commented about it on the other threat but wanted to add something here.. 3:32pm
A little Freudian slip…??
I like this blog because most other blogs are jenn haters and angie lovers. At least this blog is fair!
Is it just me or are those bags under her eyes….mayeb she just playing tired, btu if not she shoudl ge some shut eye
Brad’s production company and Angelina just happens to gain the leading role? Chance? I think not…
Bad make up too, her hands are completely a diferent color than her face, her face is an orange and her hands are a baige.
brangelinaarethepitts–speaking of Freud.. your name suggest some serious anger issues, doesn’t it? 😉
To Chelsea..
Not to come off well…bitchy, but you are correct in that fact that many white actresses have a played women color before, for example in old westerns there was always the white cowboy who fell in love with the indian princess, who just happened to be played by a white woman with a braided black wig on top of her head…Elizabeth Taylor played Cleopatra…so on and so on…, but that does not make it right.
The issue with AJ playing MP is that MP is afro-cuban and dutch, with no disrespect to MP,but she’s a fair skinned black woman..unfortunately our society has deemed it such (which is not right, but it is fact)… I’m of African, Italian, Irish, Cherokee, and Black Foot Indian…ala BLACK, that’s what black is, it’s mainly African and something else, that’s what society tells us, while it is nice to not adhere to what society tells you what you are, that’s just the way it is… Angelina doing the whole brown makeup thing is an ignorant throwback to the “black face” era.. she may not mean any harm by it, and yes, her baby daddy is producing the film, but there are plenty of women of color out there who could have played the part…Indira Varma for one could’ve easily done it, http://www.hbo.com/rome/cast/actor/indira_varma.html,
She’s a good actress and resembles MP without having to apply the shoe polish because she is Indian and Caucasian…
As a black woman I cant help but to find it offensive… and yes i’m aware of Halle Berry playing a white woman in her upcoming film, but I do think she will be flouring her face to look more like her subject. It’s hard for women of color to get parts in hollywood, so when one comes along for them, I think they should do it. If you look at it that way Halle Berry playing white compared to the hundreds of white who played a person of color is nothing.
Branjelina will be feeling the heat for this one…Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are probably getting to together their boycotts as we speak.
First one was not working correctly..but here is a picture of Indira Varma
http://www.hbo.com/rome/cast/actor/indira_varma.html
I think it’s just Brad giving what Angelina wants, it’s his company, I think this stuff about color is ridiculious, ut I do find a white woman playing a black woman to be demeaning. I just can’t believe they had teh odacity to paint angelina with dark make up what were all teh latino or african american actresses taken?
millie, Anger issues?? Who me?? Seriously, don’t we all get angry when we percieve people acting (or commenting for that matter) contrary to our own values?
Thanks for the compliment by the way…I thought brangelinaarethepitts was rather clever myself 🙂
You guys, I have been reading the comments on Concrete Loop about this, and most of the readers say it really doesn’t matter that Angelina is playing Mariane Pearl since Mariane approved the choice, Angelina has a black child, and Mariane is 1/2 white so what difference does it make?
I don’t know how I feel about it, which is part of the reason I didn’t say anything. I did read that Halle Berry would play a white woman in an upcoming political film, and I didn’t mention that either because I couldn’t figure out if the filmmakers are actually going to try to make Halle look white or she’s just playing a woman who happens to be white IRL.
Lena I appreciate your thoughtful comment, thanks. I also think Thandie Newton would have been a good choice for the role.
Angelina and Brad are going to get a lot of heat for this, especially once the movie is about to come out.
It doesn’t seem right to me somehow.
this is going to be ugly…..
I never noticed her hands! That’s pretty awful. I think she definitely epitomizes Marianne’s features though.
Why are people making a big deal about this but not thinking twice about Halle playing a white woman? THAT’s what is offensive. Double standards. So Angelina went mystic tanning, big deal. It’s not like she’s smearing actual black make-up all over her face. I HATE double standards.
Angie’s bodyguard might have done something extreme, but so have those annoying photogs, i always think if it’s Paris Hilton, she deserves no privacy, it’s the way she makes $$$ and she invited ppl to do such things to her!!! But Angie never behaves like Hilton, and by just arriving in a hotel, if there was no strong security, i think she would have been drowned by those crazy!!! She is not a tabloid star!!!
Yes she is, she was the one that admitted she wanted 3 lovers with no strings attached, that she would shav eoff her hair because she hates it long but she keeps it because of hollywood, and that she prefers to have a woman as a lover, and that was said in 2003 now i’m not going back to the Billy Bob era, but all those things are tabloid headlines, why? Because tabloids can twist words and get away with it, so when some one like Angelina starts saying things like that, it’s like finding a gold mine to these people, everything is fair game, and she knows that. She uses teh press they use her, she is the Princess Diana of our generation.
The Princess Diana of our generation? Not bloody likely! Princess Diana was MUCH more adept at manipulating the media to her own ends. She does seem to have delusions to Diana’s status though, and to be as fucked up mentally, but I can’t imagine the world going into shock if she died. Diana had that ‘it’ factor that emerges only once in a generation, a sort of blank canvas that the public can project the zeitgeist onto. This wacko doesn’t unite people, she polarises them.
i think shes gorgeous and ms. pearl is obviously happy having her play it and her opinion is all that matters in this issue. end of story.
Hey Pitts,
I think if angelina died there would be a HUGE shock, but not as big as Diana, however, She does have a FACTOR, otherwise she wouldn’t be as demanded as she is, the photographers that hound her are just as relentless as the ones that followed Diana, but instead of high speed chases you have helicopters and long lenses, look at what happened during her pregnancy, and the waxing of her baby?! They made her out to be the mother of a holy child, I couldnt understand it, it was ridiculious, and now look at her, since she is linked to Brad Pitt and he has a prodcution comany that just so happens to be producing this film, she gets to play the character she’s always wanted to, she knows how to work the system!
marines all the way…Talk about work the system, there’s a photo today at fadedyouth of her ‘reading’ a war crimes book. It is so obvious that she’s doing it for the paps, holding it high so we can see the title. I do take on board what you say about the paps, they’re probably worse now than in Diana’s day, but I feel that Angie and her ilk are filling a void because the ‘real thing’ isn’t around. Perhaps I’m just jaded when it comes to Angie – To me she seems too concious of how her actions will look to strangers – I feel used and don’t like being played for a mug
Angelina Jolie is no Princess Diana I can agree on that Pitts, but whatever her agends are, she’s giving people in need, what they need, an ear to hear what they have to say. Diana wa steh one that started all of this, it was her example that inspired people.angelina doesn’t inspire, she intoxicates, she doesn’t have a hands on approach like Diana did, hugging a lepper…that still gets to me today, when Diana hugged the man with leperasy, so touching….I would never see anglina doing that, yeah take notes, and pick up a bag of rice and then walk around and have a translator tell her what teh person she is looking at is saying…but it’s not enough she looks too artifical when she’s doing it.
dont forget angelina also donates 1/3 of her income to various charities….
marines all the way… I’m confused?? Who was the one taking notes and looking artificial? Di or Ange? …I lost it along the way 🙂
Angelina was looking artifical and taking notes, while Diana was getting involved looking into each persons eyes, remeber inher interveiw she said she could relate to people who were unable to voice out their opinions, diana had that natural need to want to be in people lives, Angelina makes me fEEL like is a priority but not a pleasure to surorund herself with people in need. whilst diana made me feel like hey…these are people too…look at that…oh god I wanna help, yo uknow?
Marines… that’s what I meant about the ‘real thing’…Diana’s HEART was in it. When you think about it, Angie is much more beatiful than Diana but it was Diana’s inner beauty that people responded to
Unfortunately, adopting a black child does not give you a “pass” to insult some people, I think they knew this would be a controversy, It gives attention to the film and sparks interest in the film, and so far, it’s working, but it’s just not right.
People of color..blacks, hispanics, Asians, etc.. have had to fight hollywood to get parts that were not stereotypical roles for them…And this part would have been beautiful for a woman of color to play…and i have to say this again, dusting/painting/airbrushing, or whatever the hell she did to make herself appear “ethnic” is not right. Movies have “break out” stars all the time, and if they did the whole casting thing for the film, they probably would’ve opened the door for a starving actress of color… It just goes to show you that this film is not about Daniel Pearl’s sad ending, It’s about creating controversy and making $$$ off of a sad event.I might still watch it though, but only when it hits lifetime or usa a few years later.
And to just educate some folks, their is alot of “self-hatred” among many ethnic groups with the whole white = right thing,.. MP’s approval over AJ playing her makes me question if she is one of the people who try to forget where they came from.
I must say, I used to love angelina even when people bashed her because I think she is a beautiful woman. However, I am indifferent that she is playing a woman that any sane person with first looking at Marianne would say “You are black, or at least of that nature.” All BS aside, we all know that a more ethnic woman would be more appropiate and this is a bit odd considering it is insulting the sensitivity of black people about race. At first, I applauded her for her trips to Africa, but now she appears like a bigot to me. Just my opinion though.
I am TOTALLY against this. I realize that Mrs. Pearl, the woman whom this movie is based on, is okay with it. And in the end, it’s her story and she is the one that really matters, but please believe the neo-militants will voice their opinions, no matter how Mrs. Pearl feels. And in this case, I’m with the neo-militants. I am NOT okay with Angelina playing a woman of African descent. This is blackface in the new millienium, and I hope to God it doesn’t start a trend. What’s the point of having actors and actresses of color if you’re gonna spray tan white actors? Why not have Julia Roberts play a slave, it’s as easy as 123 with a can of paint!! There are plenty of black or at least biracial actresses that could have killed this role! Why did they feel the need to spray paint Angelina. I could have even gone along with it if they had somehow made another story based on Mrs. Pearl actual story, only with Angelina as her true color with fictional characters based on the real ones. But they’re going all out and painting this broad brown. I’m not doubting Angelina’s performance, because I know she’ll probably be fantastic but what was so hard about auditioning a black actress? There are plenty of black actresses out there who are even better than Angelina! Thandie Newton, faboulous actress! She would have been perfecto! But noooo, Brad’s woman had to get the part, he even dipped her in tar just so she can be in this movie. And yes, I realize Halle is playing a white woman in another movie. That’s not sitting too well with me either. I don’t know too much about that film but I doubt they’re gonna throw baby powder all over her. They’re probably gonna use the only the story. That’s what they could have done with Angelina.
thandie newton, good call! or what about one of the beautiful latina actresses (no, obviously not j.lo)? i think that angelina should have stuck to the producing on this one; i’m neutral on angelina in general, but i can’t stand brad pitt, and the two of them together send me over the edge. of COURSE marianne pearl isn’t going to say anything negative about the casting; she’s an incredibly gracious, classy woman, and would never want to say anything insulting. i don’t like to be too negative, but i have to admit that ever since i heard about the casting decision i’ve been completely puzzled. i think angelina is a better choice than jennifer aniston would have been, but she really does look like she’s in blackface.
p.s. at least halle is half white.
Note to Lena: Cleopatra wasn’t a woman of colour anyway.
As to your point, I don’t think positive discrimination – which is what you are effectively advocating – should be encouraged at all in the arts. It should be based on merit.
To hmmmm,
Cleopatra was not white… as far as know most scholars have come to agree that she was of middle eastern dissent, I could be wrong about that, but I never thought of middle eastern as “white”, but that’s a discussion for another day that I can be educated on.
Now for the other comment of “positive discrimination,” I completely disagree, Again there is a negative history of dusting, painting, etc.. yourself to appear to be more ethnic.. if AJ wanting to play MP,that’s great she does have the talent…BUT the “browning” yourself up is not necessary…if the producers wanted to be as realistic as possible, casting a woman of color would have made more sense. Halle was cast playing a woman who is white in “real life”, but will she be flouring her face to play the part? Why wont anyone comment on that? Could it be because she was picked because they thought she was good actress and her ethnicity did not matter??? hmmmmmm.. It obviously was a concern to the people behind A mighty heart, cause they browned up their actress to resemble MP in real life.. hmmmmm
You stated that casting should be based on the actors/actress merit, you will not get an argument from me on that one, But now I leave you with the thought of the day, how many men took on the roles as women back in the day? Were there no women talented enough to play the part? Afterall there were/are plenty of women who could have easily played part without men having to dress up as women. I guess if people kept that mentality now, I would have to watch Brad Pitt make out with George Clooney in a dress. See my point? If you can find a woman to play the part of a woman, why cant they find a brown woman,(since they are acknowledging that MP is brown), to play the part? Can you see why some people would find it slightly offensive? Or is the industry acknowleding, By painting AJ’s face brown, that there are no talented actresses of color… hmmmmm
Meryl Streep played an Australian.
Many stars, including Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Eddie Cantor, George Burns, and many black stars of the time, used blackface. There was no bigotry attached to it.
There is always bigotry involved when people use blackface and this is only compounded by the fact that this is a dramatic role.
whatever
I guess because my parents have raised me to be color blind, I really don’t see why everyone is freaking out about this, especially because Marianne gave her consent! I’m so tired of people obsessing on the color of someone’s skin. When are we just going to share this planet undivided? I know sins of the past by the white man are hard to forget, but with so many multi-racial people around now, why does this still exist? I’m Polish/Italian, and I have laughed off “Polack” and “Wop” jokes my whole life. Angelina is not in “blackface”, and Marianne Pearl is 1/2 Cuban, oh by the way. One of her children is from Africa, for God’s sake! Do you honestly think she would do something to offend her child’s heritage?
Exactly! YAY… I am clapping for you now.
Our society has become so PC that we are turning into bigots.
Wonder if the word, “sambo” rings a bell here.
As a person who is bi-racial, I feel people should really get over this race thing. I understand the sensitivity of this subject however, Angelina Jolie is a pheonomenal actress and I feel she would do a wonderful job doing this part. Don’t get me wrong, I give props to my fellow bi-racial sisters who have made their mark in Hollywood such as Hallie Berry, Jennifer Beals etc. but people need to really stop being dorks about this and get over it! Besides how are we as a people, meaning the human race, supposed to get over racism if we keep sweating the small stuff. Another thing,using the term about Hollywood actors in blackface is really ridiculous,this situaton does not even compare to the mocking of black people back in the day. And for those of you who it bothers so much, thats just to damn bad!!!! Angelina, do your thing girl!
So, Alice, you just feel that it’s okay for her to be painted brown when they could have easily got a woman of color?
So it’s alright for Halle Berry to portray a white woman in her next movie with white powder, but not for Angelina to portray a woman of mixed-race? Even though Angelina is of mixed-race. Yes, she’s part Czech, French Canadian & Native American. This doesn’t have to do with race at all. It has to do with you not liking Angelina, which is your perogative. But if one actress is given a free pass to portray a color she is not, and another is blasted for doing the same, then all the negative comments are just hypocritical.
BTW – Angelina is taking notes, because she is reporting back to the U.N. on her findings. You can read her notes at UNHCR. And to say she wants to be the next Princess Diana is the most absurd comment. She’s been doing this humanitarian work long before she met Brad Pitt and before the media became so obsessed with her. She’s doing more than most of us. Dont’ blame her for the media attention.
I wish people would stop using Halle Berry as an excuse! No, it’s not alright if Halle plays a white woman, just like it’s not alright Angelina plays a woman of color. I’m not sure if they’re going to cover Halle in flour, but they are dead wrong for that too if they do.
To Betty,
Halle Berry is portraying a woman who is white in “real life” she is not flouring her face to do the part, if she does I WOULD have an issue with that. AJ, who I think is great actress, can play MP, but without the browning of her body to do so. Someone made the decision to brown Angelina up and she agreed. The industry wanted to acknowledge that MP is a woman of color, So they should have hired a woman of color, simple as that. If people dont want us to pay attention to race and only her acting abilities, then why did she and her production company make the decision to make her appear “brown”????? They are ones that are paying attention to race!
So,”The Poet” you are certainly entitled to your opinion. However I feel this situation is closer to me because I am bi-racial and if it isn’t bothering someone like me it really shouldn’t bother you or any one else. Before you think I’ve been sheltered, and not that it is any of your buisness, but I have traveled to many different countries and I am an Army brat and I’ve lived in many different places, so trust and believe their is know one that understands this better then any one else. Another thing it’s not “brown paint”, it’s make-up. I said it before, as long as people keep sweating the small stuff we will never combat racism. If it bothers people that’s just to damn bad ! It’s really not that serious man!
well, angelina jolie is such a great great great GREAT actor and this is just being a new acting challenge for her, isn’t it? please, people, don’t judge her.
I think that it’s ridiculous for you, Alice, to say that if you aren’t offended no one else should be. Excuse me, but last time I check blackface wasn’t exclusively used by white actors portraying mixed race (specifically black/white) characters. I think racism can’t be fought as long as people keep insisting that others “don’t sweat the small stuff”. Pardon me, but I hardly classify the rebirth of blackface as the “small stuff”.
MRod, I find it very difficult to believe that you don’t think there is bigotry involved in the application of blackface. Even if you are playing a role “realistically” and you’ve just allowed yourself to be painted brown and your hair to be kinked for the role, in all reality you didn’t believe that a black person would be more capable of playing a black person (or mexican, or asian, or indian)than you. I think that is unforgivable arrogance and ignorance.
Hollywood does not have the best reputation when it comes to casting minorities as any thing other than stereotypes and at an ample opportunity to do so, they just can’t seem to manage to pull through and it’s a shame.
No, it’s not okay if Halle paints herself white. It is simply an absurd notion. Also, in “Class Act”, I have seen no evidence that she will be painting herself white. In fact:
“The move to grab Halle Berry for the role is an interesting one, especially since the real Tierney Cahill is a white woman. DreamWorks claims that the ‘right’ actress was better than the ‘white’ actress.” some source, sorry I didn’t site, google it.
So, this in fact is an example of a character where race doesn’t matter being cast based solely on merit. If Angelina was playing this woman as white, it would not be nearly as offensive. There would be accusations of “white-washing” and they would not be unfounded, but this is just idiotic. 1 step forward, 2 steps back.
And every one needs to get their facts straight.
Also, just for the record adopting a black child does not make some one permanently prejudice free. Adopting a black child does not make one “down”. My boyfriend is white and I’ve never patronized him by believing that our relationship means that I am an authority on white males. And he returns that respect.
I had no problem with Angelina, I think that’s she’s beautiful and a great humanitarian, but for someone who is alledgedly so in touch with the feelings of others this is an incredibly insensitive move. And it makes Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie a hundred times less attractive as performers. It also makes me question their morals. It’s pretty sad.
Sir-ha-ha-ha,I think its really riduculous for you to think that everyone should be offended. You are entitled to your opinion,however I am bi-racial and I think I’m the one who knows what it is like to be judged on both sides of coin and if you think that this is just like how it used to be,when actors used to be in “black face” back in the day,you are so sadly mistaken. Like I said, STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF! That type of attitude is only reverse discrimination. If people don’t like it, THAT’S JUST TO DAMN BAD!!!
I believe that every one is entitled to their opinions, but I don’t feel that your opinion is more valid than any one else’s on this matter. Who is being judged on both sides of the coin? Angelina Jolie isn’t actually mixed, she pretty much has the same things on both sides of her coin. She’s a white woman in blackface. That’s her current coin. Hopefully, if I continue to say coin people will refrain from using irrelevant analogies. So. Coin.
Also, you don’t seem to know what reverse discrimination means. What is the reverse? Where is the discrimination? What type of attitude are you refering to? Please don’t just use phrases casually so that people will be reluctant to argue with you.
And as an actress, and a black woman for me this is not the small stuff. This is my career and this is my life.
Also, I think that it is your attitude of things being “too damn bad” that are actually the motto of oppression itself. Don’t like that you’re not able to vote chick? Well that’s just too damn bad. Tired of riding in the back of the bus? Well, that’s just too damn bad. Tired of people playing grab ass with you at work? Well, that’s just too damn bad.
People are allowed to complain. If no one ever complained nothing would ever change.
And if no one complains about this, when is it too much? When Drew Barrymore plays an African mother in apartheid South Africa trying to make it? What about it Paul Walker plays a poor boy in the hood trying to save his community? Will you never say anything? Will you just wait until Colored Museum goes to Broadway and Kristin Chenowith is the Aunt Ethel? Well, you just wait. I’ll speak up before it goes that far.
(That is not to say that any of those actors would be so stupid as to assume that they could play a black person better than an actual black person.)
This wasn’t going to turn in to some crazy life lesson, but you started it with that reverse discrimination shit.
sir-ha-ha-ha,Please do not proclaim to think that I am making light of what our ancestors went through. I am simply saying this issue is not as complex as it is being made out to be. I never said I was speaking for bi-racial people everywhere,I am simply saying I know what is like to be judged on both sides of the “coin.” another thing, I never cursed at you, why do you feel it necessary to curse at me? That to me just shows me how you and others like you are making mountain out of a mole hill. This is just suppossed to be a blog, to state your opinion, have a discussion or to have a debate not curse each other out. I’m sorry you didn’t get the part. oh well, THAT’S JUST TO DAMN BAD!
Is damn not a cuss word any more? See, to me I wasn’t cursing at you. I was cursing with you. And I guess I just don’t constitute a single vulgarity as cussing some one out…perhaps I just have potty mouth. *shrug* Shit seemed quite applicable to the misuse of that term.
And I don’t believe you’re really sorry. *waggles finger* I wasn’t saying by the way that they should have hired me.
I’m much too young for the part, and I couldn’t pass for mixed ever. Additionally, I’m a student, there are thousands of people better suited to that role than me.
Sir-ha-ha-ha…
i totally agree with you! in my eyes you’re correct, but that’s just *my opinion* i look forward to your comments!
Alice…
you sound like a kid who heard mommy & daddy discussing something n decided to jump on their bandwagon. just sounds like an ignorant mess to me
To Sir-ha-ha-ha…
I guess people aren’t going to see it as “blackface” because AJ is not tap dancing and holding a watermelon… How could AJ getting painted brown and putting on the kinky curly wig be insensitve??????? They just dont get it. *sigh*
I have yet to hear a smart, articulate, argument for why it is okay for AJ to paint herself brown for this role. All I have read is: she has black child, (I guess that means she is supposed to get a pass) and MP gave her consent,( as if she really had a final say in casting). This is almost as bad as the comment, “but one of my best friends is black”
And to Alice, I’m a very fair skinned black woman and I have to say, you are really sounding like the “tragic mulatto”. If you can please give me an explanation for why it is ok for AJ, who is a great actress, to paint herself brown for this part,to appear ethnic, please enlighten me. And I dont want to read, she has a black child, or MP gave her consent. I really need to read why it is okay for her to do this, because I really like AJ as an actress, but this turned me off.
To Sir-ha-ha-ha, first of all I don’t have anything to be sorry about. Your opinion is your opinion which you are certainly entitled to and my opinion is mine of which I’m entitled.
To Shannon,. not that it is any of buisness, but no I’m not a child,I am a groan adult.That was just a ignorant comment because you don’t even know me. To me your the one jumping on the band wagan.
To lena, You don’t know me either. You don’t know what I have had to deal with in my life. And no, I’m not bitter, I am simply saying, we need to look at the bigger picture and it for what it really is. It’s reaaly not that serious,There much bigger issues to deal in this world. Don’t get so bent out shape. I never said that just because I agree with it, because I’m bi-racial, that it should get the stamp of approval. And now we’ve resorted to name calling. I don’t have to justify my ethnicity to you or any body else. People get a grip!
I have’
I haven’t read one intellegant comment why it isn’ t okay for Angelina Jolie to not play this role other than the suppossed “black face”. It’s only a problem if you make it one. there are bigger fish to fry!
To Alice… you’re correct you will not read any “intellegant comments” why it isn’t okay for AJ not to play this part, but as far as intelligent remarks go, I pose these questions for you…
1. Are there any good actresses, of color, who could have played this part?
IMO, yes.. Indira Varma, Thandie Newton would have been some of my choices.
2. If people want us to view AJ as a good actress and judge her only on her acting abilites, is it necessary to paint yourself brown to be more convincing?
IMO, No, AJ is a great actress and a curly wig would have been enough if she wanted to resemble MP in the film.
I’m still waiting on why it is okay,
but i need opinions, not statements of “there are bigger fish to fry” and “stop sweating the small stuff”, I want to know why it is okay, in this day and age, to brown yourself up for a movie role, when there are people who are naturally brown and just as talented who could have played the part. The people behind this movie wanted to acknowledge that MP is brown, so they opened this can of worms.
Before you respond though, please try to remember when white actors/actresses put on wigs and brown makeup to make themselves appear like native americans, was it ok?
Try to remember when white actors/actresses would put on wigs and have their eyes/eyebrows taped back to make themselves appear asian, was that ok? If you answer no to any of those questions…how is this situation any different?
To lena, of course what those white actors and actresses did back in the day was wrong. However I think in this particular situation it is nothing like that.
1. Because she is friends with woman and I’m sure she they did discuss it before going forward with the project.
2. As far as the brown make-up, the real ms. pearl has an olive coplextion. The make-up helps Angelina Jolie look more like the real Ms. Pearl.
When it comes issues of race believe me I take them very seriously! Because of my backround I have been challenged on more than one occassion. So when people resort to name calling like “tragic mullatto”,or when I am made to feel like I have to justify my ethnicity, which I’m not going to, it angers me because you don’t even know me and what I’ve been through. I never once throughout the whole time using this blog,resorted to name calling. You are entitled to your oppinion,but that was an immature act on your part.
Overall, If the circumstances would have been different I probablly wouldn’t have liked it. I just feel this situation is being blown out of proportion . Once again this situation doesn’t compare to what happened in the past. And yes, I think we do really need to get a grip and stop sweating the small stuff!!! Come on let’s move foward!
Alice,
I apologize for the name calling..let’s move forward…
However, the points that you bought up still do not justify the actions. Just because they are friends it’s okay? Just because it’s not “back in the day” its okay?
I think people have become numb to the disrespect. It’s not going to be so blatant like it was back in the day. I think because it is not in people faces like it was before, we develop the attitude that it is small and we should just let it roll of our backs, cause it’s been worse. But just because people aren’t getting hosed down, does not mean it is not disrespectful. Now if it was 1960, and AJ was playing MP.. would it be an issue? Of course it would…see my point, just because it 2006, it does not excuse the behavior. If people want others to move, they need to stop taking steps back.
To lena, thanks for the apology,it was really big of you to do that. please understand when it comes to these types of issues I do not take them lightly. I certainly do respect your opinion and I do see where you are coming from. In fact there have been instances in my life where I have said the same thing that you have said. We can not forget the past. If we forget the past we can never move on as a people. However, I was just trying to say that sometimes if you read to much into certain things, you can make it an unneccsary issue. Please believe, never keep your eyes and ears closed to the world around you. I am just simply saying not everything is as it seems! I also understand perception is everythng, but do you honestly think she was trying to offened her friend and every person of color out here? Besides I haven’t seen one latino person objecting to Angelina Jolie playing this part; being as though ms. Pearl is half Cuban. But anyway, we dance around this issue from here to Kingdomcom, your right race is not an easy subject. But, you still have your view which I respect, And I will continue to have mine. God bless !!
I like how you guys worked this out while being considerate of each other and trying to understand the other’s opinion.
To me this situation is worrying in that it seems like a person is picked for a role for both their ability to play the role and their resemblance to the character if they’re actually living.
Angelina could have played Mariane Pearl without any makeup and with maybe a less glamorous hairstyle.
Halle Berry is probably going to play the white teacher who goes to Congress without much changes apart from not looking as gorgeous as she normally does.
So I think if someone plays a real life character of a different race they should not undergo a color change to do so. If it’s important to the story that the character be a certain race then an actor of that race should be chosen for the part.
When I mentioned that people on Concrete Loop are saying it’s not so big of a deal b/c Angelina has an African adopted daughter I never said that I agreed with that, just that was what people were saying.
It’s not a huge issue to me in that I’m white and don’t feel really informed enough by my own experience to make a judgment call. To me though it is not right that Angelina is getting all darkened for the role. If I was a person of color maybe I would be ok with it, or maybe I would find it offensive, I just don’t know.
Brad and Angelina Threatened By Al-Qaeda Over Daniel Pearl Film…
But aren’t Hollywood liberals/third-world baby adopters/U.N. darlings immune to this kind of thing?
Nope:
Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, shooting for the film A Mighty Heart based on the life of slain Journalist Daniel Pearl at……
I say read what Celebitchy says.
I love Angelina and Brad.They are great actors.
Meanwhile,go see my movie and stop bickering about actors you know only what tabloids and gossipmongers let you know.
High five!
Ok, so I’ve heard lots of arguments for why Angie shouldn’t play MP and use brown makeup. One thing that bothers me, though, is the suggestion that Indira Varma could have played MP. I feel like this make the statement that all non-white women are largely interchangable. I mean, Indira Varma is beautiful, but I think she looks less like MP (or someone of Afro-cuban and white descent) than Angie does. Maybe Angie shouldn’t have used makeup for the role, but I don’t think that asking an indian/swiss woman to play MP because she is a “woman of color” is right either.
How far are we going to take this debate? Should a true autistic person have played Rain Man? Should only blind/deaf persons be considered for Helen Keller roles? Is it reprehensible that a person of Danish descent portray a person of Swedish descent? Come on, it is acting people! Furthermore, bloggers rip actors to shreds, commenting on std status and drug dependency, but it is world war 3 that angelina used make-up to portray her character more adeptly. We really will be involved in world war 3 if we don’t stop being so hyper-sensitive. Grow up.
wow u people are just crazy what was asked to do here and what u did only misuse of ur time….
passing comment on every one is easy but to offer them on ur own self is bitter than a cup of poison….
so look up in ur own….
now u ll see after me here ll be someone else in this website who ll pass coment on leavivg the matter to be given….so keep it up
and u will laugh on me that the first crazy and inzane i m who also left the real topic and lent in u people discusstion…..
she is gorgeous…!
Let Rosario Dawson plays Mariane. She suits the role better than Angie.
There is nothing wrong with Angelina playing this part since she is not in fact white anyway – Angelina may look white but she is part Iroquois Indian..
Who else could have played Ms. Pearl other than the skinnier half of Brangelina? LOTS OF PEOPLE!
She doesn’t look anything like Brangelina! Rosario Dawson would make far more sense.
Bash, bash, bash away… the Brangelina train is just plain irksome. Celebs in general are irksome, but, they, in particular, make me itch…though, in fairness, not so badly as the hives I broke out in after the 24/7 dead Anna coverage.
Saw the premiere last night. Before you criticize the casting of Angelina Jolie, go see the movie. Her performance is oscar-worthy and the movie is incredibly powerful. enough said…