African Queens: Queen Cleopatra

[BusSport]

African Queens: Queen Cleopatra is an upcoming "historical documentary" series on Netflix that will premiere on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Produced by Jada Pinkett Smith, the series has been in the news and drawn controversy (for example, "Cleopatra's African Heritage in Netflix Docudrama Sparks Uproar in Egypt") for featuring a black Cleopatra.

In actual history, Cleopatra was Greek, a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt. Legend has it that if you point this out, Will Smith will suddenly appear and slap you.

 

[calsnowskier]

I would be interested in viewing this. But because of JPS’s attachment, I will skip it.

 

[Superbelt]

She was an inbred Macedonian from a famously insular/inbred family with only 6 known great-great-great grandparents.
She wasn't black, but she wasn't Anglo-Saxon either like she has commonly been portrayed in western media.

She was Mediterranean. But that usually gets lost in the wash so we can settle into more simple tropes where everyone in ancient history either has a Wakandan or British accent.

ANYWAY, this is what an indigenous northern Egyptian looked like back then:

 

[Cave_Johnson]

I've found that Netflix documentaries are pretty accurate and factual with the exception that all historical figures are portrayed as black and gay.

 

[BusSport]

So, it's apparently terribad: 15% tomatometer, 3% audience score on RottenTomatoes.

 

[ownerpeace]

I've found that Netflix documentaries are pretty accurate and factual with the exception that all historical figures are portrayed as black and gay.

haha classic, I heard something about it...

 

[Fountain City Blues]

She was an inbred Macedonian from a famously insular/inbred family with only 6 known great-great-great grandparents.
She wasn't black, but she wasn't Anglo-Saxon either like she has commonly been portrayed in western media.

She was Mediterranean. But that usually gets lost in the wash so we can settle into more simple tropes where everyone in ancient history either has a Wakandan or British accent.

ANYWAY, this is what an indigenous northern Egyptian looked like back then:

The funny thing is the concept of 'race' as we understand it literally did not even exist back then.

This is all brainworms from [insert ethnic chauvinist/racist of the week here]

 

[Cave_Johnson]

haha classic, I heard something about it...
View attachment 328967

Not gay enough.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

The funny thing is the concept of 'race' as we understand it literally did not even exist back then.

This is all brainworms from [insert ethnic chauvinist/racist of the week here]

except it is not... sure, cleopatra was not BLACK... but portraying her that way makes sense... i mean how weird would it be to call anything besides a black woman an African Queen?? and with a character who has always been portrayed ethnicly wrong, having a black makes more sense than an accurate portrayal IMO... oddly enough...

 

[Superbelt]

The funny thing is the concept of 'race' as we understand it literally did not even exist back then.

This is all brainworms from [insert ethnic chauvinist/racist of the week here]

Ok, but still the historical Cleopatra looked nothing like the actress who portrays her, and it very clearly changes an important part of her history, that she was Greek, and not native to the African continent.

And this being an historical project, the change isn't a good one.

This is stupid, like a hypothetical changing of Elizabeth to Asian in The Crown, or making Prince Charles a woman. There is a reason to adhere to historical accuracy here.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Ok, but still the historical Cleopatra looked nothing like the actress who portrays her, and it very clearly changes an important part of her history, that she was Greek, and not native to the African continent.

And this being an historical project, the change isn't a good one.

I would tend to agree- but people are being a lot more extra than “Cleopatra probably didn’t have dark skin tones.”

A pox on all the houses (save for Egyptians) shrieking over the Cleopatra nonsense as far as I am concerned.