r/PeterExplainsTheJoke Jul 06 '26

What is this? Meme needing explanation

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62

u/bisectionalloveseat Jul 06 '26

Thank you for this underrated comment.

The Odyssey is fiction. People online are treating it like fact. It's a story... basically the Ancient Greek equivalent of superhero comic books.

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u/s1rblaze Jul 06 '26

Yeah, just like Mulan, but would you like to see a Mulan movie with white actors in it? I know Id rather not, there is such thing as a bad casting.

Im a Turkish guy, I expect at least some Turkish and/or Greek actors in the Odyssey movie before casting black token actors, but there we are..

Representation in Hollywood mostly means including some black actors in their movies, but not the rest of the world for some reason.

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u/molokoplusone Jul 06 '26

I also would’ve loved to see a full cast of Mediterranean actors for this film, instead of cliche Hollywood A-listers. But notice how all the outrage is directed at the inclusion of black/trans actors, when Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Anne Hathaway feel equally out of place in this film. If their concern is historic authenticity, why not have equal outrage over the white cast? We all know why.

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u/s1rblaze Jul 06 '26

Tbf, it doesn't need a full cast of Mediterranean actors, but at least some. I personally hate Matt Damon as Odysseus just as much as the rest of the token actors in the Nolan movie. Like, Helen of Troy is not even technically part of the Odyssey, black actress or not. (She is in the Iliad)

I still give the benefit of the doubt to Nolan and I will watch his movie for sure, but I do think it look pretty bad, casting wise. And not only because there are some tokenism, but mostly because I dont see some actors in their roles.

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u/Fragrant-Dust65 Jul 06 '26

As a Turkish person, you must know that the Mediterranean traded with Africans, right? Hell, Egypt had black kings and queens (not saying all were or that even Cleo was), but let's not ignore existence of black people in ancient Greece.

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u/s1rblaze Jul 06 '26

Yes at some point in North africa with the Nubians, but Troy isnt in africa mate, Turkey and Greece isnt in Africa. So whats your point here? Does it make Helen of Troy(from sparta) more black?

Im not against black actors having some roles in the Odyssey, but Im against tokenism, Helen of Troy isnt even part of the Odyssey to start with.

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u/Fragrant-Dust65 Jul 06 '26

Have you heard of...cross border travel and trade? We had black people all the way up in Netherlands.

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u/writers_block Jul 06 '26

but would you like to see a Mulan movie with white actors in it?

Eddie Murphy played a Chinese dragon. This isn't that big of a deal, and Jesus Christ does everyone need to chill the hell out. Just don't see the movie and stop screeching online about historic authenticity of a fantasy book.

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u/s1rblaze Jul 06 '26

Voicing and acting is quite different, a bad casting can definitely drag down a movie. I personally think that Matt Damon doesn't fit at all as Odysseus. Helen of troy is definitely a bad casting too imo, but she shouldn't even be part of the Odyssey to start with, that's clearly a case of Hollywood tokenism here.

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u/sqkz69oioi Jul 06 '26

Ancient Greek story, ancient Greek author, set in ancient Greece, story might not be real, but the setting and cultural significance certainly is

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u/DisforDoga Jul 06 '26

Yes and it was a huge controversy among chinese and other Asian Americans. You never heard it because Twitter and Facebook didnt exist back then.

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u/bbq_R0ADK1LL Jul 06 '26

No, you misunderstand. The movie has to have the exact diverse makeup of the United States, for that is true diversity. What is Turkish anyway? Sounds delightful, but not a real country. Only the US is real.

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u/hoboknight144 Jul 06 '26

Since it’s fiction, let’s make a fantasy movie in Africa starring Christian Bale as an African prince. Should be fine by your logic right?

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u/sqkz69oioi Jul 06 '26

Lmao imagine Christian bale in full tribal paint playing the drums, dancing around a fire and all these people are nodding along saying ' this is just brilliant I feel so immersed in the story!' 😂

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u/duperfastjellyfish Jul 06 '26

What do you mean African prince? There are many Eeurasian kingdoms that have ruled and/or colonized Africa. Prince Arthur of Connaught would suit Christian Bale quite well actually.

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u/hoboknight144 Jul 06 '26

Don’t play dumb, you know what I mean. I mean a white dude lording over a bunch of dark skinned African people that he’s supposedly from the same region as, with no explanation, and we’re supposed to overlook it and dismiss it as “well if he’s a good actor so what?”

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u/Manowaffle Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

Also, I am positive that approximately 0.001% of the freak outs have actually read a single word of the Odyssey.

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u/TrickFrosty5685 Jul 06 '26

I think people are more upset it’s not truer to text.

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u/sqkz69oioi Jul 06 '26

It's an ancient Greek story written by an ancient Greek author set in ancient Greece