Into It with Sam Sanders
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Theres been so much handwringing and yelling and controversy this week over … Black hobbits.
AmazonsLord of the Ringsprequel-slash-rebootThe Rings of Powerintroduced a few darker-skinned characters, and Tolkien stans lost their minds.
Black people have been dealing with that forever … Now white people are forced to do that as well.
And when something is not centered around them in their experience, that ruffles some feathers.
Then she weighs in about whether J.R.R.
So upset that the cast and crew of this showhad to publicly denounce Middle-earth racism.
Which hobbits and orcs and dwarves and elves got a race change?There are actually four darker-skinned characters.
So the hobbits great granddaddy is Black now.Yes.
Come on, come on.
Okay, talk about it.
They meant Ben Affleck.
Dark hair.Thats not dark to us.
Its interesting to think about the difference in perception.
I mean, Black audiences supportedGame of Thrones.
People are mad aboutcharacters of color inStar Wars.
They are mad aboutcharacters of color inHouse of the Dragon.
There are even grown adults upset thatAriel is Black in the newLittle Mermaid.
What gives?My goodness.
Grown men are suddenly worried about a mermaid.
Its the Black person sitting up being a knight or a mermaid that causes the hesitation.
But who wants to go watch a fun fantasy show to unlearn anything?I hear you.
They are saying the words from the script that we can argue are or are not like Tolkiens words.
We could quibble with the writing.
We can quibble with the plot.
We can quibble with the production.
But instead of having those conversations, seeing people with darker skin is what interrupts the fantastic dream.
What about the source material?
Was Tolkien himself racist?
I loved the prose, the myth-building.
However, I would agree that Tolkien was a man of his time.
Oh, really?Yes.
He went to Tolkien and he recounts that he was rebuffed.
Tolkien did not think that he had promise.
Because that would mean fewer spots and less money for your friends to create their own multimillion-dollar projects.
And thats hard for folks.
Whos doing the hair in Middle-earth?
This interview excerpt has been edited and condensed.
