Cleopatra in blackface?

[Bill.in.PA]

Netflix trailer for a Cleopatra documentary:

I don’t care what they tell you in school, Cleopatra was black . . .

Queen Cleopatra | Official Trailer | Netflix

Historical records show otherwise. Cleopatra was the descendant of the Greek nobility who took power after Alexander the Great, and contemporary images of the queen are consistent with a Greek origin.

While there were certainly many people with stereotypically African features in ancient Egypt, Cleopatra was not one of them.

Nubia

Egyptians have started a petition to against the Netflix portrayal.

Sign the Petition

Does it matter that the Netflix portrayal is inconsistent with historical evidence?

[SixFoot]

That, is a Greek schnoz. Blimey.

[Supreme_War_Pig]

@Bill.in.PA

Does it matter that the Netflix portrayal is inconsistent with historical evidence?

No

Alexander Hamilton wasn’t Puerto Rican, either.

And yet, the Republic endured.

[Bill.in.PA]

Did Hamilton claim to be a documentary?

In the past white actors played characters of other races. Was that a good thing?

Bring back Charlie Chan?

Charlie Chan Collection | Dock Of New Orleans - "Note" | Warner Bros. Entertainment

[SixFoot]

@Bill.in.PA

In the past white actors played characters of other races. Was that a good thing?

What, you weren’t totally convinced with Ethan Hawke as Fernando “Nando” Seler Parrado Dolgay in Alive?

[W_and_C]

I think Egypt is actually suing Netflix. Or at least, a lawyer in Egypt is.

Egyptian lawyer sues Netflix for depicting Cleopatra as Black in new documentary

[W_and_C]

[Axxowiz]

Looks like Netflix is working on a movie about the Ukrainian war.

[Samm]

@W_and_C

[Supreme_War_Pig]

I’d see that.

[Nemesis]

I wasnt too bothered about this as I thought the huuhah was about a black actress playing Cleopatra, then I realized the documentary is trying to assert that Cleopatra was black.

I am still not too bothered about it but obviously Cleopatra’s lineage is well documented so while she was not Anglo Saxon white she certainly was not black.

[W_and_C]

@Samm

@W_and_C

well…

[TheRedComet]

[W_and_C]

@TheRedComet

lol, looks a bit like Fred Armisen in this photo - who used to be Obama on SNL

[Bill.in.PA]

It looks like the Cleopatra series is getting nuked by reviewers.

Queen Cleopatra

[TheRedComet]

It did the impossible. Like Velma it has United the entire internet, both the political left and political right and all other viewpoints, together in equal hatred of its existence.

[SixFoot]

@TheRedComet

It did the impossible. Like Velma it has United the entire internet, both the political left and political right and all other viewpoints, together in equal hatred of its existence.

[rp5x5]

@W_and_C

Gads I hope this is a meme