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James Bond was suppose to be an experienced agent who was recruited from the Royal Navy and had done lots of intelligence work before he got the 00 designation. So when "Casino Royale" showed him acting like a kid in the candy store, I turned off the franchise and have not gone back to it.
I would not object to a black James Bond at all, but a black Elizabeth Bennett? I don't think so! The fact is that wealthy black families were not at all common in the very early 19th century.
In other words, sometimes black actors can portray white characters with absolutely no problem (or vice versa), but in many cases, that just doesn't work.
That is because Samantha wanted it that way, to live like a normal (mortal) wife and mom, not a fancy witch using her powers like her mother. Endora had such a hard time with it. It was feminist because Samantha made this choice all on her own despite all the challenges she faced.
I agree with this.
However, just wanted to note that there was a political spin to the original show too if people are so "into" trying to find a political POV for fictional TV shows.
One also has to remember that Endora didn't live in the same world/reality 100% of the time as Samantha. Samantha gave up her home world in a way to be with her husband and live the life she wanted to live. One could also view it from a feminist perspective of Samantha dumbing herself down for herself and the benefit of her husband. I also "got" that kind of from the show. She was always helping her husband too and in many ways he was a bumbling white male buffoon same as what is probably going to be on the reboot.
I find it interesting that the OP and others commenting on the show's reboot overlook these facts and I think they do mostly because they chose to ignore the images in the older show. IMO other than the lead being black and a single mother initially (which many black people would be upset about) there is no difference really in the proposed plot of the show. I'll note that many black people will also be upset about her being with a white man. I've been in many conversations with various people about them being upset that a lot of shows now feature a black woman with a white man like they are trying to encourage black women to be with white men or to ingrain the idea to black females that white men are better mates than black men (note my family is predominantly black males and they see this stuff in a lot of shows lol - so the OP IMO is kind of a flip of this type of man - always trying to find something racial, political, or gender based to complain about in regards to media and/or TV).
I would not object to a black James Bond at all, but a black Elizabeth Bennett? I don't think so! The fact is that wealthy black families were not at all common in the very early 19th century.
In other words, sometimes black actors can portray white characters with absolutely no problem (or vice versa), but in many cases, that just doesn't work.
Well, A, B, and C.
A: Who is Elizabeth Bennett? I could always look the name up but the point is, to you, whoever it is cannot be black but to someone who doesn't know, on the first meeting, it is at least possible.
B: There is the legend (in the story) of Blacula who as an African Prince, went to Europe to negotiate a stoppage in the trade of slaves, ran into Dracula, and that brings us to the present (as I recall for I have not seen the movie since the 70s). A plausible story line? Yes. After all, consider the story line of Lee Falk's "The Phantom", all of it such as his presence in Bangella (sp?) and then consider how many ways things can be seen.
C: Given how little people know about history these days, anything is possible in the disbelief.
Samantha could have been as powerful in society as she wanted. She was pretty much an omnipotent being. But she reigned in her powers to make a life with the person she loved and experience the American dream. That was the premise of the original show.
Yes - she dumbed herself down for her dumb man....
I noticed this on the show too and it got on my nerves. I find it odd that you are taking issue with the reboot because the synopsis of the plot mentions it will be the same - the woman will dumb herself down and use her powers to help her man.
Are you upset that she is black or a single mother only? Because the rest seems the same to me.
Note, it encouraged women to also do this - reign our powers in for the benefit of men and/or our families/children.
I did notice this as a child when I watched it. But I was a weirdo child in that I observed and thought a lot about the things I watched/consumed. I noticed the slavery aspect of Jeannie, I noticed that Samantha dumbed herself down and hid her true self, I noticed on "black" shows - especially "Good Times" the stupid stereotypes and the dumb ways these people interacted with each other and I noticed on the many 1980s shows how it was crazy that so many white people were raising black kids lol (Webster and Different Strokes comes to mind - those were very odd to me...).
Note - to this day I cannot watch "Good Times" because it is sooooooo stupid and gets on my nerves so much lol. They always had a way to "get out the projects" and yet would reject it because of some stupid, so-called moral reason. I knew a lot of people who lived in the projects and they left when they got the chance lol. One episode in particular Thelma got a scholarship from a white sorority and she didn't take it because she didn't want to be the token black person and I thought my eyes would roll out my head on that one - I was less than 10 I remember watching that and thinking if someone offered me a scholarship - I'd take it. They didn't want her to do anything except join.
Someone else mentioned "The Jeffersons" in the thread and I did like that show. That was a hilarious show and especially I loved their maid - Florence.
A: Who is Elizabeth Bennett? I could always look the name up but the point is, to you, whoever it is cannot be black but to someone who doesn't know, on the first meeting, it is at least possible.
B: There is the legend (in the story) of Blacula who as an African Prince, went to Europe to negotiate a stoppage in the trade of slaves, ran into Dracula, and that brings us to the present (as I recall for I have not seen the movie since the 70s). A plausible story line? Yes. After all, consider the story line of Lee Falk's "The Phantom", all of it such as his presence in Bangella (sp?) and then consider how many ways things can be seen.
C: Given how little people know about history these days, anything is possible in the disbelief.
Sorry. Elizabeth Bennett was the main character in the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, which has also been made into many movie and TV adaptations. It was an examination of male-female relationships among the upper class in early 19th century England.
Here is a trailer for the most popular adaptation:
Doesn't appeal to me, but you never know. I wait and see with shows that do not immediately catch my eye. I am not fond of the "slacker spouse" trope in any form.
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........Someone else mentioned "The Jeffersons" in the thread and I did like that show. That was a hilarious show and especially I loved their maid - Florence.
It may also just be the difference in the casts.
Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley were a heck of a comedy team. They played excellently off each other.
Those on "Good Times" (I never watched the show) weren't. Even when I saw Jimmie Walker on "The Love Boat", I was not impressed.
It's like Marian Mercer and Richard Stahl (It's a Living) together; they are magic.......but there was no magic in couples like "The Ropers" and I never touched the show.
Some shows, whatever the story, will fly to the heavens because of the cast; others, even with the best circumstance of story, will plummet like rocks because the cast can't carry the show.
I don't watch network TV these days. All of the good chows are on cable and premium. Hollywood is getting tired with its wokism. Saw a preview of some period piece in 19th century England recently and it was if they were in Africa. Give me a break.
Sorry. Elizabeth Bennett was the main character in the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, which has also been made into many movie and TV adaptations. It was an examination of male-female relationships among the upper class in early 19th century England.
Here is a trailer for the most popular adaptation:
.............................but on the other hand, I don't recall any great protests when the story, I think, was presented in part on "Red Dwarf" and Cat was presented as a military officer of some kind.
Which that gets to another point for then what is Othello?
Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley were a heck of a comedy team. They played excellently off each other.
Those on "Good Times" (I never watched the show) weren't. Even when I saw Jimmie Walker on "The Love Boat", I was not impressed.
It's like Marian Mercer and Richard Stahl (It's a Living) together; they are magic.......but there was no magic in couples like "The Ropers" and I never touched the show.
Some shows, whatever the story, will fly to the heavens because of the cast; others, even with the best circumstance of story, will plummet like rocks because the cast can't carry the show.
True in regards to the bold. I think because it was a spin-off too of "All in the Family" which was an excellent show IMO - they already had good chemistry on the show. Marla Gibbs - as the maid Florence was a great addition to the show and she and Sherman Hemsley were great together too.
FWIW even though I didn't like the white parent stuff of Diff'rent Strokes, I loved that show too and thought other than Arnold's corny catch phrase that it was a good show. I also loved "Fact of Life." Diff'rent Strokes and Facts of Life were some of my favorite shows as a child interestinlgy Facts of Life was a spin off too!...hmmmm
Was watching Facts of Life a couple weeks ago while doing my daughter's hair and she was REALLY into it when I got done I was going to change the channel but she wanted to finish watching it and watch the next episode. Another of my favorites in the 80s was "Mama's Family" and I still watch that one too. I think that one would be just as good with a black cast if it was casts well or an Asian family or an hispanic family. I'd love to see a reboot of it as I really loved that show.
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