"American Gods" casts black guy; Movie News Guide reports otherwise, despite own picture

[Silvanus]

Starz TV recently cast Ricky Whittle (who you may know from The 100, or your 'My Pictures' folder, if you're anything like me) in its upcoming adaptation of Neil Gaiman's American Gods, as the stoic protagonist Shadow.

Subsequently, Movie News Guide published the following article [http://www.movienewsguide.com/starz-american-gods-criticized-casting-ricky-whittle-shadow-book-author-producers-defend-decision], citing "scrutiny" Starz is under for whitewashing (Shadow is described as having "coffee and cream" skin in the novel, IIRC). Gaiman mentioned today on Facebook that there had actually been no criticism from this angle, owing to Ricky Whittle being a black man cast in the role of a black man.

Movie News Guide carried a large photograph of Ricky Whittle, a black man, over an article describing how a white man was cast. They have since apologised [http://www.movienewsguide.com/starz-american-gods-criticized-casting-ricky-whittle-shadow-book-author-producers-defend-decision/170504].


This is obviously hilarious, and I thought people would enjoy a larf on Friday.

 

[Albino Boo]

Well that's the adaptation of American Gods buggered if they have cast Ricky Whittle. A guy from second rate soaps who can hardly act as one of the leads

 

[DefunctTheory]

For a dose of double hilarity, the Movie News Guide was citing a Vanity Fair article, saying Starz was under scrutiny. The first line of this vicious article, which put the show under such scrutiny?

In the midst of a larger Hollywood conversation about whitewashing, American Gods nails it.

The Movie News Guide reporter literally stopped reading after just ten words, not even bothering to finish the sentence.

To be fair to the auther though, I can see how they could get confused. The actor's name is, after all, Ricky Whittle. As we all know, only white people have the word 'white' in their last name.

 

[Pirate Of PC Master race]

For a dose of double hilarity, the Movie News Guide was citing a Vanity Fair article, saying Starz was under scrutiny. The first line of this vicious article, which put the show under such scrutiny?

In the midst of a larger Hollywood conversation about whitewashing, American Gods nails it.

The Movie News Guide reporter literally stopped reading after just ten words, not even bothering to finish the sentence.

To be fair to the auther though, I can see how they could get confused. The actor's name is, after all, Ricky Whittle. As we all know, only white people have the word 'white' in their last name.

Time to call Jack Black. This is a act he was born for.

 

[kris40k]

Time to call Jack Black. This is a act he was born for.

I now have a vision of Jack Black hanging from a tree in the middle of a storm...yeah, that's pretty fucking awful...thanks.

 

[CaptainMarvelous]

Had to google who he was but yeah, he kinda fits the description perfectly.

Solid casting. Now I just hope he can act.

 

[Jack Action]

Well that's the adaptation of American Gods buggered if they have cast Ricky Whittle. A guy from second rate soaps who can hardly act as one of the leads

Well, he doesn't have to, since iirc Shadow was kinda quiet and stoic, to the point of mildly annoying his girlfriend. Except for that one part where he got nailed to a tree, so if this guy can laugh like a maniac and twist his neck at impossible angles, he should be perfect.

 

[Zhukov]

The protagonist of American Gods was black?

Huh. I must have missed that bit when reading it. Come to think of it I can't actually remember anything specific being described about his appearance, but I do remember that I always automatically pictured him as a white dude.

 

[Nimcha]

This is getting rather out of hand. I thought we all agreed by now black is a skincolor, not a race. Races don't exist. Not genetically anyway.

 

[Jack Action]

The protagonist of American Gods was black?

Huh. I must have missed that bit when reading it. Come to think of it I can't actually remember anything specific being described about his appearance, but I do remember that I always automatically pictured him as a white dude.

There were descriptions, but always brief, and spread out over the entire book. Coffee-cream-toned skin as quoted by Silvanus, also big, muscly, and he had to be pretty by necessity because of his role... so basically Ricky Whittle.

 

[Albino Boo]

Well that's the adaptation of American Gods buggered if they have cast Ricky Whittle. A guy from second rate soaps who can hardly act as one of the leads

Well, he doesn't have to, since iirc Shadow was kinda quiet and stoic, to the point of mildly annoying his girlfriend. Except for that one part where he got nailed to a tree, so if this guy can laugh like a maniac and twist his neck at impossible angles, he should be perfect.

Whittle is an actor/model who can be out acted by a plank of wood. I could be wrong but I think they just cast a pretty boy rather than talent.

The protagonist of American Gods was black?

Huh. I must have missed that bit when reading it. Come to think of it I can't actually remember anything specific being described about his appearance, but I do remember that I always automatically pictured him as a white dude.

In the book its ambiguous, if you remember the part when shadow was in the south there was some questions to his family origin. Gaiman has confirmed that Shadow's mother is black when he was asked.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Is it just me or does everything about this sound like bad satire? From the title "American Gods" to the cheesily named stoic "shadow" who is hilairiously black to boot, with the "coffee and cream" skin," yummy! To the cringeworthy *Starz* TV which sounds like a 50p gossip magazine at best, finishing off with the utterly embarrassing article. It's all bad, all around. Though quite funny still.

 

[Dirkie]

Is it just me or does everything about this sound like bad satire? From the title "American Gods" to the cheesily named stoic "shadow" who is hilairiously black to boot, with the "coffee and cream" skin," yummy! To the cringeworthy *Starz* TV which sounds like a 50p gossip magazine at best, finishing off with the utterly embarrassing article. It's all bad, all around. Though quite funny still.

Considering the characters full name is Shadow Moon, and the co-operation of Terry Practhett in parts of the story, bits of satire and an off-angle look at things are things you can expect.
Now it's time to hope they get the modern gods right, casting The Internet will be a callenge, and the undertakers from nothern Africa should be a little bit less easy (one of them needs to be an owl).

 

[Jack Action]

Well that's the adaptation of American Gods buggered if they have cast Ricky Whittle. A guy from second rate soaps who can hardly act as one of the leads

Well, he doesn't have to, since iirc Shadow was kinda quiet and stoic, to the point of mildly annoying his girlfriend. Except for that one part where he got nailed to a tree, so if this guy can laugh like a maniac and twist his neck at impossible angles, he should be perfect.

Whittle is an actor/model who can be out acted by a plank of wood. I could be wrong but I think they just cast a pretty boy rather than talent.

Well, I get that, but what I'm saying is... he's playing Balder. He doesn't *need* to act better than a plank of wood, but he does need to look good. I read the book when I was a kid, but I believe he wasn't guy who did stuff, but more a guy who had stuff happen to him.

Is it just me or does everything about this sound like bad satire? From the title "American Gods" to the cheesily named stoic "shadow" who is hilairiously black to boot, with the "coffee and cream" skin," yummy! To the cringeworthy *Starz* TV which sounds like a 50p gossip magazine at best, finishing off with the utterly embarrassing article. It's all bad, all around. Though quite funny still.

The cheese is actually relevant to the plot, surprisingly enough, and I missed most of it because I read the thing translated and when I was like 12, so I didn't catch things like Mr Wednesday and Low Key.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Considering the characters full name is Shadow Moon, and the co-operation of Terry Practhett in parts of the story, bits of satire and an off-angle look at things are things you can expect.
Now it's time to hope they get the modern gods right, casting The Internet will be a callenge, and the undertakers from nothern Africa should be a little bit less easy (one of them needs to be an owl).

The cheese is actually relevant to the plot, surprisingly enough, and I missed most of it because I read the thing translated and when I was like 12, so I didn't catch things like Mr Wednesday and Low Key.

That does make a whole lot more sense now. The *Starz* mistake is still unbelievably bad. I wonder if it has something to do with in-house rivalry with the editor and whoever wrote the article. I do not see how anybody could honestly make such a mistake.

 

[Hoplon]

The protagonist of American Gods was black?

Huh. I must have missed that bit when reading it. Come to think of it I can't actually remember anything specific being described about his appearance, but I do remember that I always automatically pictured him as a white dude.

Given the line from the guard and shadows reply to him say it's not ment to be that pinned down

""I don't get you, Shadow," said Wilson, as they walked.

"What's not to get, sir?"

"You. You're too fucking quiet. Too polite. You wait like the old guys, but you're what? Twenty-five? Twenty-eight?"

"Thirty-two, sir."

"And what are you? A spic? A gypsy?"

"Not that I know of, sir. Maybe."

"Maybe you got ****** blood in you. You got ****** blood in you, Shadow?"

"Could be, sir." Shadow stood tall and looked straight ahead, and concentrated on not allowing himself to be riled by this man. "

But his Mum has sickle cell anemia, which is found predominately in but not limited too, sub Saharan Africa.

 

[Albino Boo]

Well, I get that, but what I'm saying is... he's playing Balder. He doesn't *need* to act better than a plank of wood, but he does need to look good. I read the book when I was a kid, but I believe he wasn't guy who did stuff, but more a guy who had stuff happen to him.

At the start, Shadow is a man adrift. His old life vanished before the book started, so he's not quite a blank slate but a man without purpose. As the book continues he develops his own agenda and motviations. The story is his journey as he learns who he is and what his purpose is.

 

[Zhukov]

Is it just me or does everything about this sound like bad satire? From the title "American Gods" to the cheesily named stoic "shadow" who is hilairiously black to boot, with the "coffee and cream" skin," yummy! To the cringeworthy *Starz* TV which sounds like a 50p gossip magazine at best, finishing off with the utterly embarrassing article. It's all bad, all around. Though quite funny still.

Have you read the book?

Because I'm pretty damn sure whatever you are imagining is very different to what it actually is.

Of course, they could still fuck it up and personally I was lukewarm towards the book, but if it's bad it won't be because of the reasons you're thinking of.

I kind of agree with you on the protagonist's name. I thought it was dumb too. Although it got better when it's explained that it's not his actual name, just a nickname he got as a kid because he was quiet and used to follow (ie. shadow) the adults around.