At first glance, “Wednesday” seems like a series that fulfills the intended function of diversity. Examples of this are several main characters, such as the Addams Family itself, where the titular character is played by Latina actress Jenna Ortega (yes, powdered in baby powder) and in the students of the boarding school, “outcasts” of all kinds can be seen. However, once they look deeper, fans have come to realize that black characters are mostly villains.
In the first place, the great antagonist of Wednesday is Bianca Barclay, the “mean-girl” of the boarding school, played by the magnificent actress Joe Sunday, of Nigerian origin. One of little Addams’ great stalkers is instead played by the black actor Iman Marson, also the son of the corrupt mayor who owns Pilgrim World, a museum in honor of pilgrims and colonizers. This hypocrisy has not gone unnoticed either, as it casts black characters as advocates of genocide. Fans are more than appalled by this portrayal and were quick to accuse Tim Burton and Netflix of being racist.
Me trying to push racist and anti-Black undertones into the Wednesday Addams Netflix show. Like anyone who thought that making the black man the owner of a pilgrim amusement park is literally going to HELL. ?????????
? Jade (@jade178) November 26, 2022
“Me reluctantly addressing the racist and anti-Black undertones in the Wednesday Addams Netflix series. Anyone who thought of making a pilgrim amusement park owner black is literally going to HELL”
Tim Burton finally chooses blacks and makes them bad pilgrims. you can’t tell me that man isn’t insufferable and racist as hell in real life.
? Jack ???? (@jacquelinvenise) November 27, 2022
“Tim Burton ultimately casts black actors and turns them into wacky villains. You can’t tell me this man isn’t insufferable and racist as hell in real life”
Tim Burton isn’t a racist, is he? On Wednesday, the Poe Cup boats are named after Edgar Allen Poe stories. The black character Bianca is part of the Gold Bug team. The Gold Bug is the only Poe story that features a black character, a particularly dimwitted slave named Juniper.
? Honey Ma (@TheHoneyMa) November 28, 2022
“Tim Burton isn’t a racist, is he? In ‘Wednesday,’ the Poe Cup ships are named after stories by Edgar Allen Poe. The black character Bianca is part of the Gold Bug team. The Gold Bug is the only tale of Poe introducing a black character – a particularly foolish slave named Jupiter”
While Tim Burton and the production company most likely didn’t think twice, blundering wildly, it’s clear that they’ve caused widespread disgust with the way black people are portrayed on the show. The denial of the lack of positive black representation in the acclaimed director’s career has been brewing for some time now, ever since Burton had implied that playing non-white characters was not a necessity.: “Things are either necessary or they are not”he said, implying that he “politically correct” he didn’t like it. The New York Post newspaper asked Tim Burton’s manager Mike Simpson for comment on the growing controversy, to which Simpson replied: “I won’t tell you about such a stupid request for comment”.
Tim Burton really thinks weird things only come to white people. I don’t even watch it for diversity.
? Mikki Kendall (@Karnythia) September 29, 2016
“Tim Burton really believes you can only be weird if you’re white. I don’t even expect him to have diversity”
Only blacks get hurt
More than thirty years have passed since Tim Burton’s career-changing film ‘Edward Scissorhands’. However, It wasn’t until 2016 that the director first cast a black character in a lead role.. The chosen one was Samuel L. Jackson and the film was ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Special Children’ which is currently her second most recent film after ‘Dumbo’. This already caused him great criticism at the time, because (as it seems it could not be otherwise) he played the antagonist. However, the actor did come to the director’s defense when asked about it: “I don’t think it’s his fault or his method of storytelling, it’s just how things turned out”to then add that the director “he’s a good boy”.
Source: E Cartelera
Bernice Bonaparte is an author and entertainment journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a passion for pop culture and a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest entertainment news, Bernice has become a trusted source for information on the entertainment industry.
