Casting

Joined
Feb 2, 2021
Messages
14
Pronouns
  1. He - Him
As you can see, Kil, these first reactions to the Emonds Fields folks being cast are almost universally excited. Please don't project your feelings about the races of the actors onto this site as a whole.

Specifically, the beginning of this thread when folks were suggesting actors for various cast members. In what world did people read Edmond Fielders as black? Seafolk, yes. Seanchan, yes. I've read the Edmond Fielders as Native American or Latinx. Rand's dad is an Edmonds Fielder and from the book has the look of an Edmonds Fielder, yet the character is cast as white?

As I said, there is a ton of diversity in RJs world. I find the casting decisions to be a sign of wokeness we might expect from this show, my fear is it's going to take away from the story. See Batwoman. I'm a big fan of some of the actors cast, at least the ones I've seen in other shows - no issue there.


It takes a profound amount of existential insecurity to feel so threatened by diverse casting in an objectively niche streaming series that you choose to criticize it on a private forum, on a privately owned site, while speaking to a wildly diverse group of people. Like. Did that opinion actually need to be addressed at all? What is the point?

lol, Aen't the majority sites privately owned and why would that make a difference? Are opinions that go against your views not allowed? Talk about insecurity. No one is suggesting a diverse cast is a problem, see my previous posts. This world is very diverse and I expect diverse casting. NOBODY thought these cast members would be Black instead of white, Lanix, Native American, Greek, Italian. Read the books, look at the original cast suggestions in this very thread, look at all the artwork. At least make the casting consistent.

If you don't like how diverse the cast is, then own it. But don't try to sneak around the social consequences of having that opinion by framing your dislike as a matter of "canon accuracy." It's an old trick, my dude, and it doesn't work anymore.

Yikes. Social consequences of having an opinion on the specific casting of specific characters of a show based on a book series I've read many times over. Please reread your message and how aggressive you're coming across. It's sort of ridiculous.
 

Thaddius al'Guy

Gaidin
Historian
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Messages
9,296
Last edited:

Alenya Al'Roran

Aes Sedai
Mistress of Revels - North America
Joined
Jun 27, 2018
Messages
9,146
Location
Groveland, FL
Everyone's opinions are welcome, but that's the point. We are an extremely diverse community and we've come a long way in accepting and welcoming everyone we have here. We all love the world RJ created and we're simply happy it's happening. The people in the cast doing look the way we pictured in our heads? Don't care, because we're getting a TV show.
 
Joined
Feb 2, 2021
Messages
14
Pronouns
  1. He - Him
The people in the cast doing look the way we pictured in our heads? Don't care, because we're getting a TV show.

I can agree with this. I can be a bit of a purist and found some of the responses overly aggressive. I do understand some people might not agree. I cant wait to see the tv show. They've got the budget, the cast, and the right directors and writers in place to create a really good show.
 

Jaryd Kosari

Resident Trash Panda
Aes Sedai
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Messages
7,589
Pronouns
  1. He - Him
edited by motw-moderation.

There's an example of the social consequences I was talking about. Everyone else pointing out that your "opinion" is a problem are also part of that consequence. When a person voices a veiled -ism, it doesn't get forgotten by the people they're talking to or the people looking on in silence. It will color those people's opinions of you (sometimes permanently), which (in purely selfish-to-you terms) isn't going to work out great for you in the long run.

Basically I'm saying: Yelling about BIPOC actors' skin color and/or facial structure is a really bad look. Trying to frame it as "but canon" just makes you look like a racist AND a coward. Rethink why you're upset, and maybe keep thoughts like that to yourself in future.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Dnae Ila

Gaidin
Joined
Jun 12, 2014
Messages
12,210
Age
37
Location
New York
Pronouns
  1. Any - All
It will never be 100% because they are FAKE people.
^This is important to remember, with any adaptation.

In what world did people read Edmond Fielders as black?
Ahem.
Yes, I did imagine them white and, embarrassingly, I never thought of them casting actors of color, but when I saw those pictures, I was blown away by just how much *better* they are than the bland fantasy stereotypes I had in my head.
Having read them as white doesn't mean the casting is bad.


a sign of wokeness
Here we go. I've never seen someone complaining about "wokeness" to have a clear definition of what they mean other than "I'm mad they're minorities."
 

Alora Sionn

Mama Wolf
Gaidin
Joined
Oct 30, 2012
Messages
44,895
Let's not do this, everyone take a step back.

The casting is done, it's not changing. I'm not happy about some of it though it's for different reasons. As far as Emonds Fielders being homogenous I would agree in general they would have, over the 1000s of years, blended even if started out as different races however genetics are funny things and does allow for variation in shades etc even the occasional random eye color change. So the casting choice isn't far out there.

I'm just mad that Perrin isn't broader i man those don't look like axe handle shoulders to me :/ lol
 
Joined
Feb 2, 2021
Messages
14
Pronouns
  1. He - Him
^This is important to remember, with any adaptation.



Here we go. I've never seen someone complaining about "wokeness" to have a clear definition of what they mean other than "I'm mad they're minorities."

I've mentioned it several times and it's getting a bit tiring - I read them as minority (I guess we're talking US minorities) characters (Native American or Lantix). I never thought of Egwene, Mat, Perrin or any of the other EFers as white. Some folks in this thread just seem openly hostile to any opinions outside of the hivemind - going as far as to say I'm a racist or a coward for my opinion. This forum seems to have been pretty open to diverse opinions in the past, but it seems from this thread alone, there is a bunch of social media nonsense.

There's an example of the social consequences I was talking about. Everyone else pointing out that your "opinion" is a problem are also part of that consequence. When a person voices a veiled -ism, it doesn't get forgotten by the people they're talking to or the people looking on in silence. It will color those people's opinions of you (sometimes permanently), which (in purely selfish-to-you terms) isn't going to work out great for you in the long run.

Oh, my word. Where's my fainting couch.

Peace brothers and sisters. I don't have to like every choice the creators of the tv show make. I didn't with GoT and still loved the show. I did comment on things I didn't like about GoT, having been a book reader, and I don't recall the mob coming after me :D.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Feb 2, 2021
Messages
14
Pronouns
  1. He - Him
Let's not do this, everyone take a step back.

The casting is done, it's not changing. I'm not happy about some of it though it's for different reasons. As far as Emonds Fielders being homogenous I would agree in general they would have, over the 1000s of years, blended even if started out as different races however genetics are funny things and does allow for variation in shades etc even the occasional random eye color change. So the casting choice isn't far out there.

I'm just mad that Perrin isn't broader i man those don't look like axe handle shoulders to me :/ lol

I can run with this. I agree with Perrin too, but the guy can put on some weight - right? He's still pretty young and maybe he's hitting the protein shakes :D.
 

Alora Sionn

Mama Wolf
Gaidin
Joined
Oct 30, 2012
Messages
44,895
I've mentioned it several times and it's getting a bit tiring - I read them as minority characters (Native American or Lantix). I never thought of Egwene, Mat, Perrin or any of the other EFers as white.
Well you're a step above me on that, because of fantasy being British centric (lotr) I kinda gave everyone British accents except Emonds Field i thought of as Scottish and looking like my husband (tan, dark eyes, dark hair) though he is of Scottish descent lol though I have no problem seeing them as native American either. Hopefully Perrin can bulk up lol ;)
 

Ilverin Matriam

Aes Sedai
Director of Research and Records
Historian
Joined
Jul 28, 2006
Messages
13,844
Pronouns
  1. She - Her
interesting, I haven't really "heard" any accent, but if I have to point at how they would speak, it would be plain American :look: Like, I don't know how accents work in the US, but I know a "non-accent american" when I hear it :laugh:

But then in the chapter in Baerlon in EotW, a guy says Emond fielders talk funny... and later Rand barely understands Bayle Domon at first :scratch And obviously Seanchan speak with a slur, which people claim should be Texas accent, but I just can't hear it :cheeseeni:
 
Joined
Feb 2, 2021
Messages
14
Pronouns
  1. He - Him
I am binge listening to the series on Audible and the voice actors give everyone accents. It's kinda cool - hearing how a voice actor conveys the Seanchan slurred way of talking, especially Kate Readings version, is beyond what I was thinking of in my head when I read the books.
 

Zashara Sho'am

The Dark One
Aes Sedai
Joined
Jun 1, 2004
Messages
11,056
Location
Shayol Ghul
Hi. MOD POST INCOMING.

Y'all. My people. We can agree that whitewashing characters is a bad thing. But this was not a case of that. I get that we've had some pretty racist people in the past and we want to make it clear that those views are not welcome. However, wishing that they had a native/Latinx crew is not whitewashing. As an Indian American, I would have loved to see more Indian people in, say Bridgerton, given that we're a huge minority in England. If you want to come at me for that, then please do.

The point is, minorities aren't a monolith. It's perfectly okay to be disappointed that there weren't more latinx, indigenous, Asian, etc. actors cast. I was disappointed to see that mat and Tam were white and did not match the rest of Emmond's field. So what I'm saying is cool it, people are allowed to have opinions on the cast so long as they aren't assholes about it.

On the other hand, using terms like "wokeness" and "social media bullshit" are typically associated with the actually racist people who have criticized the casting, so those are not things to say. Coming at this thread with "the casting choices don't make sense" without any real context (see beginning of thread is not context) is not going to get a good result because the general use of that phrase has been to say "I don't like that they aren't white".

Be mindful of tone and context.

Thank you.

Also I'm dealing with an angry toddler so sorry if some of that was rushed, I can clarify further later if needed. tl;dr be good to each other
 

Aduiavas Ida

Aes Sedai
Head of the White Ajah
Joined
Jun 10, 2008
Messages
20,134
Age
34
Location
Drøbak, Norway
Pronouns
  1. She - Her
Yeah,. Kate reading and Michael Kramer is among the best voice actors I have heard. Granted, I haven't heard that many others, since I have mostly listened to Jordan and Sandersons books :P

But I like how they, and especially Reading, are able to make so many different voices, without making it "theater" and noticeably change their own voice :)
 

Thaddius al'Guy

Gaidin
Historian
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Messages
9,296
I can't post right today, apparently.
 
Last edited:

Elania al'Manir

Aes Sedai
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Messages
10,238
Location
Missouri
Pronouns
  1. She - Her
I agree with Perrin too, but the guy can put on some weight - right? He's still pretty young and maybe he's hitting the protein shakes :D.
Hopefully Perrin can bulk up lol ;)
I disagree that we should be asking actors to change their bodies based on a role. Every time I see things like, "How Christian Bale Lost 70 Pounds for Ford v Ferrari" or "11 male actors who have bulked up for roles" I get upset. Drastic gaining and losing of weight is horrible for your health. Why do we expect someone to harm themselves to meet our expectations? Sure, they're adults and they're making their own decisions, but they often wouldn't be pressured into those decisions if our pop culture didn't demand it (like the men who bulk up really far for roles and then do fasting before a shirtless scene to emphasize their muscles).

So anyway, we have Perrin, and I think we should accept him even if he doesn't bulk up.
 

Alora Sionn

Mama Wolf
Gaidin
Joined
Oct 30, 2012
Messages
44,895
I'm not looking for anyone to hurt themselves for a role and it looks like he's already tall, please don't take what I said in the extreme. There's a couple things like that that I will wish they casted for but I'm not going to throw my toys out of the pram and not watch it.

I would like him to at least fake look like he swings a blacksmiths hammer all day long but that doesn't mean I want the worst possible scenario for the actor.
 

Aduiavas Ida

Aes Sedai
Head of the White Ajah
Joined
Jun 10, 2008
Messages
20,134
Age
34
Location
Drøbak, Norway
Pronouns
  1. She - Her
He could also just wear a bulky costume :cheeseeni:
But I agree, how they look is not as important as their acting skills. I need to believe that they are who they are portraying.
And I would be a bit more annoyed if one of them have another accent for instance. I mean, Emond Fielders should all have a similar accent. If Moiraine or other actors have a different accent, that would be cool, but I wouldn't mind if they all speak the same type of English either :cheeseeni:
 
Top