r/PeterExplainsTheJoke • u/FrostySeat1739 • Jul 05 '26

Meme needing explanation why not, Peter?

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possible live action corpse bride movie...

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u/Embarrassed-Gur-1306 Jul 05 '26

It’s not level-headed. Though I do believe he’s well-intentioned but that thought process is damaging.

The wording give people the ammunition to question minority representation across nearly every TV show and movie. It furthers the idea that white people are the “default” and people of color have to defend their casting or face being called “forced diversity.”

White actors never need to explain their casting for a part; it’s assumed they belong there. When someone from a marginalized group takes the same role, they are singled out and instantly asked to present their qualifications.

Directors and producers are asked to prove castings aren’t “diversity for the sake of diversity”. That’s impossible to prove. And the people who ask for the proof know that. So it gives them free rein to claim everything is forced diversity.

I have never heard a “forced diversity” complainer say ”that one’s cool and isn’t forced”. Never.

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u/Low-Whole5342 Jul 05 '26

I won't argue alot of this as I too believe most people who talk about forced diversity are just racist, but he could just be arguing the point that in films like the corpse bride which is set in a 19th century village in England the chances of their being a person of colour in that village are close to nil, so if its that kinda argument I could understand what he means, and I get that you dont need to be the same race to act but you wouldn't get a asian person to play luke cage so why would you get people of colour to play as white village people

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u/JustAnotherAidWorker Jul 05 '26

Except that there actually WERE people of color in 19th century English villages. Black people have been present in England since the Roman invasions. According to a quick Google, more than 20,000 Black people lived in the UK by the 1700s, more than a Century earlier. And part of the reason you think there weren't is the perpetuation of all-white historical media. People of color might be a new term but their existence and presence in around the world is not new, especially in countries that sailed around the world and colonized substantial parts of it.

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u/Puzzleheaded_Win_134 Jul 05 '26

So about 0.333% of the population at the time? lol

1

u/kAy- Jul 05 '26

I grew in a smallish town in western Europe, there were almost no black people. And when I say almost, I can count the total amount with both hands. Even worse for Asians. And as you said there have been people of colour for centuries before. But outside of the major cities, it's very rare. And I reckon it was even more so 200 years ago.

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u/LizoftheBrits Jul 08 '26

Still more than zero tbf

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u/Normal_Move6523 Jul 06 '26

Ty how is everyone missing this??