Recently some of the casting for the Harry Potter tv show came out. The most controversial casting was turning Snape black, because these days you can’t have a Hollywood production without race/gender swapping a character. In only one direction of course. This will be interesting to see how they portray the scene with James and his friends bullying then hanging Snape from a tree. Cause now that will look racist in tone.

There has been a lot of controversy on the Hermione casting as well (which hasn't been announced yet). With a lot of discussion on she has to be black or she has to be white. I did want to make some comments on that as whoever they cast will end up being interesting to most of the people who visit here obviously. On the side who say she has to be black for support they give reasons of-. First they say she was black in the cursed child sequel. They say she was always meant to be non white and give as support for that that JK Rowling herself said she was black. Then they say because for too long too many movies have starred too many white people so none of this matters as they have to have more black people in it to balance it out.

The first point is fair. In the sequel show they did make her black with Rowling’s blessing. Rowling did not however say she was black. Just that she could be. It’s a big difference. As for always meant to be black that is easily disproved. One of the first sketches ever for the characters has Hermione as a blonde white girl. It was drawn by Rowling. In multiple scenes in the book it mentions her blushing, going pale, going pink when insulted and turning slightly green when sick. Just as with Snape, these descriptions do not fit someone who is black. She was always intended as a white girl. On to the final point of too many movies starring too many white people. Well in the Anglosphere where these shows are made and where the primary audience is for. There aren’t many black people. Yes at one time black people couldn’t get a starring role in a film. That time has long since passed. Most of the population alive now never experienced it. Then on top of it demanding leading roles for a group in every tv and movie when said group is less than 10% of the population of population the tv show is being advertised too? It seems, dare I say entitled. On top of this the show is set in 90’s England where the black population in England was around 4% then. The parents are two dentists who met in Dental school in the 70’s. So you are telling me that two black people were in dental school in England met changed their names to the local culture and had a child who they named based on Greek myth? Nah.

Also why can’t she be Middle Eastern, Asian, South American, etc? Why is it specifically demanded she be black? If it truly is just there should be more races cast than white then any of those should be an option.

As for the movies having to show a diverse cast regardless of the era it is filmed to allow people to be seen. Recent movies have shown that they don’t actually care about that. Movie/show set in Asia. 100% Asian cast. Movie set in Africa 100% African cast. Movie set in Europe. Some diversity isn’t even enough. Major characters and large sections of the cast now have be raced swapped even in a medieval setting. So no I don’t buy any of the reasons for a second.

For some final thoughts. This changes if the casting is based on who did the best job interviewing from the character regardless of race, but we’ve already seen from statements from the staff it wasn’t due to that. I will say I think Snape being black is probably more of a detriment than Hermione. I have major doubts that the actor will be able to play a gaunt unhealthy looking incel who lives mostly in the dungeons and is supposed to look like hasn’t seen sun in a while. The actor’s a handsome cool looking dude. Opposite of the character. Also if they do cast a black Hermione, I hope she has the time of her life, and isn’t allowed to see any of the hate. The casting based on identity politics would not be on her, or even the man playing Snape. In the end, it’s on the studio playing stupid identity politics.