Since the initial images of actress Anna Diop as Starfire in the upcoming Titans television series came out, there has been “fan” backlash against her as a black actress playing the role, because Starfire is an orange woman and therefore can only be white, don’t ya know? Now, that has led to Anna Diop disabling her Instagram due to the barrage of racist attacks against her.
[NEWS] Anna Diop (Starfire) has disabled her instagram comments due to disgusting racist attacks since yesterday’s #Titans trailer. Racism is never okay and has no place in the DC family.
— teen titans (@badpostitans) July 20, 2018
Now, it is totally possible to dislike the way Diop is styled in the series, judging by the stills, and I have been critical of that myself without resorting to racist-ass statements about how Diop is not “attractive” enough to play Starfire, or that a black woman can’t play Starfire at all.
I also don’t care for her skin color I just wish she was cast as a prettier person than Anna diop. Starfire is suppose to be beautiful even if she is a different color. Maybe Anna diop should of been meaghan in later season.
— HitEmUp (@BrisenoLeo) July 20, 2018
First of all, Anna Diop is beautiful. Her skin is perfect, both in complexion and shade. Secondly, Starfire is a damn alien and the woman is orange, what do you mean Diop is the wrong color to play the role? Just looking at Injustice 2, Starfire clearly resembles Zendaya/Halle Berry. The idea that she needs to be a white woman is legit absurd. Anyone, no matter their skin tone, would work just fine.
This is why we need to just take all the aliens and make them whatever we want. Hernan Guerra/Superman in Justice League: Gods and Monsters? Just let that be the new official Superman so we can get Oscar Isaac as Superman. Or you know what? Let’s just make Oscar Isaac the Clark Kent Superman and not even question it, because Clark Kent isn’t even his “true” name.
The racist DC fanboys’ next rationale for bullying Anna once #Titans airs will be
1 She doesn’t have chemistry w Dick, doesn’t look right w him
2 #Starfire is annoying, horribly written, whiny
3 Want better writing for Starfire
4 She’ll be a better character if she needs no man https://t.co/rAxQXqzB45— #RunIrisRun ⚡️💜 (@AlexisWaverider) July 20, 2018
What makes this so disappointing is that this is not news. How many black actresses have spoken about this? This is not shocking, nor is it, sadly, something people will learn a lesson from, yet again. I’m glad that people are standing behind Diop, but I wish everyone else would grow up, and that studios would have measures in place to limit the amount of racist crap their actors have to see on a daily basis.
With plenty of legitimate criticism to be had from that trailer, the fact that racism is what people have resorted to just proves that people can’t help but show their true colors, because if the worst thing you saw in the Titans trailer was black Starfire, I remind you that a blood-spattered faced Dick Grayson said, “Fuck Batman.”
I know people are salty that women of color are “stealing” all these red-haired characters, but them’s the breaks. We got Iris, we got Jimmy Olsen, we got Starfire, and you know what? We’re coming for Poison Ivy next.
(via The Root, image: FOX)
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