It has recently been announced that Angelina Jolie will be starring as Mariane Pearl in the film adaptation of Pearl's autobiography chronicling the story of her relationship with her husband, Daniel Pearl, and her life in the aftermath of his hideous murdering at the hands of terrorists. Quite a worthwhile film, in my opinion, and maybe even one I would have gone to see, had the filmmakers not cast Angelina Jolie in the starring role. Now, let it be known, I am not against Angelina Jolie as an actress or even as a human being. Though I do think her and Brad's actions in the whole Team Jolie/Team Aniston debacle were shady, she is quite the philanthropist and I admire that. And she's a fantastic actress, without a doubt - her characterization of Gia Carangi (sp?) was breathtaking. However, Mariane Pearl is a woman of color and Angelina Jolie is not. That's the long and short of it. I don't care how much good work Angelina does in Africa. I don't care if she adopts a county full of African babies, instead of just the one she's got. I don't care that Brad Pitt has discovered that Carol's Daughter products work well on those children with "Black people's hair." Angelina. is. not. Black. No, she's not. She's not even brown. Or warm-toned. She's not.
Mariane Pearl is not a dark-skinned woman by any stretch of the imagination. But she is of Afro-Cuban descent, as well as Chinese and Dutch, I believe. She is clearly brown. Why did the filmmakers not insist that a woman of color be cast in that role??? No, it is not a valid excuse to say that they wanted to cast a star that would bring in audiences. There are Black and biracial actresses who are known to pull in audiences - Halle and Thandie, anyone? If the point is supposed to be truth in filmmaking, then DAMNIT, tell the truth! Mariane Pearl is a WOMAN OF COLOR!!! Cast one!!!! Are we pussyfooting around the fact that the Pearls were in an interracial marriage ... 'cause, if so, I'm calling BULLSHIT!!!! BULL - SHIT on that! That is not the story! The story is that her husband was brutally murdered and she's had to pick up the pieces! She is a woman to be admired and looked at and it is FINE that she's of African descent! Why can we not tell that story?????
I am appalled ... APPALLED that Angelina Jolie has been made to look visibly darker-skinned for this picture. The days of Blackface should be over, people! We are not dealing with Al Jolson here! Jim Crow is dead or supposed to be. And for a woman who is the mother of an African baby to think that it's okay to appear in Blackface ... I can't even put into words how disappointed I am by that.
In honor of Tonyette and Meloni, who noted Danny's resemblance to Taimak and in horror at the idea that Meloni's coworker has never seen The Last Dragon (How is that even possible??? This person was deprived of all sorts of cheesetastic, 80s fun and sexiness! I am still praying that, one day, Taimak will appear spontaneously and offer to teach me some moves), I felt compelled to honor the hotness flashback that is Taimak.
