<
https://www.salon.com/2026/05/16/the-new-helen-of-troy-is-black-and-thats-upsetting-racists/>
"The backlash surrounding Lupita Nyong’o’s casting as Helen of Troy — and her
sister Clytemnestra — in the upcoming epic “The Odyssey” has quickly evolved
into another online culture-war battle over race, beauty and representation in
Hollywood.
The controversy intensified after Elon Musk amplified social media criticism in
quite a few posts and reposts on X, questioning both the casting and whether
Nyong’o could plausibly portray Helen, the mythological figure long associated
with extraordinary beauty. Conservative commentator Matt Walsh argued on X that
“not one person on the planet” views Nyong’o as “the most beautiful woman in
the world,” a post Musk replied to with a one-word endorsement: “True.”
The comments drew immediate backlash online, with critics accusing Musk and
others of reducing beauty to narrow Eurocentric standards. Actor Alec Baldwin
publicly defended Nyong’o, calling her “the most beautiful woman” while
criticizing the reaction surrounding the casting.
Getting lost in the debate over the race of fictional characters is that Musk
and others also oppose the casting of Elliot Page as Achilles, questioning the
masculinity of a trans man playing a mythological symbol of what they consider
traditional masculinity.
This debate over race mirrors earlier controversies surrounding Halle Bailey
starring in “The Little Mermaid” and other diverse casting choices in fantasy
and literary adaptations. In many cases, critics frame objections around
“historical accuracy” or fidelity to source material, while supporters argue
mythology and fiction have always evolved through reinterpretation and artistic
adaptation."
Via Kenny Chaffin.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
