The problem of Siddig el Fadil

[my_daroga]

This weekend,

Comments

[my_daroga]

1) Oh, yes, the white liberal guilt. That shows up in the film, too, when she starts talking about Egyptian street children, and he essentially says, "you've been here a week, what do you know?"

2) That is a really good point. (And, honestly, probably a lot of what draws me to him.) Especially considering he is palatable in that way--and yet only plays ethnically-defined roles. Julian Bashir aside. If he's really what the Western audience wants to see, shouldn't he be playing, I don't know, that guy down the street, or the love interest in a romantic comedy, or whatever the white guys play?

[my_daroga]

Of course, but the film seems to simultaneously be aware of and guilty of it, which is interesting.

Certainly--I'm being very naive when I boggle and think, "why not?" But part of me still does. And wonders how we're supposed to overcome it.

[my_daroga]

Frankly, its greatest sin was being boring, but yeah. It wasn't the most offensive thing I've ever seen, and it's a far cry from, say, The Sheik. But in another way, it's just a new mode.

[my_daroga]

That's true. And maybe that's why I don't have a problem watching them, or think that I'm contributing to the fail by doing so. I know what I'm looking at, and it's pretty easy to decode.

[glamourcorpse]

1. Interesting typo in the last line of paragraph two, you wrote "El Fail." It made me laugh really hard for some reason.

2. When the fuck is he gonna physically play The Persian already???

[my_daroga]

1. Oh man, that is hilarious and horrible. I'm so sorry, Mr. Not At all Fail in the Least.

2. I KNOW.

Er. Then again, there's that "representing a country not actually related to you" thing. Whoops.

[glamourcorpse]

Does that even count if you're playing a badass?

[my_daroga]

Hmm.

The thing is, honestly, I don't think it's as big a problem in the individual case as the overall cumulative effect. I liked his roles in those other films. Just as it's totally fine for someone to stand in as the archetypal White American or whatever. It's just if that's all there is.

[thundercrap]

I think I like him better the way he looks now, even.

And I would attempt a more intelligent answer, but today has sucked for a labor day. I agree on many of these points.

[my_daroga]

Oh, I definitely think he's gotten hotter.

And that's fine! Obviously I've been too busy/distracted to even check this.

[my_daroga]

Ah, I haven't seen that. I've only seen Jewel in the Crown and then seemingly endless terrorist or stereotypical Indian roles.

I... think I will not watch that. But I guess I'm glad they cast interestingly? And I haven't seen that ep of Poirot, no!