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| Supergirl (2016) – James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks), Kara (Melissa Benoist) |
Yesterday the trailer for the new Supergirl series was released by CW and the reactions have been mixed. Some love it and some hate it, but everyone is surprised by the Black Jimmy (“James actually”) Olsen. He’s played by Mehcad Brooks who’s described as “a photographer at CatCo., where Kara (Melissa Benoist) works. He’s the salt of the earth and this only makes Kara crush on him even more. The character has recently been living and working in National City, though the reason is still a secret. But with Kara emerging as Supergirl they grow closer.” Mehcad Jason McKinley Brooks is a former fashion model and actor known for Desperate Housewives and True Blood.
James Bartholomew “Jimmy” Olsen has always been a bow tie-wearing teenage redhead, so this is a huge departure. Here’s the thing though. People are getting way too upset about this. Some are saying that it ruins the whole show and that Jimmy Olsen is they’re favorite character. Really? While Jimmy has been in every iteration of Superman, the stand-alone Jimmy Olsen comic, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen hasn’t been around since 1974. No one cares about Jimmy by himself. Plus, he hasn’t been a redhead in decades. In fact, he’s been everything from a gorilla to an octopus, so this isn’t that big a change.
Another complaint is that they should have brought in another Black character instead of race-changing an existing one. It’s a valid point. There are tons of great Black DC characters from John Irons (Steel) to Monica Rambeau Vixen and they should all be in the show. But complaining about Jimmy implies that he’s the ONLY Black guy that will ever appear on the show. I hope not. Let’s just assume there’s plenty of room for more than one Black person on the series.
The other exciting thing everyone is missing is that he’s supposed to be Kara’s love interest. That means a major television show is going to feature an interracial romance between a White girl and a Black man! That’s exciting! If they’d cast Jimmy as a geeky teenager it would be more faithful, but it would weaken the relationship. Let her be in love with a strong Black man that’s not a gangster rapper. Not that there’s anything wrong with an urban character, but it’s refreshing to see other types of minorities represented. It’s odd that they did a major change to an existing character, but it’s not going to ruin the show.
What do you think?
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Supergirl
Official Synopsis: “It’s not a bird. It’s not a plane. It’s not a man. It’s Supergirl. In the new drama from the world of DC Comics, Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El, embraces her superhuman abilities and becomes the hero she was always meant to be.”Starring Melissa Benoist, Chyler Leigh, Calista Flockhart, Jeremy Jordan, and Mehcad Brooks
Official Site: http://www.cbs.com/shows/supergirl/
What do you think of Jimmy Olsen? Does it make sense to change his race?
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<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="33101 ">35 Comments
I'm all for it – mostly because 1) not a lot of black guys as love interests 2) black professional. Jimmy's contribution has been the kid who's been there in the background. Race isn't a part of his factor, just that he was a photographer. It's hard to gauge who Jimmy will be in this show- but it's obvious that he's older. I've known plenty of geeky young men who grew up into smooth (but still incredibly geeky) guys.
(Also, I think you meant someone else – Monica Rambeau's a Marvel character, though I'm DYING for her to show up somewhere in the MCU. Maybe you meant Vixen?)
I have no problem with it.
Me either Alex
LOL you're right about the rookie mistake Whitney! I would love to see her in the MCU or any Black woman for that matter. But considering how they're wasting Black Widow, I'm not hopeful.
Jimmy has always been s photographer so that hasn't changed and how many Blavk professionals are on TV? Not enough I say. As for not being geeky because he's attractive, you're right that you can have both. He may have been a dweeb in High School.
It makes no difference. If the character doesn't have a ethical background, like say a Black Panther, the actor could be on any race.
This is fantastic! Another beloved red-headed white demon icon of American oppression bites the dust! With black Annie and black Jimmy Olsen all we need is to cast Daniel Kaluuya as Ron Howard's character in a Happy Days remake and the cinematic representation of redheads will be squashed forever. Lol at the silly white racist pigs who don't understand that their ethnicity is nothing more than a blank canvas for the litterary-challenged races to paint their own story on. Step by step towards a chocolate Hollywood comrades! Heil progress!
Right on syster! No white character is linked to their race! This priviledge is reserved for the superior races of the planet. White rapists of the earth are no more than ambiguous interchangeable entities that exist solely to be replaced by more interesting and more attractive people of color. Heil progress!
If I'm being trolled by Captain Obvious, then clearly I'm doing something write.
Hail Satan.
Well said syster! Whites (or pasties as I call'em) don't have an ethnic background, and the stupid rape-apologist teabillies can't seem to get it through to their tiny bigotted minds. May Obama be with you.
You are indeed doing the right thing syster Whitney! Your support of the cultural displacement of the cum-coloureds as earned you the respect of the vanguard of progress! All basketball-Americans should strive to be as progressive as you. Love the shoutout to Satan. VERY progressive. Obama be with you
I deleted that losers hilariously stupid comments.
They were hilariously stupid, and I wanted to drop the Kingsman reference so badly. lol
This is just as bad as a movie about Jackie Robinson starring Dustin Diamond.
Funny but not exactly the same. In one case you have an underrepresented minority race replacing another race. In the other you have a majority race replacing an underrepresented minority. Plus Dustin Diamond is a horrible baseball player.
This character change dooms the series before it even starts. Why not make her boss a black woman? Also, making Supergirl's potential love interest black is just unrealistic unless Supergirl is supposed to be a 300 lb white trash heifer!
So your saying Black men only date white trash?
A black woman as the boss would be awesome. You should start a campaign
He is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to hot to be Jimmy Olsen…
It really makes no difference if Jimmy Olsen is black or not, I cant think of a single story… even going back to the Silver Age where him being black would change the story…
except maybe one… Where he is transported to krypton and its revealed that everyone with red hair gets an automatic military rank… but that is super dumb.
He doesnt have any significant history in a culture that would necessitate him being white… or anything.
He is definitly one of the more suitable characters for race swapping I think…. just dont know about making him a hottie *shrugs*
STOP messing up my favorite movies with your liberal black diversity! You libs are doing this to everything and its destroying the movie industry. I dont want to watch supergirl date a black dude, sorry just dont to see it its bad enough Obama the antichrist is black.
My goodness no one understands this. Bravo.
pls make a black superman….black batman, black flash, black super saiyan, black aquaman, black wonder woman, everything!
This racial tolerance with changing characters from white to black and trying to justify it with stupidity is actually repulsive. Similar to black Robin Hood in middle ages Sherwood forest hahaha.. Also, the show is a total fail..
"underrepresented minority" … lol yea ok.
Wait until I make a George Washington Carver movie with a white actor playing GWC.
Wait until I make a George Washington Carver movie with a white actor playing GWC.
I don't know. In the 50's & 60's what was the racial mix in Metropolis or Smallville?
It's not about the blacks, it's about Jimmy Olsen. They should have get the actor that played him on Smallville, god i loved him
The day I'll see a black woman superhero is the day i'll take the time to watch these crappy superhero movies . black women are made to be superheroes, they are being blackballed so harshly
I have no issue with Jimmy Olsen being a black man. It has made me wonder though, how many black men carry the last name Olsen?
Plain insulting to comic book purists.
This show will fail for obvious reasons. Another token black ruining a character
Supergirl should fly him back to Africa.
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I will not be watching anymore. Interracial relationships have no place here.
I am not in favor of this. You lost a viewer and I suppose a few more.
Supergirl kissing a black….. not in my house ass wipe
The motivations of a mudshark;
http://alphagameplan.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-motivations-of-mudshark.html