Racism in Lord of the Rings – Okay, yes, it’s true. Many of the Orcs (and the super-Orcs) are dark-skinned and have slant-eyes. They are also how shall I put this? Orcs! Ya frickin’ idjit!
One is tempted to ask who is the real racist here? On the one hand we have people like me who see horrific, flesh-eating, dull-witted creatures with jagged feral teeth, venomous mouths, pointed devilish ears, and reptilian skin, and say, “Cool, Orcs!” On the other hand we have people, like Mr. Yatt, who see the same repugnant creatures and righteously exclaim “black people!” Maybe he should spend less time vetting movies for signs of racism and more time vetting himself if, that is, he free-associates black people with these subhuman monsters. [Instapundit.com]
I think that it’s hard to accuse Peter Jackson of racist overtones considering how closely his interpretation tracked descriptions in the book. Since Tolkein’s work is written in the context of a native mythology for England, I think we can forgive allusions which may no longer be politically correct.
Racism in Lord of the Rings
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Racism in Lord of the Rings – Okay, yes, it’s true. Many of the Orcs (and the super-Orcs) are dark-skinned and have slant-eyes. They are also how shall I put this? Orcs! Ya frickin’ idjit!
One is tempted to ask who is the real racist here? On the one hand we have people like me who see horrific, flesh-eating, dull-witted creatures with jagged feral teeth, venomous mouths, pointed devilish ears, and reptilian skin, and say, “Cool, Orcs!” On the other hand we have people, like Mr. Yatt, who see the same repugnant creatures and righteously exclaim “black people!” Maybe he should spend less time vetting movies for signs of racism and more time vetting himself if, that is, he free-associates black people with these subhuman monsters. [Instapundit.com]
I think that it’s hard to accuse Peter Jackson of racist overtones considering how closely his interpretation tracked descriptions in the book. Since Tolkein’s work is written in the context of a native mythology for England, I think we can forgive allusions which may no longer be politically correct.