I completely agree that the "black Cleopatra" syndrome is born of insecurities.
Tom Send a noteboard - 18/06/2010 02:11:15 AM
The funny thing is that, not only were the Ptolemies all Macedonians (and light-haired Macedonians at that), but because they had that terrible habit of MARRYING THEIR FULL SISTERS and, in some cases, nieces or adopted daughters and having children with them, it's hard to even try to make a straw-man argument of "one of the queens could have been native Egyptian".
Even if we were to accept that, though, we know what the Egyptians looked like. Anyone doubting these need only look at the masterful portraiture of the Roman-era sarcophagi (called "Fayyum sarcophagi" because of their preponderance around Fayyum). Egyptians looked very Semitic back then.
Even if one were to reject the Fayyum sarcophagi, we have wall paintings that distinguish Egyptians from their Nubian neighbors to the south.
It's just a peculiarly American black phenomenon, and even in the American black community it's restricted to a neo-"black power" sort of movement. And it's absurd. It's also pretty much irrelevant.
Even if we were to accept that, though, we know what the Egyptians looked like. Anyone doubting these need only look at the masterful portraiture of the Roman-era sarcophagi (called "Fayyum sarcophagi" because of their preponderance around Fayyum). Egyptians looked very Semitic back then.
Even if one were to reject the Fayyum sarcophagi, we have wall paintings that distinguish Egyptians from their Nubian neighbors to the south.
It's just a peculiarly American black phenomenon, and even in the American black community it's restricted to a neo-"black power" sort of movement. And it's absurd. It's also pretty much irrelevant.
Political correctness is the pettiest form of casuistry.
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
*Incoherent sputters of historian rage* Angelina Jolie Incorrectly Cast In New Cleopatra Role
11/06/2010 02:35:15 AM
- 906 Views
I love Angelina jolie
11/06/2010 06:36:48 AM
- 583 Views
Did you read his post? There's no reason for an Africanish person to play the part. *NM*
11/06/2010 06:58:42 AM
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They should get Lyndsey Marshal back, she was awesome. And looked the part.
11/06/2010 12:45:48 PM
- 539 Views
Angelina is HOT, Cleopatra was NOT
16/06/2010 10:42:42 PM
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I'm having a hard time telling if you agree with me about Marshal or not... *NM*
16/06/2010 11:29:02 PM
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Wait...is the racist part the idiocy of trying to say Cleopatra was black or the "wog" calling part?
15/06/2010 01:38:42 AM
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it's not even a proper use of the term wog.
15/06/2010 10:16:25 AM
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No, actually it is.
15/06/2010 05:06:54 PM
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mk so, looking at that neither use is "wrong".
16/06/2010 08:53:05 AM
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Hence, your statement "it's not even a proper use of the term wog" is incorrect. *NM*
16/06/2010 01:34:45 PM
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And no one in the rest of the world cares about Australian slang. They're just weird down there. *NM*
16/06/2010 01:35:11 PM
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Wouldn't the closest modern ethnicity to the ancient egyptians be the Coptics? *NM*
16/06/2010 10:44:39 PM
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I wasn't calling anyone a wog, I was suggesting a likely parallel to the Ptolemies' attitude
17/06/2010 09:58:23 PM
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I completely agree that the "black Cleopatra" syndrome is born of insecurities.
18/06/2010 02:11:15 AM
- 488 Views
Yah...i don't see why people ever think Cleopatra should be black.
15/06/2010 10:18:12 AM
- 469 Views