This wouldn't worry me unless Romeo's mother was also white. In a TV
show I want a higher standard of reality and in-world logic than I am
willing to accept on stage.
As far as I can tell, Lady Montague appears to be dead. She's not shown or
wasn't in the premiere episode. Which was odd, unless she's dead. And Romeo
appears to be Montague's only son, as Juliet appears to be Capulet's only
child. Tybalt was her cousin, not her brother in this, or so it appears.
And they make a point of how children are pretty much commodities, to be
traded for land, title, advancement. Which is interesting...and fits that
time period. Marriages are arranged.
Rosalind is fighting against the order of things, she wants to go to a
nunnery, and not be the powerless wife of some man. With her fate decided
by such. Also she resents the Prince, who claims to love her, but is
insisting she marry a Montague to preserve the peace, such as it is.
But I share your surprise that an American show is ignoring race and
discussing class. When Americans decide to discuss class in their
literature it is always really enjoyable and explores the subject in a
beautifully subtle way (I am thinking of Supernatural and Suits), but they
do it so rarely.
Depends on the genre, really. The romance genre is obsessed with class,
often to the exception of all else. Class and gender politics. I think
because often class and gender politics go hand in hand? I don't know.
Sci-fi also will delve into class more, over here. But generally speaking,
it is overlooked. Mainly because class is different here -- it's based on
"wealth" and how it was obtained. In Still Star-Crossed-- the class
distinction is "old wealth/entitled wealth" vs. "new wealth/self-made",
which is an American thing.
Hamilton for instance was "new wealth" while Burr was "old
wealth/established" in the 1800s.
Europe looks at it more from an aristocracy perspective, which we don't
quite understand over here. Although we do try. Still Star-Crossed is
trying to delve into it in greater detail.
Part of the reason for the racial diversity/colorblind casting is the
show-runner/executive producer - who is Shondra Rhimes. (Grey's Anatomy,
Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder) who is among the few female
African-American show-runners on a major broadcast channel.
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branchandroot
Re: Still Star-Crossed
Date: 2017-06-05 03:44 pm (UTC)This wouldn't worry me unless Romeo's mother was also white. In a TV show I want a higher standard of reality and in-world logic than I am willing to accept on stage.
As far as I can tell, Lady Montague appears to be dead. She's not shown or wasn't in the premiere episode. Which was odd, unless she's dead. And Romeo appears to be Montague's only son, as Juliet appears to be Capulet's only child. Tybalt was her cousin, not her brother in this, or so it appears.
And they make a point of how children are pretty much commodities, to be traded for land, title, advancement. Which is interesting...and fits that time period. Marriages are arranged.
Rosalind is fighting against the order of things, she wants to go to a nunnery, and not be the powerless wife of some man. With her fate decided by such. Also she resents the Prince, who claims to love her, but is insisting she marry a Montague to preserve the peace, such as it is.
But I share your surprise that an American show is ignoring race and discussing class. When Americans decide to discuss class in their literature it is always really enjoyable and explores the subject in a beautifully subtle way (I am thinking of Supernatural and Suits), but they do it so rarely.
Depends on the genre, really. The romance genre is obsessed with class, often to the exception of all else. Class and gender politics. I think because often class and gender politics go hand in hand? I don't know.
Sci-fi also will delve into class more, over here. But generally speaking, it is overlooked. Mainly because class is different here -- it's based on "wealth" and how it was obtained. In Still Star-Crossed-- the class distinction is "old wealth/entitled wealth" vs. "new wealth/self-made", which is an American thing.
Hamilton for instance was "new wealth" while Burr was "old wealth/established" in the 1800s.
Europe looks at it more from an aristocracy perspective, which we don't quite understand over here. Although we do try. Still Star-Crossed is trying to delve into it in greater detail.
Part of the reason for the racial diversity/colorblind casting is the show-runner/executive producer - who is Shondra Rhimes. (Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder) who is among the few female African-American show-runners on a major broadcast channel.