How does an Hollywood studio cast an anglo woman to portray a living person who is of color?

How does an anglo woman get cast in the role of Mariane Pearl, a multi-ethnic/multi-“racial” woman of color in A Mighty Heart? Aren’t there basic sense and typical questions, along with a grasp of historic context, that must be considered? It must be basic sense to cast a woman of color to portray one. Apparently the studio ignored that basic sense.

Being a multi-ethnic/multi-“racial” woman of color in an era where they straddle the traditional community boundaries requires an actor who understands that life. That is necessary for her to portray it accurately and convincingly. There are few anglos who understand, in their skin, the life of color. There are many questions that must be asked; they are complex and uncomfortable.

How did no one consider the history of African-Americans in film, before it became less dangerous for one to self-identify as multi-ethnic/multi-“racial” and of color? The phenomenon of blackface comes to mind, which Racialicious has also invoked. Is this blackface in reverse? Granted that Jolie may look a little dark in the trailers, but that might surely come to the viewer, given that credit as he or she might strain to grasp how she was so cast. How did the film’s producers inadvertently consent to offend an entire community of color; actually all communities of color?

One needs to wonder why there has been meager mainstream news attention paid to this. All evil (or ignorance) needs to succeed is for moral people to stand by and do nothing.

This analyst cannot help but take this personally, but he tries to be as objective and reasonable about it as possible. “…either you’re part of the solution or you’re part of the problem.” Eldridge Cleaver