When is whitewashing not whitewashing

The ever feeling Hollywood azzbagas are in an uproar – but then again since Jan 20^th, when have haven’t they been in an uproar – over a white actor playing a Hawaiian war hero.   They cleverly call the film a “whitewash.”  Get it?  A white guy playing a Hawaiian – a whitewash.  Get it?  Fine.  Get a black guy the play the Hawaiian guy and everything will be okay.

No Lex they will be in an uproar about the blackwashing of a Hawaiian war hero.  No they won’t.  In his action packed thriller movie Unstoppable, Denzell Washington played the role of hometown hero Billy Knowlton who “is whiter than Frosty the Snowman after he fell into a vat of whiteout.”  That is a Mark Steyn line – I think.

I don’t recall any outrage about Denzell playing the role of a white hero.  In fact it was quite the opposite.  The hometown was all abuzz about an actor of Washington’s heft and abilities portraying our hometown hero.  They were less concerned about Washington’s skin color than they were about his acting ability and his name recognition’s ability to get cheeks in the seats to watch the movie portraying an actual event involving a local man who saves the day.

NOTE:  At the end of the movie there’s a tribute to Knowlton’s wife who sadly passed away before the movie’s release.

Then there was outrage when Clint Eastwood made the movie Flags our Fathers about the flag raising on Iwo Jima.  The social justice warriors were in a tizzy about the lack of black actors in the movie.  Eastwood pointing out that, historically speaking, there were no blacks involved in that action made no difference to the know-nothing azzbags.  Just throw a couple in to ease race relation, and while you are at, get rid of anyone smoking a cigarette – even though nearly everyone had the habit back then. 

Lex often notes that it is the Lefty Libs who are a most intolerant bunch pushing fascism.  These free speech freedom fighters shout down, protest and threaten with physical harm anyone who shows up with an opinion that varies with their own.  In an effort to airbrush history, the fascist are all for banning flags, statutes, high school names and buildings like Lee, Hood, Bragg etc.  in an effort whitewash southern war history.  I’m not totally opposed to that.  When they start burning books that accurately depict the southern war effort – and seriously can that be far off – it’ll be time to raise the BS flag.

Here's an idea.  If you want to make a Civil War movie about Robert E. Lee, just get Denzell Washington to play Lee and you’ll be fine.