Vikings Valhalla: Diversity goes off track

The Netflix series, Vikings: Valhalla, features a black actress as an 11th Century noblewoman in Northern Europe. This is part of a trend of Hollywood overlooking historical context in the name of diversity, and refusing to pick its battles.

[davidwinters]

In the interests of diversity and inclusion, the next Black Panther should be played by Peter Dinklage

[alexman]

It’s actually kind of hilarious how blatant they made it that she’s a diversity hire. In the end they were like “OK, we ticked off our box, now fuck off”, and killed her off by having her standing perfectly still with arrows falling all around her until she got killed. Then they quickly killed her diversity hire friend. It was so blatant and disrespectful to everyone involved. Could’ve just had the superstar Jarl Haakon, but nooo, can’t have an all white cast in a Scandinavian historical drama anymore.

[frue]

I am Norwegian and this is about my ancestors. One thing is to put a woman regardless of skin color in the role of Håkon Jarl (Jarl Haakon), since Håkon Jarl has lived in reality (935-995). Using a woman and giving her his name is disrespectful. Besides, it sounds incredibly stupid when a woman is accused as Håkon, since the name means son. In our Saga you can read about many powerful women, but none have the title Jarl. Jarl is a male title. Not only is it historyless and disrespectful, but it is also downright ridiculous. Again, a good example of American contemptuous ignorant arrogance.

[huncho]

as a black man who really appreciates the history and the original vikings show, i wasn’t happy about it honestly especially since the show is based on real historic events

[igmegalingan]

Ironic that diversity doesn't involve respecting the identities of real persons as they were.

[lynnsintention]

I am black and as a great Vikings fan I was totally put off by the black Jarl LOL I kept trying to asccept it but it totally broke the fantasy surrounding the historical story...Historical characters should never be swapped out...YOu can use ethnic actors in other ways that somehow makes sense

[edipus]

Let's have a historical series about Martin Luther King, he can be played by Hillary Swank and be named Martina Luther Queen.

[EL-ISS]

I'm a black man and I really love history. So to see a show just randomly have black, Asian or otherwise non historical races within the story, annoys me.

If I'm watching a show that boasts European history, I want to see EUROPEAN HISTORY. If I watch a show that boasts Asian history, guess what, I want to see actual ASIAN history!

And finally, if I'm watching a show that boasts African history, I want to see actual AFRICAN history.

Humanity is incredibly deverse! And we always need to respect the many races and cultures of humanity! If I want to learn about other people, I want true and factual information, I want to learn!

[HandBananax]

I think another show they should do is a remake of Shaka Zulu with Zack Efron as the lead. This would be progressive and great! I think people will love this!

[NotPoliticalCorrect]

Well i depicting the Viking age as being as diverse as anno 2022 is cringe ESPECIALLY when you go as far as to change REAL historical persons etnicity and gender !
(To fit a political "correct" narrative anno 2022)

They are re-writing scandinavian history fit todays multi cultural / diverse sociaty's we have today (but DIDNT have back then)

[Saint__Sixx]

They pissed on real national hero with Jarl Haakon.
Smh

[rawshannitul]

Black Viking? Queen Anne is black? Dude..like..wtf?

[Big_Abomination]

The first second I saw a black person in Vikings, I turned off my TV immediately
It destroys all immersion

[Slippy]

It is absurd... My perfect example is or was the game: "Kingdom Come Deliverance"! It is an historical, very accurate videogame that plays in the medieval age at Bohemia!
The structures and buildings are accurate, the work they are doing in the villages, the hierachy and everything. They had historians helping them out to make it THAT accurate, the windmills, the stables every little detail. The first reviews came in and they got attacked, because there was no black or asian people in the game, they called them R*CISTS! In an ACCURATE with historians made GAME! How dumb and stupid this has become is beyond me... I am all in for diversity, but in historic movies, games or series or in FANTASY realms with black elves and dwarves f.e., that is just too much. It does not help to accomplish EQUALITY in reallife, right? That is what matters nothing else, but we are in that situation right now... I think it will get even worse...

[darco]

If you wanna promote diversity fine. Write your own fantasy crap and promote what you want but don't rewrite History. History is there to be learn from not to be changed to whatever purpose you wish to use it.

[efffyzombie]

The problem with this is some black people will assume that black vikings existed even tho they never existed.

[jaynorris]

How on earth they thought getting a woman to play Jarl Hakon is beyond me. He was a man who sudduced the totals daughters and probably any other woman he wanted. He was a warrior and a decent leader.
The makers of Vallhalla crapped all over the Scandinavian culture with this program.

[kristiyangrigorov]

Leave our European history out of this political bs

Europe already has diversity: Slavic, germanic, baltic, Celtic, etc.

[c-bass]

watched the whole thing. It had potential. Unfortunately completely ruined but constantly breaking immersion.

[sianais]

The greatest disrespect you could do to a person is make sure everyone knows they're a diversity hire. The greatest disrespect a person could have for themselves, is to proudly accept such a role and praise the people offering it. When I see a black woman in roles like these it feels like an insult and a joke. Stuff like Bridgerton is one thing, the fantasy is built to include another race in its European setting. But stuff outside of this like casting a black guy, an Irishman or Mexican woman to play Pang Juan in movie about the Warring States Period. Why do something like that and pretend no one would rightly ask why? Sending the message that all stories must include every race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, etc. or else it's racist is a scary thing to push and an easy cop out from making actual diverse stories and with diverse characters. Making a white character a black woman isn't diversity, it's tokenism.