# Prince of Persia and "blackface" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851 "2010-05-18T02:11:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ekweizn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7c8e57/32.png) [@ekweizn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekweizn)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/41 "2010-05-18T19:07:16Z")
I’m surprised this thread got this far without this being mentioned: [SNL Digital Short-Iran So Far](http://www.hulu.com/watch/16771/saturday-night-live-digital-short-iran-so-far) As hilariously (IMO) pointed out in the video: Jake Gyllenhaal does indeed resemble noted Iranian lunatic Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/42 "2010-05-18T19:15:18Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > It’s nothing at all like blackface. It’d only be similar if they tried to make him look Persian by putting sunless tanning lotion on him to try to make him darker. Christian Bale in _Captain Corelli’s Mandolin_ looked like he’d been dipped in Coppertone for the part of a Greek dude. he’d fit in with those guys from Jersey Shore. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/43 "2010-05-18T20:41:50Z")
From the title, I though someone had seen a trailer where Gyllenhall says, “Hallo dere Mr. Ali Baba. What you be doin’?” the starts singing the shortening bread song. ---
**Author:** ![TheBoltEater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheBoltEater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoltEater)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/44 "2010-05-20T21:30:08Z")
I think the more interesting “blackface” actor in this movie is the _female_ lead, Gemma Arterton. Who decided that [Strawberry Fields from Quantum of Solace (picture)](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2920191488/nm2605345) should be a [Persian princess (picture)](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm352092672/nm2605345)? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/45 "2010-05-20T21:36:01Z")
> [@TheBoltEater](#): > > I think the more interesting “blackface” actor in this movie is the _female_ lead, Gemma Arterton. Who decided that [Strawberry Fields from Quantum of Solace (picture)](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2920191488/nm2605345) should be a [Persian princess (picture)](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm352092672/nm2605345)? Every straight male in the movie business? ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/46 "2010-05-20T23:39:21Z")
> [@Electronic\_Chaos](#): > > What bugs me most about the trailers is the fact that the actors have British accents… and Jake Gyllenhaal obviously has an American accent. > > I mean, Persia/Iran was never colonized by the Brits, correct? lol, this reminds me of Smallville, where apparently Zod is from a British colony on Krypton, unlike his followers who have American accents. ---
**Author:** ![TheBoltEater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheBoltEater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoltEater)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/47 "2010-05-21T03:29:52Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Every straight male in the movie business? Yeaaaahhh. She does look better Persian, doesn’t she? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/48 "2010-05-21T03:43:13Z")
There is a visual in the trailer that has the prince standing on a high spot looking down on the city and then, I guess diving. This looked really similar the viewpoints from Assasin’s Creed. I figured, hey same company so all is fair. But, are you guys saying the Prince of Persia games had that visual first? Neat! ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/49 "2010-05-21T04:28:56Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > You left out President Barak Obama, as played by Fred Armisen. (His voice sucks, but the mannerisms are perfect.) > [@Miller](#): > > And Darryl Hammond as Jesse Jackson. > [@TBG](#): > > And Adam Sandler as Bill Cosby. And Billy Crystal as Sammy Davis, Jr. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/50 "2010-05-21T04:31:25Z")
> [@TheBoltEater](#): > > Yeaaaahhh. She does look better Persian, doesn’t she? 🙂 On a side note, it looks like in both photos that Gemma Arterton has freckles. Do Iranians (Persians) ever visibly freckle? ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/51 "2010-05-21T04:45:26Z")
eh, play the game. I would strongly suggest the 2003 Xbox game, that one (IMO) had the strongest narrative. Beautiful story and characters. The “prince” is “Persian” but that’s a pretty loose interpretation. Narrative-wise, it’s more that he is a “foreign” invader of India; he comes to love the daughter of a Maharajah. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/52 "2010-05-21T05:18:34Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > On a side note, it looks like in both photos that Gemma Arterton has freckles. Do Iranians (Persians) ever visibly freckle? Is there a region of the world that freckles are confined to? I checked Wikipedia, but the article on freckles was not enlightening. I’ve met a lot of Persians ('cause I studied Persian for awhile and most of my classmates were heritage speakers) and can’t say off the top of my head whether or not any of them had freckles. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/53 "2010-05-21T10:51:56Z")
It should be pointed out that it is a lot easier for persons of European ancestry to play and convincingly depict a person of middle eastern and south asian ancestry (to a lesser extent) then it is to do the same with a person of sub sharan African and East Asian ancestry? You do realise that the middle east and South Asia has a huge huge variety in phenotypes (or whatever the current term is???) ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/54 "2010-05-21T10:54:21Z")
Here is an obituary for a famous Pakistani cricketer > **[Fazal Mahmood: The Blue Eyed Boy of Pakistan Cricket | ALL THINGS PAKISTAN](http://pakistaniat.com/2008/02/24/fazal-mahmood-the-blue-eyed-boy-of-pakistan-cricket/comment-page-3/)** > > Owais Mughal Fazal Mahmood writes about the 1954 tour of Pakistan’s cricket team to England: All the members of Pakistan Cricket team were introduced to Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham Palace. When my turn came, the Queen, while... Read what His Majesty had to say to him. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/55 "2010-05-21T11:31:19Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > And Billy Crystal as Sammy Davis, Jr. Yeah, but they’re both Jews. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/56 "2010-05-21T12:39:17Z")
There was one requirement for the lead and one requirement only. That he be able to run and jump without falling into crevices. That being said, I’m more concerned with the British accent than him looking Aryan enough. ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/57 "2010-05-23T20:50:33Z")
Didn’t you guys know there are no good Persian actors? Persians can’t act, it’s a lesser known stereotype but an accurate one. Just like how Eskimos control all the locksmith companies. ---
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/58 "2010-05-23T23:11:37Z")
From Sunday’s, May 23, Los Angeles Times Calendar section: “ **A whitewash for ‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’ and ‘The Last Airbender’** Two of the season’s most expensive films spark controversy by casting white actors in ethnic parts, a practice seen before in Hollywood.” > **[A whitewash for 'Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time' and 'The Last Airbender'](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-may-23-la-ca-racebender-20100523-story.html)** > > A whitewash for 'Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time' and 'The Last Airbender' ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/59 "2010-05-24T01:48:28Z")
So how many Greek actors were in _Clash of the Titans_? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851/60 "2010-05-24T01:51:31Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > So how many Greek actors were in _Clash of the Titans_? I don’t think any were but Gemma Arterton was also in it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-of-persia-and-blackface/539851.md?page=4)