# White supremacists boycott "Thor" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 16, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424 "2010-12-16T21:14:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/1 "2010-12-16T21:14:16Z")
[Story here](http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2010/12/15/extremist-group-urges-boycott-of-thor-over-casting-of-idris-elba/) Any time you can piss off a hate group, that’s a good day. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/2 "2010-12-16T21:22:01Z")
I think that casting a black guy in a norse role is stupid in the same way that casting Mickey Rooney as an asian is. However, I’m all for anything that encourages Illinois Nazis to hang themselves with their own fat tongues, because it’s entertaining as hell. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/3 "2010-12-16T22:00:28Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > I think that casting a black guy in a norse role is stupid in the same way that casting Mickey Rooney as an asian is. You’re assuming the gods come from Scandanavia. I think the way the story is being told is that these “gods” **aren’t** Scandanavian — rather, they are are beings from another dimension (think “Masters of the Universe” more so than “space aliens”) who visited earth a long time ago. I assume that’s why the Asgardians we see in the previews aren’t suited up in anciently aged Viking garb: rather, the Scandinavian people they revealed themselves to used the materials and technology of their time to mimic the styles of the beings they revered as “gods.” As a side note, this type of dynamic actually does happen — just one modern example is the [John Frum cargo cult](http://www.damninteresting.com/john-frum-and-the-cargo-cults). When you consider you have blue-skinned “frost giants” and who-knows-what-else, having a brown-skinned character is hardly a problem. If one feels the need to make a distinction (I don’t), one could say that the whiteys are the Aesir and the Heimdal is one of the Vanir (I’ve never been clear on what the historical/mythological distinction was between these two groups.) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/4 "2010-12-16T22:07:34Z")
We all now that the Asgard are grey, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/5 "2010-12-16T22:14:02Z")
Do we have any color images of Thor dating from when he was worshipped? Gods aren’t always imagined as having the same skin color as the people who worship them. Vishnu is blue-skinned, for example. The Norse might well have imagined Thor to have some skin color different from theirs, for all we know. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/6 "2010-12-16T22:19:26Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > [Story here](http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2010/12/15/extremist-group-urges-boycott-of-thor-over-casting-of-idris-elba/) > > Any time you can piss off a hate group, that’s a good day. Sweet! I hope the extra publicity garners the film a whole boatload more attendees than it would ever otherwise have! ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/7 "2010-12-16T22:21:36Z")
I’ve seen the trailer for Thor. It’ll do better than Iron Man. Boycott fail. Incidentally, there was dustup over The Hobbit dealing with the same issue. Mythology based on a white civilization/introduction of a person of color. > **['Hobbit' movie in racism row](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a290318/hobbit-movie-in-racism-row/)** > > An actress auditioning for The Hobbit is reportedly told that her skin is too dark to be an extra. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/8 "2010-12-16T22:25:45Z")
Idris Elba isn’t playing the part of Thor: he’s [Heimdall](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heimdall). Interestingly, the Wki article on the god (not the Marvel Comics character) says: > [@](#): > > Heimdallur (Old Norse Heimdallr, modern Icelandic Heimdallur) is one of the æsir (gods) in Norse mythology, in the Edda called the “white god” (hvítastr ása "whitest of the aesir Sæm 72ª; hvíta ás “white as” Sn. 104). So, in Norse theology, perhaps this isn’t the best choice – though it’s hardly a reason to boycott. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/9 "2010-12-16T22:28:20Z")
Look, if you let black men play Norse gods in movies then the next thing that will happen is that a black man will get elected President in Real Li … oh, noooooooes!!! ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/10 "2010-12-16T22:31:48Z")
> [@enomaj](#): > > I’ve seen the trailer for Thor. It’ll do better than Iron Man. Care to make that interesting? Unless they’ve put out a new trailer, the one I saw awhile back looked hilariously bad. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/11 "2010-12-16T22:38:58Z")
Do we have any photographs of Heimdall? Or can we get him to come cross the Rainbow bridge and come down here to Midgard? That’s really the way to resolve this. I’m sure all the rest of the actors have been cast based on their resemblance to the actual Aesir. It’s not like this stuff is just made up. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/12 "2010-12-16T22:43:08Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > I think that casting a black guy in a norse role is stupid in the same way that casting Mickey Rooney as an asian is. I hope Idris Elda does a lot of mugging to show off how stupid white faces look up close. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/13 "2010-12-16T23:08:37Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Do we have any photographs of Heimdall? Or can we get him to come cross the Rainbow bridge and come down here to Midgard? That’s really the way to resolve this. I’m sure all the rest of the actors have been cast based on their resemblance to the actual Aesir. It’s not like this stuff is just made up. **Rainbow** bridge? OMG - they’re all gay also! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/14 "2010-12-17T00:01:07Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > When you consider you have blue-skinned “frost giants” and who-knows-what-else, having a brown-skinned character is hardly a problem. Fair point. And to be honest, I think Thor is the most prominent Marvel hero that I know exactly diddly about. > [@enomaj](#): > > I’ve seen the trailer for Thor. It’ll do better than Iron Man. You think? I don’t think it will have much in the way of mass appeal. They’d do better with ROM: SPACEKNIGHT, wouldn’t they? (Of course, I’m assuming that the premise for _Thor_ seems as stupid to people by-and-large as it does to me.) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/15 "2010-12-17T00:12:51Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I hope Idris Elda does a lot of mugging to show off how stupid white faces look up close. If people wanted to see that, they could look at my family albums! Ba dum bump! ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/16 "2010-12-17T00:32:46Z")
Okay, I looked at the CCC website and they say they believe the US is a “Christian country.” Then you look at the boycott Thor site and they decry the “social engineering of European mythology.” So, they claim to be Christians and they claim to know it’s mythology and they are still throwing tantrums over it? And here I thought Star Wars fanboys were bad. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/17 "2010-12-17T00:50:02Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Care to make that interesting? I would take a piece of that action. No idea whether the film would be good or bad, but there’s no way it’ll make as much $$$ as the first _Iron Man_. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/18 "2010-12-17T01:44:32Z")
I think it’ll be good, but of the “Avenger” movies, I think it’ll be the least successful. I bet Captain America will do better than Iron Man though. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/19 "2010-12-17T02:03:39Z")
> [@enomaj](#): > > I’ve seen the trailer for Thor. It’ll do better than Iron Man. Boycott fail. What? Robert Downey Jr. is going to play Thor! Wow, great! I’d go see that! Lemme at that trailer! … I’m back. That’s so bad Robert Downey Jr. in his worst drug jag wouldn’t see it if it were buried in a bucket of cocaine. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424/20 "2010-12-17T02:14:26Z")
enomaj backs off earlier prediction. Thor will break the $100,000,000 mark though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-supremacists-boycott-thor/564424.md?page=2)