patrochilles vibes

This article addresses what do Greeks think about about Nolan's casting and well:

"...art cannot be censored."

-Greek Ministry of Culture

Plantzos warned against any nationalist reading of ancient texts: "Helen is not a historical character, and if a production were staged in Africa, she could very well be played by an African actress," he noted. "In ancient theater, only men performed female roles. Helen could even have been played by a man, and no one would have been shocked as they are now."

-Dimitris Plantzos, professor of classical archaeology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

"The attempt to present ancient Greeks as all white is historically false. The Mediterranean was a space of constant exchanges, with populations moving all the time."

-Yannis Hamilakis, a professor of archaeology and modern Greek at Brown University

...absolute fidelity to the text is not what matters most: "The Odyssey is not only a geographical journey; it is an inner journey, a metaphor for reconstructing oneself when faced with life's challenges. What matters is conveying that message through the film, beyond the sensationalist scenes."

-Christos Tsagalis, professor of ancient Greek literature at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

"neither Homer nor Greek myths need protectors." In his view, Odysseus's adventures address universal themes that transcend eras – violence, self-control, fear, love – and that is the true achievement of the work.

This lowkey reminds me of the conservative mindset that having a family is the ultimate aspiration (especially if you're a woman).

This is the oldest trope in the historical romance book, reformed rake. Anon, you make a great point. With the rise of the tradwife culture (hand-in-hand with the rise in far-right politics), perhaps it's time to reassess this classic trope. Perhaps it's not longer the forbidden dream most young girls having a man fall desperately in love with her. Perhaps it's now far-right propaganda.

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We skimmed the backstory and now we're rushing through the relationship building. So then what exactly is the point of all this? What is the plot?

The confirmation of her casting in May kicked off another wave of conniption fits. One YouTuber seemed to seriously suggest that the nation of Greece should file a lawsuit against Nolan. (On what grounds, exactly?) “Helen of Troy” rocketed up the trending topics on X, with the website’s trillionaire owner claiming that Nolan “has lost his integrity” and had “desecrated the Odyssey so that he would be eligible for an Academy Award.” Such a feverish reaction to the idea of a fantastical ancient queen being played by a Black actress has become grimly predictable. History, literature, and even completely made-up myths have become fodder for reactionaries, cranks, and amateur historian content creators with names like @RomanHelmetGuy, all contesting vague ideas of “Western culture.”

Such sympathies naturally offended the sensibilities of those who hold Homer (and Odysseus himself) as foundational to that amorphous notion of “Western civilization,” which can seem like little more than myth sustaining white, patriarchal, Eurocentric supremacy.

For all their squealing about fealty, the assumptions that some fans, armchair historians, and trillionaire rocketeers bring to The Odyssey tend to betray their now narrow understanding of the works they claim to hold so dear. Likewise, describing Odysseus as “complicated,” or casting a Black actress as Helen of Troy, raise hackles not because it is ahistorical—neither Homer’s hero nor Helen were actual historical figures—but because it disturbs modern, conservative assumptions about male heroism and female beauty. Undermine the presumptions of Western literature (and Western civilization’s) foundational myth, and soon the whole project might seem totally forfeit.

Speedrunning courting

I dont know why people are always weird when it comes to Dionysus. This author literally has Dionysus say an ableist slur