Comedian Jimmy Kimmel mocked Elon Musk’s criticism of Christopher Nolan’s casting of Lupita Nyong’o in The Odyssey during his May 20 monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live! . . Kimmel told viewers Musk had attacked Nolan for casting Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, arguing the role should have gone to a white actress. Kimmel read Musk’s post on X aloud, “Chris Nolan desecrated The Odyssey so that he would be eligible for an Academy Award.” Musk followed with, “Who specifically is a******* who added DEI lies to Academy Awards eligibility instead of it just being about making the best movie?” Kimmel responded sarcastically, calling Musk’s question “a good one” before joking, “While we’re at it, who specifically is the a****** who thought this was a cool design for a truck?” as an image of the Tesla Cybertruck appeared onscreen. He ended the segment with, “I mean, stay in your lane.” How the controversy started The backlash began after conservative commentator Matt Walsh posted on X, “Not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong’o is ‘the most beautiful woman in the world.’ But Christopher Nolan knows that he would be called a racist if he gave ‘the most beautiful woman’ role to a white woman.” Walsh also called Nolan “technically talented but a coward.” Musk replied to Walsh with a simple “true” before escalating the criticism with his own post, writing, “Chris Nolan desecrated the Odyssey so that he would be eligible for an Academy Award.” The remarks quickly spread online, drawing reactions from celebrities, journalists and fans. The controversy increased further when Musk questioned diversity requirements tied to Academy Awards eligibility. Musk’s months-long campaign against Nolan’s casting choices Musk’s attacks on The Odyssey had been building for months. On February 1, he responded to online criticism of Nyong’o’s casting by writing on X, “Chris Nolan has lost his integrity,” after a user argued casting Nyong’o as Helen of Troy was “an insult to the author” because Homer described the character as “fair-skinned” and “blonde.” When another user asked why Nolan “like so many other directors,” was “keen to race swap white characters,” Musk responded, “He wants the awards.” Musk also weighed in on rumors involving another cast member. After speculation that trans actor Elliot Page had been cast as Achilles, Musk wrote on X that the idea was “one of the dumbest and twisted things I’ve ever heard.” When it was later announced that Page would portray Elpenor instead, Musk reposted a tweet that read, “I’m not mocking her masculinity. I’m denying its existence.” Nolan confirms the casting In a profile published by Time, Nolan confirmed Nyong’o would play two roles in the film, Helen of Troy and Helen’s sister, Clytemnestra. In Greek mythology, Helen is described as “the face that launched a thousand ships,” while Clytemnestra is married to Agamemnon, played by Benny Safdie. Helen’s husband, Menelaus, will be played by Jon Bernthal. Kimmel emphasized that casting choices in mythological adaptations are artistic. By: ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA The film, reportedly budgeted at $250 million, is scheduled for release on July 17. The cast also includes Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus and Zendaya as Athena. Critics of the backlash have argued that portrayals of Helen in The Iliad and The Odyssey have long carried misogynistic undertones. They also noted that Clytemnestra is one of Greek mythology’s most divisive figures, making Nyong’o’s range as an actor a strong fit for both roles.

Source: Yahoo

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