They found the choice a little soulless.
Disney Pixar’s most recent film, “Soul”, received a strong online reaction, with viewers considering Tina Fey’s role in the film “racially insensitive”. Criticism comes amid a flood of praiseworthy criticism, praising the music, animation and representation of the black culture of the Disney + launch.
The groundbreaking animated film, which features the studio’s first African-American protagonist, follows high school jazz teacher Joe Gardner (played by Jamie Foxx), whose premature death leads him to embark on a posthumous pilgrimage to recover his lost soul .
Along the way, Joe helps a disillusioned spirit named 22 (played by Fey) to rediscover his reason for living – and in the process gains a greater understanding of what it means to be alive.
Needless to say, Fey’s cast was criticized by the always outspoken Twitterati, who felt that the lead role should have been for a black actor or actress.
“Yes, casting Tina Fey as 22 on Soul didn’t work for me, 22 should have been voiced by a black boy instead”, mocked a social media watchdog.
Another wrote, “I think they should have done Regina King or Tiffany Haddish to voice Tina Fey’s character.”
Some viewers were especially divided during the long stretch of the film, where Fey’s voice commands Gardner’s body à la “Mad Friday”.
“The studio’s first Black Protagonist needed the soul of a middle-aged white woman to get his life on track,” snarked a critic of the cinematic white savior-ism. “Thank you for being aware of ‘racist images’. Wow … “
Another complaint, “The inclusion of Tina Fey for body change parts and not a predominantly black comedian looks a lot like someone who said ‘We don’t want to alienate our white audience’ …… and I’m even more disappointed with the film because of that.
“Soul” is not the only project to be accused of inappropriate lineup for the breed these days. “1984’s Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot was destroyed by her interpretation of Cleopatra, with critics saying that an Arab or African actress should have played the iconic Egyptian leader instead of the 35-year-old Israeli actress.
Gadot was quick to shut down detractors. “In the first place, if you want to be true to the facts, then Cleopatra was Macedonian,” she told the BBC in Arabic. “We were looking for a Macedonian actress who would fit Cleopatra. She was not there. And I was very much in love with Cleopatra. “