To think that saying Idris Elba isn't suitable to play Bond because he's 'too street'...

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... is actually a racist comment, which - however 'jokingly' said - is absolutely not an appropriate thing to say in an office environment?

I'm on week two of a new position and between this kind of thing and other dodgy goings-on am debating whether to hand my notice in.

WIBU to mention my discomfort to line manager (who heard whole thing, laughed along etc.) or alternatively to just cut and run? Am I being a bit sensitive?

If you don't like these folk and they aren't for you - go somewhere else. I'm sure they'll be relieved that someone isn't psychoanalysing everything they say like the Stazi every time someone says something.

Hate to say it but this is exactly the reason the BNP and UKIP have risen. Just because someone has an opinion and the person is black doesn't make it rascist.

I cannot stand idris Elba because he was a drug dealer. All the mummies seem to like forgetting that one.

MrsMHasIt
Yes it is racism and anyone who thinks it isn't is deluding themselves.
Oh right, great. Well there you go then. Thread over, everyone go home, our work here is done...

Absolutely agree. This AIBU thread starts with the OP asking if she is BU to infer racism from a statement about being Elba being "street", that didn't mention his race at all, and now posters are coming out with utter BS like that.

It would be interesting to discuss, in a polite and grown up manner the two strands that come from all this inference: about his "streetness", and quite separately about a black actor playing a white character.

But no, we can't do that here. Nowhere to go with the auto-"you're racist!" line is there?

Out of here.

I previously thought Idris would be a good choice for Bond, but now think he’s too old (would like it to be James Norton next).

However, colour aside I can see why people would say ‘too street’ based on his normal, real life accent.
I would wonder if the people that said ‘too street’ have only ever seen him on the sky adverts or on talk shows as himself & not actually seen him as an actor tbh.

Racism is wrong and should be challenged when it is racism. The problem is when people are not being allowed to have an opinion and just because the subject of a comment is black or gay or whatever..that is where we look for our moral compass. That is a scary and where people are 'politically correcting' their responses.

These comments are nothing. 'Street?" Do not be ridiculous. I suspect people have rounded on this comment because this idiot seems to have a cult of yummy mummies who all like 'a bit of rough.'

So let's see..'a bit of rough?' Racist because he is black and a bit 'street?' Or completely acceptable cos you lot , like me have nothing better to do? Opinions please.

I think that people like TimeforTea think that racism is only racism when you call someone the P or the N word, or when you don't give them a job or don't like them dating your child because of their race.

A lot of racism, like misogyny, is subtle. It's important to call it out in every form.

Going back to Sean Bean, who I loved in LOTR, he wasn't convincing as a "posh" 00 agent either. Not because I'm Yorkshire-ist, btw.

Sean Connery is arguably the best of all the Bond actors.

His mum was a cleaner, his dad worked in a factory, and he spent most of his early acting career playing soldiers, criminals and working class characters.
He was involved in fights (and emerged victorious) with members of the Valdor gang and Johnny Stompanado, the notorious enforcer for the Cohen crime family. He had a reputation as a hard man.

Idris Elba's dad was also a factory worker, and he, too spent his early career playing criminals. As far as I know, he has never been involved in a fight with gangsters.

If Sean Connery wasn't to "street" to play Bond, I don't see how Idris Elba can be, unless "street" is being used as a euphemism for black.

Rubbish.

And that is the country you will inherit because you cannot calmly listen to another point if view.

Context is everything. The only context we have here is that clearly the op doesn't want to work there.

And if you don't mind me saying, you have made quite a few judgments about me there that have given me right old laugh.

A lot of racism, like misogyny, is subtle. It's important to call it out in every form.

It is - but when that means applying racism without proof, or projecting a racist motive onto a word like "street" which can be misinterpreted or manipulated, then it's wrong.

I think he'd be a good bond.

He's extremely attractive, physically able to do the role, and he's able to play that bit of a gritty edge that bond needs - we've seen that in multiple roles he's played.

He also went to Fettes, so I'm pretty sure he can do a cut glass accent if he needs to. ;) he's an actor - accent shouldn't be an issue. He did fine in the wire. 

I used to live in fountainbridge where Sean Connery grew up - it is rough as a badger's arse. Seriously.

And yes, I think a lot of the objections are because he's black. :( the studio will be thinking how it will sell in various markets. Sad eh?

I can't think of another current British actor who would be good in the role - who else has been tipped for it?

Hear hear TimeForTea

All please look up the definition of 'street'. It's not racist! I bet this question would not be posted if the person saying it was dark skinned!

OP I would leave, I'm in the same position and can't stand how inappropriate language is in here.

10 - 15 years ago, Colin Salmon would have made a superb Bond.

Having googled, I agree.

Paterson Joseph is another black actor I think could have been Bond although perhaps not "action man" enough.

Based solely on seeing him in the BBC drama "Undercover" I'd go with Adrian Lester too.

I reckon if you drew a venn diagram of racists and people who don't think he'd make a good Bond it would almost be a complete circle. That's because I think the vast majority of people who are against him being Bond are basing it on the colour of his skin.

I'd be outside that circle. I don't think he'd make a good Bond but it's not because he's black. I think it's a bit problematical given Bond's back story but I'm not actually sure how important that is beyond a vague type (slightly posh action man)

For me, James Bond's distinguishing feature is his (veneer of) urbane cockiness and I think Chris Eubank could be the man for the gig.

He could just play himself, he wouldn’t require any input from the wardrobe department and he could do his own fight scenes. Perfect!

He'd make a great Bond. I'm sure he can manage a posh accent and a snooty disregard for the common henchman. But by the time Daniel Craig gives up the crown he'll be too old.

Whether Ibris as an actor would make a good portrayal of Bond is a matter of opinion. For me how Bond looks isn't that important (having been played by so many men differing in everything bar skin colour).

The persona of Bond is important. He needs the arrogance/superior confidence of a public school educated man.

Saying that Idris is too street is ridiculous. If Ibris got the old of Bond he'd not be himself.

Anyone thinking Ibris can't act and portray different character can't have seen him in his different roles surely!°

Not everything referring to non-white people is racist. For goodness sake. And a lot of it depends on what you think the word "street" means. You obviously think of it as referring to black people which I think is pretty insulting/racist in itself. I see "street" as referring to a type of person of any colour who behaves in a certain way, listens to a types of music, dresses in a certain way, speaks in a certain way etc. Skin colour isn't part of this idea. Lots of white people are street and lots of black people aren't.

I think if Idris Elba played Bond with his Luther accent then yes he would be too "street". If he played Bond with a posher accent then no he wouldn't be too "street". Why is being seen as "street" a skin colour issue???

As others have said, both Danny Dyer and Jason Statham are "street" and they're both white. Unless the person in question has form for making racist comments then I think you're looking far too much into this.

For the record I was outraged when Daniel Craig was cast as Bond because I thought he looked too thuggish and blond to be as suave as Bond. I was wrong. I really like him in the role. I also think Idris Elba would be a fantastic Bond too and is a shame he isn't getting that chance to play this role.

So bond needs to be:

Attractive, but not pretty
Physically fit
Posh (how posh? - I'm thinking definitely old money posh - is this what's holding people back? The fact that almost all the old money aristo types are white?)
Gritty edge, dark past.

'Street' is an interesting way of putting it. I think it is racist, because it can refer to two things - either being black or being 'urban gangster etc.' But an actor can CHANGE their accent and mannerisms. So for an actor who is good it shouldnt matter if they are from darkest Barnsley and playing an Eton educated man - that's what acting is. But you can't change your skin colour. So for a casting agent to say someone is 'too street' when someone can change their accent - it can only mean 'too black.'

I'm English - if I was an actress and could do a good American accent then 'being too british' should be an illogical criteria to exclude me from a role, no? The behavioural criteria of 'street' are neither here nor there as they can be changed - only skin colour cannot be.

I wouldn't consider that racist. They could say the same about Ray Winstone or Danny Dyer. It's more to do with his persona, not a comment on his skin colour or ethnicity.

@TimeForTea73 so in his past he was a drug dealer, have you considered that his choice to do so was influenced by the racism in this country? My FIL came over from Jamaica with DP and MIL, he also got involved with some very shady activities because black people were and are ghettoised and blocked from employment based on ideas of them being 'street' or 'gangsta' because of their skin colour. He was privately educated in Jamaica and came from a 'good' family, when he came here he was treated like scum. It's a self fulfilling prophecy to an extent. It doesn't exonerate them from blame, but you have to look at the context in which people do things, for example, many child abusers were abused themselves as children and the cycle of abuse continues, it is similar to black people turning to crime and being incarcerated at a disproportionate level to their white criminal counterparts.

Idris is an actor, therefore he can play any part and has done, there is a huge amount of variety in the roles he has played, his personal real life background should have no bearing on it. A PP pointed out that Sean Connery didn't come from the best background, but he is allowed to play a posh guy because he is white, it is easy for white people to accept that he could be posh and people have a perception that black people cannot be posh and instead align blackness with the image we get from popular culture - rappers, gangsters, drug dealers. You don't see many black people in positions of authority or many positive role models. White privilege blinds you to these things, the default to you is whiteness, you see white people on tv, in magazines you hear white voices on the radio and white people on adverts constantly, and it is uncommon to see as many black faces. It's a big deal when there are black models on a catwalk even now, designers are praised for having two black girls walking alongside 50 white ones, we applaud ourselves for progress but there is so so much further to go. Think how black children feel when they are not represented as anything other than narrow stereotypes, how that affects their perception of self and their ambitions. They are constantly told by our media that they are lesser and unlikely to achieve the same things as their white peers.

But as is clear from this thread and many others on MN, white people dont like being told to check their privilege and will fight against it with cries of PC gone mad. Have a think and educate yourselves about systematic oppression, it's really not hard.

But ray winstone could play posh - if he's a good enough actor. Has he? I can't think of when he has....:)

I get your point though - you mean an actor who has played a lot of roles which all together cast type them as being a certain way? That could be an issue. But I do t think that applies to idris Elba - he's done quite a variety. I don't think of him as instantly falling into that same working class london solo that possibly ray winstone does.

This is probably another reason to cast a relative unknown. Less previous role baggage

Ray Winston played Henry VIII with a cockney accent, it sounded ridiculous.

I think of him as being 'street'.

silkpyjamasallday
so in his past he was a drug dealer, have you considered that his choice to do so was influenced by the racism in this country? My FIL came over from Jamaica with DP and MIL, he also got involved with some very shady activities because black people were and are ghettoised and blocked from employment based on ideas of them being 'street' or 'gangsta' because of their skin colour. He was privately educated in Jamaica and came from a 'good' family

Isn't this the same FIL who you told MN recently was violently abusive to your MIL, has badgered you for money, fathered kids he does not look after.. etc etc? Yes, sounds a wonderfully upstanding man. Of course, our horrible racist society made him do all that.

And the rest. I don't think I have read such a ridiculous, persecution complex post on MN, ever.

It's not being racist to say someone is too "Street" to play a role.

Jason Stretham, Vin Diesel, Ross Kemp, Danny Dyer, Eminem, Vinnie Jones would easily be described as "street" just the same as Zac Efron, Robert Pattinson and the like would be classed as "too pretty" to be Bond.

Not everything referring to non-white people is racist. For goodness sake. And a lot of it depends on what you think the word "street" means. You obviously think of it as referring to black people which I think is pretty insulting/racist in itself.

There are completely different interpretations of what "street" means. The most common is from "street cred" which has its origins in hip-hop culture - which is a huge part of black culture. Credit to you if you don't associate "street" as a euphemism for "black", but you are being utterly naive if you believe that everyone has the same understanding that you do. Ditto terms such as "urban", "gritty" and "ghetto". This is why posters like silkypajamas have been talking about unconscious bias. It's not about lecturing people - or pointing fingers - it's about trying to get people to realise that racism is not just as simple as being overtly derogatory about someone's ethnic origins. Racism in this country is institutionalised. People may use the word "street" and not realise that they are actually equating this with "black".

I hesitate to get into the realms of micro-aggression and the like, because I don't like getting caught up in technical points (because they are mostly beyond my understanding - I am quite happy to admit my own ignorance here!). But racism is not just as simple as Britain First, burning crosses and use of derogatory language. Racism can be far more subtle than that because it is linked to inherent white privilege. It's very uncomfortable when you realise that.

But they could ACT posh. That's a behaviour.
LOOKING pretty is an unchangeable characteristic.

I do understand what people are saying about an actor having a back catalogue of work which casts them in a specific type. But I'm not sure that's what the studio mean. If we are going to be totally brutal about it, they will be wondering whether a black bond would sell well in markets around the world. That's what they will base their choice on. If they think a 'street' actor will coin them most profit they will use them and provide elocution lessons.

It's about money for the studio - and the racism feeds into it.