Michael Jackson Satire Is Pulled by Sky TV

Michael Jackson’s daughter, Paris, expressed through Twitter that she was “incredibly offended” by the casting choice for the role of her late father. Joseph Fiennes, a white British actor, portrays the late Michael Jackson in an upcoming episode of “Urban Myths.”

Now, on Friday, the U.K. pay-TV giant Sky said it decided not to broadcast a TV program about Jackson because of the daughter’s upset and dismay. It was scheduled to air Jan. 19.

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A recently released trailer for the film stirred up controversy not just with Paris Jackson, but with fans of the late musician and singer as well. A petition already had over 21,000 signatures. “Boycott Film with White Actor Cast as Michael Jackson!” reads the petition’s title.

“It’s easy to see why the story would make a compelling film — but it’s harder to understand why the actor best known for his role in ‘Shakespeare in Love’ was the first choice to play one of the world’s most iconic black musicians,” reads the petition.

Paris Jackson said on Twitter, “i’m so incredibly offended by it, as i’m sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit.”

Michael Jackson’s nephew, Taj Jackson, also called the casting decision “blatant disrespect.”

The backlash against Fiennes’ casting shows a shocking double standard at play.

“Urban Myths” is centered around a car trip from New York to Ohio that Jackson was rumored to have taken with Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The trailer suggests anything but a mainstream movie.

Fiennes expressed his own surprise at being cast as the musician last year when he told AFPTV, “I was shocked that they would come to me for the casting. You have to ask them as to why they would want to cast me.” Fiennes defended the decision, saying the film was meant as a satire and not a direct adaptation of anyone’s life.

The backlash against Fiennes’ casting shows a shocking double standard at play. “Urban Myths” is clearly a satirical adaptation of a story and like any other production or creation, has the right to adapt the story as it pleases.

After all, the much-praised “Hamilton” Broadway play cast black actors in a story that centered around white people. The casting decision was part of the play’s appeal and fed into its larger cultural points.

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Or what of non-gay actors portraying gay characters? Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger won huge acclaim for their roles in “Brokeback Mountain,” yet there was no serious uproar about those actors playing opposite their personal sexualities. Plenty of other A-list actors have done it, too — Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Michael Douglas, Matt Damon.

Recall these other examples of great actors in race-swapping roles: Samuel L. Jackson played Nick Fury in “The Avengers,” who had always been a white character. Michael Clarke Duncan did the same when he portrayed the comic book villain Kingpin in 2003’s “Daredevil” — and on and on the list goes.

The only time casting in such a way seems a problem is when a white actor portrays a black man. Yet, Fiennes fits Jackson’s later-in-life complexion far better than any black actor would. The film also uses fictional versions of Jackson, Taylor, and Brando.

All artists should have the right to feed their creative visions as they wish and with whatever cast they wish. It appears some believe freedom should only exist when the right social image is being pushed forward.