I feel this conversation is becoming circular, but I will give this one final shot.

I believe heritage in a story CAN be important, but it's contextual. Does the story rely on the heritage the way it would in history so that if the character were anything but white, the story would be broken?

For example, if we made a story set in a fantasy world that mimicked American history and showed a country that was built on the back of slaves taken from other lands, does that mean the slave owner has to be white? Not really. It can be completely reversed because in a fictional setting, history can be retconned. The ideas could still be the same and the inspiration could be evident, but when it comes to fantasy, we can write anything our imagination sets forth.

Now, if the fictional story were in a historical setting, in this case pre-Civil War United States, the story would be messed up (for people like you who care about believability) if the slaveowner was black, because that didn't exist at the time in this country. Even if both stories were fictional, the CONTEXT is different and the impact of the change is different to.

And even as I write this, I personally wouldn't be outraged by either example I gave. Exploring subverted ideas and norms is interesting to me, not really controversial.

WIth the Witcher being set in a fantasy world inspired by the traditions and people of Poland, we expect the settings and people to mirror the generally homogenous population of the real world it was inspired from. BUT it is a fantasy world, and history can be retconned.

The problem I see is that the fans think a story will be broken for the mere reason that a character's color is changed when it really has no bearing on the story aside from "the book said she was white" or "the myths that inspired it was from a setting where mostly white people lived." People are basically pissed that the migration patters in our real world don't dictate the migration patterns shown in the show.

The Witcher is a work of fiction and the show is presenting it as an independent work of art since it's doing so in a new medium. Like many other movies, shows or games based off of literary properties, story elements and entire characters may be added/taken away. The details of a fantasy world's history CAN be retconned if it doesn't do much harm to the story. Aside from mimicking the history and lands that the Witcher's world was inspired by (inspired doesn't mean cloned), what bearing does Ciri's white skin have on the story that would completely wreck it if it were to be changed?

And I am looking for a substantial reason like "Ciri's white skin gives her powers" or "Ciri's white skin was a curse." Something story related, because real world traditions shouldn't limit a work of fantasy...ONLY INSPIRE.

You see the problem is when you try to put people not liking it as outraged to put as if it is irrational thinking of others.

In case you don't know in Brazil we had a lot of black people with black slaves (I think it is also possible that it happened in USA as well), one of then is today celebrated by all as a black people freedom fighter (Zumbi dos Palmares). He was the head of what we call Quilombo (a place where the fled black slaves gone) and while at that he had slaves of himself.

Sure a story based on USA could have the slave owners as black and the slaves as white (even if we would see a lot of backlash from people saying that was made to show black people as bad or minimizing the suffering from black people), that would work if you had as general all white as slaves and all black as free people and/or slave owners. But if you make a single white guy a slave for a black person while all the rest is black slaves for white people then you better explain why that is the case because people would see it as odd if not. Same way as someone black being children from all white family in an all white country and being royalty no less.

No, people are complaining that making her non-white break the lore based on her heritage ( I already gave a solution, make all the family and country of that ethnicity). But you and the other people are trying to put as racism because for you guys that would be the only reason for someone to not applaud it.

DNA and heritage aren't tradition, and breaking it without giving a very good explanation can impair the story (and even giving the explanation may also change the lore as well). Because if it was "the white skin give her power" it would make no difference "the green skin gives her power" or any other skin color. But when the reason for white skin is genetics and the parents then changing it is unnecessary and the cover up may make it even worse.

Uh, where in my posts have I claimed that anyone bothered by this is racist? I am saying because it is a story and one that is adapted to a new medium, it's its own property and we don't need to be so outraged.

When I say outraged, I am talking about people who are cursing up and down on this thread and saying they won't even give the show a shot because the experience has been ruined for them despite them not even watching a single scene.

Yes, I agree that that solution you stated could work. But we haven't seen the show to know why Ciri is black while her family is white and her countrymen are white. Maybe the story has changed to the point that her origin is different (adopted from another land, whatever). That may be a reason for contention, because fans of the series may want a more faithful adaptation. I don't see anything wrong with that. Just the vitriol expressed and the outrage over that one change is a bit much, in my honest opinion. It's even become politicized because "this is just another SJW move" when guess what? This is adaptation is an independent property. The games do a good job of adapting the books (or so I've heard, never read the books) so if you want to see the books brought to life, I guess that is an alternative. It's my opinion that this change is not a deal breaker, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Just some people are very fervent when anything is different (especially something as small as one character's skin color in a story that is rich with lore and characters) and are repelled by change, and it's fairly jarring to witness.

The mental gymnastics in this thread is staggering. So many examples of people making things up, asserting theories as truth, bending over backwards to justify their stance, and outright lying or disregarding history just to ensure a white person can be Ciri.

You can't assume that the showrunners are going to 'make Ciri black but make the rest of her race white." that's just foolish. They could and that WOULD be dumb, but we don't know. Assuming the worst before you know the least is exactly how you make yourself look like a fool.

Just, seriously guys, it's actually SAD to see how far people are willing to go to maintain the status quo over something so unimportant.

And go back and read the page 1 replies. IT's all hatred and rage and 'the sjw's are ruining everything' rhetoric. Disgusting.

I guess you didn't read they aren't hiring a black person, they are hiring anyone that isn't white, so they don't even have her in tune with the rest of the cast unless you want to think that only after they choose the actress they are going to choose the ethnicity of the rest of the country and start doing auditions.

And you making her adopted instead of descendant is one of the things that break the lore, but you play it as inconsequential and not accepting must be hatred and vitriol. You say it all but don't accept that you are name calling whoever who disagree with you.

You mean yours mental gym right? Oww no, you are 100% correct ethically, logically, story-wise, etc. How good must be to be so high that you can see everyone down.

Yes, he bases the entire work on myth of medieval white europe, besides describing the girl as white and the people of the countries, etc. There have been some posts over it.

Are you trivializing the importance of employment?

You really don't understand human nature at all, do you? The more the whiny fans who hate the idea of white roles being 'taken away' complain, the more the production company and the showrunners will dig their heels in just as a matter of principle. If they budge and go with a white actress now, then there will be controversy over 'the racists winning' (Just my conjecture, that would almost certainly be the narrative whether it's true or not.) But if they stick to their guns, then the vocal minority will once again just have an excuse to be hateful and spiteful and whiny. 

Again, we don't know if the reason for this was thematic, based on story, or meant as a sort of new way to tell the same story. We don't know and really shouldn't assume that their intentions were just to make more money by doing a diversity hire or as some 'sjw agenda'. And honestly, anyone who says something along the lines of 'the sjw agenda' as some sort of way to devaluing artistic or commercial decisions automatically loses all my respect (not that they care about what I think anyway). If you object to the idea of being more inclusive and are using the status quo to justify it, then you're not a good person. Simple as that. 

Whine about me being on my high horse all you want, history will prove me right. If you object to minorities getting roles or more diversity in the workplace regardless of what workplace it is based solely on some misguided adherence to tradition in lieu of the very real changes society has gone through over the past decades, you are exactly the kind of person that's holding back progress. 

And if you use 'sjw' as a pejorative in this context, then you lose all credibility. 

Again, I never called anyone names. Nor did I say anyone who doesn't agree with my stance of breaking the lore "must be hatred and vitriol" as you put it. You really should read what you are responding to.

If you didn't understand what I wrote, I will break it down for you.

I conceded that the potential breaking of story lore (again, we don't really know what is the reason, so this is all speculation) would ruffle some feathers. I even said I had no problem with that. EXHIBIT A: the first bolded text from my quote.

I followed the thing I do have a problem with. EXHIBIT B: the very sentence following that first bolded text.

The hatred and vitriol and the outrage I am speaking of is the use of fiery language, politicizing the discussion, and even your habit of hurling false accusations at those who don't agree with you.

I am saying it's hard to see that kind of reaction all over a fictional character's change of race. That statement doesn't equate to me saying everyone who has a problem with the work changing the lore is full of hate. If you are reading that in anything I read, you need to reread my posts.

Geez louise.

I think at this point it's very clear that people who are upset with this casting news just can't be reasoned with no matter how much history is brought up or how much of a precedent has been set or how many variations of the final product could still fit.

Some people are very racially sensitive about stuff like this and some people will do anything to find something to be outraged about.

I think I'm done trying to explain how this isn't a big deal. I've been wasting my time for days and I have shit to do. Y'all enjoy being hateful and spiteful and willfully ignorant in your sad, grumpy echo chambers while convincing yourself that diversity is bad. You're bad people, I want nothing to do with you, and this thread is a testament to the lengths people will go to justify their hatred.

Peace out.

Except the people using inflamatory and making it political is in the side you are more aligning with.

But if you accept that the antagonism to the change isn't necessarily from hatred or racism, that they will have to make it makes sense to the risk of damaging the decision then we are fine.

Yep. And to change to non-white (while not even saying what they are looking for, the BAME they used is basically anyone not white) without any explanation and with the risk of breaking the lore is what is being complained.

Sorry but when you aren't willing to open and accept you have 0 ground on calling anyone wrong, closed or anything and you showed that the first post you made.