Flash Gordon's Ming the Merciless is a 'discriminatory stereotype', says UK film cen

[AtW]

" Flash Gordon's Ming the Merciless is a 'discriminatory stereotype', says UK film censor

The BBFC said having Swedish actor Max von Sydow as a villain of East Asian appearance could be deemed 'downright offensive'

To the generation that grew up watching Flash Gordon, Max von Sydow as Ming the Merciless was one of the great screen villains.

He was also a “discriminatory stereotype”, according to the British Board of Film Classification. The censor has added the warning to its rating for Flash Gordon, saying the casting of a white actor in the role could be considered “dubious if not outright offensive”.

Ming hailed from the Planet Mongo but, the BBFC said, was clearly of East Asian origin."

Flash Gordon's Ming the Merciless is a 'discriminatory stereotype', says UK film censor

[Old Greg]

I hope the BBFC included a trigger warning.

[ravenshaw]

"Ming hailed from the Planet Mongo but, the BBFC said, was clearly of East Asian origin."

[Fraidycat]

MongoDB is therefore a racially offensive term as well.

It should to be renamed to MingeDB inorder to be less offensive.

[eek]

What I don't get is the idea that having an asian actor play the role would make it OK...

[Old Greg]

What I don't get is the idea that having an asian actor play the role would make it OK...

Where does it say that? Is it in the main article?

[NotAllThere]

Nah - that's not south-east asian. Slightly asiatic eyes, but overall, no.

[xoggoth]

Yeh. Genghis Khan was a nice bloke really.

[BR14]

Yeh. Genghis Khan was a nice bloke really.

a bit too left wing for me though.

[vetran]

Don't worry the BBC are remaking Zulu with Idris Elba playing lieutenant Chard and Will Smith as Bromhead.