The series has been a big success on Netflix but has faced accusations from some
People have been calling out the Netflix series
Wednesday for being racist.
Fans have taken issue with the Addams Family spinoff, which was released on Netflix earlier this month because they believe it has only cast Black actors as bullies.
The eight-part dramedy stars Jenna Ortega as the titular Wednesday and highlights her time as a boarding school student.
https://twitter.com/netflix/status/1591959887767957504
Although the series has opened to record ratings, some aren't happy with the decision to cast black actress Joy Sunday as a mean girl at Nevermore Academy and black actor Iman Marson as a bully and the son of a corrupt mayor, who is also the owner of a museum celebrating pilgrims and colonists.
Taking to Twitter, one person wrote: "Me trying to badly push past the racist and anti-Black undertones in the Wednesday Addams Netflix show. Like whoever thought making the Black man as the owner of a pilgrim amusement park is literally going to HELL."
https://twitter.com/jada178/status/1596343425691168768
Another said: "I love Jenna Ortega and that she's playing Wednesday but one thing I hate about this show is that why did they make all the Black people in this show terrible people? Like how did Netflix see nothing wrong in this?"
And a third added: "The Black mayor being the owner of Pilgrim World was wild."
Following the backlash, a spokesperson for Burton dismissed the criticism.
Mike Simpson of WME told the New York Post earlier this week: “I’m not forwarding a comment request this silly to Tim."
He then linked to a CNN article that discusses how Daylight Saving Time disproportionately affects the health of ethnic minorities, saying: “However, apparently Daylight Savings Time is racist.
“Wednesday was shot in Romania where DST is observed. Maybe that’s a better angle."
It's not the first time that Burton has been accused of the problematic casting of actors of colour.
Back in 2016, Samuel L. Jackson wondered whether he was the first black lead of a Burton film, whilst he was promoting
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.
In response to the actor's comments, Burton said: “Nowadays, people are talking about it more. But things either call for things, or they don’t.
“I remember back when I was a child watching ‘The Brady Bunch’ and they started to get all politically correct. Like, OK, let’s have an Asian child and a black.
"I used to get more offended by that than just… I grew up watching blaxploitation movies, right? And I said, ‘that’s great.’ I didn’t go like, ‘OK, there should be more white people in these movies.'"
