Netflix’s Persuasion and the Faux Inclusiveness Debate

The backlash against Netflix’s Persuasion adaptation isn’t just about Dakota Johnson’s fourth-wall-breaking Anne Elliot. At its core lies a contentious trend: faux inclusiveness. By inserting actors of color into historically white Regency-era roles, the film has sparked accusations of cultural erasure, prioritizing modern optics over historical honesty.

The Rise of “Color-Blind” Casting

Following Bridgerton’s success, mixed-race casting in period dramas has become a go-to strategy for studios. While well-intentioned, this approach often ignores the brutal realities of 19th-century Britain. Persuasion director Carrie Cracknell defended her choice, stating she wanted diverse audiences to “feel drawn into” Austen’s world. Yet critics argue this logic is flawed: empathy shouldn’t hinge on seeing oneself reflected in every story. Worse, it risks sanitizing history.

In 1814, when Persuasion is set, Britain’s wealth stemmed from colonial exploitation and slavery (abolished only in 1807). As historian David Olusoga notes, this legacy is often “airbrushed” from cultural memory. By depicting Black aristocrats in lavish settings, Persuasion perpetuates a dangerous fantasy of racial equality that never existed.

Authentic Representation vs. Revisionist Nostalgia

Films like Belle (2013) demonstrate how to address historical exclusion without distortion. Inspired by Dido Elizabeth Belle, a biracial woman raised in British aristocracy, the film confronts the racism and hypocrisy of her era. Similarly, Anne with an E wove indigenous exploitation into its narrative, refusing to romanticize Canada’s colonial past.

In contrast, Persuasion’s tokenism reduces inclusivity to aesthetics. Turning Anne’s confidante, Lady Russell, into a Black woman without addressing her place in a slave-trading society feels hollow. As social historian Christopher Lasch warned, denying the past under the guise of progress fosters cultural amnesia.

The Danger of “Washing” History

Sanitizing classics to suit modern sensibilities risks erasing racism’s enduring scars. Toni Morrison’s Beloved forced America to confront slavery’s horrors; it didn’t retrofit diversity into existing narratives. Likewise, Black Panther succeeded by creating an organic Black universe, not rewriting history.

When Persuasion transforms Regency England into a post-racial utopia, it whitewashes a society built on human zoos and enslaved labor. By 1895, London’s Crystal Palace exhibited Africans in enclosures—a stark contrast to Persuasion’s glamorous revisionism.

Rewriting the Future, Not the Past

True inclusivity requires new stories, not retrofitted old ones. Instead of inserting POC into Austen’s world, filmmakers should spotlight marginalized voices, like the untold stories of enslaved people or indigenous communities. As Netflix’s Persuasion proves, faux inclusiveness isn’t progress—it’s a disservice to both art and history.
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