[ABraidotti]

> Elves are almost eugenetically born all the same

Elves are fictive and have a long literary history--mostly publicized by white Europeans. Originally, they were described as evil creatures who infected people with diseases. Tolkien stepped into the folklore at a particular time and place and offered his interpretation. Sticking to a tradition in which they're all genetically similar--and white--is also just an interpretation. My point is that there's no elf manual that everyone needs to stick to.

You point out a good detail with Pinocchio. But again, Collodi offered his interpretation of a folk tale. In Collodi's text [1], the fish that swallowed Pinocchio is described as "Pesce-cane grosso come una casa di cinque piani e con un treno della strada ferrata in bocca" -- "huge shark [technically 'dog-fish'] like a five-story house and train on a railroad in its mouth." It was subsequent interpretations, like Disney's first version, that portrayed the fish as a whale.

So I don't think it's woke, or too liberal or whatever, to portray elves as different skin colors. We shouldn't keep them white just to avoid pissing off certain audiences.

1: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/52484/52484-h/52484-h.htm

[Gareth321]

> My point is that there's no elf manual that everyone needs to stick to.

There is when the reference material is from Tolkien. If they had made this show without any reference to LoTR then you'd be right, but they didn't.

[peoplefromibiza]

Elves in Tolkien word are a very specific and thoroughly described kind of fantasy creature.

When adapting Tolkien, I think it helps a lot to have a manual written by Tolkien himself.

> It was subsequent interpretations, like Disney's first version, that portrayed the fish as a whale.

Don't let me even start on that.

I believe the reasoning at the time was that a whale was already as big as a five story building.

Ironically today it would be unacceptable to use a whale with shark teeths [1] as a human eating monster-fish.

Animal rights activists would complain a lot most of all because wales are not even fish!!

[1] https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D5SHMnaUIAA_GZ7?format=jpg&name=...