Good point about the most interesting part of them being their ethnicity.
A few years ago, I knew a writer who was writing a script. Her main character was an interesting, mysterious, imperfect white man. There was also a black character in the script, but he was a minor character. This writer got word that a black celebrity might be interested in producing her script, but only if a black character was the lead. (Very racist of him, of course...imagine if a white celebrity did that...but anyway...) The writer started revising her script, making the black character the lead. And of course, she knew this black celebrity would only want want a positive black character, not a “stereotype” or negative character. So she made the black character perfect! He was kind and brilliant and heroic, a great husband and father, noble, competent, etc., etc. In other words, BORING. I don’t think she even fully realized what she was doing, or why.
Perfect characters aren’t interesting. They have no mystery and you always know what they’re going to do. She completely ruined her script.
My point is, if “Nancy Drew” or whatever white character is turned into a nonwhite, they will have to be absolutely perfect. Otherwise, there’ll be screams of “negative stereotyping!” or whatever. Any villains or negative characters will have to be played by white actors. It will be the same-old, same-old, it’ll be no good, and it’ll flop.
But they never learn...
Exactly, Nea Wood! I’m also a writer (though I write books, not TV or movie scripts), and you’re absolutely right—perfect characters are not interesting. Note that most of the characters that are memorable are usually flawed in some way, who have layers to them that aren’t always stainless. Your poor friend was so focused on pleasing that racist performer that she probably ruined what could have been some of her best work. Very sorry to hear that, and that’s the crux of the matter right there, that liberals approach creative works as a platform for their mindless agendas, rather than as forms of art to entertain and share with others.