‘Percy Jackson’ and ‘Doctor Who’ Fans Are Mad — But Why?

05/17/22 • 37 min

It’s a huge week for music and TV. We have questions — and answers.

First up: Kendrick Lamar’s new album dropped, but does it live up to the hype?
Next: Who won Eurovision, and who tried to cheat by hacking the results?
Then: What happened at the Billboard Music Awards, and why are people talking about Cara Delevingne, Doja Cat, and Travis Scott?

But the question of the week: Why are folks so mad at the latest casting news?

Since Disney+ announced it was adapting the popular YA series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” into a show, fans have been eager to see who would play the main characters.

In April, fans learned Walter Scobell landed the role of demigod Percy Jackson, and they celebrated. But last week, it was announced that Leah Jeffries would play the role

Annabeth Chase, and some fans weren’t exactly thrilled — despite author Rick Riordan choosing Jeffries to play a character he created.

Jeffries is Black and in the book it’s implied that Annabeth is white. And angry fans made their feelings known by getting the 12-year-old star’s TikTok banned.

Unfortunately, Jeffries isn’t the only actor getting mixed fan reactions. BBC announced that “Sex Education” star Ncuti Gatwa will take on the title of the Doctor in the next season of “Doctor Who.” Many fans and even showrunner Russell T. Davies say they can’t wait to see what Gatwa does with the role, but others are criticizing the series for what they say is a “woke” casting decision.

Why are diverse casting decisions so controversial, especially with fictional shows? We talked with someone who studies and writes about fandom about the backlash.

You’ll hear from:

Briana Lawrence, fandom editor at The Mary Sue

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Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway and Elie McAfee-Hahn. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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It’s a huge week for music and TV. We have questions — and answers.

First up: Kendrick Lamar’s new album dropped, but does it live up to the hype?
Next: Who won Eurovision, and who tried to cheat by hacking the results?
Then: What happened at the Billboard Music Awards, and why are people talking about Cara Delevingne, Doja Cat, and Travis Scott?

But the question of the week: Why are folks so mad at the latest casting news?

Since Disney+ announced it was adapting the popular YA series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” into a show, fans have been eager to see who would play the main characters.

In April, fans learned Walter Scobell landed the role of demigod Percy Jackson, and they celebrated. But last week, it was announced that Leah Jeffries would play the role

Annabeth Chase, and some fans weren’t exactly thrilled — despite author Rick Riordan choosing Jeffries to play a character he created.

Jeffries is Black and in the book it’s implied that Annabeth is white. And angry fans made their feelings known by getting the 12-year-old star’s TikTok banned.

Why are diverse casting decisions so controversial, especially with fictional shows? We talked with someone who studies and writes about fandom about the backlash.

You’ll hear from:

Briana Lawrence, fandom editor at The Mary Sue

Want more Skimm?

Sign up for our free daily newsletter
Subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts

Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway and Elie McAfee-Hahn. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Previous Episode

Is Netflix Losing the Streaming Wars?

So much is trending in pop culture news. We have questions — and answers.

First up: Rapper Young Thug was indicted with 27 other members of his crew for gang related charges.
Then: What’s the latest in the Johnny Depp. v. Amber Heard trial? We’ll catch you up on the highlights since Heard took the stand.
And: Why were people mad at Kim Kardashian for wearing the iconic Marilyn Monroe dress to the Met Gala? A fashion historian gives us the tea.
Next: What does being “wrongfully detained” mean in the case of WNBA star Brittney Griner? We called up a sports reporter to explain.

But our biggest question of the week: What’s going on at Netflix? Lately, things don't look too great over at the streaming giant. Last month, the company announced it’s lost 200,000 subscribers this year, and expects to lose more. Its stock continues to drop, costing the company billions.

The prices for subscriptions have gone up, and there’s also been real talk about a crackdown on password sharing — meaning no more using ex’s account.

And just two weeks ago, Netflix layed off a number of employees — including many women of color — from their fan site Tudum, and others on their marketing team.

The streaming giant has long been ahead of the game, but is it finally falling behind the competition in the streaming wars?

We chat with two reporters who break down what all of these changes at Netflix mean for our queues and our wallets.

You’ll hear from:

Dr. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, award-winning fashion historian, curator, and journalist

Meredith Cash, sports reporter for Insider

Rani Molla, senior data reporter at Recode

Dawn Chmielewski, U.S. entertainment business correspondent at Reuters and co-author of "Binge Times"

Want more Skimm?

Sign up for our free daily newsletter
Subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts

Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next Episode

Is Diet Culture Making Us Sick?

When model Lori Harvey took to TikTok earlier this month to detail her weight-loss diet, the backlash was swift. That’s because, as plenty of dietitians pointed out, the 1,200 calorie-per-day plan she shared was just not enough food for most full-grown humans.

But Harvey’s not alone. We’re bombarded with stories about how people are losing weight — from Kim Kardashian’s met-gala dress diet to influencers and #FitFam posts pushing restrictive eating and excessive exercise. At the same time, messages about body positivity are pushing us to love the skin we’re in.

Today, we’re taking a long, hard look at diet culture — why it has such a grip on us, and how we can make sure we’re taking care of our own physical and mental health in the face of an onslaught of questionable advice.

Plus, Rihanna’s baby announcement, the big Deux Moi reveal, and the TV finales that have us in tears...or not.

You’ll hear from:

Patience Owunwanne, registered dietitian

Want more Skimm?

Sign up for our free daily newsletter
Subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts

Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. With production help from Blake Lew-Merwin. Engineered by Andrew Callaway and Elie McAfee-Hahn. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices