made a post on tiktok (first mistake yes i know) where i rated the pjo casting as a book fan and gave annabeth a high ranking and percy a low ranking and people hated that and i know people on here are generally more understanding (at least in my circle ig) so heres why i have very differing thoughts on them because someone called my controversial for liking annabeth even though she doesnt look anything like annabeth and hating percy for the same reason (not the point i was making and im pretty sure they meant hypocritical)
annabeth: i love her casting because of the reason annabeth was originally made blonde: to combat the dumb-blonde steroetype, something that was very prevalent at the time they book was written, i get people still wanting her blonde because she was important to them for that reason however to me that train of thought just seems selfish, because the people who say that fail to realize what annabeth now being black can do. for so many young blonde girls annabeth was the first time someone told them they could push down the stereotypes forced on them and be strong and smart, though that doesnt really exist anymore. what still does exist today though (and it is very clear with leahbeth haters) is that black girls are constantly underestimated and put down, which is why i said those people are selfish. because they fail to understand that annabeth being black can now do the same thing for black girls, as book annabeth did for them. blonde girls dont really need that smart blonde girl trope anymore, that steroetype hardly exists anymore and theres so many pieces of media pushing against that, while black girls are still dealing with that and more, and having one of the main characters in such a beloved series thats known for being smart is going to help so many black girls see that they can do that too,
which is exactly what annabeth's character is about. showing girls that are put down for physical characteristics that those features dont define anything about who they are or what they can do
percy: they fucking whitewashed him. sure he was never canonically poc or bipoc in the books, but hes described as having a mediterranean skin tone with dark hair and was implied to not be white, as he lived in a place in new york commonly known as spanish harlem. even if they didnt whitewash him they still removed a lot of things about him, and while this isnt about personality thats still a big fucking thing. honestly my issue isnt just the appearance, but how hes written in general (annabeth too honestly), though im going to try and stay away from talking about that. i also strongly dislike how so many fucking people think percy being blond and having blue eyes fits with the ocean theme more, when it doesnt! im someone with a special interest in the ocean, specifically the deep sea, and will always look something up to fact check something i know for sure. both of those help me in knowing: THATS FUCKING BULLSHIT. 1. deep sea, percy is described as embodying the ocean, including the deep sea, and even though specifically the deep sea isnt said it is shown. very well. hes angry, hes impulsive, hes a bit of a bitch, he can be violent and aggressive, and we see him torturing a goddess. reading the books you can see that he absolutely embodies the deep sea, and id say even moreso than other parts of the ocean! 2. theres a goddess of sandy beaches. 'percys blond hair fits because of beaches!-' theres a greek goddess of sandy beaches and if you actually gave a shit about greek mythology you'd probably considering looking up the specific domains of greek gods because they do get specific. poseidon is never once said to be the god of beaches. psamathe is the goddess of sandy beaches specifically. shut up and do 30 seconds of research. also the more people say it the more racist it feels. please tell me in detail why percy having lighter and more eurocentric features fits him as a child of the ocean when theres a goddess of sandy beaches and he never embodied the romanticized aspects of the ocean? quickly.
and to go a step further, i can (and have) use fucking color theory as to why percys book appearance works better. 1. hair, its dark like the depths of the sea, ive already gone over why that works, it also makes him seem more intimidating to people which has assisted in teachers and classmates targeting him and the entire country calling him a terrorist at 12- its less likely for blond boys to get that treatment. 2. green has been used to show both good and evil in media, and very rarely is permanently attached to one or the other, unlike blue which most people associate with goodness, the reason why this is important? percys not perfect, like i said earlier hes a bit of an asshole at times and has decently bad anger issues. having one of his main colors be a color thats never solely only 'good' or 'bad' works in the favor of the narrative because it shows that he could honestly end up on either side of the war- will he stay on the 'good' side with the gods, or leave and join kronos? sure, we as the audience know what hes gonna do, but the characters dont know that. luke spends almost more than half the series trying to get percy on his side, because he believes its still possible. the gods are scared because they agree. they dont know which side he'll actually end up on, its why the debate killing him so many times.
annabeth and percys appearances in the show are the complete opposite of what they look like in the books, but in annabeths case it works because she represents the true core of why annabeth was created, but for percy is doesnt work because they literally stripped him of anything thats 'too dark'- including his appearance.
