The withdrawal of an episode of the Daughters of Caleb on Netflix due to a “blackface” continues to react

Several Internet users are crying out for “cancel culture”, others claim that they are canceling their subscription to Netflix… The American platform has been strongly criticized on social networks and in the Quebec media since an episode of the legendary series, where a character played by Roy Dupuis paints his face black, was removed there.

Netflix confirmed on Wednesday at Radio Canada, to have removed the second episode of the Daughters of Caleb “due to the blackface “. Social networks have been on fire since, among other things because of the specific context in which Roy Dupuis painted his face in this episode.

Ovila, her character, took part in a Christmas nativity show and dressed up as Balthazar, one of the Three Kings. The latter is traditionally represented as a black African.

“In Saint-Tite, in the 19^e century, where [l’histoire]the African-American community was rather absent ”, revolted Thursday the author and columnist Mathieu Bock-Côté, at the microphone of Richard Martineau, at QUB radio, to try to justify and contextualize the gesture of the character.

Roy Dupuis himself also denounced the withdrawal of the episode from The Press Thursday: “It’s a bit exaggerated. The series takes place in Saint-Tite, in the 19th^e century, there were no blacks at that time, so to tell the story of the Magi, that’s what we did. It is a mistake to want to erase history. I understand that it may offend people, but there are limits,” he said.

On social networks, it is difficult to find testimonials that support Netflix’s decision. “I support Roy Dupuis! Another example of a culture of censorship very present on Netflix, ”said the former candidate for the Parti Québécois in Sainte-Marie-Saint-Jacques, Phoeby Laplante.

Some people, however, have suggested that the series may have aged more or less badly. “We’re watching ‘Caleb’s Daughters’ on Netflix! TV has really evolved, ”noted Dany Turcotte, host and ex-royal jester on the show. Everybody talks about it. “Because in Quebec culture, it’s okay to blackface ? “, also replied a user, to a tweet from Mathieu Bock-Côté on the subject.

ICI TOU.TV, the French-language platform of Radio-Canada, also presents the show. But she preferred to keep the controversial episode, and accompany it with a warning message: “This program is offered as it was originally created and may contain different social and cultural representations of today” .

The series has been shown on ICI TOU.TV and on Netflix for about two weeks.

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