A Black President's Real—So Now What, Hollywood?

Thu., Nov. 6, 2008 6:22 AM PST by

Barack Obama Joe Raedle/Getty Images

So, a black man has been elected president of the United States, and not in a fictional, future world on TV or in films. Absolutely shocking, no, that we don't need to look for nonwhite leaders played by black actors like 24's Dennis Haysbert or Deep Impact's Morgan Freeman?

We finally get an actual politician filling the role of prez. Sure, it was always nice to see some culturally diverse actors picked for the part, but it shows that the world's slowly progressing, or at least the casting directors are. But it was always a fairly quirky choice—a huge "what if?" fantasy, as though someone like that ever really had a shot of being elected in real life.

Women, 'course, are also part of that eccentric choice, with Geena Davis in Commander in Chief and Glenn Close as V.P. in Air Force One.

But lo and behold, we've actually got a black president now, thank heaven—no more wish fulfillment necessary there.

Two questions, though: (a) When's a chick gonna get the gig, and (b) Now what, Hollywood? Will we start seeing more Latinos playing the prez in the movies? Cast Benicio Del Toro, since he's already making a leading-man splash in Che.

How about a gay leader of the free world? Ya know Brad Pitt would climb on board, since he so adamantly declared he wouldn't get hitched to Angie until gays everywhere could marry, too. Would also win him an Oscar right there. Or is a gay president just too ridiculous a thought, considering we don't even have all the rights of real Americans?

—Additional sass by Becky Bain

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