educatingmerlin

[educatingmerlin]

Colin Salmon is a British-Jamaican actor who played Aglain in one episode in Merlin season two.

He has been in a variety of films and TV shows. Most notably James Bond, Resident Evil and Doctor Who with Steven Moffat stating in 2020 that he envisioned Salmon's character as a future reincarnation of the Doctor.

Salmon has also been involved with a lot of charity work. He is currently starring as George Knight on BBC's EastEnders.

#colin salmon #bbc merlin #merlin black characters #merlin #arthur pendragon #gwen pendragon #morgana pendragon #sir elyan #sir lancelot #sir leon #sir percival #sir gwaine #uther pendragon #camelot #once and future fandom #once and future king

[educatingmerlin]

Did You Know 💭

Tomiwa Edun's (Sir Elyan) full name is Babatunde Adetomiwa Stafford Edun, and he is descended from emperor Osei Kofi Tutu, one of the founders of the Ashanti Empire. His grandparents have their own Wikipedia pages if you would like to learn more!

Maternal Granddad: Joe Appiah

Maternal Grandmother: Peggy Cripps

#sir elyan #tomiwa edun #merlin #bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #gwen pendragon #morgana pendragon #sir lancelot #sir leon #sir percival #sir gwaine #camelot #once and future fandom #uther pendragon

[educatingmerlin]

With Black History Month coming to an end, it is important, as ever, to continue the work you have started this month. It is important to continue tackling racism within fandom spaces. Have discussions with your peers and be firm in no longer accepting racist 'jokes' or remarks.

Anti-Blackness has had a place in the Merlin community for more than 15 years, and unfortunately, that has not changed. But if we work together, if we continue learning and unlearning, one step at a time, we can make this fandom a better place for Black/minority fans.

#black history month #bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #gwen pendragon #sir elyan #sir lancelot #sir leon #sir percival #morgana pendragon #sir gwaine #u #once and future fandom #fandom racism #antiblackness #antiracism #merlin fandom

[educatingmerlin]

Happy Black History Month!

Head over to Twitter to share your favourite Black artist. Whether it is artwork, songs, youtubers, authors etc.

Or reblog and share here!

P.S It can be fandom based.

#bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #gwen pendragon #sir elyan #sir lancelot #sir leon #sir percival #sir gwaine #morgana pendragon #Black History Month

[educatingmerlin]

What is your favorite moment from any of the characters of color in Merlin? Reblog and share!

#bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #gwen pendragon #morgana pendragon #uther pendragon #sir elyan #sir lancelot #sir leon #sir percival #sir gwaine #camelot #once and future fandom #once and future king

[educatingmerlin]

#educating Merlin #fandom racism #racism #bbc merlin #merlin fandom #once and future fandom #once and future king #merlin #arthur pendragon #gwen pendragon #morgana pendragon #uther pendragon #sir elyan #sir lancelot #sir percival #sir gwaine #camelot #sir leon

[educatingmerlin]

Happy New Year! May 2024 be the year Merlin fans adopt an anti-racist approach. And BIPOC begin to feel safer and more comfortable in the fandom. ❤️

#bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #gwen pendragon #merlin fandom #once and future fandom #once and future king #fandom racism #sir elyan #sir lancelot #sir leon #sir percival #morgana pendragon #sir gwaine #camelot

[educatingmerlin]

Happy Merlin anniversary 😊

It has been 11 years since the show ended! If you are still wondering how you can tackle racism in the fandom, here are three things you can do:

[Feel free to add anything else to this thread. Whether it is an additional step people can take or books/resources you think would be beneficial].

1. Educate yourself.

There are many resources about Anti-Racism, such as fandom specific books like The Dark Fantastic and Squee From the Margins: Fandom and Race.

On specific posts, I have also added additional links to information.

2. Discuss/engage in conversations around race in fandom.

Do not shy away from these topics! It is important even in fandom to discuss how racism affects fans/the fandom. By having these conversations, we learn new things and hear perspectives we may not experience ourselves.

3. Support BIPOC.

This can be in a range of ways, including when they discuss racism or their fandom experiences, but also their work. Whether that is artwork, fics, or maybe they have their own business! Fans of color are more likely to stay in fandom if they are supported.

The list of things you can do is, of course, not limited to these three actions. But this is a short list reminding you that tackling racism in fandom is still, and always will be, important.

#merlin anniversary #bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #gwen pendragon #morgana pendragon #fandom racism #sir elyan #sir lancelot #sir leon #sir percival #sir gwaine #uther pendragon #camelot

[educatingmerlin]

In which episode's commentary does Bradley talk negatively about Angel's appearance and voice?

I believe it's possibly 2x02!

[educatingmerlin]

Do you seriously forbid us to dislike a character only because she's black??

I did not say or imply this.

[educatingmerlin]

were katie mcgrath and angel coulby friends during filming? I doubt they are now since it has been years

Looking at photos and interviews they have done, it seems like they were!

They could possibly still be friends, but both Katie and Angel are private people. So unless they are spotted together or mention one another, I do not think there is any way of knowing for sure.

[educatingmerlin]

Man I really hate the way the creators made Elyan dirty

First of all, he didn't have to die, like at all. They just used him as a tool for Gwen and Arthur but never for himself. There was no need to kill him off because they didn't even spend much time on grieving

Like, ok, Gwen was mourning a little (a little, because she was enchanted and all that stuff) and then everyone suddenly forgot about him

He was the QUEEN'S brother and no one cares??? He is not a total side character as, idk, George would be, since he has some character development and more screen time. But then he disappeared and it's like "ok, move on". Even Lancelot appeared once more and brought something to the plot though he was dead.

And the episode where Elyan was haunted by druid boy's ghost... I mean, they turned everything to Arthur again because in the end of the day it was Arthur who saved everyone again. Heck there could be such a character development for Elyan but they were just "nah, Arthur is the true hero" and everyone forgot about Elyan. Again.

Completely! Elyan's death seemed to be for a 'shock factor.' I believe he was only mentioned once or twice after his death, and it is such a shame! As you say, he was the Queen's brother and an important character. There should have been more about him.

Thank you for sharing 😊

#elyan #sir elyan #gwen pendragon #bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #morgana pendragon #sir lancelot #sir leon #sir percival #sir gwaine #camelot

[educatingmerlin]

The ask is a bit specific.

I see a lot of artists drawing Gwen and giving her lighter skin tone or just ignoring all the features and she ends up looking nothing like herself. I don't want to accuse the artists in whitewashing her but where is the, idk, line where the artstyle is turning into a whitewashing?

Thank you for your submission.

This is an interesting question! I'm not sure I am the right person to answer this as I am not an artist or know the type of software and artistic styles that are used. Hopefully, someone with a lot of knowledge than me can answer this better!

However, even though I am not an artist, I think that you have your answer within your own question!

If you are seeing artwork that is a lighter tone or ignores Gwen's features, that is white washing. Especially if her tone is significantly lighter to the point she looks like a white woman.

From what I have seen online, fans have created boards of character's tone you can use within your art. I will link some examples below. I am not sure if anyone has done the same for the Merlin fandom, but it is definitely worth keeping an eye out for. One of the posts I will link below has a variety of tones you can use for individual characters, and they take lighting into account.

One of the big issues (that I have seen) is when people use 'pastel' styles. Often, darker tones are nowhere to be seen, and the excuse of 'it's a pastel style' is used. Darker tones can be incorporated into pastel art, and it usually looks quite good! People's skin tones are not an aesthetic, and so it is important you do it right. Using the excuse of art (pastel) styles reminds me reminds me of Tim Burton's defence for not incorporating Black people into his work.

#fanart #artwork #merlin fanart #bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #gwen pendragon #morgana pendragon #uther pendragon #sir elyan #sir lancelot #sir leon #sir percival #sir gwaine #camelot

[educatingmerlin]

what do you think of Bradley james saying Arthur’s bromance with merlin is stronger than Arthur’s romance with Gwen?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c5hx9xT6N6Y&pp=ygUrQnJhZGxleSBqYW1lcyByb21hbmNlIHdpdGggZ3dlbiBvciBicm9tYW5jZQ%3D%3D

Thank you for your submission!

Unfortunately, the link didn't take me to the exact video for some reason. However, I believe I know which video you are asking about. Hopefully, I am referring to the right one!

The interview occurred shortly before season three of Merlin aired. Bradley James had been asked a series of questions relating to the show and its current events. For example, when Morgana returned, and how Arthur had changed over the series.

The very last question asked, 'Which was stronger, the romance between Arthur and Gwen, or the bromance between Arthur and Merlin?' Bradley answered the bromance between Arthur and Merlin.

Before being asked this question, Bradley answered the questions in detail, and unfortunately, he did not go into as much detail with his last answer. However, he did say it is because Arthur spends all his time with Merlin, and he only had dinner with Gwen once.

This is where context is key. As mentioned previously, this interview happened shortly before s3 aired. Bradley's answers to the previous questions did not give away much for the new season and focused more on where the characters were at so far.

Arthur and Gwen's romance started being picked up in season two. They definitely had more than just 'one dinner' in season two. We had Arthur's jealously when Lancelot came back and Gwen breaking Arthur's spell by a kiss (to name a few moments). Their relationship developed further into season three, and of course, we know where it goes beyond that. So, although Arthur did spend almost all his time with Merlin, Bradley justifying his answer by claiming Arthur and Gwen only had one dinner makes little sense.

As I mentioned before, Bradley didn't go into a lot of detail, unlike his other responses, so it can be difficult to pinpoint his exact logic around his answer.

It is disappointing that the interviewer even asked that question, but unsurprising given the amount of times Black women have been cast aside from their own ships.

Although it was the last question and a quick answer from Bradley, the hosts decided to use "Arthur tells us: Gwen or Merlin" as the video title. There is no need to pit the two against each other and from the title, the question, and even the fans reaction in the comments of the videos, it is clear that was exactly what they were doing.

There is no doubt that this interview/answer has been used to justify disregarding Arthur and Gwen's relationship and, of course, spouting hate against Gwen. It is clear that fans have not looked at the full context of the interview, when it was conducted, and Bradley's answer. Justifying that Arthur and Gwen hardly interacted or had one dinner is not canonically correct.

Enjoy interviews, videos, and content in the fandom. But do not use it as a way to justify being hateful/racist towards Black characters.

#fandom racism #bradley james #bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #gwen pendragon #morgana pendragon #sir elyan #sir lancelot #sir leon #sir percival #sir gwaine #uther pendragon #camelot #arthur x gwen

[educatingmerlin]

Can we not drag shipwar stuff into discussions of fandom racism? Blond blue eyed Arthur is not the ultimate prize, if people want to ship Gwen with her other CANON love interests why is that a problem? The issue of pushing POC into the background has nothing to do with shipping

Thank you for your submission.

To anyone else who has submitted something before this, note that I'm going to answer this first as it relates to the most recent post.

In the posts I shared, it was mentioned that you can ship whoever you want. Shipping is not the issue here, especially as it was never mentioned that there was a problem shipping Gwen with other characters. It is not about shipping wars but recognising harmful behaviour.

You cannot talk about fandom racism without talking about shipping, especially in the Merlin fandom. As mentioned in the first post, it is about much more than simple shipping, but it comes down to racial biases.

Black women have been pushed aside from their ships from almost all of their shows and films. There are many examples of it, Gwen being one of them. So, unfortunately, yes, POC being pushed to the background has to do with shipping, racism and racial biases.

The topic of shipping Arthur and Gwen and the chemistry they have has been one of the main issues in the fandom (and on this page, possibly the most asked question). Without thinking/recognising their racial bias, fans use it as an excuse to continue their hate train on Gwen and cast her aside from her ship.

You will see in a lot of my recent posts related to ships/shippers, I always state that you can ship, like/dislike whoever you want. I put this disclaimer in the post that I shared with the previous anon, and it is something that I have done in the past and will continue to do. The disclaimer is added because people put fandom racism down to 'shipping wars', which does more harm than good.

1. It shows that you do not fully understand the content despite clear explanation that this has nothing to do with who you do or do not ship.

2. It undermines when POC talk about racism. Reducing fandom racism to 'shipping wars' also reduces the serious-ness of the racism.

#fandom racism #gwen pendragon #bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #morgana pendragon #uther pendragon #sir elyan #sir lancelot #sir leon #sir percival #sir gwaine #camelot

[educatingmerlin]

hi, i just wanted to ask if it's racist that i feel like arwen have no chemistry? personally i thought mergwen had so much more going for them. idk but whenever i watched arwen's scenes it just felt like comphet

Thank you for your submission 😊

I have previously written a post on Arthur and Gwen's chemistry when fans pointed out they preferred the chemistry between Arthur and Mithian. There are some points in there which would be useful for you.

There is also a Merlin creator on Instagram, sadpendragon, who has written a series of posts talking specifically about Arthur and Gwen's chemistry and how it relates to the fandom/fandom racism. This would definitely be useful for you as it is a very informative post.

I will link both of them below:

Sadpendragon: Fandom Racism, On Chemistry and Racial Biases

EducatingMerlin: Arthur and Mithian have better chemistry than Arthur and Gwen? How does this opinion have antiBlack undertones?

#fandom racism #arthur x gwen #bbc arwen #arthur pendragon #gwen pendragon #bbc merlin #merlin #sir elyan #sir lancelot #sir leon #sir percival #sir gwaine #morgana pendragon #uther pendragon #camelot

[educatingmerlin]

Angel Coulby is a British-Afro-Guyanese actress who played Gwen Pendragon throughout the entire series of Merlin.

Coulby had a few small roles in shows and films before she starred in Merlin, including romcom film Imagine Me & You and Doctor Who.

Since Merlin ended, Coulby has starred in a variety of shows and she has also starred in a handful of theatre shows.

Some of her notable performances on TV are Dancing on the Edge, Thunderbirds Are Go, Innocent and Suspicion.

#angel coulby #gwen pendragon #bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #morgana pendragon #sir leon #sir elyan #sir lancelot #uther pendragon #sir gwaine #sir percival #camelot