rudolphvalentinosociety: #RudolphValentino as...

#RudolphValentino as his spirit guide, Black Feather.

Wow some tumblr people made this out to be uber racist or appropriation. Rudy was Italian, he very likely did not have the same association an American of his age in the 20s would have had. The photo was not meant to be appropriation or racist. As a follower of Spiritualism Rudy believed he had 3 spirit guides: Meselope an Egyptian, Jenny who was June Mathis’ deceased mother, and Black Feather.

Rudy was actually more anti racism than most people in his day. He complained how rude people were in regards to thinking Arabs were like the fanciful Sheiks, the treatment of black people, and the racism against any Latin country man (his early career was heavy in villain roles because he was ‘too ethnic looking’)

Wow tumblr, I thought only David Bret was allowed to call me racist for imaginary reasons! I removed the original link because I wanted to put an explanation with it. If these people so quick to dismiss it would have read the link posted with it: http://rudolphvalentino.org/religion/ they would have got the meaning. And because its apparently necessary, here is an article I wrote regarding Rudy and race like 4 years ago: http://www.forgetthetalkies.com/2008/06/sheik-week-how-valentino-changed-race

I think Black Feather was his favorite Spirit guide, he was never photographed as Meselope. All the spiritualism quotes seem to involve Black Feather, including the time Rudy almost crashed his car in France. No ‘good ol vintage racism’ about it.

Things that don’t make shit like this magically not appropriative:

Being from somewhere in the world other than the Americas.

Being historical.

Being ‘good for his day’ or working against other racism.

I read the link. It pretty neatly showcases exactly the same kind of appropriation that white people are happy to continue today; I invite you to read the following: