Entertainment
Outrage Over Helen Of Troy Casting In The Odyssey, Accusations Of Screenwashing
By Jennifer Asencio
| Published
Christopher Nolan’s extravaganza version of The Odyssey has already met with some derision over some of the choices made by production. The costumes have been compared to bad Batman villains, and the dark aesthetic of the scenes that have been released to the public has been criticized for not reflecting the colorful style of classic Greek culture. The ships, an important part of a story about a sea voyage, look awful.
The casting has also caused a lot of controversy, especially now that there is a rumor going around that Lupita Nyong’O, known for Black Panther and Twelve Years a Slave, has been cast as Helen of Troy. The outcry over her is, of course, about her race, and defenders of a more classical Helen are being attacked as “racist” for supposedly not finding Nyong’O attractive.
The defense of Nyong’O’s alleged casting has been varied. One tactic has been to point out that nobody in the rest of the cast is Greek. That’s true, but it’s not like there weren’t complaints about, for example, Jon Berenthal being cast as Menelaus, King of Sparta and husband of Helen of Troy, or even Matt Damon in the lead as Odysseus. Just about every aspect of the ensemble casting of this movie has been complained about, from John Leguizamo to Anne Hathaway, not just Lupita Nyong’O.
Another angle of defense has been that it’s just fiction, so why should anyone care? Sure, it might be a fictionalized story, but there is a lot of history backing it up. Troy existed and was the site of many wars with various Greek city-states, most of which, including Helen’s hometown of Sparta, survive today. Homer wrote The Odyssey alongside The Iliad, which was the story of one such war. The mythic elements of the story, like interference from the gods and the various monsters Odysseus encounters, overlay specific historical, cultural, political, and even geographical narratives.
How Helen Of Troy Is Described In The Illiad And Why It Matters
Helen of Troy was one of those narratives. There is no evidence that she existed, but her beauty and supposedly divine origins were so highly prized that a war uniting much of Greece was said to have been waged over her. There were also political ramifications for kidnapping the Queen of Sparta that were deeply embedded in Greek notions of honor and lineage. Abducting Menelaus’s wife and mother of his child was a major humiliation that if left unanswered would have subjected Sparta to derision and attack. Greeks would not have gone to war over her if she wasn’t one of their own.
But Helen was also prized because she was the epitome of the Greek standards of beauty. Homer describes her carefully as fair, glowing skin, honey-colored hair, and deep blue eyes. This was so important to Greek culture that Homer noted it, as well as fellow classical Greek poets Euripides and Sappho. Greek art and sculpture depict her with classic Greek features based on these descriptions. We know what George Washington looks like, and paintings of him have only been around for 250 years. Physical depictions of Helen of Troy have been around for thousands of years and established an image of what her beauty represented to the Greeks.
Arguments that decry objections to Nyong’O’s casting thus fall flat when racism is invoked. The problem isn’t that Nyong’O isn’t attractive; it’s that she isn’t what the Greeks considered attractive. It imposes today’s standards of beauty not on an arbitrary work of narrative fiction, but on an epic that represented a cultural identity. Helen of Troy was more than just a character in a story, she was something like a national symbol. To this day, Greece is also called “Hellas.”
Another Example Of Screenwashing?
That, of course, has not stopped Nyong’O’s defenders from accusing detractors of racism; if anything, it’s supported the notion because who else likes blonde-haired, fair-skinned, blue-eyed people?
It’s not that black people didn’t exist in Greece. They called them “Ethiopians” and treated them very fairly, because they didn’t have the notions of race that have developed over the past two decades. However, they also considered them an exotic curiosity. They were very aware black people existed, even accepted them as beautiful, and still didn’t depict Helen of Troy as one. That was a matter of cultural values, not racism. If inclusivity was the goal, there were plenty of other characters from Homer’s epicthey could have chosen.
Finally, there is the argument that “Helen of Troy was hatched from an egg. Why does it matter what race she is?” This is a little different from the “it’s fictional” argument because it questions the very roots of Greek culture, the gods. Helen’s parents were supposedly Leda, Queen of Sparta, and Zeus, King of Olympus and the Greek pantheon. If she was a real person, her real father would have been King Tyndareus, and a mythic layer of folklore (the egg) was added to her story to represent why she was blessed with such ethereal beauty.
But let’s go with the idea that she was hatched from an egg and Zeus is her father: either Sparta was ruled by an Ethiopian queen, which is very against Spartan and Greek character (and Homer’s era), or people handwaving the egg story are ignoring that it implies that the entire Greek culture is actually black. In Greek mythology, Zeus was the template Prometheus used when creating the Greek people. That Zendaya, another black actress, was cast as Athena, who is also Zeus’s offspring, makes you wonder what it’s really trying to say.
Maybe I’m defensive because half my heritage is not only Greek, but Spartan in particular. Maybe it’s the literature major in me that is annoyed that Christopher Nolan is treating a classic text of Greek literature like it’s nothing more than a Michael Bay action blockbuster.
But I can’t help but feeling that the oddly specific casting of Helen of Troy, which has yet to be debunked, is yet another attempt at subversion of Western culture and values through screenwashing. Nolan and his backers are trying to redefine concepts of beauty that have existed for thousands of years. And this time, rather than attacking through modern popular culture like video games and Star Trek, they’re “making a statement” by going after its honey-haired, fair-skinned roots.
screenwashed (adjective) — When something seen on a screen completely changes how someone thinks or feels, as if their old beliefs were erased and replaced by what they just saw.
I’m sure The Odyssey will have an audience who will pay for the fancy $250 million spectacle of effects or to see their favorites in some roles. Homer’s classic work will be absorbed into the blob of pop culture, while the Greek people it truly represented will barely merit a second glance because it was part of the foundation of a way of life many people think should cease to exist. I hope I’m not catastrophizing, but I expect that even if it’s bad, its failure will be blamed on “internet Nazis” and not on justified complaints about the vandalism of a staple of Western civilization.
We’ll find out this summer on July 17, 2026, when The Odyssey is released in theaters.
Entertainment
Netflix's Hit Fantasy Series Turned A Fan-Favorite Storyline Into Pure Nightmare Fuel
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Netflix’s smash hit One Piece live-action adaptation was always going to be compared to the record-setting anime series, but in some ways, it’s improved on the anime. The most obvious improvement is in the pacing, which has been all killer, and no filler. Less obvious is that going live-action provides a sense of weight and realism to even the most absurd action scenes. Then there was Season 2, Episode 5, “Wax On, Wax Off,” when the murderous Mr. 3 took the spotlight and went from an over-the-top supervillain in the original to a disturbing serial killer. Turns out, watching people be encased in wax is a lot more terrifying in live action.
One Piece’s Villains Steal The Show
Mr. 3 is brought to life by David Dastmalchian, who you might recognize from The Suicide Squad, Late Night with the Devil, Murderbot, or Ant-Man. His casting as the Baroque Works agent powered by the Wax-Wax Devil Fruit, which, as the name implies, gives him the ability to generate wax harder than steel, was an inspired pick by the manga’s creator, Oda. Dastmalchian was on fan’s wish lists for the role, and when given the chance, he owned every single second spent on screen.
One Piece’s colorful cast of characters revolves around taking a personality trait and amplifying it to a cartoonish level. Mr. 3’s murderous desire to turn people into artwork that immortalizes their suffering, anguish, and terror over slowly dying encased in wax is straight out of classic horror movies. In the anime, he’s off-putting, but in the series, Dastmalchian’s line delivery, coupled with his creepy smile, turns the absurdity of a giant wax candle covering Nami, Vivi, and Zoro with hardening wax flakes from cartoonish buffoonery into a nightmare.
His Baroque Works partner, Miss Golden Week (Sophia Anne Caruso, from The School for Good and Evil), also has a horrifying power, utilizing different colors of paint to force her victims to experience emotions. She uses yellow to force Zoro to be cheerful, and blue to make Luffy feel the saddest he has in his life (to that point). Mind control is a common superpower but, then you think about it in the context of the real world, it’s one of the most terrifying experiences you can think of. Trapped inside your body, acting against your will as you’re forced to move, think, and feel a certain way? That’s pure Hell.
One Piece Keeps Proving It’s The Best Anime Adaptation
Netflix’s One Piece didn’t bring over Mr. 3’s candle champion ability, but what it does keep intact is that the killer is a complete coward. Mr. 3’s running away at the first sign of an equal fight is a hilarious moment topped only by the very satisfying hammerpunch that Luffy lands on him to put an end to the nightmare. For now, as in the original story, he comes back later with his real name, Galdino, and while he’s not quite an ally to the Straw Hat Pirates, he does recognize when there’s a larger, much more dangerous enemy that needs to be taken down, and Luffy is the only one who can do it.
Thanks to the inclusion of the manga’s author Oda, Netflix’s One Piece adaptation is not only faithful to the source material, it’s the perfect entry point for those curious about the Straw Hat Pirates but scared to tackle the 1000+ episodes of the anime. And sometimes, it might even be a little bit better.
Entertainment
How to contact Amazon customer service during your Big Spring Sale shopping spree
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Another Amazon sale is upon us. The Big Spring Sale returns for its third year in a row in 2026 and runs from March 25-31.
With new deals dropping all week long, shopping can get pretty overwhelming. We know all too well that it’s easy to get caught up in the sales, indulge in some impulse purchasing, and experience a little buyer’s remorse. No judgment.
As with every major Amazon sale, deals started popping off ahead of the official event kickoff, and there are lots more to come. If you run into some questions or concerns during your shopping journey — from classic cases of buyer’s remorse to damaged packages to Prime membership questions — it’s good to know that you can actually speak to customer service.
Since contacting Amazon can be tricky at times, here are all the ways you can get in touch with customer service for a smoother online shopping experience before, during, and after the Big Spring Sale:
Amazon customer service help page
This is probably the most common and easiest way to look for answers to common queries, such as those about Amazon’s return policies or information about international shipping. The page contains a whole library of questions that users can get answers to, including how to track packages, cancel orders, or start a return. Your most recent purchases will pop up at the top of the page for easy navigation.
To access Amazon’s Customer Service Help Page, go to the website landing page and click on “Customer Service” in the top left of the screen.
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Amazon customer service email
Sometimes customer queries need to be worked through on a case-by-case basis, and the answers on the official website need to be more specific to offer any help to shoppers. In these cases, users can email [email protected] and explain their issues. Remember that contacting Amazon’s customer service via email might not be the best solution if you have an urgent question regarding your purchases, since customers are unlikely to get a prompt response.
Amazon customer service phone number
Need a quicker reply? Call Amazon at 1-888-280-4331. When customers call this number, a bot picks up the phone and eventually connects them to Amazon staff, depending on the type of query that needs to be answered. It’s important to note that customers should have a cell phone number connected to their Amazon account. Customers must enter verification codes that will be messaged to their linked contact information before using this service. In other words, things can get a bit tricky if you’re sharing an account with someone else.
Amazon online chat service
Real-time chatting with Amazon representatives is the most convenient way to get all your questions answered. To use the live chat feature, return to the Customer Service help page and click on “Help with something else.” When the list pops up underneath, choose “something else” once again. Another page opens with a list of more help options. Select “I need help with something else.”
Now you’ve officially entered the chat. Type “Talk to associate” in the chat box. Amazon’s messaging assistant might prompt you to give more info on your issue, which you can, but if you’d rather get to a real person ASAP, you can select “I need more help” from the pre-written responses.
From there, you can choose if you’d prefer to talk via chat or call. If you’re looking for immediate help with a Prime Day purchase — be it due to buyer’s remorse, a damaged package, an address change, etc. — this is your best bet to get your needs met.
For simple questions, Amazon’s AI chat feature (launched in 2024) called “Rufus” can help customers solve some problems and make more informed purchase decisions.
If your questions aren’t that urgent, you can contact Amazon Customer Service at @amazonhelp on X, @amazon on Instagram, and www.facebook.com/Amazon on Facebook.
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Entertainment
IKEA released a smart version of its viral Varmblixt donut lamp — I tried it
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In 2023, the internet was ablaze with IKEA’s Varmblixt lamp, aka the viral donut lamp. If you were among the crowd trekking to IKEA, attempting to find the donut lamp in stock, we’ve got some news for you — there’s a new version of the lamp to covet. At CES 2026, IKEA unveiled a smart version of its viral donut lamp. Now you can enjoy the same shape lamp in a whole new array of colors.
As the owner of an OG Varmblixt lamp, I’ve been waiting for the smart version to drop, and it’s finally here. And I got to go hands-on with the new donut lamp to see what it’s all about.
About the IKEA Varmblixt lamp
The OG Varmblixt lamp has the donut design, encased in a warm orange glass shade.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
The IKEA Varmblixt lamp first debuted in 2023, designed by Dutch artist Sabine Marcelis. Operating as either a table or wall lamp, the Varmblixt is crafted from orange glass, bringing gorgeous ambient glow to any room.
Differences between the OG and smart Varmblixt lamp
The new Varmblixt lamp has a glowing white light, compared to the warm orange of the original lamp.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
With the Varmblixt lamp getting the smart upgrade, it’s a slight departure from the original. The Varmblixt still has the same donut shape and can still be installed as a table or wall lamp. However, unlike the OG, it’s no longer orange. Instead, the updated smart Varmblixt has a matte white glass finish. The color instead comes from the inside with a color-changing bulb. The old Varmblixt has a simple on/off switch, while the new version has a remote to adjust the lamp’s color and brightness. Plus, the smart Varmblixt is a Matter device, meaning it will connect to any smart home hub.
How does the new Varmblixt lamp work?
The new Varmblixt doesn’t look as exciting from the outside with its white base. But once you turn on the lamp, you can adjust the color and brightness with the included remote.
Using the Varmblixt required a bit more trial and error than I anticipated because, as I should have expected, IKEA’s instructions were sparse. You don’t need a smart home hub to operate the Varmblixt, although it will connect to yours if you have one.
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In classic IKEA fashion, the remote didn’t come with explanation of its controls.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
If you don’t have a smart hub (or even if you do), use the included remote to turn the lamp on or off, adjust the color, and adjust the brightness. IKEA doesn’t provide instructions on which remote buttons do what. Luckily for you, I struggled through some trial-and-error, so you don’t need to.
The remote has two buttons, marked by a large dot and a small dot. To change the lamp’s color, double-click the large or small button. The large button moves you forward through the color wheel, but you can move back if you skip over a color you like, using the small button. To dim the light, hold the small button; to increase the brightness, hold the large button.
You can swap the Varmblixt bases
A cool feature of all Varmblixt lamps is that the base and glass shades are swappable. So, potentially, I could move the smart base to my existing orange shade, a huge boon for smart home aficionados who want to turn on the Varmblixt with their smart home hub.
How does the new Varmblixt look?
While the OG Varmblixt lamp embraced the warm, orange tones, the new smart version is notably cooler. The matte white shade is quite stark and bright, so to warm it up, adjust the color toward orange or red hues.
The full smart Varmblixt color range.
Credit: IKEA
The color palette of the Varmblixt is not as extensive as you’ll find in other smart light bulbs that let you choose from millions of hues. The IKEA colors are preprogrammed and tend to be cooler pastel shades. It’s a definite departure from the warmth of the original Varmblixt. Luckily, if you’re not into the cool pastels, the OG orange lamp is available.
Will I be swapping the new Varmblixt for the old?
While I don’t love the cool tone of the new Varmblixt lamp, I see its potential.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
The new smart Varmblixt lamp is a fun progression in the lamp’s lineup, but will I be swapping out my own? Probably not. We’re not big into smart home in my house, so I don’t get the benefit of its Matter connectivity. And while I like the new colors, I still prefer the OG’s warm orange shade that adds an ambient glow to my house. While I could see myself incorporating the new smart Varmblixt elsewhere in my home, it’s not going to take the OG’s spotlight.
Do I think the new light is worth it? Certainly. Especially for those excited about its smart home potential.
Netflix's Hit Fantasy Series Turned A Fan-Favorite Storyline Into Pure Nightmare Fuel
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