The new Netflix series Cleopatra is facing a startling 1% rating amid backlash over “blackwashing” Cleopatra. The documentary is an installment in the African Queens series and follows the woman who was the last pharaoh of Egypt.
The series gives a look at her political acts, her relationships as well as her heritage which has been a major topic of discussion in the past. It has been the subject of intense criticism since the casting for Cleopatra was revealed to be black actress Adele James.
This raises an issue since historical records have proven that Cleopatra was Macedonian-Greek. After only streaming for four days, the show has acquired an audience rating of 1% which is, according to Forbes, the worst rating in history.
They added: “Fans usually rate things higher than critics, even bad shows, and the point being, a 1 percent audience score seems borderline mathematically impossible, even with the controversy the film has attracted.”
The series asserts their point of Cleopatra’s ethnicity clearly in the show, with one historian saying: “I remember my grandmother saying to me: I don't care what they tell you in school, Cleopatra was black.”