Ignore the racist morons who think having black elves is somehow unthinkable.
Listen to the honest critics who simply point out how the show stinks.
I find it a bit distracting. Lord of Rings is based on a European Fantasy world so naturally all the characters are white.
There are plenty of stories in Africa that Hollywood can explore. How about the Adventures of Mansa Musa?
I think that's a fair point, although making him both black and having an affair with a human woman is a bit heavy-handed in terms of pushing a narrative.
But that's far from the worst thing in the show. The whole part about Galadriel essentially being exiled back to Valinor -- a very un-Tolkien concept itself -- and her leaping out of a boat right before it reaches Valinor (presumably), is just jaw-dropping.
You don’t have to be racist to notice that dwarves spend a lot of time deep underground where the sun don’t shine, so would derive no benefit from heavy melatonin.
On the other hand, I seem to remember something from the final battle in The Return of the King, where Tolkien mentions the Haradrim of the Southlands, dark and proud.
If they want black elves, purple elves or pink elves with green stars that eat soap they can make up their own fantasy world and have them.
There is a complete and total lack of creativity here that is appalling.
Come up with your own worlds, your own characters, your own mythology and you can do as you like.
This, "It's (insert name of already established character here) but he's a gay mouse with bladder issues" is fricking lazy.
Which means that the stories they try to come up with will bore your socks off.
Creativity gentlemen. And story telling.
But that is beyond them. Because they are wee timid cowering beasties who are afraid to try anything new.
There are any number of writers out there that create whole new worlds and populate them with interesting people.
Hire a couple of them to give you a frame work.