Template:Did you know nominations/Josette Simon

The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was: promoted by CSJJ104 (talk) 17:29, 1 October 2022 (UTC)

Josette Simon

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~~... that a reviewer called Josette Simon the sexiest Titania of recent years?~~ Source: Taylor, Paul (29 March 1999). "Theatre: Laugh if you believe in fairies – A Midsummer Night's Dream RSC Stratford". The Independent
- ALT1: ... that a reviewer called Josette Simon the "sexiest, most commanding" Titania of recent years? Source: same
- Reviewed: Template:Did you know nominations/Platigliole Glacier
- Comment: Open to other hooks (and not sure if "recent years" should be changed since it is referring to 1999); pinging BennyOnTheLoose just so they know I nominated this.

Improved to Good Article status by BennyOnTheLoose (talk). Nominated by LordPeterII (talk) at 18:05, 12 September 2022 (UTC).

Interesting life, GA on plenty of sources, offline sources accepted AGF, no copyvio obvious. - Sorry, I dislike the original hook enough to strike it. Here we have a woman with unique accomplishments - first black at the RSC in leading roles - and all we want to say is "sexiest", with "recent years" dating back to the last century? The other isn't much better. Please try harder to please women ;) - and please say something that can't be said about another. - In the article, I find the Monroe image a bit misleading. I think the lead should say "black" or whatever is acceptable much sooner than a hint in a bracket about "colour-blind". --Gerda Arendt (talk) 15:31, 20 September 2022 (UTC)

Fair enough. I was in a bit of a Shakespeare mood recently, and so this was the first thing I noticed for a hook. I kinda already realized it wasn't too great after I nominated, and will take the criticism. A little short on time for Wiki-work atm, but will think about it and ping you when I have a better hook. –LordPeterII (talk) 16:29, 20 September 2022 (UTC)

@Gerda Arendt: I've amended the lede as per your suggestion, and I agree that the first-black-at-RSC thing is a much better hook. How about

ALT2: ... that Josette Simon was the first black woman to appear in a Royal Shakespeare Company production, and also the first to play a lead role, as Rosaline in Love's Labour's Lost?

(I've struck ALT1 as well) I am still quite busy, so please be patient if I don't answer quickly :) –LordPeterII (talk) 17:08, 30 September 2022 (UTC)

Thank you, and I think one of the two "firsts" would be enough to raise interesting:

ALT2a: ... that when Josette Simon appeared as Rosaline in Love's Labour's Lost at the Royal Shakespeare Company, she was the first black woman in a lead role?

but open for other suggestions. Just curious: was there a black man in a lead role before that? --Gerda Arendt (talk) 20:12, 30 September 2022 (UTC)

Yes, ALT2a would be great as well. Acorrding to the source, apparently two (but only two) black men had played lead roles before 1984, the year Simon played Rosaline. Still, she was the first black woman. –LordPeterII (talk) 12:01, 1 October 2022 (UTC)