The Martin racism issues were entirely from me and were entirely from a U.S. POV. I’m from California and am also a criminal defense attorney. Yes, racism is alive and well. The comments off screen by the ladies at the restaurant are from an actual incident, but overheard by the black male in that case. There is in the States (some worse than others) an objectification of the black man sexually - not by all women, but enough that it is a pattern. As for the hotel, yes it still happens. It wasn’t to push a social agenda, but we added it to give Martin a different flavor than the other VN’s out there and to give him a vulnerability with D rather than having him be a non-descript male.
As for ETAP, again not a commentary on PETA, but we are seeking some cause that D can champion as we go from Chapter 3 to Chapter 4, and PETA has all those delightful nude model campaigns. Again, not a social issue press by us, but the way the modeling industry is moving away from the tradition supermodel career format to their new format (to be revealed in our story as we proceed), D needs a cause or focus that will drive the career past Chapter 3 - and I just see her as a champion Of stray dogs and orphans.
I‘d like to see her later years follow along with what Audrey Hepburn did (adding of course advocacy for animals):
