Rupert Murdoch Asks a Big Question About Race and the New 'Exodus' Film

Race is just a social construct anyway, right?

The upcoming movie "Exodus: Gods and Kings" has been characterized as "racist" by all sorts of publications because of its casting: white Christian Bale as Moses and and white Joel Edgerton as his pharaoh nemesis.

But while many are claiming that the movie warranted darker-complexioned actors in the lead roles, media magnate Rupert Murdoch took to Twitter on Friday night to sort of defend the movie, asking, "Since when are Egyptians not white?"

Moses film attacked on Twitter for all white cast. Since when are Egyptians not white? All I know are.

— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) November 29, 2014

Responses to Murdoch's tweet ranging from joking...

@rupertmurdoch You knew ancient Egyptians???

— Tim Mackay (@timqfadvice) November 29, 2014

@rossneumann To be fair, everybody @rupertmurdoch knows is probably white.

— Bart (@bart_smith) November 29, 2014

...to insulting.

“@rupertmurdoch: Moses film attacked on Twitter for all white cast. Since when are Egyptians not white?” - How are you a billionaire?

— Atheist Blobfish (@AtheistBlobfish) November 29, 2014

It's a shame Murdoch will be dead by the time the revolution come. He'd be a fun one to overthrow.

— TayGo (@taygogo)

November 29, 2014

Murdoch returned to Twitter to defend and clarify his comment later Friday evening.

Everybody-attacks last tweet. Of course Egyptians are Middle Eastern, but far from black. They treated blacks as slaves.

— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) November 29, 2014

Okay, there are many shades of color. Nothing racist about that, so calm down!

— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch)

November 29, 2014

A perceived race problem isn't the only issue the new "Exodus" film is facing.

After Bale, the leading man, said Moses was "schizophrenic" and "barbaric," many Christians, including Glenn Beck, have signaled that they likely won't see the film since it many present an anti-Biblical message.

The film is due to be released Dec. 12.

(H/T: Mediaite)

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Follow Zach Noble (@thezachnoble) on Twitter