Would people still hate J.K. Rowling if she wasn't a TERF?

Page 8 of 8 [ 127 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1 ... 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

BillyTree
Velociraptor
Velociraptor

User avatar

Joined: 7 Oct 2023
Age: 57
Gender: Male
Posts: 449

06 Mar 2024, 3:57 pm

blitzkrieg wrote:
BillyTree wrote:
You don't have to dress up and act in a pompous or pretentious way to enjoy art. You can sit down and watch a play by Shakesperare in the same way you watch a blockbuster movie by someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger. If it fits your taste and intellectual abilities, you'll enjoy the experience. If you find the play boring or hard to understand, well go ahead and watch something else.


You need to learn to use the quote text function and to separate out different quotes.

It looks like I have said what cyberdad said in your previous post.


Mod. edit - this has been corrected.


Sorry for that! :oops: Since it has been corrected, by a Mod as I understand it, I can't go back now I see what I did wrong.


_________________
English is not my first language.


cyberdad
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Feb 2011
Age: 56
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,284

06 Mar 2024, 4:41 pm

Lost_dragon wrote:
I suppose if I wanted to keep to the subject of gender, I could talk about the Magnus Chase series and genderfluidity. It's interesting because I know Riordan used to look up to Rowling and made references to Harry Potter in the original Percy Jackson series. Considering some of his characters though, I don't think they would see eye-to-eye these days.


Interesting, So would other authors engage with Rowling if she didn't make comments about trans? do authors actually communicate with each other? or are they competitive? Does Rowlings comments provide a reason to "other her"?



cyberdad
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Feb 2011
Age: 56
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,284

06 Mar 2024, 4:45 pm

Lost_dragon wrote:
The actor who plays Percy Jackson in the TV series caused a bit of a stir among Harry Potter fans because when he was asked 'Who would win in a fight, Harry Potter or Percy Jackson?' he replied that Percy would and that it wouldn't even be close. :lol: (In fairness though, power wise, Percy would absolutely have an unfair advantage and it'd probably be over very quickly). Riordan said Harry would probably be too busy dialoguing. :lmao:


In this age of Marvel we see characters who are pitted against each other whom the original authors might not have contemplated their relative powers (e.g. Batman Vs superman). Yes I think Percy is the son of a Greek god Vs harry who is a boy wizard. Agreed, Harry wouldn't have a chance, but both Harry and Percy are gentle souls who probably wouldn't hurt one another. I would like to see them both do a duel like in Chamber of secrets on top of a dining hall table.



cyberdad
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Feb 2011
Age: 56
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,284

06 Mar 2024, 4:56 pm

Lost_dragon wrote:
Reminds me of the rivalry the Twilight fandom and the Harry Potter fandom had at the peak of their popularity. I don't hear much about Twilight these days.


I'd say both generations are now older adults with a morgatge and two kids and too busy struggling to make ends meet to post on forums about whether Robert Pattinson > Daniel Radcliffe



Cornflake
Administrator
Administrator

User avatar

Joined: 30 Oct 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 65,737
Location: Over there

06 Mar 2024, 7:10 pm

BillyTree wrote:
Mod. edit - this has been corrected.

Sorry for that! :oops: Since it has been corrected, by a Mod as I understand it, I can't go back now I see what I did wrong.
No problem.

Attributed quote blocks can sometimes be tricky.
When quoting others it's useful to select "Preview" before posting, to check that everything's in place.


_________________
Giraffe: a ruminant with a view.


blitzkrieg
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 8 Jun 2011
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Posts: 15,409
Location: United Kingdom

06 Mar 2024, 7:20 pm

BillyTree wrote:
Sorry for that! :oops: Since it has been corrected, by a Mod as I understand it, I can't go back now I see what I did wrong.


It's okay.

I know I sounded a bit stern earlier on, but I didn't mean to.

You'll get used to the quote system if you stick around. :)



Lost_dragon
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 May 2017
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,772
Location: England

08 Mar 2024, 10:32 am

cyberdad wrote:
Lost_dragon wrote:
I suppose if I wanted to keep to the subject of gender, I could talk about the Magnus Chase series and genderfluidity. It's interesting because I know Riordan used to look up to Rowling and made references to Harry Potter in the original Percy Jackson series. Considering some of his characters though, I don't think they would see eye-to-eye these days.


Interesting, So would other authors engage with Rowling if she didn't make comments about trans? do authors actually communicate with each other? or are they competitive? Do Rowling's comments provide a reason to "other her"?


The biggest piece of advice I've seen online about making it as a writer is to know how to market yourself and once you have made a name for yourself then network, network and then do some more networking. Generally, authors who write in the same genre might give a shoutout to another. A horror writer is unlikely to promote someone who usually writes romance. I find it interesting when I pick up a book and see a review from another author I know. It makes me wonder how the two crossed paths.

For example, Alice Oseman (the author of the Heartstopper series and director of the Netflix adaptation) has reviewed the work of Lex Croucher and you might see this quoted on the covers of Lex's work. Likewise, Rick Riordan promoting Jonathan Stroud. I'm sure there are plenty of other examples, I see this a fair amount.

Riordan also has Riordan Presents. One of the main criticisms people had with the series is that it took away the spotlight from authors writing about their own culture and mythologies. So, Riordan Presents is a publishing partnership program that helps to promote and distribute the work of others who write about identities and cultural mythology that may otherwise be underrepresented.

As for Rowling, well, Jacqueline Wilson would definitely still support her. Jacqueline has made transphobic remarks before in the past. Granted, Wilson has been out of the spotlight for a while and she's been laying low. I think Wilson's behaviour is lesser known. Whereas, Harry Potter is somehow still going. I personally think the franchise has been going for long enough and the upcoming TV show seems redundant.

However, I've never really seen other authors promote Rowling. Mainly because she's been an absolute giant in the writing world for a while. She's never really needed it.

The art world in general tends to be supportive rather than competitive. At least that's been my experience. It can be quite a nice community (not always though). However, there are some big unwritten rules. Writers tend to be against AI image generation. I've seen writers and fans turn on an author for using AI for their book covers. Which makes sense as 'artists support fellow artists' is a phrase that I see and hear a lot.

cyberdad wrote:
In this age of Marvel we see characters who are pitted against each other whom the original authors might not have contemplated their relative powers (e.g. Batman Vs superman). Yes I think Percy is the son of a Greek god Vs harry who is a boy wizard. Agreed, Harry wouldn't have a chance, but both Harry and Percy are gentle souls who probably wouldn't hurt one another. I would like to see them both do a duel like in Chamber of secrets on top of a dining hall table.


*Nods* It seems unlikely that they would fight each other in the first place. At least not seriously. They both have times when they go too far but for the most part, they are clearly heroes. Percy (in my opinion) would probably be a Hufflepuff. He's stubbornly loyal to a fault. It would be interesting to see how the two would fare in a wand duel.

Although it would also be funny to see:

"Is that...a stick?"

"No, it's a wand, and you're one to talk, you're holding a pen!"

:lol:

cyberdad wrote:
Lost_dragon wrote:
Reminds me of the rivalry the Twilight fandom and the Harry Potter fandom had at the peak of their popularity. I don't hear much about Twilight these days.


I'd say both generations are now older adults with a mortgage and two kids and too busy struggling to make ends meet to post on forums about whether Robert Pattinson > Daniel Radcliffe


Well, now I feel old! I'm not that far off turning 25.

I tended to see more arguments about whether Robert was better as Cedric or as Edward.

Robert himself actually hates Twilight and seems to regret taking on that role.

Twilight was big with my generation as well (Gen Z). Granted, I'm a generational cusper - I'm near the cut-off point and if I were a bit older then I'd be a Millennial. My older sister is a Millennial. Most of my friends are Gen Z but a couple are Millennials.

I do know one guy with a mortgage but most of us are renting or struggling to get on the property ladder. However, yes, generations before us are hopefully doing better than us. I do know people my age with kids which is quite something to think about.

Personally I never cared for Twilight. Admittedly I used to misunderstand the whole team Edward VS Jacob discussion. I used to think it was about who Bella should end up with but apparently some people were using it to discuss who was more attractive. I always answered that neither was a good choice and that Bella should probably just stay single if those are her options.


_________________
24. Possibly B.A.P.


cyberdad
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Feb 2011
Age: 56
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,284

08 Mar 2024, 10:37 pm

Lost_dragon wrote:
[
The art world in general tends to be supportive rather than competitive. At least that's been my experience. It can be quite a nice community (not always though). However, there are some big unwritten rules. Writers tend to be against AI image generation. I've seen writers and fans turn on an author for using AI for their book covers. Which makes sense as 'artists support fellow artists' is a phrase that I see and hear a lot.


That was my impression too. With regard to JK Rowling, she has been accused by other writers of poor penmanship and plagiarism. The latter actually seems quite obvious when you see how closely her plot lines match the stories of other fiction authors. Overall she was a "Johnny come lately" and hasn't done the hard yards her fellow writers have had to endure with knock backs from publishers and many years of slog before eventually succeeding. A similar sentiment comes from music bands or comedians who do dive bars and endure years of not being appreciated for their art who see a new comic or band go from basement straight to a record deal (this accusation was levelled at Taylor Swift whose father used his business connections to get her first record deal when she was still a teen).



cyberdad
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Feb 2011
Age: 56
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,284

08 Mar 2024, 10:50 pm

Lost_dragon wrote:
*Nods* It seems unlikely that they would fight each other in the first place. At least not seriously. They both have times when they go too far but for the most part, they are clearly heroes. Percy (in my opinion) would probably be a Hufflepuff. He's stubbornly loyal to a fault. It would be interesting to see how the two would fare in a wand duel.

Although it would also be funny to see:

"Is that...a stick?"

"No, it's a wand, and you're one to talk, you're holding a pen!"

:lol:

.


Yeah it would be fun to see them horse around. I think they would be allies if there was a crossover. Interesting similarities in that wizarding world and that of the gods seems to exist in the shadows, just beneath the perception of muggles and mortals.

Both Harry and Percy grew up without knowing their gifts. Harry being the son of a pure blood (Potter family) wizard and a muggle and Percy the son of a god and ordinary mortal. Like Anniken Skywalker in Star wars they ended up fulfilling some type of prophecy as they grew from children to young men saving the world from evil.



cyberdad
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Feb 2011
Age: 56
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,284

08 Mar 2024, 10:56 pm

Lost_dragon wrote:
Personally I never cared for Twilight. Admittedly I used to misunderstand the whole team Edward VS Jacob discussion. I used to think it was about who Bella should end up with but apparently some people were using it to discuss who was more attractive. I always answered that neither was a good choice and that Bella should probably just stay single if those are her options.


I think that was resolved in the final movie where Jacob became the protector/companion to Bella's daughter. Bella probably didn't make such a great choice in choosing vampires and sucking blood from cute little animals over her immortal soul. I think Edward did explain that to her more than once.



Lost_dragon
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 May 2017
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,772
Location: England

09 Mar 2024, 10:02 am

cyberdad wrote:
I think that was resolved in the final movie where Jacob became the protector/companion to Bella's daughter. Bella probably didn't make such a great choice in choosing vampires and sucking blood from cute little animals over her immortal soul. I think Edward did explain that to her more than once.


Twilight is a tragedy and a cautionary tale wrapped up in the guise of a romance.

In regards to the whole death of the author thing, I think that's difficult in the case of Twilight. Stephenie Meyer was raised with Mormon values and those beliefs make up the quiet foundation of the story. Bella is punished because of her choices. She is a warning to the audience. Edward is a temptation that Bella is supposed to resist and he makes that very clear. The story, at its core, is about purity culture, avoiding lust, abstinence and morality through the lense of Mormonism. Vampire babies are horrifying for a reason.

Don't get me started on the creepy plot surrounding Jacob. I'm still disturbed.

cyberdad wrote:
I think they would be allies if there was a crossover. Interesting similarities in that wizarding world and that of the gods seems to exist in the shadows, just beneath the perception of muggles and mortals.

Both Harry and Percy grew up without knowing their gifts. Harry being the son of a pure blood (Potter family) wizard and a muggle and Percy the son of a god and ordinary mortal. Like Anniken Skywalker in Star wars they ended up fulfilling some type of prophecy as they grew from children to young men saving the world from evil.


I think the main difference between Percy and Harry is that Harry remains the subject of the prophecy throughout all the books. Excluding cursed child.

Yes, I know there's a plot point where if things had worked out differently then Neville could have been the chosen one but for the most part it's about Harry.

Whereas, Percy starts out as the chosen one but as the series progresses he learns that it's not always going to be about him. There are times where he's very explicitly not the chosen one but he goes on the quest anyway and faces consequences for going against the fates and defying the Oracle's prophecy. He does eventually learn to let other heroes take the reigns.


_________________
24. Possibly B.A.P.


MaxE
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 2 Sep 2013
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,279
Location: Mid-Atlantic US

09 Mar 2024, 10:28 am

cyberdad wrote:
Both Harry and Percy grew up without knowing their gifts. Harry being the son of a pure blood (Potter family) wizard and a muggle and Percy the son of a god and ordinary mortal. Like Anniken Skywalker in Star wars they ended up fulfilling some type of prophecy as they grew from children to young men saving the world from evil.

Harry's mother was not a muggle, she was muggle-born.


_________________
My WP story


cyberdad
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Feb 2011
Age: 56
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,284

09 Mar 2024, 5:05 pm

MaxE wrote:
cyberdad wrote:
Both Harry and Percy grew up without knowing their gifts. Harry being the son of a pure blood (Potter family) wizard and a muggle and Percy the son of a god and ordinary mortal. Like Anniken Skywalker in Star wars they ended up fulfilling some type of prophecy as they grew from children to young men saving the world from evil.

Harry's mother was not a muggle, she was muggle-born.


Corrected



cyberdad
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Feb 2011
Age: 56
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,284

09 Mar 2024, 5:13 pm

Lost_dragon wrote:
Twilight is a tragedy and a cautionary tale wrapped up in the guise of a romance.

In regards to the whole death of the author thing, I think that's difficult in the case of Twilight. Stephenie Meyer was raised with Mormon values and those beliefs make up the quiet foundation of the story. Bella is punished because of her choices. She is a warning to the audience. Edward is a temptation that Bella is supposed to resist and he makes that very clear. The story, at its core, is about purity culture, avoiding lust, abstinence and morality through the lense of Mormonism. Vampire babies are horrifying for a reason.

Don't get me started on the creepy plot surrounding Jacob. I'm still disturbed..


Oh wow! I never thought about the connections. Satan of course is described as temptation throughout the bible. Like Edward Cullen, Satan in Ezekiel is described as beautiful in appearance, Technically the Cullens (the good vampires) were all victims too. And yes, Bella's acquiescence to her desires of the flesh was tied in to her longing which was conflated with her perception of love. It reminds me that puritanism is the bedrock of american settler culture is in itself actually quite frightening. Cautionary tale! in more ways than one.



cyberdad
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Feb 2011
Age: 56
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,284

09 Mar 2024, 5:47 pm

Lost_dragon wrote:
I think the main difference between Percy and Harry is that Harry remains the subject of the prophecy throughout all the books. Excluding cursed child.

Yes, I know there's a plot point where if things had worked out differently then Neville could have been the chosen one but for the most part it's about Harry.

Whereas, Percy starts out as the chosen one but as the series progresses he learns that it's not always going to be about him. There are times where he's very explicitly not the chosen one but he goes on the quest anyway and faces consequences for going against the fates and defying the Oracle's prophecy. He does eventually learn to let other heroes take the reigns.


Yes there is an oracle in both prophecies foretelling the role both boys would play in saving the world. Echoing ancient prophecies in pre-christian times where particularly the Greeks relied on the oracle of Delphi (directly replicated in Percy Jackson). In Harry Potter the oracle seems more like a Holocron as used to foretell prophecies in the Star wars universe. Jedi holocrons fortold of one who would bring balance to the force, When the Sith rose again in Star wars after 1000 years of peace this was echoed in Harry Potter where Voldermort was always there (as Hagrid said) lurking about. But there was a period of peace. As with Percy Jackson, the gods had not intervened on earth since ancient Greece. But Zeus's father Kronos was always lurking about in Tartarus. Kronos, Voldermort and Palpatine all shattered the peace. But the conflict to come was all fortold. In some way all three stories spoke of one who bring balance (Anniken was of course a complicated character in that he always had darkness inside of him which came out during the time of Emperor Palpatine).

Star wars in that sense is more about tragedy and redemption, A boy born innocent grew to attain power but gave in to the darkness inside but later redeemed himself. In biblical and modern christianity there are many tales of greatness, giving in to sin and finally redemption. King David is a good example of such a hero. Sampson is another.

But getting back to Percy and Harry they were also both struck with tragedy which they had to overcome. No good drama is without tragedy, The Greeks understood that. Hollywood and modern fiction writers also do.

Its interesting to contrast stories of heroes from other cultures such as Arjuna in the Ramayana or Kurosawa's seven samurai. A more inspiring character in modern times is Ang, the young boy in Avatar whose prophecy in that story reflects elements of many sources and Ang is kind of like Harry and Percy but in steroids.