JK Rowling - Thread 2

I've wondered for a while about paralells between some of the current ideas about identity, and how people become so immersed in fandoms. It's not just being interested in a series of books, or films, or collecting things, or even just a strong emotional attachment. People behave as if they are real, they want to make all the details of the story fi together totally coherently, they get really upset if there are changes or new introductions they don't think fit. And it's not Lord of the Rings level where there was arguably a very complex and coherent world, constructed from the ground up, for adults. It's children's stories like Harry Potter, or Star Wars, or completely commercially driven offerings like Marvel.

At some point it became kind of cool for adults to invest at that level. The post that mentioned people not making connections to adult literature seems to the point to me as well, it's not that adults can't enjoy good children's literature, but adult literature does include higher levels of complexity and moral nuance and also challenge to our thinking and feeling.

I just saw that a "queer trans doula" and her partner are offering free babysitting on the local Facebook page. I looked at her Facebook and it's full of TRA rants including JK Rowling rants.

Who the hell would let their kids near these people? Terrifying!

Here's an extract..

Hey, cis pals; show of hands if a trans person has ever said this to you.
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I went to the doctor today and I was called in whilst Him Indoors was in the bathroom. I said to her "I'm just waiting for my partner" to which she replied "Do you need him with you?! Oops, sorry, do you need them with you?" And for a hot second, I was overjoyed until the followed up with "haha sorry, we're not 'allowed to' assume anyone's gender any more!" With a scoff. I rolled my eyes and said "I'm used to it I'm trans but people always assume I'm a woman". Then during my appointment she said "We always do a pregnancy test from a urine sample because, you know, you're a lady!"
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So close yet so far!
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#didyoujustassumemygender #gender #trans #transgender #nonbinary #nonbinarypronouns #theythem #notalady #itsnotfunny #mypronounsarevalid #mypronounsarenotyourpunchline

You know, even if I wasn’t firmly GC, I’d want to hang out with you lot, because you’re heaps funnier than the over-woke children of Twitter, who need a long nap and a humour resection.

Not sure whether to interpret that as "I have an imaginary friend and it's me" or "I wank a lot".

ProdugalKitten

Haworthia, I laughed so much at this, I ended up in a coughing fit.

“biology has no place in society outside of classrooms, doctors’ offices and “biology labs”.”

I’m beginning to think the failure of the education system is the cause of the decline of civilisation. Either that or stupid is transmissible by tweet.

Whathsherface who elected herself queen of feminism a while back but seems to have had her mouth sewn shut on this one - How to be a Feminist woman.

Caitlin Moran?

Of course it's every day

Is #owenjonesisawankerday not every day?

I bet LOJ's mum has now reported me

I'm not going to repeat that #OwenJonesisawankerday is even a real thing

Only just managed to catch up with the threads. JK you are awesome. Thank you. The mildness and tolerance of your tweet compared with the level of hatred in the replies below is unreal. Hope you are bunkering down somewhere whilst the shitstorm ensues.

Angela Rayner is calling for solidarity for poor wee Owen Jones. 🤮I loathe that woman. No such solidarity from her for Maya or J. K.

and even find time to keep the street violence wing going......

Phew, nearly forgot there

Most of the upset fans seem to be stuck at about age 3 or 4 on the developmental scale, emotionally speaking, where the mother is the source that's meant to meet all their needs and if she doesn't they'll violently lash out

OMG YES! This describes the backlash perfectly. Mother didn't do what baby wanted.

So a support wizard, then? The thing is, Rowling gave them that world, but there's no "thank you for giving me this thing that's helped me through the years", just "you have failed to support me in exactly the ways that I expected and that I demand therefore you are pure unadulterated evil". It's like watching the stages of childhood development illustrated on a global scale. Most of the upset fans seem to be stuck at about age 3 or 4 on the developmental scale, emotionally speaking, where the mother is the source that's meant to meet all their needs and if she doesn't they'll violently lash out.

One person on twitter saying that JKR is responsible for the murder of trans people and mass shootings. YIKES

but I didn't realise just how fanatical some people are about it.... I think Harry Potter world forms part of their identity too - hence the (irrational) feeling of betrayal - and the unleashing of such hatred onto JKR for such a mild tweet.

Agreed. Have just been looking at twitter. Can't help but feel a little sad for them while at the same time being incredibly angry at the abuse. Many of them seem very young, or just a bit special. The world of Harry Potter is real to them, the characters are like imaginary friends that help them cope with life. Like those support animals Americans take on to planes.

I don't know if this is the right thread for it but I am hoping that Maya is OK

Me too. It's been an object lesson in how fast false news - Maya misgendered a trans workmate repeatedly! - can travel round the world, but it is very painful to be lied about, even on a household scale, so I can't imagine how Maya is dealing with being lied about on a global scale.

I am glad her dad has her back.

It's interesting - apropos of something I was reading a page or so back - the role that American cultural imperialism plays in this debacle.

Oh - it was the Ravelry comment! Americans (generalising, sorry US feminists here, #notall) export their Dem-Repub divides all over the world, into societies where it doesn't make any sense.

In the heads of the tantrumming ex Potter fans, JKR has aligned herself with Trump, and all Trumpian policy. It's not clear to a lot of them that other countries have different political traditions and divides, and that the influence of the materialist Left still lingers on in the UK and AU.

It's incredibly childish behaviour from these fans, which - I suppose one expects from people who haven't neccessarily grown up to make as deep connections with literature for adults. But it's also very politically basic.

The progressive American friends I had are no longer my friends because of my refusal to affirm my dd's gender dysphoria. There is no room for nuance; you are with the trans community, or you are with Trump, and training up your kids to go out and kill trans people. That's the kind of rhetoric you can hear - and from friends!

I wonder, if by Potteresque magic, if we could remove American political and cultural influence from the debate, whether JKR's comment would have been received with far more equanimity, in the UK at least.

Sigh. No magic, I know. But it's one of my pet peeves with leftists and progressives on this topic - they are 'against' American military imperialism, but practically cheerlead cultural imperialism, and it makes them dreadful hypocrites.

More people than I thought have a serious problem distinguishing fantasy from reality, fact from fiction. I guess that's part of the problem.

We've always been fans of Harry Potter in the Zebra household - I've read the books and watched the films multiple times - but I didn't realise just how fanatical some people are about it.... I think Harry Potter world forms part of their identity too - hence the (irrational) feeling of betrayal - and the unleashing of such hatred onto JKR for such a mild tweet.

Not sure whether to interpret that as "I have an imaginary friend and it's me" or "I wank a lot".

Emma is an actress, love. She didn't write the books and has no ability to overrule Rowling.

She also coined the phrase 'self-partnered' 🤮

Thanks @Waterandlemonjuice - just speaking from experience hard copy letters are usually taken more seriously by emails and the address for correspondence is also on the link you provided, for those who fancy writing (I will be).

Also, I love that on her website it says she prefers expressing herself on Twitter. What a mic-drop.

@TheProdigalKittensReturn So true - love her.

I'm loving the posting of the "well Emma believes in gender so there!" memes.

Emma is an actress, love. She didn't write the books and has no ability to overrule Rowling.

I just emailed my thanks. Not sure they'll find amongst all the nonsense she must be receiving but it felt important to acknowledge what she's done.

And I agree, not sure it is the right thread, but Maya, thank you and I hope you're ok

Imagine this studio gathering scenario

Tatchell's mate and genderist Stephen Fry (narrator of Harry Potter audio books)

Emma Watson, Hermione actress - Mermaids 'charity' supporter and gender ideology believer

Ezra Miller, star of Magical creatures, who self IDs as neither male or female

And the levelled, brilliant JK Rowling, who stands up for women's rights and understands that biogical sex is immutable

Awkward