Page 2 | The false equivalency drives me mad...

Toastess · 2026-09-15T16:32:40+00:00

I was chatting with a group of colleagues today. Somehow the conversation moved onto Rolf Harris, and one woman said how she'd loved Harris's music as a child and how horrified everyone was to discover his paedophilia. A few other names were mentioned (Stewart Hall, Jimmy Savile etc.). Then a man said "Oh that's like with JK Rowling, I loved Harry Potter and now she's a monster." I don't know the group well at all, we're at work, I'm not proud but I just said "she's not a paedophile, it's a bit different!". His response - "she's still an absolute monster". How on earth can JK be in the same category as convicted sex offenders?! How has the blind hatred reached this level?!

TempestTost · 18/09/2026 10:07

I would be tempted, OP, to say to your college that if he thinks being a predatory pedophile is the same as funding a RCC for women and wanting to protect women only spaces, he should be looking for monsters much closer to home.

TheKeatingFive · 18/09/2026 10:00

I see no clarification on the ‘shady things’ alcove …

Grammarnut · 18/09/2026 09:56

Soontobe60 · 18/09/2026 07:25

She doesn’t have a ‘woman’s refuge’. Where are you getting your incorrect information from?

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alcove doesn't need evidence. Whole cloth weaver.

Grammarnut · 18/09/2026 09:54

alcovecupboards · 15/09/2026 22:29

Well three are named - two convicted, one not. The one not was sainted in life and used his power and money to protect himself from facing justice for his secret vile actions.

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So you are implying that when JKR is dead we will discover that she secretly raped little boys and covered it up using her wealth? I rather think that that is libel should you actually write it down.
I can' think of anything bad she has done (though I don't agree with her reported idea that using she/her pronouns to her nice transwoman friend is a good idea).
Go away, alcove.

Soontobe60 · 18/09/2026 07:30

Thehatistoobig · 17/09/2026 03:14

I am not GC and don't agree with what JK says but can agree with the OP that her colleague is a massive idiot. No comparison at all.

Which bit of what she says don’t you agree with?

Soontobe60 · 18/09/2026 07:25

alcovecupboards · 15/09/2026 23:14

Do you think she 'behaved impeccably' when she publicly pictured and called out a male abuser at a protest? Only to delete it and remove her own criticism when it was pointed out that he was on the gender critical side and not a TRA as she had assumed? Or what about when she revealed that her women's refuge records vulnerable women without making them aware against all established protocols? Those are two pretty big things I think deserve criticism.

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She doesn’t have a ‘woman’s refuge’. Where are you getting your incorrect information from?

Soontobe60 · 18/09/2026 07:21

alcovecupboards · 15/09/2026 22:40

That we're not a cult and she's not a leader. She's not brave - she's not a saint. She's an insulated billionaire who does immense good - while occasionally making mistakes and doing things that no-one else would get away with without criticism.

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Maybe you can give us an example?

Sunloungerhogger · 18/09/2026 07:15

alcovecupboards · 15/09/2026 22:40

That we're not a cult and she's not a leader. She's not brave - she's not a saint. She's an insulated billionaire who does immense good - while occasionally making mistakes and doing things that no-one else would get away with without criticism.

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I’m going to disagree with you saying she’s not brave. Yes it isn’t a cult, she isn’t our leader ya de ya de yaya. I do think it takes immense bravery (insulation of having plenty of money aside) to stick her head above the parapet of the immense onslaught of “accepted” opinion - particularly when this started and there were very few other voices openly saying the things she did. Sure, her wealth (built entirely off the back of her own talent and success) protects her from the threat of having her livelihood destroyed, but lets not play down all the death and rape threats, the hideous hate mail she must receive, and the general toll it must take to receive so much criticism, however uninformed.

DworkinWasRight · 18/09/2026 07:05

Some people have no capacity for moral reasoning. JKR Rowling is a rare, and outstanding, example of moral goodness in public life: not only setting up and wholly funding a rape crisis centre for women, but standing up for women’s rights, and continuing to do so, despite the onslaught of death threats. We know these people are violent: her decision to speak out against them is an act of extraordinary bravery.

BackToLurk · 18/09/2026 06:54

alcovecupboards · 17/09/2026 23:49

So you're just ignoring what I actually wrote in place of vile suggestions. I see what you're doing.

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In response to a post helpfully letting you know that this wasn’t a thread about not liking JKR, but rather questioning equating her with a convicted sex offender you replied.

Well three are named - two convicted, one not. The one not was sainted in life and used his power and money to protect himself from facing justice for his secret vile actions.

So, rather than acknowledging what the thread was about you decided to remind everyone that Savile wasn’t convicted. Some people have seen that as ‘coming into bat’ for him. Not unreasonable. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone jump in so quickly to remind people JS wasn’t convicted of anything.

Let’s accept that wasn’t your intention though. Why raise the fact he wasn’t convicted and go on to suggest why in the context of this thread?

Dovesono · 18/09/2026 06:42

Screamingabdabz · 16/09/2026 08:10

“Only a misogynist would say they think JKR is a monster.”

Who are you quoting here?

Rollingpinofdoom · 18/09/2026 06:08

alcovecupboards · 17/09/2026 23:47

Do back that assertion up.

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What, by quoting the post? Ok. Is this not you….

Well three are named - two convicted, one not.

in reference to Jimmy Saville?

Rollingpinofdoom · 18/09/2026 06:07

alcovecupboards · 17/09/2026 23:47

You are capable of reading the thread, I assume?

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Yes, and we’re all still confused. What shady things has JCR done?

ErrolTheDragon · 17/09/2026 23:59

TheKeatingFive · 17/09/2026 19:38

Well maybe, but I think @alcovecupboardsneeds to understand how such desperate whataboutery comes across

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Chances of that happening seem slim I’m afraid.

alcovecupboards · 17/09/2026 23:49

MarieDeGournay · 16/09/2026 12:14

What a bizarre distinction to make, between convicted and non-convicted sex offenders - do you think it makes any difference to the children they abused?

Mentioning JKR and the likes of Savile in the same conversation is disproportionate, irrational and nonsensical.

Let's switch the focus from the perpetrators to the victims of
Savile, Gary Glitter, the prolific sex abuser of children who lived around the corner from me, and all the other paedophile monsters, famous or not, convicted in a court of law or not.
Let's notionally 'line up' their victims, the thousands and thousands of abused and damaged children.
Then line up all the similarly abused and damaged victims of JKR's alleged offences.

Anything, alcovecupboards?

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So you're just ignoring what I actually wrote in place of vile suggestions. I see what you're doing.

alcovecupboards · 17/09/2026 23:47

TheKeatingFive · 17/09/2026 15:17

Agreed. I still can’t believe they thought this was an appropriate thing to post. As someone else said, imagine going out to bat for Jimmy Saville.

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Do back that assertion up.

alcovecupboards · 17/09/2026 23:47

CrazyMidget · 17/09/2026 03:33

Oooh, what shady things?

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You are capable of reading the thread, I assume?

BackToLurk · 17/09/2026 21:32

MarieDeGournay · 17/09/2026 18:58

I can't believe I'm actually typing these words
"in fairness to alcovecupboards..." but...

in fairness I think alcovecupboards was just saying that Savile had never been arrested or convicted as a sex offender, not that he wasn't a paedophile monster sex offender.

A pointless distinction to make, and a desperate attempt to justify putting JKR in the same conversation, let alone the same sentence, as Savile.
But not exactly 'going out to bat' for him.
In fairness😒

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I think it’s possible they were lining up a ‘zinger’.

TheKeatingFive · 17/09/2026 19:38

MarieDeGournay · 17/09/2026 18:58

I can't believe I'm actually typing these words
"in fairness to alcovecupboards..." but...

in fairness I think alcovecupboards was just saying that Savile had never been arrested or convicted as a sex offender, not that he wasn't a paedophile monster sex offender.

A pointless distinction to make, and a desperate attempt to justify putting JKR in the same conversation, let alone the same sentence, as Savile.
But not exactly 'going out to bat' for him.
In fairness😒

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Well maybe, but I think @alcovecupboardsneeds to understand how such desperate whataboutery comes across

MarieDeGournay · 17/09/2026 18:58

TheKeatingFive · 17/09/2026 15:17

Agreed. I still can’t believe they thought this was an appropriate thing to post. As someone else said, imagine going out to bat for Jimmy Saville.

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I can't believe I'm actually typing these words
"in fairness to alcovecupboards..." but...

in fairness I think alcovecupboards was just saying that Savile had never been arrested or convicted as a sex offender, not that he wasn't a paedophile monster sex offender.

A pointless distinction to make, and a desperate attempt to justify putting JKR in the same conversation, let alone the same sentence, as Savile.
But not exactly 'going out to bat' for him.
In fairness😒

TheKeatingFive · 17/09/2026 15:17

solerolover · 17/09/2026 15:00

As far as bad faith arguments go, this is really, really scraping the bucket, wow.

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Agreed. I still can’t believe they thought this was an appropriate thing to post. As someone else said, imagine going out to bat for Jimmy Saville.

solerolover · 17/09/2026 15:00

alcovecupboards · 15/09/2026 23:15

"A few other names were mentioned (Stewart Hall, Jimmy Savile etc.)." is also in the OP. I wonder who the etc is? And also Jimmy Savile was never convicted of anything, so it can't just be about convicted sex offenders.

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As far as bad faith arguments go, this is really, really scraping the bucket, wow.

BezMark · 17/09/2026 06:33

CrazyMidget · 17/09/2026 03:33

Oooh, what shady things?

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you wouldn't know them, they go to a different school

CrazyMidget · 17/09/2026 03:33

alcovecupboards · 15/09/2026 22:18

It does us no good to pretend JK has behaved impeccably. She's done some very shady things and even I - who share most of her views - will not defend that. It's OK if people don't like her - I doubt she cares so why should you? GC isn't a cult so it would be great if some of you could remember that.

Oooh, what shady things?

Thehatistoobig · 17/09/2026 03:14

I am not GC and don't agree with what JK says but can agree with the OP that her colleague is a massive idiot. No comparison at all.