Tom Felton getting stick. Is this really the world we live in now?

[User012389]

Whatever your stance is on trans issues do people really have nothing better to do than verbally slaughter him for choosing to continue within the franchise and being honest that he has no strong opinions on the matter? He's a big boy now and I'm sure he can handle himself but it makes me terrified for the young actors who are also already being subjected to this as well.

I myself was also pretty much forced to remove a post on a facebook group congratulating one of the young actors on being cast in the TV series as some of the vitriol I received completely overpowered the positive intention of the post. I said nothing inflammatory just pointed out that not everyone disagrees with JK's opinions and that we need to be accepting of opinions which are different to our own.

I'd understand the backlash if JK or so called TERFS were spreading genuine hate or encouraging persecution of a group but I just don't see that. IMO whatever your views on gender identity are there's way more horrible and important things going on in the world. Is a lot of trans-activisim really just a way for young people to express their very valid dissatisfaction with the world in general in a reasonably safe way? Honestly maybe I'm getting old and boring but I just don't get it.

All quite reasonable, IMO. But to the TRA mob this is heresy - toe the line or we'll burn the witch!

I'm gutted he isn't playing Lucius in the HBO series. That would have been perfect!

It does give an insight into perhaps why some of the others felt pressured into slating Rowling and being so vocally and simplistically pro-trans.
I don't think it excuses them, to be clear.

They've played a blinder - "We're just here for the rabbits" and repeat on a loop to the nutters.

Even better, they've ended up with more followers and a hell of a lot of donations out of it so the Barbara Streisand Effect is still in full effect!

Link to thread about the bunny sanctuary purity spiral https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5346978-rabbit-rescue-targeted-by-tras?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

Tom Felton would be very aware of the likelihood of the criticism he would receive - regardless of how nicely he phrases his media comments.
Well done to him and all the other actors and creatives who are willing to be professional and do their jobs in the face of relentless bullying.

Good on Him
I like John Lithgow (not so much Harry Potter though, Sorry), especially as the Trinity Killer in Dexter .

I sometimes wonder if every celebrity from Rupert Grint to Greta Thunberg is contacted by TRAs requesting their support?

He will be. I don't know if these new child actors (or their parents) are going to know what's hit them though. If they're not being criticised for supporting JKR they're receiving nasty comments by loons on the other side for not being white enough 🙄 or just generally not being Dan,Rupert or Emma. I do hope they're ready for it.

Poor chap was only being normal, and sticking to acting.🤷‍♀️

Nothing would ever get done if you have to take a political stance, or argue about it, to do any work.

I also must have missed the announcement where MNHQ appointed that poster as the thread police. I've seen them doing it on loads of threads recently

It's really ridiculous. One of mine is reading the series now and I've had a few shifty responses - everyone is all good with any number of problematic male artists and writers, but JKR is vilified for standing up for women's rights.

Quite.

Felton's answer was a masterclass in neutrality. However as others have said, unless you completely prostrate yourself at the trans alter, NOTHING is ever going to be good enough. Remember the troons are bullying a tiny rabbit rescue charity.

Tom Felton was very careful what he said, that it didn't really affect him and that he was entirely grateful for JKR's work which had made his career. That so mild support is castigated with vitriol is very, very worrying.
JKR supports women's rights. She cannot be cancelled because she is mega-rich and really doesn't care what the TRAs say but other people are not so lucky and thus this attack on Felton is frightening. We haven't even nearly got there yet!
And well done Felton for supporting JKR and not giving in to those who think she should be burned in flames.😃Or to those who might like to ruin his career - that's very brave!

Yes, it’s quite telling how little condemnation there is for Gaiman in those circles. Everyone’s pretending not to talk about him or avoiding the subject of him very nicely indeed, and there certainly isn’t any of this incessant frothing rhetoric about how dreadful he is, like there is about Rowling just for stating a commonsense, middle ground opinion!

@User012389 agreed. The trans debate has become beyond ridiculous, polarised and toxic beyond belief. No one is allowed to see both sides of the argument or have sympathy for both trans people and women. You just get destroyed by one side (usually the TRAs) and labelled a bigot and a transphobe. It makes me sick. It’s very sad that this is the world our children are growing up in. Tom Felton and other people in the public eye are completely entitled to choose what they want to express opinions on and not. I can’t believe he’s getting torn down for choosing not to express his opinions, not even for having the “wrong” opinion. He never volunteered to be a TRs spokesperson! TRAs are not far off Nazis imo….and I’m someone with fairly balanced views, who can see both sides of the argument. Children are starving to death in Palestine ffs and people are dedicating their entire lives to trying to ensure trans women are allowed in women’s toilets!!

Quite often when Gaiman was being criticised on eg Reddit someone would bring up JKR as an example of how if it’s ok to still like Harry Potter it’s ok to still enjoy Gaiman’s work. The two “bad things” are not in any way the same!

Agree with @TheNightingalesStarling
I pointed that out in response to someone smugly stating that the assured failure of the HBO show would "show" JKR.
I mean even if it did fail its hardly as if she'd fall into penury but I queried why, given that the original books are still topping the best seller charts 30 years later, the Strike books do the same every time a new one comes out, Hogwarts a legacy sold in its millions despite everyone being told to boycott it, the Cursed child has been selling out for years in London and new York, the Warner bros studio tour thing in Watford is still going strong, they've just opened another HP theme park...people are so convinced that they are the majority view. They live in echo chambers.

I remember him from 'Third Rock from the Sun' - which might age me (it does) except I watched it when it was 'vintage'.

Makes me worry about the children who were picked to play in the HBO series - how long until they become the next target

Orly (a nail polish brand I like) got roasted on Instagram and Reddit because they did some Harry Potter butterbeer scented products. Some of the comments were pathetic (the nail polish is ugly, no one cares about Harry Potter anymore, etc.) Well if no one cares about HP anymore why are HBO doing a series about it? And I think the nail polish looks really pretty and I want it. In fact I want to buy lots just to piss off the twats who are mithering about it, and who say they're going to boycott Orly.

honestly I just think if all these people put their efforts and energies into overcoming stereotypes, the whole thing goes away.

My daughter loves football, wrestling and dinosaurs. When she was 2 she was obsessed with Fireman Sam and trains. She's not comfortable wearing skirts or dresses, but she also loves playing with hair and barbies - we've never limited anything. She's not a boy. Never ever thought she was a boy or anything, but I do worry that someone with nefarious intent could try to say that because she likes "boy" things (and I mean that in the most stereotypical sense possible) that she is a boy.

If a boy likes pink and is comfortable in dresses or wants to play with dolls - go right ahead! But it doesn't mean your a girl - if we can break down those gender stereotypes I genuinely think people would be much happier.

It’s beyond parody that there seems to be a whole generation who have been encouraged to believe that potentially having committed a serious crime is equivalent to expressing the opinion that women shouldn’t be forced out of their jobs for stating that biological sex is a real thing.

This really shouldn’t have been the lightbulb moment it was today.

Sitting browsing…
oh yeah that would be better.
Wait! Didn’t we have that before.
When did that change?
WHY did that change!?!

Things have moved quickly culturally in so many aspects I think everyone has just lost the plot.