Harry Potter fansites distance themselves from JK Rowling

[eyebrowshame]

I'm wondering why, if they feel so strongly about this, that they don't just close down the sites? Oh, would it be because they make shed loads of money on the back of her work, perhaps?

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/03/harry-potter-fan-sites-distance-themselves-from-jk-rowling-over-transgender-rights

From Melissa from Leaky Cauldron’a Wikipedia page, after the ‘harmonians’ debacle

‘Anelli later commented that the irate fans had "lost the ability to divorce themselves between what J.K. Rowling is doing and what they'd like to see happen, and they've taken their disappointment and projected it onto her. I can totally understand how you could be upset if your preference didn't happen, but I can't understand or tolerate that people who claim to be her fans can be so mean to her."[13]’

I read what she wrote sadly my woke 20 year old did not she is giving up her Harry Potter t-shirt and night shirt blankets and bed spread I pointed out to her if she actually read it she would see she wasn't writing anti trans vitriol at all

She said well I unfollowed her ages ago because her characters didn't hold up to examination and her work is full of plot holes I said I'm looking forward to the house you buy me when you get rich writing all your plot hole less stories

Is it bad that I laughed throughout most of that article?

@Odense

The sad thing is that the people who run these sites have studied the Harry Potter books in great detail, but don't appear to have been able to read anything that JKR actually wrote on this issue

Yep, there’s such a strong moral code through the whole series. Do what is right not what is easy. Almost prescient.

Makes it rather obvious that exploitation for fun and profit is the purpose of the sites.

JKR won't close them down, but I might if it were me.

Or she could announce that she's so upset by the fan sites that she's never going to write again. The people running them wouldn't probably be lynched by other fans

It would be satisfying to see her shut them down but she won’t because she’s too nice, despite what they may think of her.

This news was one of the first things I saw online today and it's made me sad and cross all day. The way some news providers have gleefully reported it, ugh.
I just hope JKR is OK, and supported. It's this purity thing again I suppose. Where oh where will it all end?

It's insane. I am so impressed she's rising above. I wouldn't be able to!

"Lawyers! Close them down! Close them all down, I say!!" Cue hag-like cackle.

She's a far better woman than I.

On a vaguely related note, the most recent chapter of Harry Potter at home is read by Matthew Lewis and Imelda Staunton (and an actress from Melbourne's Cursed Child). So glad to see Matt Lewis doing it. At least one of the child actors has a backbone.

Also, he turned out to be the hottest. In your face, Dan & Rupert.

Reading through the replies on the fan sites statements on twitter and so far the overwhelming majority are sticking up for JK. Feels like the tide has turned a lot since three weeks ago which gives me hope.

Good for Matt Lewis, I don’t really know or care what his views are but at least he and Tom Felton haven’t thrown her under the bus!

Ultimately the legacy of her work will last longer than any of these people. They'll end up having to get proper jobs, or falling pregnant, or meet someone who thinks it's silly to care so much about an imaginary world, and it'll fade away.
Perhaps they'll even end up buying the hated books again, once the fuss dies down, and reading them in secret like some sort of dangerous contraband. It'll probably be the most exciting thing they do all year.

How very hypocritically exploitative if them.
Laughable, really.

JKR has far more integrity, and that is literally priceless.

Honestly given how much of a pain in the arse the Harry Potter (spit) fandom is, she’s probably glad to be shot of them. She’s writing crime fiction aimed at adults now and the Strike fans are probably much less deluded.

As far as I can see JKR has no leverage to shut them down, they are not infringing any of her copyrights or trademarks. If you write books, you can't stop people discussing them.

I find so many things about this baffling

Why is it headline news that a couple of, albeit large, fansites have 'cancelled' her? I mean, report on what she said etc but this? Weird.

Why are they so quick to believe that an author who created a world that they love, characters they love, and with a philosophy they identify with, is on the quiet a raging nazi bigot? In fact this is the most peculiar thing for me.

Women, mainly lefty, many middle aged, many active in all sorts of social issues for years, suddenly turn into right wing bigots. LGB alliance, one of the founders being Simon fanshawe who was involved in setting up stonewall, are driven by hate?

I mean it's all silly. Why aren't more people thinking, hold on a minute...

Oh god, the Harry Potter fandoms are just shite. I tried writing a grown up fanfic once exploring the idea of what the trauma of Harry's childhood would look like and how it would manifest in grown up life and subsequent relationships.

I got rape threats because I made him a not nice person. Actual people wished I would get raped and die because I dared suggest that a fictional character might grow up damaged after serious and repeated childhood traumas.

I can well imagine them imploding in a cloud of woke rainbow glitter over this.

That truly is bonkers Lady

I worked in a HP inspired shop for two years and dealt with some of the fansites. Toxic environments they were and a lot of gatekeeper type of staff. Who cares what they think. All they did was recycle content off the back of someone else's work and talent and write crappy crappy fan fics. Clearly now they are happy to enable the abuse of kids who are getting over diagnosed and total lack of respect for women's rights. Bunch of squibs.

"I mean it's all silly. Why aren't more people thinking, hold on a minute..."

I think it's entirely predictable. This is just the standard tactic of the political left. No debate. Demonize. Accuse people of "hate" or "racism" etc.

It's not a surprise that they are willing to do it to fellow lefties that don't sign up to the new orthodoxy.

"But we are the good guys!", "We are on the left!"...

Sorry, no, Nazis!

It's all just so childish and petulant. She still built the playground you're all playing in, kids, no matter how much you stick your fingers in your ears and shout "we're not her friends any more!"

The founder of mugglenet has come out in support of jkr

twitter.com/emersonspartz/status/1279157610919481344?s=21

If your support for trans people consists of nothing more than giving women abuse you’re not an ally, you’re a cunt.

I was pleased to see that too Kit19. A NYT bestseller too. Good to see successful writers coming out against the bullying.

That's great - I am impressed to see someone with a bit of courage. Looking at the Twitter responses I'd say it feels about 65% agreeing with him & 35% "but she is transphobic", "why won't you just listen to trans people". Funnily enough, not seen anyone call him a TERF or threaten him with rape. Shocker.

I feel so much better about this since I found out Mugglenet and leaky cauldron were sold to a corporation a few months ago.

I had been quite upset as I read Mugglenet religiously in the 2000s, reading theories and news.

I knew from that, the guys who had started it met JKR and had quite a lot of interaction with her. She also let them publish books about HP and did a few other things so I was so upset at another betrayal but on wiki it shows it was sold and that the original guys have left.

Now I suggest warner bros goes after the site for any copyright that they can

Amazing Emerson that must’ve taken guts! He doesn’t seem to be involved with the site anymore but still it’s taken him a month of ‘stomach churning and pacing’ to find the courage to speak up. That just tells you everything.

It was Emerson and Melissa from Leaky Cauldron that met her at her own house. Melissa is still involved with the site and has been all guns blazing against JK on her twitter so that must’ve been a bit of a punch in the gut for her. I’m so pleased he’s spoken up.