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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Oh FUCK OFF, BBC!

37 replies

SunsetBeetch · 29/03/2021 09:14

Absolutely fucking sick of this shite now. Leave JKR alone!!!!!

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5DdBBnrBnQt6vD2pVjZFs1Z/is-it-still-ok-to-read-harry-potter

OP posts:
EmbarrassingAdmissions · 29/03/2021 09:18

Just trying to think of how often they've raised similar questions about contemporary male authors.

I've got tumbleweed.

GCAcademic · 29/03/2021 09:22

This is exactly the kind of elitist, out-of-touch drivel that is hastening the BBC's demise. In 2010, when the coalition government came in and started threatening the BBC, I was distraught. Now I think they've brought it on themselves. Attacking individuals in this way is a new low and should not be the remit of a national broadcaster - it's state-sponsored bullying. As for lecturers who want safe spaces for their thinking to be unchallenged - grow up and do the job you're paid for.

TryingAgain16 · 29/03/2021 09:24

The BBC are absolutely shocking now. The standards are appalling.

Juicyoranges · 29/03/2021 09:25

I read an article on Richard Dawkins last week. He is way more outspoken than JKR, and barely a peep about him (I've searched)
I assume she's only vilified because she's a woman.

OhHolyJesus · 29/03/2021 09:29

Is it still ok to read Foucault?

Actually scrap that - is it still ok to study Foucault?

Here is the link to complain...

www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints/make-a-complaint

EmbarrassingAdmissions · 29/03/2021 09:31

List that made me very sad about a number of literary figures: listverse.com/2018/05/18/10-authors-you-read-in-school-who-were-secretly-terrible-people/

I await the BBC pieces questioning whether they should be read or studied.

TheHamsterCatcher · 29/03/2021 09:33

All this nonsense about JKR just makes me want to read her books more.
I've just bought the first Harry Potter book in German since we already have the English versions! Grin

My German is pretty terrible, but hopefully with the help of my (occasionally untrustworthy!) German dictionary, I will persevere!

Xanthangum · 29/03/2021 09:34

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4076594-Can-I-Still-Read-Harry-Potter-BBC-R4-Thursday-12th-November-2020

They are recycling their programmes, we have been over this ground before

NotBadConsidering · 29/03/2021 09:43

It’s actually quite a balanced article:

Others disagree. Writer and broadcaster Gavin Haynes argues that readers shouldn’t consider their relationship with an author akin to a friendship and that abandoning the books due to disagreement with Rowling is, “churlish and childish… Surely the reason we read literature is expand our psychology and to come into contact with different views and to get a broader sense of the great ambiguity of life itself.” He also believes that the debate really only exists within a small group on social media. “I think if you sort of asked the man on the street about this particular debate, he’d ask you what you’re talking about.”

Literary critic Sam Leith, like Haynes, is of the opinion that expecting an author to reflect all your own views lacks maturity. He tells Romano, “I feel sort of slightly dismayed that a reader of your evident subtlety and sophistication is saying, ‘I feel I need to stop reading this woman's work because of something she said in public.”

Then it talks about how many people agree with her and still support her. Of course there’s no explanation as to why anything she said is supposedly so controversial (because no one ever can) but at least there’s a good chunk of it pointing out how stupid people are for not even entertaining the notion of reasonable disagreement.

nauticant · 29/03/2021 09:52

The programme is actually far better than its title and origin would suggest. Not great but not a hatchet job either. If you're interested, the earlier thread linked to by Xanthangum is worth a read.

zanahoria · 29/03/2021 10:00

seriously?????

no debate about whether she is transphobic

only matter to be decided is about separating art from artist?

zanahoria · 29/03/2021 10:03

. Not great but not a hatchet job either

The title makes it a hatchet job, they implicitly declare her guilty of all crimes against transgender ideology.

GNCQ · 29/03/2021 10:04

NotBadConsidering
It’s actually quite a balanced article:

It's not actually quite a balanced article. Look at the style

It's basically written by Romano themself in third person, a non-binary person really very hurt feelings and upset about women's right to same sex spaces.

Starts with JKR has made me feel sad and unsafe I thought I was a wizard like HP.
Other people agree JKR is bad
JKR is like a "helicopter parent" (!)
Oh I just have to mention because it's supposed to be balanced that book sales have actually increased by 9% since her blog because other people are mean
Ends with, They see their relationship with HP to be a "weary divorce"...

I know this person is supposed to be non binary but I can pretty much tell the sex of them just from that article.

I mean FUCK OFF BBC

Gailhugger · 29/03/2021 10:08

Complaints link

www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints

I think a ton of complaints might help

IrmaFayLear · 29/03/2021 10:10

The BBC has gone nuts. Talk about the tyranny of the minority....

YouSetTheTone · 29/03/2021 10:21

I don't really understand why what Romano thinks is worthy of an article. Romano's engagement with JK Rowling's books and whether Romano finds it 'safe' or not is neither here nor there surely? It's Romano's business to deal with alone and it doesn't need amplifying in this rather loaded fashion.
I have reactions, as a woman, to various different books - some written by male or female authors whose views I don't necessarily agree with - but no one is writing a BBC article about my thoughts. Why are Romano's more relevant? Repeatedly dragging this 'issue' with JKR into public view is what makes this feel like unbalanced reporting because it's refusing to let go of this particular author.

In the interests of balance there really ought to be a reader who has no problems with JK Rowling's opinions or her books being given equal weight in this article, with equal text time on their feelings.

zanahoria · 29/03/2021 10:25

and why does the BBC start off the argument with two American accusers? Why not have something more representative of views in this country. I don't want to be overly nationalistic here, of course all views are welcome but it is plain as day that there is difference of opinion here on different sides of the Atlantic so seems odd to use the opinions of two people outside Britain as the start off for the piece.

NecessaryScene1 · 29/03/2021 10:27

I don't really understand why what Romano thinks is worthy of an article. Romano's engagement with JK Rowling's books and whether Romano finds it 'safe' or not is neither here nor there surely?

Mmm. This is Romano writing a piece/making a programme about Romano, and sticking JK Rowling's name on it. I know why Romano think's a programme about Romano's views on anything is worthwhile.

What I don't understand is the commissioning logic. I don't have a problem with this being commissioned, but where are the similar personal stories from the GC side? Maybe that's not fair though - I guess the same year (on TV) there was Martina Navratilova doing trans athletes?

SunsetBeetch · 29/03/2021 10:29

@Xanthangum

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4076594-Can-I-Still-Read-Harry-Potter-BBC-R4-Thursday-12th-November-2020

They are recycling their programmes, we have been over this ground before

How weird. It just popped up in my newsfeed this morning. I must have been identified as someone in need of re-education.
OP posts:
zanahoria · 29/03/2021 10:41

It is hardly balance when the BBC has to scour the planet for critical views then blow them up into a j'accuse article. They are leading with a couple of very obscure voices. It took me a bit of googling to find out who Jackson Bird was, wikipedia suggested he was an Australian cricketeer but that did not seem to fit. Yet the whole article is framed from the position of these two nobodies and it is straight out of the American culture war that really does not resonate over here.

ACovidofWitches · 29/03/2021 10:44

Her book sales have increased by 9%? Well I didn't know that. Thank you for sharing! That's made me smile.

gardenbird48 · 29/03/2021 10:53

@ACovidofWitches

Her book sales have increased by 9%? Well I didn't know that. Thank you for sharing! That's made me smile.
Completely independently of this conversation my kids have got into her books in a good way. I'm not sure what prompted them to pick them up (I bought them years ago) but they are really enjoying them.

They have some awareness of a row regarding JK (my youngest had heard that she was 'racist' which we have now talked about) but have clearly made up their own mind re. the books/movies.

It makes me so sad that there are adults out there trying to take away children's enjoyment of such brilliant books (recent thread re. an English teacher announcing to the class that JK was a transphobe).

PurpleWh1teGreen · 29/03/2021 11:26

I'm not sure I can take any article about a wannabe wizard seriously.

But surely the actual sodding point is that JKR isn't transphobic just because she happens to believe humans can't change sex.

andyoldlabour · 29/03/2021 11:33

And that is one of the many reasons why they no longer get a licence fee from this household.

andyoldlabour · 29/03/2021 11:35

"But surely the actual sodding point is that JKR isn't transphobic just because she happens to believe humans can't change sex."

Ah, but the people who do believe that, also believe in unicorns.

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