Interview with Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) about JK Rowling

[RoyalCorgi]

Hoping someone else might have a share token:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/evanna-lynch-harry-potter-anorexia-book-q7nnqtdpl

This is about the actress Evanna Lynch and how she became so obsessed with the Harry Potter books as a child that she wrote to JK Rowling. Evanna was suffering from anorexia at the time. JK Rowling sent her a lovely, kind letter back and they stayed in touch, and eventually Evanna auditioned for, and got, the role of Luna Lovegood.

Evanna speaks a lot in the interview about how generous and kind JKR was to her, and especially about supportive she was about her anorexia.

She then says, of course, that she disagrees with JKR about the trans issue.

Once more I'm impressed at what a classy individual JKR is. She's so kind, warm and empathetic. How many other writers would respond like that to a fan?

Once more I'm impressed at what a classy individual JKR is. She's so kind, warm and empathetic. How many other writers would respond like that to a fan?

I wonder if JKR nodded along to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's bone-warming righteous wrath.

www.chimamanda.com/news_items/it-is-obscene-a-true-reflection-in-three-parts/

Ms Rowling is superb. I have a great deal of respect for her.

I haven’t read the article, but hopefully Evanna isn’t condemning JKR for her views on trans rights - if she is respecting JKR for the things she’s done for Evanna, but saying she doesn’t agree with her on trans issues.

I hope she isn’t leaping on the bandwagon of stars who owe their success to JKR and the Harry Potter films, but who are condemning her as a TERF.

Honestly, with the amount abuse anyone would get for saying they agree with her I can understand why they deny it even if they do.

Another ungrateful brat.

I can't read the whole article but I think it's fine for her to disagree on the trans issue (clearly, I agree with JKR) as long as she's not calling for public shaming and sticking the boot in. One of the things I dislike about the TRA side of the debate is their absolute insistence on their orthodoxy - we can have red lines on single sex spaces and advocate that others also share that view without requiring it. Politics is about whose view wins out in the end.

I feel sorry for Evanna Lynch. She tried at the time to defend JKR while keeping the bullies off herself. She was obviously fragile then and they piled onto her. She closed her twitter account to get away from them.

I hope there's not going to be a similar pile-on to her now. I'm sure it's the very last thing JKR would want.

When people say they disagree with JKR, I would like a followup question: which of JKRs statements do you disagree with and why?

@Tanith

I feel sorry for Evanna Lynch. She tried at the time to defend JKR while keeping the bullies off herself. She was obviously fragile then and they piled onto her. She closed her twitter account to get away from them.

I hope there's not going to be a similar pile-on to her now. I'm sure it's the very last thing JKR would want.

I don't feel sorry for her.

Lynch called Rowling's remarks "transphobic". She also said "I think it’s irresponsible to discuss such a delicate topic over Twitter through fragmented thoughts and I wish Jo wouldn’t", "I disagree with her opinion that cis-women are the most vulnerable minority in this situation and I think she’s on the wrong side of this debate" and "that trans Harry Potter fans should block Rowling on Twitter".

I do hope that's the last ever heard of Ms Lynch who, like Daniel Radcliffe and co, would be nothing without J K Rowling. But J K Rowling would still be rich and famous without them.

@Lovelyricepudding

When people say they disagree with JKR, I would like a followup question: which of JKRs statements do you disagree with and why?

Yes! It's the follow-up that cries out to be asked whenever someone delivers what has become a conversation or discussion-terminating cliché.

"There it is. That's the ten-word answer my staff's been looking for for two weeks. There it is. Ten-word answers can kill you in political campaigns. They're the tip of the sword. Here's my question: What are the next ten words of your answer? Your taxes are too high? So are mine. Give me the next ten words. How are we going to do it? Give me ten after that, I'll drop out of the race right now. Every once in a while... every once in a while, there's a day with an absolute right and an absolute wrong, but those days almost always include body counts. Other than that, there aren't very many unnuanced moments in leading a country that's way too big for ten words."
--President Bartlet, in the West Wing episode "Game On"

Here is a share token if anyone still wants to read the article:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/3d94b582-2c2c-11ec-98f2-b73d74f1f44d?shareToken=aa79df2a73d21511c644bc5cd285aa46

@AlfonsoTheUnrepetant

Lynch called Rowling's remarks "transphobic". She also said "I think it’s irresponsible to discuss such a delicate topic over Twitter through fragmented thoughts and I wish Jo wouldn’t", "I disagree with her opinion that cis-women are the most vulnerable minority in this situation and I think she’s on the wrong side of this debate" and "that trans Harry Potter fans should block Rowling on Twitter".

I do hope that's the last ever heard of Ms Lynch who, like Daniel Radcliffe and co, would be nothing without J K Rowling. But J K Rowling would still be rich and famous without them.

I have empathy for anyone who has lived with anorexia or a raft of other conditions.

I'd respect Lynch more if she'd declined to answer any questions on this topic and maintained her silence in re: Rowling. Even more egregiously, she: doesn't clarify which specific statements she takes exception to; advises others to block Rowling (no validation as to why being in a SM bubble is helpful); attempts to police what Rowling chooses to discuss in a public space.

Most of us would count ourselves fortunate if we ever, over the course of our lifetime, encountered as much constructive kindness and love as Lynch has from her friendship with Rowling. It's quite painful to see Lynch disdain Rowling in this manner.

She disagreed with Rowling, but according to that article was perfectly respectful:

'In a lengthy Twitter post Lynch said she thought Rowling was on “the wrong side of this debate … But that doesn’t mean she has completely lost her humanity”. She struck a conciliatory note, adding: “I can’t forget what a generous and loving person [Rowling] is.”

Today this is the side of her mentor Lynch wants to draw attention to. “The only thing I can say for Jo is that I know her to be a deeply caring, generous, thoughtful person,” she says. “She reached out to me, a sick 11-year-old who she didn’t even know. That’s the person she is and I’m just sad that people are overlooking her nature. [Trans rights] is a conversation we need to continue having — hopefully not on Twitter. I find the whole thing quite painful because I love people on both sides of that argument and I really feel for them.”'

Ain't nothing wrong with respectful disagreement.

So? If she disagrees, she disagrees. I don’t agree with every opinion some of my friend’s have, or even my wife for that matter. You can like, love and respect someone without agreeing with them on every subject.

‘Disagrees’ or ‘please give me a job, I need a new gig, don’t eat me’

'Disagrees' or 'throws under a bus and tells her former employer not to discuss her thoughts on Twitter and tells people to block Rowling on Twitter'? I lean toward the latter.