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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

"JK Rowling is a gold-plated hero': Author Anthony Horowitz blasts cancel culture"

303 replies

ScreamingMeMe · 07/02/2022 16:29

Good to see another successful author speaking out

'JK Rowling is a gold-plated hero': Author Anthony Horowitz blasts cancel culture and says writers are 'under siege' and should 'lead the agenda, not be cowed by it'

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10483263/amp/Anthony-Horowitz-blasts-cancel-culture-says-writers-siege.html

OP posts:
HelenaRavenclaw · 07/02/2022 21:29

His latest reply to a "fan" -- see screenshot. Grin

"JK Rowling is a gold-plated hero': Author Anthony Horowitz blasts cancel culture"
PurgatoryOfPotholes · 07/02/2022 22:20

He signed the letter in support of JK, or wanted to. That was when I got mini-Pots into his books, as a small gesture of support.

twitter.com/AnthonyHorowitz/status/1310274345009385472?t=hQlc8c2d-VEK4NNe3jHrLQ&s=19

ScreamingMeMe · 07/02/2022 22:23

@DryHeave

2 hours ago he said on Twitter: “ She is a hero for her literature and her charity work. That is what I meant.”
To which no doubt he'll get loads of "But she's a transphobe!!!" replies. And as per usual, they will offer no proof of this except blog posts where her tweets and essay will be 'interpreted'. The usual blather about 'dog whistles'. I'm sure he's already prepared for it.
OP posts:
FedUpFemaleRightsAreIgnored · 08/02/2022 02:17

Jk is brilliant and the actors she brought up from nothing are sadly totally unappreciative and disrespectful. they did not need to say anything. JK simply said what 100% of people know but 99.99% of men & women agree with - that would be billions if there was a global poll - that - surprise surprise - we are male or female! its a biological basic fact, not rocket science. and surprise surprise, all living creatures on this planet are male or female (OK maybe rare exceptions like worms? - but humans aren't worms!

FedUpFemaleRightsAreIgnored · 08/02/2022 02:21

PS my trans friends know they are biologically male or female but my lesbian friends are very worried re their being pressures to have you know what with a man who says he is a woman, obviously lesbians prefer women and gays men, so both groups are distancing themselves from Stonewall who started all this over the top ness. Everyone has to right to their own opinions, we are not living in "Orwells 1984" or the film "Equals" (brilliant film) or "Fahrenheit 451"

Ploppingperp06 · 08/02/2022 02:50

I wonder if those commenting here realise that Horowitz’s problem with cancel culture as applied to himself wasn’t that he wanted to talk about trans-activists and couldn’t, but rather that he was pissed off he couldn’t write women the way he wanted without people becoming offended so had started to leave out all physical description of them from his work?

Are people here really against cancel culture or just against people being cancelled for saying what they agree with? Do you support Horowitz right to write women and others however he wants without being cancelled?

TheMarzipanDildo · 08/02/2022 05:23

“Are people here really against cancel culture or just against people being cancelled for saying what they agree with? Do you support Horowitz right to write women and others however he wants without being cancelled?“

I’m just a fan of nuance and not a fan of pitchforks. If I didn’t like Horowitz’s descriptions of women I’d probably stop reading his books. I wouldn’t stage a protest outside his house, report him to the police, send him a rape threat, call him scum, tell him to go die in a fire, tell him to choke on my ladycock, accuse him of literal violence, write 42 articles in a week about what a terrible person he is...

ScreamingMeMe · 08/02/2022 07:08

@Ploppingperp06

I wonder if those commenting here realise that Horowitz’s problem with cancel culture as applied to himself wasn’t that he wanted to talk about trans-activists and couldn’t, but rather that he was pissed off he couldn’t write women the way he wanted without people becoming offended so had started to leave out all physical description of them from his work?

Are people here really against cancel culture or just against people being cancelled for saying what they agree with? Do you support Horowitz right to write women and others however he wants without being cancelled?

Yes we've read the article thanks. And it's Sebastian Faulks who has started to leave descriptions of women out of his books Wink

And what Marzipan said.

OP posts:
PurgatoryOfPotholes · 08/02/2022 07:18

To those who don't read, one author they've never heard of is very much like another.

Ploppingperp06 · 08/02/2022 07:50

@TheMarzipanDildo

All good then. Just so long as the people supporting him in defense of Rowling wouldn’t try to get his books banned or him cancelled if they didn’t like what he wrote.

PurgatoryOfPotholes · 08/02/2022 07:55

If I tried to get male authors banned for misogynyy in their private lives, or weird descriptions of women, I'd never get anything else done.

The whole of literature is infested with weird descriptions of women.

BraveBananaBadge · 08/02/2022 08:05

@HelenaRavenclaw

His latest reply to a "fan" -- see screenshot. Grin
Jesus Christ. Never fear, the no-mark judge, jury and executioner has arrived! And somehow feels qualified to give a man the benefit of the doubt...
2Rebecca · 08/02/2022 08:15

I power of 5 which I read with my son he wrote strong female characters. They weren't giggly girls just there as a love interest. I don't think he's opposing cancel culture just so that he can write a load of sexist nonsense.

TheCurrywurstPrion · 08/02/2022 08:21

Interesting that he is very carefully avoiding commenting on the issue of women’s rights in itself. He indicates that he believes sex and gender are separate and does so in such a way as to suggest he believes gender (identity?) exists. It might be, of course, that he doesn’t really believe that, but is signposting his adherence to “youth should be allowed to drive change”.

I still find it very depressing that such a firm belief in “gender” has been instilled. I want to like what he says about the young getting to choose the future as they are going to have to live with it, but I think that ignores the fact that sometimes lack of experience and perspective means that some very irrational and harmful decisions can be taken if the young are given too much power, too early. In addition, I think there is a silent majority of young people who do not believe in gender ideology, but are not interested in entering the political sphere, unlike those who’ve entered the “gender identity community” who seem to be very driven towards political campaigning on various levels.

That said, hopefully he’s thought it through and will avoid the Stephen King approach.

HoyaSaxa · 08/02/2022 08:24

I really hope he does it crumble.

Manderleyagain · 08/02/2022 09:15

I hope he doesn't crumble too. But I do think it should be possible to praise or defend jkr, & her right to give her opinion, without having to declare a position on gender identity policies & women's rights etc. I wish it was still allowed to stand up for the right to discuss & write on principle, initself.

Mums whose kids have read them, would the Alex ryder books be good for an 11 year old, or are they for older kids?

ScreamingMeMe · 08/02/2022 10:14

But I do think it should be possible to praise or defend jkr, & her right to give her opinion, without having to declare a position on gender identity policies & women's rights etc. I wish it was still allowed to stand up for the right to discuss & write on principle, initself.

Agreed. Unfortunately it doesn't normally work this way with the online pitchfork mob, huh?

OP posts:
HoyaSaxa · 08/02/2022 11:07

‘“Manderleyagain

I hope he doesn't crumble too. But I do think it should be possible to praise or defend jkr, & her right to give her opinion, without having to declare a position on gender identity policies & women's rights etc. I wish it was still allowed to stand up for the right to discuss & write on principle, initself.”

Good point. I agree with this.

I hate the fact that certain people have lost the ability to recognise that you can agree with someone on one thing and disagree on another.

This is when you descend into a purity cycle.

TheCurrywurstPrion · 08/02/2022 14:49

Agreed. Unfortunately it doesn't normally work this way with the online pitchfork mob, huh?

I did think it was interesting that despite not openly declaring a side, there was still some criticism aimed at him, and the suggestion was made that if he could support Joanne Rowling, it was probably because he hadn’t read enough of what she’d said, or hadn’t understood. They’re so patronizing as well as extreme.

Helleofabore · 08/02/2022 15:16

@TheMarzipanDildo

“Are people here really against cancel culture or just against people being cancelled for saying what they agree with? Do you support Horowitz right to write women and others however he wants without being cancelled?“

I’m just a fan of nuance and not a fan of pitchforks. If I didn’t like Horowitz’s descriptions of women I’d probably stop reading his books. I wouldn’t stage a protest outside his house, report him to the police, send him a rape threat, call him scum, tell him to go die in a fire, tell him to choke on my ladycock, accuse him of literal violence, write 42 articles in a week about what a terrible person he is...

This cannot be said enough.

I am not surprised at the hypocrisy of some posters arriving to tell us that they are fans of 'nuance' yet choose to apply what seems like shaming tactics to regular posters on this board.

Don't worry, we get the woke scold admonishing posts like that very regularly. The scold's bridle has ceased to fit these days.

PurgatoryOfPotholes · 08/02/2022 15:26

Manderleyagain

They're placed in Waterstones' 8-12 section, and that's the age-range Mini-Pots was in at the time.

I haven't read them myself, because I have my own towering to-read pile but the child loves them!

Ploppingperp06 · 08/02/2022 15:57

@Helleofabore

Oh that wasn’t any kind of woke scolding - I don’t want Rowling cancelled for her view on trans people. And it wasn’t about nuance- because I don’t want Horowitz cancelled if he writes something about women let’s say, oh I don’t know, feminists don’t like. I was just wondering if the same people supporting Rowling on these boards would apply that kind of thinking - or do they call views they agree with that are under threat “free speech” and views they don’t agree with “hate speech” or “bigotry” - and in this way justify cancelling somethings and not others, depending on their beliefs? Because that’s what I see happening.

Nobody in the real world cares about “the scolds bridle” or whatever hyperbole. This is a very niche crusade your on.

Ploppingperp06 · 08/02/2022 15:59

@Helleofabore

The point being that there was no hypocrisy in my post, the hypocrisy is present in others who do as I’ve described.

Theeyeballsinthesky · 08/02/2022 16:00

Not wanting men however the present in womens spaces is not cancelling them

allmywhat · 08/02/2022 16:08

was just wondering if the same people supporting Rowling on these boards would apply that kind of thinking - or do they call views they agree with that are under threat “free speech” and views they don’t agree with “hate speech” or “bigotry” - and in this way justify cancelling somethings and not others, depending on their beliefs? Because that’s what I see happening.

Unmitigated bollocks. Where do you see this happening? You certainly don't see it here.