Page 23 | Well, hello Emma Watson

Maaate · 27/09/2025 11:18

lcakethereforeIam · 27/09/2025 11:12

Well this seems to be going down well in tra land😬

thecritic.co.uk/the-gender-fanatics-are-never-satisfied/

But we crowed and jeered and said some things that were a bit mean, so obviously we're worse!

teawamutu · 27/09/2025 11:30

LaurelBush · 27/09/2025 11:17

OMG. I didn't know this about Watson:

Then there was the 2022 BAFTAs. Emma marched up on stage, grinned, and started her speech with, “I’m here for all the witches,” before mouthing “bar one.” Many of Watson’s admirers took this to be a sly dig at Rowling — because nothing would scream female empowerment like sneering at the woman who gave you your career.

I've just watched the clip. She definitely says "Bar one", with a knowing look. No wonder JKR is having none of her craven attempts to row back a bit!

Acting like a silly, spiteful child when you're in your thirties.

Yeah, you can fuck off with the 'subtly rowing back with wide eyes'.

Grow a pair of fucking ovaries, admit you were a twat and apologise, then a modicum of respect might come your way.

LaurelBush · 27/09/2025 11:34

teawamutu · 27/09/2025 11:30

Acting like a silly, spiteful child when you're in your thirties.

Yeah, you can fuck off with the 'subtly rowing back with wide eyes'.

Grow a pair of fucking ovaries, admit you were a twat and apologise, then a modicum of respect might come your way.

Show quote history

Hilariously, E Watson has managed to do what many others have failed at, which is uniting the TRAs and the TERFs - we all now think she's a craven fool 😆

LaurelBush · 27/09/2025 11:43

JKR responds:

J.K. Rowling

It’s quite extraordinary how many people think a crocodile will be so grateful you’ve fed it red meat for years that it’ll let you stroll away unharmed when you decide you want a break.

👏

https://x.com/jk_rowling/status/1971869015325962314

J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) on X

It’s quite extraordinary how many people think a crocodile will be so grateful you’ve fed it red meat for years that it’ll let you stroll away unharmed when you decide you want a break.

https://x.com/jk_rowling/status/1971869015325962314

lcakethereforeIam · 27/09/2025 11:50

You can't ride two horses with the tra crowd, there's a section that are absolutely vicious. The rest, who might be more measured but can see where that lands you, just stay cravenly silent. JKR must be cast into the outer darkness.

As for myself. Emma Watson claims to love JKR!? Funny way of showing it. If you love someone you should stand up for them. She hasn't, doesn't, so I don't believe her. Saying she respects her, I can believe. People can often respect their opponents. That would still be too far for the tras though.

I do wish the tras lay off her though. I'm no fan of self serving, empty platitudes but, as well as EW getting it in the neck, I bet it unleashes a fresh load of the same but worse for JKR.

Merrymouse · 27/09/2025 11:55

It's notable that EW has never engaged with any of the issues that JKR has raised.

She just wants to throw a clean white table cloth over everything in the hope that nobody notices what is underneath.

SionnachRuadh · 27/09/2025 12:07

Merrymouse · 27/09/2025 11:55

It's notable that EW has never engaged with any of the issues that JKR has raised.

She just wants to throw a clean white table cloth over everything in the hope that nobody notices what is underneath.

I doubt that she's thought about any of these issues.

I don't think she's a horrible person. I just think that she's silly and vacuous and narcissistic and completely out of touch with the real world and prone to go along unthinkingly with whatever cause is fashionable in her circle. These are absolutely standard traits of actors.

I miss the days when actors just did curated interviews when they had a film to promote, and when only a few of them were political and they'd given some thought to their causes. Now they're on Bluesky all frigging day and Mark Ruffalo is opining on who Hungarians should vote for and Mark Ruffalo seems like a nice man but there is no way on earth that he could find Hungary on a map.

Boston365 · 27/09/2025 12:21

Looks like she can no longer ignore that cognitive dissonance….

How embarrassing for her that rather than staying quiet whilst she does some research on the different viewpoints, seemingly without much thought she spectacularly nailed her colours to the mast.

Now Emma is finding it difficult to be honest about this ideology without showing the world what a massive virtue signalling empty headed moron she is.

Really it would just be easier to admit she got some things wrong and apologise, but she doesn’t want to suffer the wrath of the TRA’s like JK has. So she’ll try and appease both side and fool no one, I shan’t feel sorry for her, she’s made her bed.

WandaSiri · 27/09/2025 12:25

I don't think she has changed her mind, I think she is just saying ooh isn't this toxic, why can't we just be mates like we used to be and can you give me a leg up in my writing career. Merrymouse's "clean white tablecloth" metaphor sums it up.

weegielass · 27/09/2025 12:28

edit : got it now

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 27/09/2025 12:32

weegielass · 27/09/2025 12:28

edit : got it now

Edited

In her analogy, the trans activists are the hungry crocodiles and Emma Watson is the person who has been feeding them juicy steaks for years (in the form of support for the trans cause and snide little jibes at JK Rowling) and now for whatever reason she's decided to adopt a more nuanced position and they're ripping her to shreds rather than saying, "Fair enough, so long and thanks for all the steaks."

EmmyFr · 27/09/2025 12:34

I haven't RTFT, but notice how she says "I hope Jo still loves me, and I hope I can keep loving her". As if JKR should still love her (because she's so good), but she has to go the extra charitable Christian mile to maybe forgive JK (because JK's so bad). Even as she's trying to reverse ferret, the entitlement and the virtue confidence are truly astonishing.

Merrymouse · 27/09/2025 12:37

weegielass · 27/09/2025 12:28

edit : got it now

Edited

It’s quite extraordinary how many people think a crocodile will be so grateful you’ve fed it red meat for years that it’ll let you stroll away unharmed when you decide you want a break.

People = Emma Watson
Crocodile = TRAs who are now furious at Emma Watson
red meat = e.g. What Emma Watson said at the 2022 BAFTAs

JKR has had decades of experience with toxic communities.

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 27/09/2025 12:38

EmmyFr · 27/09/2025 12:34

I haven't RTFT, but notice how she says "I hope Jo still loves me, and I hope I can keep loving her". As if JKR should still love her (because she's so good), but she has to go the extra charitable Christian mile to maybe forgive JK (because JK's so bad). Even as she's trying to reverse ferret, the entitlement and the virtue confidence are truly astonishing.

Yeah, why does she think JKR should love her?

All she did was play a character. (Badly, I might add.)

lcakethereforeIam · 27/09/2025 13:12

I'd forgotten her statement from back in the day

“Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are.”

I can see why she needed the writing course. It's probably done her composition a world of good

“I really don’t believe that by having had that experience and holding the love and support and views that I have, mean that I can’t and don’t treasure Jo and the person that I had personal experiences with,” Watson said. “I will never believe that one negates the other and that my experience of that person, I don’t get to keep and cherish. To come back to our earlier thing — I just don’t think these things are either or. I think it’s my deepest wish that I hope people who don’t agree with my opinion will love me, and I hope I can keep loving people who I don’t necessarily share the same opinion with.”

😬

I don't think JKR needs to worry about the competition yet. Judith Butler though!? Definitely need a vinaigrette for that word salad.

ArabellaSaurus · 27/09/2025 16:20

'But here’s the thing, despite Emma happily throwing Rowling under the Knight Bus, we’ve got to protect all the witches from this nonsense. Forgiveness isn’t required. Solidarity is. Because if they can do this to Emma bleedin’ Watson, who spent years licking the boots of the cult, then what chance has anyone else'

Agree with this. From the Critic piece upthread.

Watson's lived a strange, artificial life. It won't be easy relinquishing the adoration of strangers. But it might in the end do her good. She might have a chance to make a healthier one, at last.

JulesJules · 27/09/2025 17:36

Enjoyable column from Giles Coren in todays Times. www.thetimes.com/article/d6ac6e62-eede-4198-80da-9441e98acd52?shareToken=037b04ba043d0fa137d35fe844a724f8

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 27/09/2025 17:54

lcakethereforeIam · 27/09/2025 13:12

I'd forgotten her statement from back in the day

“Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are.”

I can see why she needed the writing course. It's probably done her composition a world of good

“I really don’t believe that by having had that experience and holding the love and support and views that I have, mean that I can’t and don’t treasure Jo and the person that I had personal experiences with,” Watson said. “I will never believe that one negates the other and that my experience of that person, I don’t get to keep and cherish. To come back to our earlier thing — I just don’t think these things are either or. I think it’s my deepest wish that I hope people who don’t agree with my opinion will love me, and I hope I can keep loving people who I don’t necessarily share the same opinion with.”

😬

I don't think JKR needs to worry about the competition yet. Judith Butler though!? Definitely need a vinaigrette for that word salad.

If you put some vinaigrette on that word salad, there's an interesting truth in there.

"It is my deepest wish that ... people ... will love me."

Emma Watson is ultra conformist and desperate to be liked. When the people in her privileged circle reacted with horror to JK Rowling's comments, she immediately jumped on the bandwagon to denounce her, because she couldn't imagine anything worse than being a social pariah among the kind of people whose opinion she cares about. In her world, you can never be too loved or too popular.

Whereas I get the impression that JK Rowling has never been entirely comfortable with the adoration lavished upon her by her millions of fans, and has expressly stated that she doesn't want to be anyone's mother figure, she doesn't want to be put on a pedestal, and she doesn't care about her legacy.

People talking about her trashing her legacy don't seem to realise this. She chose to spoke out knowing full well that it would make her persona non grata with a lot of people, and did it anyway because her legacy isn't what's most important to her.

Two very different mindsets.

ThatCyanCat · 27/09/2025 18:02

LaurelBush · 27/09/2025 11:17

OMG. I didn't know this about Watson:

Then there was the 2022 BAFTAs. Emma marched up on stage, grinned, and started her speech with, “I’m here for all the witches,” before mouthing “bar one.” Many of Watson’s admirers took this to be a sly dig at Rowling — because nothing would scream female empowerment like sneering at the woman who gave you your career.

I've just watched the clip. She definitely says "Bar one", with a knowing look. No wonder JKR is having none of her craven attempts to row back a bit!

Some people claim she said "by the way". Honestly I can't tell, it could be either.

But what is certain is that lots of people on both sides of the issue believe it to be "bar one", meant as a dig at JKR. TRAs and TRA media loved her for it, you can still see the articles now. And Watson never said anything to oppose this or deny it. So whatever happened, she was happy for everyone in the world to believe she publicly cocked a snook at JKR, with a Harry Potter reference just to be extra nasty. She is happy for us all to believe this.

Fuck you, Watson. Your dress sucked too. You looked like a drunk pint of Guinness.

SinnerBoy · 27/09/2025 18:19

Timeforabitofpeace · Yesterday 11:33

I don’t believe most trans people are threatening others with death, any more than you are.

I totally agree. It's only about 48% of them.

BorneBackCeaselesslyIntoThePas · 27/09/2025 18:19

“You looked like a drunk pint of Guinness” credit to ThatCyanCat

😃😃😃😃😃

ThatCyanCat · 27/09/2025 18:36

JKR certainly seems to believe it was a dig at her, given she referenced that speech when she shared Intel Lady's parody video. So even if it wasn't, it might as well have been if Watson is happy for the entire world including JKR herself to think it was.

Americano75 · 27/09/2025 18:51

ThatCyanCat · 27/09/2025 18:02

Some people claim she said "by the way". Honestly I can't tell, it could be either.

But what is certain is that lots of people on both sides of the issue believe it to be "bar one", meant as a dig at JKR. TRAs and TRA media loved her for it, you can still see the articles now. And Watson never said anything to oppose this or deny it. So whatever happened, she was happy for everyone in the world to believe she publicly cocked a snook at JKR, with a Harry Potter reference just to be extra nasty. She is happy for us all to believe this.

Fuck you, Watson. Your dress sucked too. You looked like a drunk pint of Guinness.

Show quote history

She looked terrible, maybe her stylist was a TERF?

Also, she seemed quite...agitated too. Very odd.

BernardBlacksMolluscs · 27/09/2025 19:25

I rewatched The Ink Black Heart yesterday and today. Mostly because someone upthread mentioned Tom Burke and I felt like taking another look at him. He is fun to look at.

But that one really is JKR's statement on all the people who tried to take Harry Potter away from her I think. The ones who said 'it belongs to the fans more than to her'.

Well fuck you, no it doesn't. You didn't have the creativity or the capacity for the sheer hard work and patience required to build something like that. So it doesn't belong to you. It belongs to the woman who created it.

That's what I think that story is about, anyway.

SnoopyPajamas · 28/09/2025 10:29

CohensDiamondTeeth · 25/09/2025 23:25

And last night they aired an episode featuring an ambiguously gendered ten year old. The point was apparently supposed to be that it was no big deal whether this child was male or female, and the other kids were rude for wanting to know. They should all be happy to embrace this new classmate as an unknown, non-binary entity, who will presumably go by they / them forever.

This is inaccurate. Spoiler warning! For anyone who hasn't watched it yet.

The androgynous child was visiting the school to talk about a scouts type organisation called Webelos. During the 30 seconds total of screen time where this Webelo kid was talking to the class, Cartmen and the rest whispered a little (twice) about whether the Webelo kid was a boy or girl. The Webelo kid doesn't appear in the episode again.

Next scene the boys are in the playground discussing how sure they are the Webelo kid is a boy or girl which leads into the introduction of prediction market app betting.

The focus of the episode was split between taking the piss out of Trump with the storyline about his and Satan's pregnancy, and the storyline Cartman trying to manipulate the kids at school so he could make money on the prediction market app. His plan was to get Sheila Broflovski riled up, causing everyone else to bet using the app that she would bomb a Palestinian hospital, while he put a "safe" bet on that she wouldn't. She gets so angry with everyone asking what she intends to do about the situation in Gaza that she goes to Israel, causing Cartman to momentarily panic, but Sheila just wants to give Netanyahu a piece of her mind so it ends on Sheila giving an angry lecture.

There was nothing pandering to trans ideology in the episode.

It's not as funny as it used to be, but I thought it was still an enjoyable episode. I think it must be hard to do comedy like this these days when everything in real life is already so absurd.

Show quote history

Missed this a few days ago, sorry! But I have to disagree.

Look at all that again. And ask yourself: what was the purpose of this character? How were they treated on the show? What point was being made with the inclusion of this scene?

Because I'd say the character was introduced in a neutral to sympathetic way. The message being "this is just who they are". The child isn't unhappy or confused, it's everyone else who has the problem! As for the betting app, as you point out, it's portrayed in-show as a negative thing. The kids use it to fixate on ridiculous things and ruin people's lives.

I find it really hard to believe the message Matt and Trey were trying to convey with this one wasn't: "Non-binary kids are heckin valid and just want to live their lives! Their gender doesn't matter to anyone and wondering about it or trying to find it out is an invasive, childish thing to do!"

The message seems to be that the child in question is happy as they are and the kids (and by extension, the audience) don't need to know if their classmate is a boy or a girl. Matt and Trey never answer the question, and seem to withhold the answer as a kind of gotcha to the audience. The kids don't mock this new peer, as they once would have. And the show doesn't comment on the reasoning behind the character's strange decision to go through life hiding such a basic fact. We aren't shown any parents driving their behaviour, or given any other indication of what's going on here. Let alone a critique of the phenomenon.

My feeling is that South Park has sold out on this one. I agree they didn't go all in, but there was a distinct whiff of "protect trans kids" / "it's no big deal" / "my gender is none of your business" propaganda about this scene. It felt off.