Muggles. Gotta live with 'em.

[amanuensis1]

Whoa, are we all really that upset over that article in The Guardian about Lumos? I didn't find it negative, really; the article's written by someone who is not only NOT a fan but admits she hasn't even read the books or seen the films ("Well...some of them"). She's not a fannish type at all. She's gone into it frankly baffled by the whole concept of fans who sink into their medium so deeply. She is, to belabor the obvious, a classic mundane (which is what we called 'em before Rowling got Muggle into the OED). And she observes, and there's an air of "okay, this remains distant and odd to me," but, gosh, me, I don't expect anything else from mundanes. I thought the piece was presented with a reasonably neutral "not for me, and some of it's definitely strange to me, but, wow, there's a lot of devotion and variety here" air.

Given that the article didn't purport to be a detached record of the event, I think we got lucky that she didn't shriek "weirdoes weirdoes weirdoes!" all through it. Maybe some of you feel she did? Because she doesn't think Snape/Hermione is so much about empowering women as it is titillation? Because she thought some of the discussions/topics were lame or unfounded? Because the idea of HP bestiality got to her? Shoot, I think we got off light. And she does end on this positive note:

It's all amazing. And seeing anybody, let alone 1,200 people enthused with joy about anything is really quite uplifting. And not just anything. Books! It makes my girlish, swotty heart swell with pride.

Maybe that wasn't enough for fan readers. Perhaps a lot of you feel you've had enough of this kind of "not for me, but, whatever floats your boat" editorializing. Maybe in the same way I don't exactly want to see more films like Brokeback Mountain but rather am waiting for the gay James Bond to unapologetically flaunt the queer all over the screen.

Comments

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Goodness, can reporters do that? I mean, of course they can go in anonymously and observe and write about what's told to them, and use quotes, but can they use people's names without their permission? I didn't think that was on. I thought they had to ask permission before they used names.

[son-of-darkness.livejournal.com]

Well, they do have to. But when asked by my friend not to include her real name, she agreed, then went ahead and used it, anyway. My friend has since had to flock her LJ, due to fear of having it discovered by her work colleagues.

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

*nods*

And it wasn't just son_of_darkness's friend (who's also mine)...others here in NY were in the same boat (although luckily only their first names were used...and she made a complete hash of everything they said, so they're less identifiable than they would have been if she'd got things straight.

Plus, of course, as an academic, I was rolling my eyes at the hearty "we're all morons together, aren't we?" anti-intllectualism. She might as well have been going 'neener neener...huh?" at an MLA converence, for all the understanding she demonstrated of critical approaches to texts. I was surprised she called herself "swotty" at the end...to be honest, a swot is the last thing I'd call somebody who seemed so incapable of doing her homework

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

to be honest, a swot is the last thing I'd call somebody who seemed so incapable of doing her homework

Ooh, whatta zing. :D

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

Hey, it's summer vacation, but I can't turn the teacher gene off entirely. :)

Meanwhile, I've been like "Okay, you guys over there think plagiarism is bad, and you guys don't care about plagiarism and you other guys are pissed at some random English reporter, and really...could you all just get back to writing pr0n?"

*g*

[melonaise.livejournal.com]

Indeed! Even porn with Rita Skeeter, if they want some indirect revenge. ;)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

"'Indeed,' said Snape, pausing from where his tongue had licked a wet trail up the underside of Draco's cock. 'Does no one have his priorities in order any longer?'

'Mplagth,' agreed Draco."

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

Heh. :)

[florahart]

Yeah, this is the thing I've seen, as well, and the thing that pisses me off. Some folks could have gotten (or maybe still could get) in a boatload of trouble, and it's just a crappy thing to do, and the really irritating part is, for the folks who that happened to, they really have no recourse, because to complain, they'd have to further identify themselves, you know?

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

God, there's a catch-22, isn't there. That's really a crappy thing to do.