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

[kabal42.livejournal.com]

Here via newsletter :-)

You are definitely right, in one of the comments, that the reaction to this is based a lot on how one reads the article; I f.x. had the feeling that she felt the Trek-fans were more sane than us *S* No way of telling, really, short of asking her.

Anyway, my point in commenting here was something entirely different:
Yes, this may be an article that "could have been a lot worse" (as paraphrased from a lot of people) and yes, we fans are weird to the outside view.
But why do we have to be happy that it isn't worse? Why can't we, like any other group of people, expect to be treated better than this simply because we are weird or odd to the onlooker? I think we do need to value ourselves and our hobby highly enough to expect or even demand a certain amount of respect.
This being said, I hate when people go all high and mighty and holier-than-thou on something - I do not want us to lose the irony inherint in claiming that Harry is better off with Draco than Ginny (which I happily do and laugh about *S*).

I hope what I'm trying to say here is coming through: It's about not short-changing ourselves and accepting being ridiculed just because it could've been worse. It's like saying the school bully is okay because at least he didn't punch your front teeth out...
Yes, this sort of article is a fact of life and letting it run off you is a lot more comfortable than getting upset. (I'm mainly upset on behalf of two friends, one of whom was mentioned by name despite asking not to be. Being ridiculed is no news to me, hey, I have people chuck water at me for how I look *G*)
So I'm not saying it's great to cry bloody murder, but I think it's great to call attention to the fact that this was in many ways a highly unethical article and that better should be expected.

(P.S. And that way of dismissing other people's research was appalling too.)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

But why do we have to be happy that it isn't worse? Why can't we, like any other group of people, expect to be treated better than this simply because we are weird or odd to the onlooker?

And I think it's pretty nifty that some of us are refusing to be appeased with "it could have been worse." Why indeed? Hooray for those who think we deserve to be treated as perfectly normal, and I do mean that.

[kabal42.livejournal.com]

:-) Seems we agree. Thanks for providing ranting-space.
(And that icon is absolutely fantastic!)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I'm glad people are able to come to this journal and speak their minds and they're all so civil about it! :D

(evolutioneve made that icon, isn't it a hoot!)

[kabal42.livejournal.com]

That's definitely a good thing :-) I love that this discussion has been so good so far - it's fandom when it's at its best.

(It's fantastic :-D )