Ather JammoaI debated with myself to even post this, just because I know that its easy especially these days for words to be twisted to fit other people's agendas, no matter how much prefacing you do in an effort to explain yourself. I'm fully aware that some folk might come at me and I'm prepared to defend my stance even though I shouldn't have to, but I've got a lot on my mind so let's go. This came about because of the new Harry Potter HBO Series. here we go with my prefacing. I'm part of the LGBTQIA community. I'm an ally to trans folks. I have trans friends. I don't agree with JKR and her opinions, just like I don't agree with most of the crap happening in the world around me. Here's where people might come at me. I'm going to watch HP when it comes out. I've been reading the audible full cast versions, too. If someone thinks I'm horrible then that's not my problem. Yall,. There is a lot of actual bullshit going on in the world right now. If watching a series you grew up with is what brings you joy? Who the hell are we to say anything about that. If you tell me, Mariah you're supporting the agenda if you give money, in the case of audible or watch, in the case of HBO Max, that's your stance and I'm sorry you feel that way. I'm going to get my joy in any way I can find it, and really you should to, friends and if watching or reading Harry potter again is what you want to do? Go for it. Look, I eat the shit out of Chick-fil-a and I'm aware of the horrible shit they support, but once the money leaves my hands, it's not my money anymore. I just want my damn chicken. Maybe that's not the best way of looking at it, but that's always how I've seen things. I'm only one person. If I decide not to watch Harry Potter or eat my chicken, someone else is ready to fill in the gap. If you feel you have to not watch potter for your own sanity, I support that, too, just please. Please don't make someone feel bad if they decide to. There's enough shit going on right now without more shade being thrown.
Ty@MariahL Ya know? You're right. The money we spend on things (like Chick-Fil-A, or the HP franchise, for instance) goes to so many different people who all take a cut of it. Who even knows how much of it gets all the way back to the people whose opinions are disliked? By the time they get their cut, for all I know it could be a very minuscule portion of the amount paid in the first place. Just look at artists who post their stuff on services like Spotify, etc. They don't make a whole heck of a lot from a single play of their songs. So if one person chooses to boycott whatever it is, you're correct; someone else will step in and take their place.
Rider Pestilence@MariahL Well said. I have pretty similar thoughts on things like this.
@RiderPestilence I'm not against if someone wants to boycott, I support whatever someone does, but if I choose not to then that's my thing and if I'm going to get eaten alive for it, then clearly people don't have anything better to do. Had x's last year who drug me through the dirt, the day when there was that boycott in the states against online services, so UberEats, Amazon, pretty much anything that meant you were spending money on it, so yes, uber, too. I wanted a burger and I got my damn burger and I didn't hear the end of it. Nevermind them, but the disability community at large got ribbed if they couldn't just stop their lives that day. It was unnecessary.
@MariahL I definitely agree. People get way too obsessed and upset over shit that just doesn't matter, considering everything going on. Like, you know, world war 3 and the fact that if we keep up the fucking planet won't be livable in 50 years or so.
@MariahL And yet idiots are all on the socials like "reduce your convenience because someone got upset! Stand up to the companies! As soon as we find a bad thing about someone popular, or who has made something people enjoy, all of a sudden that thing is bad! And you're bad if you participate in any way!" Even though some of us have no bloody choice. This is one of many reasons I don't associate with people in general any more.
@RiderPestilence I look at it like this. Everybody. Literally everyone has opinions. Not all opinions are good, and yeah it sucks to know that an author who wrote a series that was loved by a lot of people is a shitty human being, but this is where artist from art separation comes in. This might sound weird, but it's not Harry's fault his creator is a cunt. He's a fictional character but he and his universe are innocent. I would be devistated if I found out that Peter V. Brett, an author I adore was homophobic or something, but his univers and his art I'd still love and consume. it's not the demon cycle and its spinnoff's characters' faullt, see.
@MariahL Yep. Our thoughts are similar. I went through that thought process when the guitarist for a band I like was caught at the DC riots a few years ago. Artist does not equal art. And yeah the band broke up over it, but I still listen to them. I saw a lot of fans saying they were selling their albums and stuff, deleting them off their playlists. Not me. That saying "All our heroes have feet of clay" has always made sense to me.
@RiderPestilence My thing is right? Why were the full cast audible versions not put under this microscope? Everybody's okay with those, is it because madam Pomfrey's actress is trans? I have thoughts about that, but is that simple fact what protects them? but now the series is slated for a christmas release and now we're freaking out.
@MariahL Because a vast majority of the sighted world doesn't much notice audiobooks. Although I must say, there has actually been some bitching on the Audible subreddit. Not nearly as much as about the TV series, but it seems to me that it's the difference in media types.
@RiderPestilence Mister brett is no homophobe but you get tthe idea I'm sure. Now, there are cases of artist from art that I can't separate. R. Kelly? iww. I can't because what he did is literally talked about in some of his music. P. diddy? same. but. I won't fault anyone if they decide to listen to either of them. Not my cup of tea. but it's your music, do what you want.
@RiderPestilence That's just me, though. for what its worth.
Ryan J. Yoder@MariahL @RiderPestilence
Also a lot of this has to do with what you follow and pay attention to. I'd be willing to bet the vast majority of the US has no idea what a TERF is, let alone that JKR is one.
Also a lot of this has to do with what you follow and pay attention to. I'd be willing to bet the vast majority of the US has no idea what a TERF is, let alone that JKR is one.
@MariahL thank you for saying all of this
@MariahL 100% this
Alex Chapman@MariahL Exactly, people need to stop throwing shit at people just because they watch something or use this platform or this or that, its bad enough the whole world's going to shit, we don't need people making others feel bad because they do something else.
Chloe Hodges@alexchapman @MariahL I was gonna say there’s a thing called separating the art from the artist
@chloehodges @alexchapman Lol I said that. There are some cases at least for me where I can't. R. Kelly? No. He talks about what he does in his music so I can't separate myself. but I won't judge anyone for listening to him. same with P. Diddy. Both put a bad taste in my mouth. That's just me, though. I won't get weird if someone tells me that they like either of them. Whatever, you like what you like, I have other things I need to worry about rather than what music you like or if you're watching harry potter. lol
@MariahL @chloehodges No exactly, we've all got better things in life than getting all mad over other people listening to or watching certain things.
@MariahL I 100% agree with this. If you want to boycott something, absolutely do it, I will not stop you. But please let's stop forcing everyone else to boycott the same stuff we want to boycott. The world is fucked enough as it is. Just let people do the things they want to do and survive how they can. I get that this doesn't help the boycotts but at this point I don't have it in me to care. Just use what you use, watch what you watch, do what you do. I'm being a horrible person blah blah blah, but I see it the same way as you do. Just let people live their own lives.
Andre Louis@MariahL You you dare to watch Harry Potter? How very dare you do this thing.
Sent from my Amazon Fire tablet which is run by a multimillion-dollar bastard that I should be boycotting but Prime ftw, so we don't talk about that...'
Toats unfolloing you because you did this thing I can't stand because because my rights are totally ruined by you doing your thing.
Sent from my Amazon Fire tablet which is run by a multimillion-dollar bastard that I should be boycotting but Prime ftw, so we don't talk about that...'
Toats unfolloing you because you did this thing I can't stand because because my rights are totally ruined by you doing your thing.
The Evil Chocolate Cookie@FreakyFwoof @MariahL We don't talk about Bruno, no, no, no, we don't talk about Bruno! Sorrr, except not, totlly had to!
Katy T@BlinkWithAKink @MariahL Agreed.
André Polykanine@MariahL Finally someone wrote something decent about it. Thanks Mariah! All this leftist "stop this, stop that, don't go there, don't use this, don't read that author, don't mention this person, this one is dead but he once said something bad so let's dance on his grave!" — all this stuff really drives me nuts. I met the love of my whole life thank to Harry Potter, we watched together all the movies from the fourth one onwards in movie theaters, we wept professor Dumbledore, we contemplated professor Snape's murder with mixed feelings, we... I can continue. Yes, I don't agree with JKR in many things either (I even think she betrayed professor Dumbledore and did a Rita Skeeter on his memory), but no one can tell me to stop watching and rewatching, re-reading this story that was and is a huge part of my life!