(no subject)

[a_t_rain]

You know what I've decided is the problem with the Internet in general, and Livejournal in particular? It makes it way too easy for people with bizarre opinions to flock together and reinforce each other's bizarreness, and since nobody calls them on it, they don't realize they're being bizarre. For the benefit of the general public, I have drawn up a helpful guide.

Common Signs that Your Opinions About Harry Potter Might Be Bizarre

1) You believe JKR has insulted not only you, but your entire generation, by failing to include your pet ship or plot element.

2) You are utterly horrified at the values she is teaching the next generation, and believe she is going out of her way to warp the minds of the millions of impressionable young children reading the books.

3) You believe that JKR WAS writing your pet ship or plot element throughout the first five books, even though nobody else could see it, but has decided, for mysterious reasons of her own, to undo everything she's written and contradict the message of the first five books by failing to include this element in the sixth.

4) You have threatened to deface, destroy, or throw up on Book Six if it includes or fails to include a particular element.

5) You have actually carried out this threat.

6) You have ever wished harm on little Mackenzie, for any reason whatsoever.

7) You have written up a long rant about your least favorite character, explaining in exhaustive detail why she is inconsiderate, annoying, mean, self-centered, fangirlish, and generally unpleasant -- and concluded it with "... and also she has no flaws."

8) You are in the habit of ranting in capital letters about the RUDENESS of people who have the temerity to express opinions that are different from yours -- while at the same time flinging personal insults and sending nasty PMs to these people.

9) You complain because the new book "is just like fanfic" -- and in the same breath, argue that fanfic is much much better.

More coming, as I stumble across new examples...

Comments

[maple-clef.livejournal.com]

Ohyes. But - number 6: that's happened? I'm sort of lost for words...

[tunxeh.livejournal.com]

Word. I'm getting especially annoyed at #7 lately but if I'd seen any of #6 it would have gotten me a lot more upset a lot quicker.

[hannahmarder.livejournal.com]

You have ever wished harm on little Mackenzie, for any reason whatsoever.
Oh dear Lord, please tell me that people haven't said that. That is absolutely sick. The sad thing is, I can believe it. It's frightening.

You have written up a long rant about your least favorite character, explaining in exhaustive detail why she is inconsiderate, annoying, mean, self-centered, fangirlish, and generally unpleasant -- and concluded it with "... and also she has no flaws."
Oh yes, I'm so fed up of posting in threads to try and explain that saying Ginny/Tonks/Fleur/Hermione/Luna is perfect but at the same time has no good qualities, and is in fact a Mary Sue (because there's no worse insult than that...) is something of a contradiction. Usually you get a reply saying that the problem is that, although the character is blatantly 'more evil than Bellatrix' (actual description of Ginny from an FAP post), no other character can see it. No. That goes for a lot of readers too...

Anyway, good rant, and it's worrying how many fans it could apply to.

[a-t-rain.livejournal.com]

Well, I haven't actually seen the original comment in question, so I'm hoping it was fabricated or at least embellished ... but yes, if the rumors are correct, it has.

[lazy-neutrino.livejournal.com]

Right, that's it. You have offended my entire generation.

Number 6. What?

Number 7. Ginny, I take it?

A sign that you may be about to be bizarre (at least by the standards of normal people):

You use your Harry Potter books as sources and have more than once wondered if they should be on the 'reference' shelf with the dictionary and the book of quotations, rather than on the 'privileged fiction' shelf.

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

I knew I friended you for a reason. Ah, #3. At least MOST Wolfstar shippers aren't QUITE that bad....

[mafdet.livejournal.com]

Now THAT, is just horrible beyond words. Anyone who wishes harm upon an author's baby because said author sunk their ship needs HELP and needs it now.

[mafdet.livejournal.com]

A Letter To My Fandom:

I am ashamed of you right now. Kthxdie.

No love,

Me.

PS. There's a special burning seat in hell for anyone who has done #6.

[winding_path]

OK, I will confess to having said that Ms. Rowling needed to stop having children (and anything else that smacks of a real life) until the books were done, but I was kidding, and as far as wishing harm on one of them . . . yikes. People need to chill.

[lunar-wolf.livejournal.com]

It makes it way too easy for people with bizarre opinions to flock together and reinforce each other's bizarreness, and since nobody calls them on it, they don't realize they're being bizarre.

Here here!

The internet has spawned the belief of The Otherkin (http://www.otherkin.com/), mostly teenagers and insecure adults who desperately need to believe they're special.

So they convince each other and reassure each other that yes, "You sound like a reincarnated angel to me! Maybe we were both warriors of Lucifer against God!" or that "I feel rage and powerful, I'm a dragon!" and even that "I'm genetically half-elf, half human!"

...And they really take pride in this.

I have no problems with the general theory of Otherkin --if we can have gender identity, why not species identity? *shrugs* I'm equal opportunity. And since I believe in reincarnation, anyone could have an animal soul.

But elves and unicorns and dragons....And they're ALL dragons and elves and other 'special' creatures.

What, being a badger-soul not good enough for you? It was for scores of Native Americans!
[/hijack]

Sorry. But you said it and it made my head go kaplooey.

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

#6 is just *awful*! Please tell me that hasn't actually happened!

I can only imagine people are throwing #7 at Ginny yet again. Le sigh.

I will admit there were a few segments of Book Six that made me think 'Wow, that's just like so-and-so's fic. How very surreal', but that was about it.

[bradamant.livejournal.com]

I've made fun of her name--because the characters' names are so nice, and then she names her own kid something boring and trendy like Mackenzie--but I'm sure the actual child is lovely.

If I were JKR, I'd probably threaten to stop writing until people stop being so stupid.

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

Well, she's Scottish. Mackenzie might be a family or a clan name.

I think I've said that there are some elements that I've seen in certain fanfics, but that's about it.

[bradamant.livejournal.com]

Actually, the fact that she is Scottish is precisely why the people on my snarky onomastics board were so horrified. I am no expert on Scotland, but I don't think using surnames as given names for girls is any more traditional there than it is here.

[winding_path]

I had that thought, too! I've actually read comments from people who say they are from Scotland on the use of Mackenzie as a first name. It's basically "Ummmmm, not so much."

At least she has a nice, traditional middle name to fall back on, if she needs to.

[rhi-silverflame.livejournal.com]

There is just not enough "You, out of my fandom" in the universe to apply to people who fit in the above categories -- especially #6, which is just appalling and reprehensible beyond words.

[dharmavati.livejournal.com]

9) You complain because the new book "is just like fanfic" -- and in the same breath, argue that fanfic is much much better.

This is a stupid argument. If there are a good amount of fics that took place during Harry's sixth year (Draco Dormiens comes to mind) and some authors seemed to have similar events with HBP, how does that make HBP lesser than these fics. JKR is still God of Potterverse canon and, while some may prefer elements of sixth year!fanfiction over the real thing, JKR's version is... well, the real thing. Deal with it.

And about #6, extremely sad and disturbing, but I can imagine it to be true. There are some wacko fans out there.

[sigune.livejournal.com]

When I read the first lines of this entry I held my breath, fully expecting to be proven very, very bizarre; but as usual (I should know by now), I turn out to be very mundane. In view of point 6, especially, that seems a very good thing indeed. The only element I am guilty of is number 9, a little. For fear of being accused of sliminess I shall not elaborate ;-). *cough*RL/NT*cough*

[narcissam.livejournal.com]

It happened. I saw it. Chick wished JKR and Mackenzie had died of childbirth complications.

[crazysexy-cool.livejournal.com]

Hear, hear. I need to post this above my desk.

[jesspallas.livejournal.com]

*stares* That is just...Dear Gods, it's only a book!

I think the authorities should have the right to trace anyone who makes any such sick and vindictive comments about something so essentially trivial and send them into compulsory therapy...

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

Your icon owns my soul.

[jesspallas.livejournal.com]

*reads over the two familiar references* Oh dear, oh dear...

1) Some people take shipping - and certain ships in particular - far too seriously, to the point of scaring me profoundly. And, in what I suspect will be the message of most of this reply - it's when all is said and done, it's just books. They're good books, set in a wonderful world that I enjoy, but I'd never say it would be the end of my world and an insult to all who read them if things didn't go the way I'd like them. Except if she killed Lupin, obviously...(joke!);)

2)Oh, for goodness sake. I say again - just books!

3)Ah, denial. I have seen much near violent denial across the net recently. Again with the scary...

4 & 5)Fine, let them. It's their money that's already in JKR's bank account...;)

6) Words cannot describe how sick this is. Any person who says this needs more than telling off, they need mental help...:/

7) *sigh* On goes the broken record. Just books, just books, just books....

8)Ah, glorious hypocrisy, the weapon of the ridiculous...;)

9) Ah, circular logic. The argument that HBP is fanfic is the one I find most bizarre. It can't be fanfic because it's canon. It's written by JKR and this is her world - she can decide what she likes. I will admit, there are fanfics that I like better than HBP, sad as that sounds. Not that I don't like HBP, but it's not my favourite book in the series and there are very good fics out there. But I like them as fanfic, not as canon, and fics that good are very rare beside the sheer volume of illerate pap that they share the internet with.

*shakes head* Forgive me if I sound curmugeonly, but I'm not very well and a bit grumpy. But when all is said and done - they are just books, intended for fun and entertainment, not for life consuming obsession. And anyone who doesn't get that probably needs to be taken aside and quietly spoken to. ;)

[jesspallas.livejournal.com]

That "two" should say "too". You can tell I'm not on form...;)

[sprite6.livejournal.com]

I've seen #8 a lot on LJ, on all sorts of subjects besides HP. Since people can ban anyone they don't like from commenting in their journals, it's easy for them to live in an echo chamber. And honestly, even "normal" fen can forget how bizarre fandom seems to outsiders, as a non-fandom friend reminded me just this morning. :).