#like fk jkr

[l-alan-l]

More then a week into 2023 and the first unexpected thing that happens to me is getting back into the Harry Potter fandom.

[uefb]

A Love Letter to Newt Scamander’s Autism™ and a Plea to Those Continually Gloating About the ‘Failure’ of the FB Franchise

(this is stream-of-consciousness really, forgive me)

Look. I…dislike…JKR as much as the next politically active gender/queer who was raised on Harry Potter and subsequently spent their 20s raging against the binary and tearing down the system.

But look—

I’m also autistic.

So I can’t pretend to be able to celebrate the potential crash of the first fantasy franchise/series (well, any franchise, really!) to star an empathetic, autistic hero just because I hate her.

The lady has enough money to pave Europe, enough money to buy anyone’s votes—hell, enough money to probably repurchase the entire bloody (pun intended) British empire—

And she frankly has enough money to attempt to destroy trans folks and trans women’s lives whether or not FB continues.

FB is not the root of the problem.

JKR and the increasingly inflammatory political and economic and social moments we keep hurtling through are the problem.

So when I think back on that lonely, autodidactic, quiet, gender nonconforming, gentle, awkward, morally driven (and sometimes-accidentally-in-trouble) eleven-year-old version of me—

That little nerd who clung to the safety of Hermione (as close to a relatable fictional character as I would ever find for decades) like a life raft in the godforsaken sea of adolescence—

Well.

When I think how much Newt Scamander would have meant to that little dork then,

And how much he must mean to so many kids now (let alone adults)…?

I just can’t find it in my heart to purely wish ill on every single one of JKR’s endeavors. Or to celebrate JKR’s failure specifically regarding Fantastic Beasts.

(So maybe Cursed Child can die in a fire, and —yes — JKR’s isms and antisemitisms and absolute crock can—

Well.

You get the idea.)

And maybe it’s the Hufflepuff in me—masked so often by my more ADHD-forward Gryffindor traits—but I just can’t take joy in an atypical, kind, adult autistic character—an unusual hero, in fact!—being [potentially] cancelled when I know it not only hurts me, but so so many others. It’s not joyous to me that people are losing something dear to them, when it’s not the media itself that’s damning but the woman who dreamed it into existence. (Though so much of the good of FB was built by the producers and artists and actors—it was built out by them like a wood-elf in a well-tended garden. The core of it—the trellis, perhaps—was provided by she-who-must-not-be-named, but all that delicate work in between? the moments of worldbuilding, the nuance of character and culture and blah blah blah? they wove the intricacies of the fabric and fashioned the clothes to hang in her closet.)

But I’ve mixed my metaphors and I digress.

What I mean to say is this:

A franchise like FB being cancelled is nuanced and complicated—especially since WB is gonna milk the Wizarding World for all it’s worth even if they do drop FB. This is a multifaceted issue spanning individual, political, capitalistic, societal, etc etc overlapping and contradictory levels, and we should treat it that way, not the way I’ve seen it circulated in posts—just laughing about how JKR had it coming and skimming over all the rest.

Like yes, duh.

Of course she did.

Those of us who grew up on HP rejected her for the very same reasons we loved HP in the first place.

But use your critical thinking skills.

The world is bigger than JKR—art and media have implications and impacts outside of their origin. And, thus, implications for supporting or enjoying something exist on multiple levels that must sometimes be carefully measured and interrogated, even if individually or factionally we come to our own different—and perhaps opposite—conclusions.

So i’m just proposing: maybe we should reconsider taking joy in Fantastic Beasts failure when FB is about so much more than just JKRs considerable sins —

When so many people have seen in Eddie Redmayne’s Newt Scamander the first character who truly acts like them, moves like them, speaks like them—seems to see the world like them!—for the first time in their lives.

Because yes: JKR’s views and horrific anti-trans and—frankly—anti-anti-anti-everything campaigning are personal, but so is what Newt has come to represent.

Words can’t describe that for me. What he means, from an autistic perspective.

Anyway.

I only request that you place your thinking in the complex context it deserves.

.

.

Also, please don’t viciously @ me. I’m open to nuanced conversation, should I have the word-energy to engage—though I have been teetering on the edge of a shutdown for days—but I’m not open to being torn apart for loving quality autistic representation, and for simply wishing I could have more of that character and that content in the world. To not always have to be the one to push for it. To not always have to be the one to write my own representation, to seek it out, to demand I’m worth space and consideration as a reader and consumer with intersectional identities— 

It’s complicated. 

But I’m tired. 

And potentially losing Newt really isn’t funny to me.

[broomsticks]

today on liveblogging fandom podcasts: @consistentsquash’s meta rec (thanks <3) reminded me i had this one--a rec from @direwolf-summer--sitting in drafts for forever.

(lots of quotes here taken directly from the episode transcript, available at the link above!)

Anonymous writes: “Hi Fansplaining! Thanks for the great podcast. I’ve been wondering about the recent rise of anti-fandom (not anti fandom) takes. In particular the ones that come from ‘inside the house.’ For example, someone who writes fic for a Disney property will say writing fic for that property is capitalist (derogatory) because it advertises for the original property. ... Is there something to say here about fandom and consumer identity, or is this just a new flavor of self-deprecation? … This way of thinking about it is quite different from the ‘fanfic is punk because it’s a gift economy’ message I’m used to, and while I’m not opposed to it, I feel like I am catching on slowly. Is this likely to change how people interact with fic?

some highlights:

the self-protection element of liking problematic media “ironically”. You say “This is corporate trash and I’m trash for the corporation, for you know, furthering this.” HP is definitely one of these; there’s disownership of the original canon and creator on so many levels. makes me wonder about the difference between “canon defiant” fic, anti-jkr and anti-terf fic author notes, DNIs, and ‘ironic’/’satire’ hp crit/hate blogs. definitely worth further thought.

the self-protection element was the most interesting point to me though — how effective is this actually, against external callouts? and what other effects does it have on fans engaging in fandom this way?

•

there is no individual fanfic — or fandom — that is large enough to be equivalent to spending real advertising money! so interesting given that ao3 and fandom in general is quickly breaking containment: atyd in slate! teen vogue! F1 rpf in the cut, football rpf in the athletic! (tysm to @tracingpatternswrites for some of these links!) big fandoms are definitely bigger than some smaller media, but it does tend to scale with the size of the source media so… i’m with them, i don’t imagine this will ever be untrue.

•

the idea that when slash was always reading against the will of the creator, that was more punk, the idea that it’s less punk now that fanfiction cultures now are inherently more …simpatico with the source material, the rights-holders, the creators of the things people are writing fic about -- !! i liked this insight.

… I feel like a lot of this is a reaction to the parts of fan culture that do feel like they just want more, just want more of the corporate stuff, “Give it to me, what’s Marvel gonna do next, who are they gonna cast, are they gonna cast my fave from another giant franchise in this giant franchise?”

this podcast is panfandom and not HP but this was fascinating, especially with the hogwarts legacy discourse in mind. so much to unpack here in re. this “other kinds of fans” concept. if anything what’s most stood out to me is that these divisions are not simple and neat and clean — from jewish people debating whether or not the game is actually antisemitic to trans people finding enjoyment in the game, to how some of the most illuminating jkr- and terf-critical discussions i’ve seen have been in vanilla ‘shippy gen’ canon-compliant circles. how separate are these groups, actually? what is The key defining factor?

•

ELM: And, ah, you know, I think that you would be hard-pressed to deny that the way you acted at Comic-Con was not capitalist. FK: Oh, it was absolutely capitalist, are you kidding? I was, I was, I was, I literally— ELM: [overlapping] Right? No, yeah yeah, you’re not gonna deny it. … I was talking about your enthusiasm about the corporate-presented panels for Star Trek, for example. FK: Oh yeah! ELM: Right? You know, like, I think that there’s no way to be in a space like that where it’s literally being presented by the corporation…you can’t sit there and be like, “Well, the way I engage with this is different, actually,” you know? [laughs] ... Like, there’s no way to deny if you are like, just eager for the next—eager to buy the pants and the jacket, like, there’s no way to spin that. You’re in. Right? You are…

ELM: … in fanfiction fandom, I do think there’s a tension, and I think we’ve talked about this a lot recently, but like, the kind of…the way that certain arguments about the transgressiveness or the punk nature of fanfiction have gotten kind of reified or codified, and that looks kinda weird, when you’re like, super excited about the next Marvel movie or next Star Trek installment or whatever, and you’re like, “My existence as a fan is about like, sticking it to The Man and the gift economy, yeahhh.” FK: Well, yeah, and I think that’s also part of what makes it vulnerable to some of these…like, what I would frankly think shades into purity-culture critiques, right? … Because if you’re already saying “Yeah, I’m committed to all of this stuff, I know that my fandom is a little bit of a trash fire because of X, Y and Z,” then the natural thing to go is to be like, “Well, if you know it, if you know that you’re a trash fire for this, why are you still doing it? You have a choice!” You know? [laughs] You can not do it. And I think that ultimately when you follow that to its logical extreme, which most people are not, but some people are, you get to a place where you almost can’t make art of any kind or engage with culture in any way, because it’s not sufficiently punk, it’s not sufficiently pure, you know, whatever.

super interesting discussion! especially as someone who for various reasons has really very little interest in the more commercial aspects of fandom 🙈

but yes. something i didn’t truly realize until i dipped a toe in some other fandoms that feel much more positively towards its source media and creators/adaptors — and by join i mean not just passively read fic, but actively join discords and participate in discussions and write and rec and comment — is that hp fandom has so much unique baggage. unsure whether it’s size or age or creator-nonsense, but.. yes. i also liked the reference to the no ethical consumption under capitalism thing but also thought it would’ve been important to mention that there is more and less ethical, degrees make a difference, insofar as we are able to tell/ we have knowledge of how the sausage is being made.

•

ELM: … I think that you do see fanfiction fans, or all sorts of kinds of fans, say, like, “God, I feel like I’m giving so much to this show and it’s not giving me anything back.” “You know, I keep opening up my heart and they keep giving me shit, and I’m writing all this fic, it still sucks…” … And the show does not care. They don’t care. … No one is ever gonna validate how much you’re doing for it, and if you’re looking for some kinda validation out of that, or for it to suddenly be good when it’s letting you down, that’s not gonna happen, and so you’ll see people being like, “I can’t do this anymore, I gotta, I can’t keep loving this show that doesn’t love me back, I’m gonna quit,” and it’s like…then quit. You know?

another interesting way of engaging with fandom i hadn’t known about or given much thought to! this, along with the above, … one of my big takeaways is that it’s definitely possible to be too online — fandom is supposed to be fun — good personal callout/reminder!

[k-kizkhalifa]

i’m rereading cursed child, again, for the 100th time probably. idk. and here is what i always think and i just wanna share it with ppl that might understand.

fk jkr. like all the way. dmb bitch.

and fk EVERYTHING you took, and take from Draco. Time and time again. and fk how you treated his family. and fk how his son had to grow up.

and ya know what? harry ain’t that fkn great in your hands. at all.

[hislittleraincloud]

Off, but slightly on topic bc of Munchkin* (I'm deep into writing random Wenovan scenes that are saturated with sex and pet names, sorry not sorry):

Paramount is the distributor (BTW, Ortega's new movie Finestkind is on Paramount+, so...good luck to your convictions 💀). You kids will also want to boycott anything Spyglass Entertainment, the production company, puts out, since they're the motherfuckers who fired Barrera and put out that ridiculous fucking statement. I'm so angry about this, and it's not even a fandom that I've dipped my toes in (yet).

And honestly, the only moneymaker that Spyglass has going for them right now IS the Scream franchise (and maybe Hellraiser, but that's Hulu). They're shooting themselves in the fucking foot, but then again, racist, warmongering colonizers like to do that and then cry about their own victimhood.

Regardless of how hot of a commodity Ortega is right now, I'm betting that she's probably shitting her see-through dress (pick one 😆) and/or is angry right now. If she truly is into all the activism and humanitarian causes like she says, she should really show some solidarity with Barrera and quit Scream 7 (I know that's hard for her, given how she HAD to work when everyone else in her industry wasn't...not sorry that I don't believe in exceptions, even if they are approved, during a major Hollywood strike). She could always use the "I'm too busy with other projects" excuse (which really wouldn't be a lie, girl has a million projects to catch up on thanks to the strike). She doesn't even have to say a peep about 🇵🇸 right now. Just get the fk out of that contract (if it's already signed) before getting muzzled by the psychotic assholes who fired Barrera.

Or, be a bitch and stay on the project, utilizing the popularity privilege you have to stay because Spyglass thinks you'll rake in the 🏦 for them, and let your humanitarian political convictions just dissolve in the hot air within which they were spoken/typed/shared.

Honestly, I will lose whatever respect I was able to muster for her if Barrera goes and she stays.

And I said this elsewhere, but I hope there is cause for action on Barrera's part. I dunno what kind of speech clauses there are in their contracts, but the ones I signed never said I couldn't be politically active (yes, I am on IMDB 🫠✨). If I were Melissa, I'd be on the phone to my lawyer to see if they breached my contract (and then sue the crap out of them for breaching it).

Anyway. I finally get back into the Scream thing after one of my friends urges me to do so, and they fucking pull this shit. Muzzling actresses for speaking the truth. Reeks like Hell of "sit down, shut up, and be pretty". While we still have that bowl-cutted fuck-faced smegmatron asshole on Stranger Things, which I don't want to watch anymore either.

God damn. It's like every single kickass thing I get into, gets SULLIED by the shittiest of shit people. Harry Potter, ruined bc JKR is a transphobe. Stranger Things (which, BTW, was the fucking alternate pop entertainment that I switched over to, in terms of fanning), defiled now thanks to Schnapp. And now Scream.

I swear to the gods, I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop on Wednesday. I wouldn't be surprised if Ortega really wasn't as worldly and tolerant as she has tried to profess (religious indoctrination has declined significantly with Gen Z, yet I watched her during one semi-recent interview yammer on about being a Xtian...look, no one does that these days, not with the white Xtian nationalists trying to raze the country to the ground, and no matter how good a Xtian you think you are, the whole damn religion is toxic, as are all Abrahamic religions...Xtianity being one of the worst if not the worst offender, given its shitty impact on the world as the PRIMARY religious colonizers who destroyed entire civilizations...🇲🇽 being one of them). She speaks a lot of heartfelt tolerance and flirts with LGBTQ+ sensibilities (the queerbaiting by Netflix itself around this was unreal), but when it comes down to giving what the fans want/fan service by exploring a romance with Enid in Wednesday, AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, she'd rather not have any romance whatsoever 🚩But I guess we'll see, won't we....

My cynicism is strong because I'm old and I've seen a lot of shit and disappointment. Nothing really surprises me anymore. Y'all kiddos, find out the precise assholes to target and boycott them/don't buy their shit/don't go see the movies. Is it really that hard to tell ya not to spend money? Money's tight...we can afford to protest with our wallets. (And now I'm sad that I don't get to wear my brand new fuzzy Ghostface slippers I bought to wear for Scream 7. But I got them through TEMU, so I don't think any money went to Spyglass, huahahaha.)

I stand with indigenous people everywhere, anyone who has lost or is in danger of losing their home and peace thanks to colonizers/military aggression, and #IStandWithMelissa

Upcoming Paramount projects to boycott 🥰

Scream 7

Mean girls (2024)

If (2024)

A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)

Bob Marley: One Love (2024)

Transformers (2024)

Smile 2 (2024)

Gladiator 2 (2024)

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)

Mission Impossible

And don't forget to boycott Paramount Plus :)

[sspadfoot]

Your post about the reboot is very on point. That's really why it hardly matters how many times people tag 'fk jkr' etc in posts... we're all here creating content which will ultimately drive engagement with the core series. Expecting to separate the two isn't feasible, and some people (people who are genuinely struggling with this - like you, and I say that with kindness) are in for a confusing ride.

I expect this tv series will divide the marauder fandom, because there's going to be merch and conventions and books and streaming/dvds to buy and a lot of people won't think twice about it. Some will take a performative route (oh I dont support but I did just spend $400 on XYZ). Some will take a stand. And some won't be bothered either way.

But you're right. I dare say the hypocrisy will divide the factions more than jkr ever did.

‼️‼️

[padfootastic]

McGonagall herself called James and Sirius “exceptionally bright,” and during a time when she believed Sirius to be a traitorous mass murderer, James and Sirius were absolutely brilliant. McGonagall would not mindlessly flatter someone, she does tell Neville not to continue with NEWT transfiguration after his OWLs, and also, why would McGonogall falsely flatter a man she believes to be scum of the worst kind? At this time in POA, McGonagall thinks Sirius betrayed his closest friend, spat on the memory of the two people who took him in at 16 and welcomed him in their home, orphaned Harry whose father made him godfather during a war James and Lily were actively fighting in and had become major targets due to the prophecy (meaning the godfather position was something James and Lily knew might actually come into play, they knew it was very possible they’d die and Sirius would have to take care of Harry; they made that decision because they trusted Sirius with their son, the most precious thing in their lives), murdered his other friend who tried to confront him after Sirius sold the Potters out to Voldemort, murdered over 10 innocent Muggles, and had escaped from a previously-inescapable prison to kill Harry and finish the job from 12 years ago; if McGonogall is saying Sirius (and James) were brilliant students, she’s telling the truth.

basically, this. we have, at a time when everyone hated sirius, so much evidence telling us he’s brilliant and exceptional and practically a genius yet there’s so many who just,,,refuse to do that? i don’t get it tbh

[girlhusbandfranzkafka]

Cringe Millennials going to see the secretions of dumblydord wearing hp outfits saying shit like "my childhood was made today!!" taking pics in front of the theater

[egyptienneallure]

the last harry potter movie was released 10 years ago and they are doing a harry potter reunion, im having an existential crisis

[uefb]

Sometimes Newt’s stimming literally makes me tear up, because I have spent my whole life trying to make myself still, have been told to control my body so I can be taken seriously, and yet I still spent years wondering why—even when I copied everyone else as closely as I could, even after I studied acting, even after I on and on and on—I could just never quite fit in…

And half of it’s because of the way I naturally carry myself and how I’m just always at least slightly in motion, even if it’s just down to one hand when I’m at my calmest.

But I’ve always always been made to feel ashamed of that, and then Newt Scamander came barrelling onto the screen in 2016—into a world I’d been using as an escape since 1998—and now I look at him and can see myself, see him being grown and professional and successful, and it reminds me that I’ve somehow managed to approximate that too, stimming and movement and rocking and all.

And it makes me cry.

With relief.

To be seen.

Newt Scamander stimming, as promised

[originalharryies]

Rant because I have to unload myself

You ever miss something so bad that you just want to rewind and go back to the good old days. I miss harry potter so bad. But jkr is being such an ass. And it doesn't bring me joy to think about it. And to think that the new game brings back so much nostalgia it hurts. I want to reread the books but it hurts to do so because of jkr. Like fk you. Fk you so much. This is a piece of my childhood and it keeps getting destroyed by you. I just can't separate jkr and hp now and it's so stupid like I need to separate them. Brain just do it quickly. Dissociate please. I have been ignoring this whole thing from the start to deal with this thing later but really I can't take it anymore. It's time to remove myself out of this space it's getting too intrusive and unsafe. Like it physically hurts too when thinking about it. Fk you jkr. This used to be my safe heaven.