10-20-2007, 02:05 PM
10-20-2007, 02:08 PM
Quote:This makes me laugh even harder than the story does. ^_^
Oh yeah, canon slashfic will fall from the heavens like rain.
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"Reseeestunce ees fiutil. Yoo weeel bee Useemooletud. Borg Borg Borg."
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"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."
10-20-2007, 07:50 PM
What irritates me about this is that it was so gratuitous.
"Yeah, I'm done with the series and made my billions, so now I'll tell you a tidbit I was playing with but never put into the books because it would have killed my sales. Tee hee."--
Christopher Angel, aka JPublic
The Works of Christopher Angel
"Camaraderie, adventure, and steel on steel. The stuff of legend! Right, Boo?"
"Yeah, I'm done with the series and made my billions, so now I'll tell you a tidbit I was playing with but never put into the books because it would have killed my sales. Tee hee."--
Christopher Angel, aka JPublic
The Works of Christopher Angel
"Camaraderie, adventure, and steel on steel. The stuff of legend! Right, Boo?"
Ayiekie
10-21-2007, 02:31 AM
Another way of looking at it is she didn't put it in the books - though apparently hinted at it - because Dumbledore's sexuality was not relevent to his character in the story.
Which could be looked at as pretty progressive.
Which could be looked at as pretty progressive.
10-21-2007, 02:47 AM
I think it was not relevant to the story and thus was not part of the story (hinted at in the last book).
I do not think it was kept hidden to keep sales high; as those who venomously oppose homosexuality have always been strong, vocal, proponents of the Harry Potter books.
I do not think it was kept hidden to keep sales high; as those who venomously oppose homosexuality have always been strong, vocal, proponents of the Harry Potter books.
10-21-2007, 04:44 AM
"Killed sales" in the sense of giving the books the wrong sort of publicity.
And considering the superfluous info that *was* put into the books, I strongly believe this tidbit was specifically left out by the editors to avoid controversy. --
Christopher Angel, aka JPublic
The Works of Christopher Angel
"Camaraderie, adventure, and steel on steel. The stuff of legend! Right, Boo?"
And considering the superfluous info that *was* put into the books, I strongly believe this tidbit was specifically left out by the editors to avoid controversy. --
Christopher Angel, aka JPublic
The Works of Christopher Angel
"Camaraderie, adventure, and steel on steel. The stuff of legend! Right, Boo?"
10-21-2007, 05:42 AM
Quote:Ano... if someone opposed homosexuality but was a proponent of the HP books, wouldn't that make it a reasonable act from a marketing standpoint to not hide something like that, for fear of driving them away?
I do not think it was kept hidden to keep sales high; as those who venomously oppose homosexuality have always been strong, vocal, proponents of the Harry Potter books.
Given how much noise people seem to make about anything having homosexual characters, even if their homosexuality has no relevence to the overall story, I'm not sure I can really blame them either.
-Morgan.
"Fate Testarossa is AFR (Reason: Having dirty thoughts)"
ejheckathorn
10-21-2007, 05:50 AM
I'm pretty sure Rev Dark was being sarcastic.
As in, most of the fundies who would have a problem with Dumbledore being gay would already dislike the books because of the "witchcraft" thing.
(grammar edit)
As in, most of the fundies who would have a problem with Dumbledore being gay would already dislike the books because of the "witchcraft" thing.
(grammar edit)
10-21-2007, 01:29 PM
The reply title we've seem to have adopted amuses me more. Bwahaha.
I agree with Rev, there might simply have been no elegant way to present the information in the books - if that truly was her intent. I mean, not everything an author plans actually makes it to paper. Sometimes it's better to leave things out or unsaid.
However, it's still possible it was kept from the books because it might have affected sales.
It's true that people who'd object to homosexuality would probably also already object to magic and wizardry and such.
But it's also a fact that there's a lot of folks who are fantasy fans themselves, or don't mind purchasing fantasy books for their children... but would be turned off by an overt homosexual character.
Hell, my own family is an example. A good number of 'em are serious Christians. And they're also Harry Potter fans. They're fine with the concept of magic in fiction, because, well, that's fiction. But when you have a homosexual, possibly homoerotic plot going down, that crosses over into the realm of a distinctly moral or societal-commentary message... which is going to bother some people. I know it'd bother a lot of my relatives, who are - otherwise - fans of the series now.
In fact, now that Rowling's come and said this, that's probably enough to make my family look akance at the series. They probably ain't gonna flip out and stop reading the books (or watching the films), but it'd put a dampener on their enjoyment.
Understand, I'm not talking about bigotry here. I personally believe everyone should be accepting of homosexuality - but it's much harder to approve or endorse it. And thus it's going to make a lot of people uncomfortable, reading something with a distinct homosexual overtone.
And before you say, well, then people should get with the times...it's not that simple, is it?
-- Acyl
I agree with Rev, there might simply have been no elegant way to present the information in the books - if that truly was her intent. I mean, not everything an author plans actually makes it to paper. Sometimes it's better to leave things out or unsaid.
However, it's still possible it was kept from the books because it might have affected sales.
It's true that people who'd object to homosexuality would probably also already object to magic and wizardry and such.
But it's also a fact that there's a lot of folks who are fantasy fans themselves, or don't mind purchasing fantasy books for their children... but would be turned off by an overt homosexual character.
Hell, my own family is an example. A good number of 'em are serious Christians. And they're also Harry Potter fans. They're fine with the concept of magic in fiction, because, well, that's fiction. But when you have a homosexual, possibly homoerotic plot going down, that crosses over into the realm of a distinctly moral or societal-commentary message... which is going to bother some people. I know it'd bother a lot of my relatives, who are - otherwise - fans of the series now.
In fact, now that Rowling's come and said this, that's probably enough to make my family look akance at the series. They probably ain't gonna flip out and stop reading the books (or watching the films), but it'd put a dampener on their enjoyment.
Understand, I'm not talking about bigotry here. I personally believe everyone should be accepting of homosexuality - but it's much harder to approve or endorse it. And thus it's going to make a lot of people uncomfortable, reading something with a distinct homosexual overtone.
And before you say, well, then people should get with the times...it's not that simple, is it?
-- Acyl
10-21-2007, 07:08 PM
And as always, Fandom Wank has a concise record of all the outrage: I Love My Dead Gay Headmaster!
Hate fandom. Hate hate hate fandom.---
Mr. Fnord
http://fnord.sandwich.net/
http://www.jihad.net/
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery
FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information
"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"
Hate fandom. Hate hate hate fandom.---
Mr. Fnord
http://fnord.sandwich.net/
http://www.jihad.net/
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery
FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information
"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"
Kokuten
10-21-2007, 08:33 PM
Love fandom - hate wank.
Wank is like the one pin in your hairbrush missing that little rounded plastic tip - you sure don't notice all the others anymore once _he_ shows up!Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979
Wank is like the one pin in your hairbrush missing that little rounded plastic tip - you sure don't notice all the others anymore once _he_ shows up!Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979
10-21-2007, 08:34 PM
Okay, that hurt. My nose is now serving drinks - you have the choice of what I was just drinking, which admittedly is not much of choice at all.
Acyl wrote "Hell, my own family is an example. A good number of 'em are serious Christians. And they're also Harry Potter fans. They're fine with the concept of magic in fiction, because, well, that's fiction."
Thank you;
Shayne
Acyl wrote "Hell, my own family is an example. A good number of 'em are serious Christians. And they're also Harry Potter fans. They're fine with the concept of magic in fiction, because, well, that's fiction."
Thank you;
Shayne
10-22-2007, 02:33 AM
While I sit back and enjoy the firestorm out there, I'm also wondering just how I'm going to break it to Peggy, who hasn't yet heard word one about this.
Not that I expect her to react anything other than "so what?" but still, how do I want to evoke that response? Choices, choices... -- Bob
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One of the primary differences between the Left and the Right is their attitude toward the Future. The Radical wants the Future to have gotten here yesterday. The Reactionary wants the Future quietly shot and the corpse buried where no one can find it.
-- Bob
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Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
Not that I expect her to react anything other than "so what?" but still, how do I want to evoke that response? Choices, choices... -- Bob
---------
One of the primary differences between the Left and the Right is their attitude toward the Future. The Radical wants the Future to have gotten here yesterday. The Reactionary wants the Future quietly shot and the corpse buried where no one can find it.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
10-23-2007, 02:49 PM
Quote:Oh, I'm sure you understand what I meant, but I don't deny there was an intentional undercurrent of intentional tongue-in-cheekness there.
Okay, that hurt. My nose is now serving drinks - you have the choice of what I was just drinking, which admittedly is not much of choice at all.
Acyl wrote "Hell, my own family is an example. A good number of 'em are serious Christians. And they're also Harry Potter fans. They're fine with the concept of magic in fiction, because, well, that's fiction."
As a disclaimer, I do indeed go to church quasi-frequently, but I've also asked a pastor how many communion wafers I need to collect a whole Christ.
Certainly, I am being terribly flippant about a serious subject, but then I'm flippant about every serious subject, and if you can't confront an essential apparent absurdity, then what can you do?
In any case, the comparison of Harry Potter to religion can't be that far off. I mean, look at the fandom out there. It's a freaking cult. Maybe literally, in some cases.
As has already been proven, JK Rowling saying ol'Dumbies rides broomsticks is one freakin' firestorm of controversy within the fandom - much less outside it, in the mass market of people who don't take it nearly so seriously.
And to Bob: well, I imagine you'd need to build up to it somehow. Frame it. I dunno.
EDIT: Oh jeez, with Dumbledore being gay and all the eye twinkling he did when looking at Harry, my mind is like going into VERY BAD PLACES NOW.
-- Acyl
10-23-2007, 06:52 PM
Quote:There was a discussion overnight on the FFML about this, and someone suggested that the core of some of the bigger problems in the Potter books is that Dumbledore has a things for boys who are a little bit bad -- hence how long it took for him to finally take down Grindlewald, letting Riddle become Voldemort, allowing Snape to get away with everything he did, and his amused tolerance of anything Harry did that smacked of rule-breaking... -- Bob
Oh jeez, with Dumbledore being gay and all the eye twinkling he did when looking at Harry, my mind is like going into VERY BAD PLACES NOW.
---------
One of the primary differences between the Left and the Right is their attitude toward the Future. The Radical wants the Future to have gotten here yesterday. The Reactionary wants the Future quietly shot and the corpse buried where no one can find it.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
10-25-2007, 07:49 AM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTIDLxieqcI
Big Gay Al(bus) sings!
--The Twisted One"Growing up means giving up everything that makes you happy"
--Marge Simpson
"If you
wish to converse with me, define your
terms."
--Voltaire
Big Gay Al(bus) sings!
--The Twisted One"Growing up means giving up everything that makes you happy"
--Marge Simpson
"If you
wish to converse with me, define your
terms."
--Voltaire
10-26-2007, 06:24 AM
My only problem with the Dumbledore is gay announcement is that my computer lacks the power and DVD drive necessary to make the slightly tacky parody video clip that is my head.
Year One. Harry stands before the Mirror of Erised while Dumbledore speaks of how men have wasted away while looking upon it. Harry asks the headmaster what he sees in the mirror and Dumbledore provides a voiceover about seeing socks while the shot zooms in on the mirror and the viewer sees a performance by the Chippendale dancers."Anyone can be a winner if their definition of victory is flexible enough." - The DM ofthe Rings XXXV
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"Anyone can be a winner if their definition of victory is flexible enough." - The DM of the Rings XXXV
Year One. Harry stands before the Mirror of Erised while Dumbledore speaks of how men have wasted away while looking upon it. Harry asks the headmaster what he sees in the mirror and Dumbledore provides a voiceover about seeing socks while the shot zooms in on the mirror and the viewer sees a performance by the Chippendale dancers."Anyone can be a winner if their definition of victory is flexible enough." - The DM ofthe Rings XXXV
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"Anyone can be a winner if their definition of victory is flexible enough." - The DM of the Rings XXXV