Finners McSinners

A few suggested calls-to-action:

To the people attacking creators.

Stop. What you’ve done and are doing is harassment. It’s wrong. With multiple ways for you to curate your own fandom experience, particularly on platforms like AO3, which are designed for just that, there’s absolutely no excuse or reason why you shouldn’t just use those tools provided to you to avoid content you don’t care to engage with. On top of that, fiction is not reality. It’s entire point is for the exploration of ideas and different perspectives, and censorship has no place in it.

To the people leaving unsolicited and inappropriate critical feedback.

Stop. Your “feedback” is not welcome or wanted, and it goes against a widespread rule of engagement in fandom spaces. The only scenario when critical feedback is appropriate for creators of fanworks is when it’s asked for, and that’s it. Otherwise, keep it to yourself and/or write your own fic or create your own fanwork. Writers and creators do what they do for the fandom for free; they owe you and us nothing. Least of all listening or entertaining your entitled opinions.

To the other Saurondriel/Haladriel shippers and RoP who are against this despicable nonsense:

Don't get me wrong. I don't think that there aren't some plot points that we could enjoy watching, when it comes to LOTR (like the destruction of the Shire or Glorfindel, can someone pls give me my golden boy 😭). But as far as those books go, I can't think of anything else that is worth telling, including the infamous Bombadil. I mean, they could give us things that were happening behind the scenes? Like the whole Black Riders search for the Ring, or what was Gondor up to till Return of the King, or show us Lorien and Mirkwood during the war.

But from the storytelling point, none of those are important enough to make a remake.

And what can they even give us, that happens after the destruction of the One Ring? Are we going to watch hours of Aragorn rebuilding Gondor? Hunting some wild Orcs? Sam humping Rose? Legolas hanging out with Gimli? Those are fanfiction ideas, really.

Lord of the Rings without Lord of the Rings is like Star Wars without Jedi.

 From one hand they wish to ‘move the franchise forward’ but from the other their source material is only LOTR and Hobbit.

The blog post is by the historian Bret Devereaux, whose specialism is the history of ancient Rome.

I’ve read it. I don’t agree with 95% of it. I think the author is pompous, a bit self-important, and extremely obtuse.

Lord of the Rings is high fantasy. If you want historical accuracy and realism, migrate over to the Game of Thrones fandom. I’m sure you’ll love it there.

the actual message of Tragic Villains is (almost) always “people who are never taught or given any healthy, constructive outlets for their emotions will often find unhealthy, destructive outlets.” it’s that people who are traumatized and never learn how to cope with that trauma can become a danger to themselves and others. the message isn’t “trauma makes you evil!!!!” or “genocide is okay if you’ve been sad before!!!!” it’s “people need compassion and help to recover from trauma instead of becoming increasingly angry and harming themselves and others in the process.”

this site takes an alarmingly behaviorist and punitive approach to everything and it’s literally the most annoying thing. y’all have this concept that “if we just punish people hard enough, if we just scare them enough, if we just make them feel guilty enough.” that people just Do Bad Things Because They Do Bad Things, I Guess, and Because We Didn’t Threaten Them And Shame Them Enough. but humans are an innately social species. at our very core, we need compassion and kindness. we need healthy relationships with other humans.

What you should know is this:

1. I don't hate everything about Ragnarok. But there is plenty about it that is worthy of both concern and critical analysis. See #3.

2. I don't hate Chris Hemsworth. Mostly I am sad for him that he started out having what appeared to be a great rapport with his costar and it somehow devolved into bitterness and jealousy. I am sad for him that whatever fame he has garnered by playing Thor is not enough for him. I imagine that must be very confusing and painful, because it means that no degree of adoration is likely to satisfy him.

3. I don't "hate" Taika Waititi. I have seen and enjoyed his comedic work. But the Thor franchise is not a comedy, nor was it ever meant to be. Imagine your most painful memory or deepest insecurity being turned into a joke. That is how Ragnarok felt to me.

“I can turn back the night sky.”

“Rise and live again. As my fist of vengeance. As my Moon Knight.”