oh my GOD!!!

[mrsronweasley]

This is what happens when Liz travels - she completely misses something that happens online and rants about it way after the fact.

Not that that's going to stop me.

PEOPLE ARE FUCKING STUPID.

So, this article from Alter.net I found very amusing, and, hey, anything linking HP to homosexuality makes me happy. Well, I read that, and then, upon arborealis's urging, the comments on TLC.

And OH MY LORD!!!

Now, I don't like using too many exclamation points. So, you can tell how mad I am. People are fucking STUPID!

No, this guy was not a fundamentalist Christian, he's writing for ALTER.NET! No, he's not saying Harry is gay, you dumbass, he's using a METAPHOR! GOD! Yes, wands are extremely phallic! Yes, Dudley tells him to point that thing someplace else! Yes, Harry moans Cedric's name into his pillow! Yes, Harry 'comes out of the closet' when he finds out he's a wizard! Yes, Remus and Sirius are - oh, right, that wasn't in the article.

In any case - he's just saying that the books celebrate being different, which many fundamentalists have a huge problem with. He's not taking a stand one way or another. He's merely being a literary critic. That's his job, ferchristsake.

And, by the way?

There's nothing wrong with homosexuality! It does not demean the books, it is not a disrespect towards Ms. Rowling's work, it's NORMAL.

I hate people. I don't understand with which part of their bodies they're thinking when they say such crap, but I'm pretty sure it's not with the upper regions of their anatomy.

ARGH!

Sorry. Bigots make me see red. I'm sure you all already knew that, but honestly. GAH!

Anyway...

Nice thought:

Sam Waterston, old though he may be, is one hell of a sexy man. Just look at that ass in that suit. Man. Especially in the older "Law and Order" episodes? Mmmmmm...wow. Wow. And he's just so goddamn cool! He's Jack McCoy! He rules the courtroom!

I'm still reading 'Fire From Heaven' and am loving it more and more with each page. And I am starting to understand Alli's love for Alexander the Great. Wow. He's amazing. And you know what?

QUEER MAKES ME HAPPY!

So, there. Ha.

And yesterday I was in what used to be my favorite bookshop at NYU - Shakespeare & Co. on Broadway and W. 3rd St. - and I saw "At Swim", two copies of it. I fronted one of them, and ten minutes later? It was gone.

Another ha!

And on that note, I shall leave you...

Comments

Now Let Bronski Blow Ya Mind

[croupier.livejournal.com]

Actually, the real question is, why do so many people think the Harry Potter books are good for children? The answer surely has something to do with the sad fact that – to a large degree – children and their interests are not taken all that seriously in our culture...Rowling often displays a fairly sophisticated political sense, yet her views are lost on most parents.
SO. FUCKING. TRUE.
Michael Bronski deserves a thousand blowjobs. And I am about to e-mail him to tell him so (but not in so many words, of course. Because that would be wack assed).

And the Leaky Cauldron Wanky Boards can bite my queer-lovin' ass. Does it physically hurt to be that not cool? I'm just wondering if they have any clue how fucking lame they are.
I believe that tagging sexual preferences and urges onto Harry Potter is something that people should really consider before they decide to act.--Krystal on TLC
Well, I guess she won't be studying English. Um, EVER. And do you think these people EVER connect the fact that they are obsessed with a fantasy world where everything is weird with how restrictive, repressive, and opressive the Christian/Republican/Fascist world they live in is? Do you think they ever think that, maybe, MAYBE, if the world let people have more personal and political liberties, they'd be happier? Oh, no. Because, as the brilliant Louis Sachar pointed out in Wayside School Is Falling Down (a text for all generations, I am sure), you can either be safe or be free, and these loos-wahs would rather be safe. HELLA LAME. Break a few rules, kids! It won't fucking hurt you! LAME!

[newmaryjane.livejournal.com]

Oh my. SO many comments. I can't believe how stupid people can be. A book can be perceived any way the reader chooses. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that article and, in fact, I quite like it.

Bah. They are idiots; you are awesome. It's that simple.

A wee rant in Liz's journal. I'm sure she won't mind...

[airinshaw.livejournal.com]

Oh fer fecks sake. I read about a third of the comments and could go no further. Did these people even read the article? Seriously...they manage to quote it, but putting everything out of context and failing to grasp any of it!

Are the books subversive? Yes, in the sense that they teach to conform just to be "normal" is daft. Can they be used as a gay/racist/etc allegory? Yes, if you are willing to read a lot into things. Does it say the books are gay, that the fundamentalists are right? Hell no! He nods to them in passing because some of what they say has some merit, but only as someone not willing to condemn anyone's belief.

And did anyone else laugh when reading that the Vatican praised HP, but the Christian fundamentalists still hate it? *snort*

Ok. Calmer now. No doubt this poor guy who was just writing an interesting article with quite a few valid ideas but no real opinion expressed, will receive letters/emails from feckwitted people bent on misunderstanding everything he wrote.

And you know that worst thing really? There are people who read these books that are in essence saying it's ok not to be normal, turning round and saying "please don't attach the idea of gayness to these special books....don't taint them with perversion". *shakes head.* That makes me sad.

[alouette.livejournal.com]

Fuck, people are stupid. I could only read about a third of the comments, then the stupidity started to get to me too much. Looks like most of these people can't even read a single article and understand what it says - how the hell did they get through the books? I just kept reading and asking myself: am I the only person who read the article and got the impression that the guy is saying "the books are subversive and question normalcy, and that's why they're good and important, and that's why the fundamentalists from their perspective have a reason to worry about them"? Fortunately, some comments proved I wasn't the only one. But seriously, how can so many people completely misunderstand that article?

And it looks like most people don't have any idea of what metaphors and allegories mean. They wail "but Harry's straight, he had his crush on Cho". The writer of the article wasn't saying Harry is gay and that the magical world = gay. He was saying that there are parallels to homosexuality. It's the same bloody thing as the pureblood prejudice having parallels to racism although Hermione, Lily, Colin Creevey etc. aren't black/Asian/whatever.

I'm also wondering if my high school English teacher did something wrong when he told us what the word "subversive" meant, because I never got the impression it's something that's bad unless you don't want things changed and questioned. Of course, I've always been a weirdo. *shrugs* But honestly.

And people going "Eww, you shouldn't say there's anything homosexual about the Harry Potter books, they're nice and innocent and don't have any perversions like that!" make me sick.

Okay, rant over.

[aclockworkangel.livejournal.com]

I ranted in the comments on TLC, but yeh. Bastards.

And my GAWD! That icon of yours is possibly the most subversive LJ icon I've ever seen! Hee!

Though I miss the 'Bugger for Britain' one.

[julianelupin.livejournal.com]

Pfft. I've had enough. People are stupid.

But anyway, the real reason I've commented is to "take the plunge," so to speak:

What is At Swim?

I've seen you mention it in nearly every post, and you obviously hold it in such high regard. I would go look for a copy of the book myself, but I think it would mean more to me if I had an idea of what it was and what it meant, coming from an enthusiast such as yourself.

Could you possibly explain a little and win another convert? :-)

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

HA!

Woman!

Ok, it's called "At Swim, Two Boys".

Oh, hell, just go here and check it out, but don't get spoiled, ok? And buy it! It's beautiful! You're in the States, right? Word of the wise - get the hardback. The paperback's been edited. Baaah.

I know you will love it. Here's the short version:

1916. Two 16 year old boys. Swimming. Falling in love. The Easter Rising.

Take the plunge. You won't regret it.

[julianelupin.livejournal.com]

Yes, ma'am. ::salutes::

And when I'm done reading, I'll come back to you and gush about it and thank you.