ishtar79: (Default)
ishtar79 ([personal profile] ishtar79) wrote2007-10-20 02:08 pm
Entry tags:

OMG

Regarding JKR outing Dumbledore

Honestly, I did a double take and wondered if I was still dreaming when I read that.

Yes, I still believe that Important Character Information should be included in the books as opposed to divulged in interviews. Yes, I admit my second reaction (after picking my jaw off the floor) was “…but like the manipulative bit, we sort of knew that already’. Yes, an even better reaction to a major gay character in a children’s book would be a gay character in a happy or at least requited’ relationship in a children’s book. *In the actual text*, even.

But I’m leaving aside all those quibbles because even if a portion of the millions of children who read this book worldwide hear of this, if it makes it makes them think about the fact that one of their favourite figures in the book is a gay man, if this makes it more ok to be gay or more accepting of gay people….well. This is HUGE.

And man oh man, the HP book-burning Christian Right is gonna be PISSED.

[identity profile] slinkhard.livejournal.com 2007-10-20 11:50 am (UTC)(link)
Any children getting their moral messages from HP are already irredeemably lost.

Ugh, she's so embarrassing. Give me credit for my PC attitude and worship me, fandom!' (that stupid-ass faux-naive 'Oh, really, you find that interesting? I know about fanfiction!' crap made me wince) 'even though I don't have the balls to include this in the book in case the book-burners I keep proclaiming I'm not bothered by boycott me and I only make £28590395943005 this year instead of £28590395943006!'
If it was a straight couple, something as huge as one person being in love with the other (UNREQUITED, THOUGH - one gay person is enough for any world, less actual sex occurs. In love is one thing, sodomy is quite another!) who then, like, turns into Hitler and who has a life-or-death battle with the first might actually be something that should be included in, you know, the book.
(In comparison, Snape's Luff for Lily is now his entire personality.)

[identity profile] ishtar79.livejournal.com 2007-10-20 12:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, I'm not denying for a second that the motivation AND timing of this revelation is suspect, and that she could have done SO much more.

But I do think that a character of the biggest children's series currently being acknowledged as gay, even outside the text, is a big deal. Also, something to rub in the face of the next idiot who cries "But slash has no place in a chiiiiiiildrun's book!!11!!"

[identity profile] slinkhard.livejournal.com 2007-10-20 12:32 pm (UTC)(link)
"But slash has no place in a chiiiiiiildrun's book!!11!!"

She's pretty much backing up their argument, though. It's not like she gave it a place in the book. She can say that it was always in her mind, but her interviews are meaningless in the long run. (Hell, we've already heard that Ron became an Auror, but also worked at the joke shop; and that Luna either got together with Rolf Scamander or Neville, who may have got together with Luna, but didn't because he married Hannah Abbott.) If she truly had this in mind all along (which I seriously doubt), she had the chance to include it and truly make a stand. Instead, she tries to have her cake and eat it, by trying to get kudos without taking a risk morally, artistically or financially.

[identity profile] ishtar79.livejournal.com 2007-10-20 06:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, her interviews ARE a huge contradictory mess, but let's just put it this way-I saw three separate 'Rowling outs Dumbledore' threads in non-fannish (or remotely HP related) forums I frequent, though somehow there was a suspicious silence on Ron's future career, or Neville's marital status.

[identity profile] go-back-chief.livejournal.com 2007-10-20 10:48 pm (UTC)(link)
She's pretty much backing up their argument, though. It's not like she gave it a place in the book.

Yeah. (But it seems the interviews led you to ship Dudley/Cho? Now I do too, so :DDDD)

[identity profile] slinkhard.livejournal.com 2007-11-05 02:49 pm (UTC)(link)
LOL! *bags ship captainship*
Well, pretending her interviews are actually thought about, apparently Cho marries a Muggle, and Dudley marries and has children, and Dudley's children are close to Harry's even though the cousins aren't themselves, which would seem to imply they got close somewhere other than at their parents homes. Like at Hogwarts!
Plus, I flove Cho and Dudders on their own already, and it'd be awesome to see Ginny sitting through a million Xmases etc with hubby's ex.

[identity profile] elanor-x.livejournal.com 2007-10-20 12:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Totally agree with you. I wrote about this attitude being faux-naive and annoying in my post too, with my assumptions what would happen had she made Dumbledore, Voldemort or Harry gay in the books (different things with each of them). Imho, it would be much worse than making £28590395943005 this year instead of £28590395943006!

[identity profile] artystone.livejournal.com 2007-10-20 05:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Any children getting their moral messages from HP are already irredeemably lost.

Amen, sister.