I do not think it healthy to consume content made by hateful people.
First, I question the very premise. That consuming otherwise benign content is somehow “not […] healthy” if the creater is themselves hateful, whether or not that hate is present in their content. A) by what do you mean it is unhealthy? For your mind? Your eternal soul? What? B) If the content does not display any of the specific hatred of their creator, by what means would that hatred effect me at all? Psychically?
Second, let’s assume the premise is true. Tell me then, how would you ever avoid this unhealthy situation in your life? Sure you could avoid the openly hateful creators, but how would you ever know who is secretly hateful? Many a creator of beloved works, has turned out to be an asshole or a bigot. And many of those were only revealed as such after those works became beloved. Surely, many more were also created by hateful people who were not and may never be publically revealed as such. Given you have concluded that the content and monetary support is not all that matters, but also the internal character of the creator, how do you know your health isn’t be constantly compromised by consuming work by people you don’t know are actually hateful in some way.
Third, it seems kind of a moot point anyway in this case. Rowling only started revealing her transphobia in 2019. By that point the entire novel series, the entire film adaptation series, a spin off play and companion book, the first two of three spinoff films, and any number of video games, toys, and other merchandise had all been released and consumed by billions. The vast majority of our generation has consumed a ton Harry Potter media in many forms before her bigotry was on full display. I personally read most of the books over and over as a kid. I gotta tell you, if my health was damaged because she was secretly a hateful bitch at heart, then that damage is done.
I get wanting to take a moral highground, being disgusted by the association, and just wanting to distance yourself from Rowling and leave it behind. I truly get that and think it is entirely justified and valid. But don’t project some sort of damage onto people who don’t do the same, or attribute some sort of complicit immorality to them because they don’t take the same stance as you. That’s where I strongly disagree.
Sure you could avoid the openly hateful creators, but how would you ever know who is secretly hateful?
You don’t know what you don’t know. Nobody should be blamed for liking HP while they were unaware of Rowling’s bigotry and how she funds hate groups.
But once you do know, you now have agency and responsibility. Absentminded consumption of content is not consequence-free, the information landscape you inhabit changes you. Do you ever catch yourself using a word more often after hearing your favorite YouTuber use it? That’s just one small perceptible example of what OP means.
This is why it’s important for articles like this to inform and remind people to be critical viewers, to be skeptical about what they watch, who they follow.
Educating people about the harm bigoted content brings with it is the right thing to do.
But I do not think HP is bigoted content, no matter how bigoted its author is. It certainly has some problematic aspects to it, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t think that it ultimately champions, supports, or frames in a good light any form of bigotry. It, in fact, often does the exact opposite. I think part of what is so jarring about Rowling’s bigotry is that it came out of nowhere for fans of her work. It is entirely unexpected because it is straight up antithetical to much of the messaging in her books. The irony is not lost on me, but I would rather use the anti-bigotry messaging in HP to inform my life and use it against the creator herself than to feel guilt or disgust over enjoying those stories, just because she is a cunt.
These stories that have been a part of my life since the time my first grade teacher read the first book to us until I drove myself to the midnight release of the 7th book 10 years later and even beyond that. The first book series that I ever willingly picked up and read myself after hating reading because of my ADD, that showed me I could actually love reading if I found the right story and stuck with it, even if I read slow. These stories will always hold a special place in my heart, and no one judging me on the internet nor that hateful bitch of an author will change that. I make no apologies for it.
Did you even read my comment? Like the very next sentence? I said that there is defintely problematic stuff. Very specifically I was alluding to the goblins, as well as house elves.
Ok, so, I have a few problems with this take.
First, I question the very premise. That consuming otherwise benign content is somehow “not […] healthy” if the creater is themselves hateful, whether or not that hate is present in their content. A) by what do you mean it is unhealthy? For your mind? Your eternal soul? What? B) If the content does not display any of the specific hatred of their creator, by what means would that hatred effect me at all? Psychically?
Second, let’s assume the premise is true. Tell me then, how would you ever avoid this unhealthy situation in your life? Sure you could avoid the openly hateful creators, but how would you ever know who is secretly hateful? Many a creator of beloved works, has turned out to be an asshole or a bigot. And many of those were only revealed as such after those works became beloved. Surely, many more were also created by hateful people who were not and may never be publically revealed as such. Given you have concluded that the content and monetary support is not all that matters, but also the internal character of the creator, how do you know your health isn’t be constantly compromised by consuming work by people you don’t know are actually hateful in some way.
Third, it seems kind of a moot point anyway in this case. Rowling only started revealing her transphobia in 2019. By that point the entire novel series, the entire film adaptation series, a spin off play and companion book, the first two of three spinoff films, and any number of video games, toys, and other merchandise had all been released and consumed by billions. The vast majority of our generation has consumed a ton Harry Potter media in many forms before her bigotry was on full display. I personally read most of the books over and over as a kid. I gotta tell you, if my health was damaged because she was secretly a hateful bitch at heart, then that damage is done.
I get wanting to take a moral highground, being disgusted by the association, and just wanting to distance yourself from Rowling and leave it behind. I truly get that and think it is entirely justified and valid. But don’t project some sort of damage onto people who don’t do the same, or attribute some sort of complicit immorality to them because they don’t take the same stance as you. That’s where I strongly disagree.
You don’t know what you don’t know. Nobody should be blamed for liking HP while they were unaware of Rowling’s bigotry and how she funds hate groups.
But once you do know, you now have agency and responsibility. Absentminded consumption of content is not consequence-free, the information landscape you inhabit changes you. Do you ever catch yourself using a word more often after hearing your favorite YouTuber use it? That’s just one small perceptible example of what OP means.
This is why it’s important for articles like this to inform and remind people to be critical viewers, to be skeptical about what they watch, who they follow.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1AXQ36kG258
So a better educated / more critical thinking audience is able to consume content from a malicious or hateful creator with better shielding?
I think this entirely misses the point.
The point of bringing critical thinking to bear is to discern the garbage and choose not to consume it.
Educating people about the harm bigoted content brings with it is the right thing to do.
But I do not think HP is bigoted content, no matter how bigoted its author is. It certainly has some problematic aspects to it, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t think that it ultimately champions, supports, or frames in a good light any form of bigotry. It, in fact, often does the exact opposite. I think part of what is so jarring about Rowling’s bigotry is that it came out of nowhere for fans of her work. It is entirely unexpected because it is straight up antithetical to much of the messaging in her books. The irony is not lost on me, but I would rather use the anti-bigotry messaging in HP to inform my life and use it against the creator herself than to feel guilt or disgust over enjoying those stories, just because she is a cunt.
These stories that have been a part of my life since the time my first grade teacher read the first book to us until I drove myself to the midnight release of the 7th book 10 years later and even beyond that. The first book series that I ever willingly picked up and read myself after hating reading because of my ADD, that showed me I could actually love reading if I found the right story and stuck with it, even if I read slow. These stories will always hold a special place in my heart, and no one judging me on the internet nor that hateful bitch of an author will change that. I make no apologies for it.
you don’t, uh, find anything problematic with the goblin-like depiction of their bankers?
wow.
well you do you bud, there’s no informing some folks no matter how obvious it is I guess.
Did you even read my comment? Like the very next sentence? I said that there is defintely problematic stuff. Very specifically I was alluding to the goblins, as well as house elves.
You said there was problematic stuff and it didn’t bother you enough to quit the garbage. Says so much about YOU.
“1 percent of the series is problematic, so you are morally required to throw away the whole thing.” Cool opinion.