Where do we stand on Harry Potter?

[MGibster]

Quoting myself from a couple posts later:

I guess I can only take that as an endorsement to [SamJacksonVoice], "Keep on being our own bad selves. [/SamJacksonVoice]

 

[CleverNickName]

I just spent the better part of an hour reading this whole thread. It was quite a ride.

The argument you present is why I pushed it back on all of you. Because, in the end, each of you has a decision to make about how you'd like to treat other people. You can make that decision on your own. You should make that decision on your own. Our not explicitly banning it doesn't mean you can dismiss the need to make the decision for yourself.

How do you want to treat your fellow gamers?

For my part? I can't discuss JKR at all here on ENWorld because I'll get (rightly) kicked out in less than a week.

Her stance on trans people is no secret, so I assume that her fans have heard all about it and are fine with it--certainly fine enough to keep giving their time and money to her, anyway. But that makes them sound monstrous, so they write excuses about "art" instead and try to change the subject, and that makes me blow a fuse. I get angry, I start rant-posting, and before I know it I'm swimming in red text and wondering why I can't log in. I think it's best that I just avoid the topic completely.

But before I do, I wanted to share a story with everyone about Harry Potter and what JKR's work means to me.

Years ago, when "The Deathly Hallows" was released, I had pre-ordered a copy from Powell's. So at midnight, I went to that bookstore, picked up my copy, and immediately started reading it on my way home. I was finished with it shortly before dawn, and I had to work in 2 hours. (I regret nothing.)

After finishing the book, I thought about what to do with my copy, especially since it was now sold out. On a whim, I decided I would donate it to the children's ward at the large hilltop hospital that overlooks downtown Portland. I work nearby, it wouldn't be a problem for me to just swing by on my way to work.

I called the hospital from the bus, and asked about how to donate a book. At first the lady I spoke to said "no," but when I mentioned the title of the book she changed her tune. See, the kids in the cancer ward are very sick, some of them have no immune system at all thanks to the ravages of chemotherapy, and they cannot accept visitors or gifts of any kind without extreme caution. And many of these kids were worried that one of their brothers or sisters would spoil the book for them before they finished treatment and could read it for themselves...this was an extremely highly anticipated book for kids, you see.

So the receptionist made an exception, and together we made arrangements. I brought the book in, an orderly collected it, they ran it through the x-ray machine a couple of times to sterilize it, and then they would have a volunteer read it to the children over the intercom into their rooms every night. I went home, and didn't think much more about it.

About a month later, I got a special delivery from the hospital. The orderly gave me a huge thank-you card that the kids in the hospital had all made for me, from an entire folded sheet of posterboard. Dozens of kids had drawn hearts, magic wands, the Deathly Hallows symbol, wizard glasses, and rainbows all over it, and had written little messages to me thanking me for my generosity and inviting me to write back.

It's one of my most treasured possessions. And I will go to my grave absolutely furious with JK Rowing, for tarnishing it.

 

[Undrave]

Hundreds of talented people are involved with making a big triple A game like Hogwarts Legacy; game designers, writers, concept artists, 3d modellers, animators, coders, level designers, and a composer. A lot of blood, sweat and tears go into the development of a game and it can take years. I'd hate for people to start chanting for a boycot of a game I'm working on for several years, just because someone on the team supposedly kicked a puppy.

I've known plenty of people who worked in video games, and it's a soul crushing industry where you work on a lot of naughty word you don't care about. I got friends who worked on the 'Grey's Anatomy' game for Wii. They got paid for it.
Then, when the company no longer got tax credits to remain, everybody got fired in a way that broke contracts or labor regulation (it’s been years I don’t recall all the details) and they tried to get together to go after the company and they got blacklisted at every damn other video game studio in town. I knew like 7 people who worked there, none of them are still in video games now.

They didn’t care how well Grey’s Anatomy for Wii did.

The people who worked on Hogwarts Legacy already got paid and most of them were probably roundly downsized once game development was done, and don’t get a single extra game if the game tanks or not. That part’s all on WB Games and JKR.

Fun fact: that's how most trans people feel too!

It was brought up up-thread about how a whole generation of people grew up adoring H*rry P*tter. And of course they did! You know who especially loved it? Queer kids! By the busload! You think a group of young outcasts who never feel like they fit in weren't drawn to this property like a moth to the flame? We were her biggest fans! We were rooting for her!

It actually really sucks that we can't enjoy this stuff anymore. It really sucks that we can't share the joy and wonder we found in it with our children, or our friends who missed out.

But we didn't get make that choice. It was made for us.

By her.

That really sucks :/ as a related note, you ever read this article

 

[Aberzanzorax]

It's one of my most treasured possessions. And I will go to my grave absolutely furious with JK Rowing, for tarnishing it.

That was a beautiful and heart wrenching story.

I think it gets to the heart of what people are trying to come to grips with in this thread. Your act of kindness and that material at the time made a lot of young people's lives so much brighter. Nothing J.K. does or says can change that.

And at the same time there's plenty of harm she has put out into the world since then, and continues to do so.

I support what you did. I no longer support her politically, financially, or otherwise.

 

[Gradine]

Her stance on trans people is no secret, so I assume that her fans have heard all about it and are fine with it--certainly fine enough to keep giving their time and money to her, anyway. But that makes them sound monstrous, so they write excuses about "art" instead and try to change the subject, and that makes me blow a fuse. I get angry, I start rant-posting, and before I know it I'm swimming in red text and wondering why I can't log in.

 

[Umbran]

A question was asked. I gave my broader personal view on the subject, but explicitly said that I respect that this is a private forum where I am a guest. So I don't know what I did to deserve such a bad-faith interpreted answer with implications that I treat my fellow gamers bad?

You are currently in a context where general behavior is under discussion. Your words echoed many arguments of the past, and fairly standard arguments that restricting discussion is wrongity-wrong, with wrong sauce. So, the general response to those arguments bore repeating, and not particularly aimed at you.

As to your party analogy

It isn't actually mine. It is the analogy the site owner has used many, many times. If you have an issue with it, you may take it up with him.

It's a good thing then that this isn't a party but a forum for discussing role playing games, with pretty clear framing for what is ok to talk about.

Except, of course, this thread exists because it isn't clear.

 

[S'mon]

I think you should allow free speech and not have a party line.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think you should allow free speech and not have a party line.

This isn't a government. It's Morrus' house and he's allowing everyone to hang out in his back yard.

If one of his guests is determined to make the others miserable, and screaming that it's their "right" to do so, what obligation does he have to let said guest stay?

 

[Imaculata]

If the teammate and person getting the bulk of the revenue made sure to put puppy-kicking content on their social media all day, every day, at some point, I hope it'd occur to you that you might have a problem.

But lots of big videogames are made by huge teams, who are not deserving of your ire, and they would very much like for the game they worked on for several years, to be a success. Not because they get any of the profit, but because it is a product made with passion, love and a lot of hard work. So of course you want it to be successful. And also, because they would like to continue making games.

I also don't believe you can solve hate, with more hate.

 

[Imaculata]

I've known plenty of people who worked in video games, and it's a soul crushing industry where you work on a lot of naughty word you don't care about.

Not all game companies are soul crushing. There are quite a lot that are a dream job to work at, where employees are treated well and paid well.