Hasbro Harry Potter

All we can really do is listen. I saw someone just yesterday asking "how can I tell if a guy is really a feminist or just bullshitting me" and a woman author says "I dunno, drown him and see if he floats? You can't ever know" and that felt like a really good summary of just understanding how the actions of many can create distrust in the few.

Listening to those who have dog in the race is a good call. Like, I sure as hell ain't the final arbiter of the harm Rowling does with her anti-trans work. But if my trans friends say they do not feel safe or trust someone who has their Hogwarts house in their Twitter bio, not because they might be DANGEROUS but because it's a clear indication they just don't fuckin' care? I listen to that.

Gotta leave room for grace though, too. Like I've seen some folks say they won't support a show or movie or book that has a Harry Potter reference in it, and I'd say at this point, an HP comment in a book is like a Star Trek reference - it's something of the time, baked into the culture. I know I've got some joke in one of my books about someone mistaking a Dr. Who scarf for a Giffyndor scarf and I'm not interested in going back to change history because I don't want it there anymore, and I mean, there's 20,000 or whatever print copies out there in the world, can't recall them like the FDA. We're all learning and man, some new person outs themselves as horrible every day. We'd be revising history every ten minutes if we did that.

Although I think HP is in a really unique place - the creator is very vocal about her hate, the IP is in an attempted revival, her fans grew up with her but are still young enough to give a shit about the world, and it's a singular series rather than a sweeping intellectual property so it's easier to just nope out of. It's uniquely situated for pushback in a way Marvel, DC, Star Wars, etc. are not.
 
I'm not white, so I have a different stance.

Since I'm non white I've had people freely talking about how white people are all trash and there's no reason to waste piss putting you out because someone else set you on fire and inviting me into their scenes.

I can't get with that. I'm not willing to write off entire demographics as a default setting, and I've been on multiple racist ends from white morons because they can't figure out what I even am.

I understand the systems and I understand the mindset, but I would rather not exist than resign myself to a universal mindset as you describe. I trust most people. Within reason. I'm also capable of defending myself, and my body confers many privileges. In that case, I'll protect and defend others, but I cannot function with that mindset.

Especially when I've been welcomed and educated and mentored by others with the same systemic traumas and valid grievances in many of these circles.

My understanding of many of these... I don't even know what to call them. You know like... My feminism as example comes from a specific time and place from specific people, and to quote Kathleen Hanna, there's more feminism than there's types of women. I've never had consistent opinions from multiple people. As example.

I would also quote Kathleen Hanna edit sexism does as much damage to men as it does women, with gender roles and societal expectations and gendered destiny etc. Sorry, I kind of ADHD derailed my train.

That said: I understand what you say and where you come from entirely, and don't contest it.

We can discuss it more one on one or elsewhere if you like. Like to be clear, I don't think we're debating. I am open to new points.
 
altcunningham said:
That said: I understand what you say and where you come from entirely, and don't contest it
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Oh absolutely same-same.

Context and positioning are everything.

Frankly I agree with you all the way: I just recognize that I, specifically, am not the one to convey that message and that I need to have maximum cultural humility when assessing my own place in all this.
 
altcunningham said:
I can't get with that. I'm not willing to write off entire demographics as a default setting
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I think it's important to draw a hard line between a lack of trust and actual hate.

Someone that decides they HATE all white people is being a bigot. Whether they want to admit it or not. Whether they see it that way or not. They are being a bad person.
Someone that decides they don't TRUST white people until it's proven that they should? That is just baseline prudence given the state of the world.
 
Ru1977 said:
I wish less people trusted me. I don't know if it's my face or my energy or what but numerous people will spill their guts to me after barely knowing me as if I asked to know.
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Oh man, I've got one of those faces too. I worked night desk on a dorm for a while and the things some of those kids told me...
 
PantherCult said:
Having trouble imagining jewish kid Stanley Lieber being a nazi, somehow.
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You say that, but my boyfriend's sister, who was born and raised and is still an observant Jew, is about as staunchly MAGA as you can get without kissing a photo of Trump every night before bed. As are a lot of Orthodox Jews here in NY. But that's a whole other can of worms I don't wanna get into.
Ru1977 said:
I wish less people trusted me. I don't know if it's my face or my energy or what but numerous people will spill their guts to me after barely knowing me as if I asked to know.
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Saaaame. Ultimately, it just depends on my mood as to whether or not I want to deal with people. I do genuinely enjoy feeling like I've helped people or made a difference, but sometimes (most of the time anymore), I just want people to leave me alone. Maybe it's that customer service training- putting on a good, happy face while inside thinking the most horrendous thoughts imaginable.


Anyway. Like others said- it's near impossible in this day and age to buy much of anything without supporting someone awful. It all comes down to intent; if I know you're a good person with a kind heart, I ain't gonna give you shit about a little Harry Potter stuff, especially if it was bought way back when. While JK may be the primary beneficiary of a lot of it, I also realize you're also supporting others, many of whom do some marvelous work for the right side of history. Daniel Radcliffe is a hella staunch ally, so I'd rest at least a little easier knowing that he benefitted from a purchase I made as well. I'm not gonna shop at the Harry Potter store here in NY, but if someone I genuinely care for genuinely wants something HP related and can't live without it, I'll humor them (I'll just try and buy it secondhand first).
 
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