The Tolkien Society VS The Society of Tolkien
(twitter.com)
Comments (43)
sorted by:
People who are proud of being part of "the official fan club" or "the big fan club" are pathetic. Like dude, you are not any more representative of the community or the original work itself just because you are a self-important Karen.
Like sure, be a fan. Be part of a club. But like... you are still just a person who is a fan of something, you're not Jesus Christ, you don't own the thing.
People like this like to pretend they are somehow big names and a big deal because they attached to someone else's creative work.
This disturbs me about fan culture. How many things have we seen when certain "important in fandom" types bullied others, abused them, scammed, started witchhunts because of petty reasons, etc.? This is the nerd version of the typical movie main cheerleader bitch.
I'm not sure that is their aim. They seem to want to redefine both, not represent them.
The concept of an Official club can only hold water if it's something along the lines of "the original creator is actively here in this group", and even then it's dubious.
Yes, yes and yes.
But now more and more people are conditioned to only like the fan fiction version of things. We have a whole generation of people who live by the fan fiction of Harry Potter. No, not the actual sotry, but theirn "headcanons" and "condings" and such.
Ask these people to describe Hermione or Sirius or whichever character. I bet my ass they will do it based on Tumblr edits and Ao3 tags. Not what the story actually says.
You can't do that if the author is around and will answer your questions in real time. Not even Just Kiddin' Rowling, queen of retcon allows for that.
Good ol' Hermione and her white face sticking out from behind a tree.
They are mere snowflakes taking credit for an avalanche.
I was part of the official Eragon fan club a long time ago. Even entered into the official contest to see the movie premiere whereever it was. Back when both those were huge things at their peak.
That gives me the authority to say that it is both incredibly easy to join "official fan clubs" and that it is totes cringe to not be ashamed of it.
The movie is indefensibly bad, which shows that no amount of money or hype can protect anything. And how lucky Harry Potter fans are with their adaptations.
The first book and first half of the second are decent, if cliche and generic (though you can tell some actual effort was put into worldbuilding). In fact, the Brother's subplot in the second book is one of the best fantasy stores I've read. And the idea of the hero being so overconfident he permanently cripples himself was such a bold choice I can only remember it ever happening once before (Earthsea).
But then the second half of that book happens, he magically turns into a half elf Chad and heals all wounds, and it just goes downhill from there.
I'd still recommend it as a great read for children, as it lacks the antiquated language of most other fantasy classics. But its not a high quality work and probably worthless for anyone above middle school.
Yes, this is the correct application of gatekeeping. Sure the big guys have a right to gatekeep and try to keep the fandom pure (let's ignore that they've already been coopted in this example), but the flip side of that is that people who don't like it can make their own groups with their own rules and then they keep out anyone who they don't like. This is not totally unlike capitalism and the creation of new companies that hire more employees. It ensures competition and demonstrates that nobody "owns" canon. More groups for everyone makes a vibrant community - NOT trying to create a super club that appeals to the least common denominator. NOT saying that you're the main fandom and then trying to squash all competition. The more the merrier - most people would be fine with a "LGBT queer themes in Tolkien fan club" existing as long as they don't have to be a part of it.
I think I'm preaching to the choir here but just wanted to put it to words.
Fanboy culture yeah, same thing we see in console wars or even here when we argue the merits of a particular game. It's fine to disagree but people take it oddly personal when you don't like the same things they like.
I endorse this. Flood the net with alternate Tolkien groups, and sling mud at fake ones. If their arguments hold no water, they'll crumple to dust.
Splitters!
Fuck off! 'The Tolkien Society'. We're The Society of Tolkien! 'The Tolkien Society'. Wankers.
The only people we hate more than the Romans are the Judean People's Front.
Splitters!
Can I join your group?
Only if you really hate the Wokies, and I mean REAAAALLY Hate them!
So, how much do you hate the Wokies?
A lot!
All right, you're in.
No need, they don't pass to be begin with!
Explain plz.
Should I be pleased that someone is trying to Make Aman Great Again, or is this some stupid bullshit in Belerianistan?
Melkor has begun his counter-theme, and is angry that Eru is beginning to raise his second hand.
"Now, if you'll give a second, the skin of Tolkien suit is tearing again and we have to put on some moisturizer before we can make more pronouncements in his name."
If I recall their history correctly, the Tolkien Society actually got their blessing from Tolkien originally, and even got his agreement to be honorary club president in perpetuity. So there could be a legit reason they’d want to ensure recognizability.
The Tolkien Society now:
https://kotakuinaction2.win/p/12j0HlMpBR/list-of-the-official-speech-topi/c/
Ah. Well then, I hope my memory failed me on their origins, cause this makes me sad to see.
Ace Books tried to steal his work, with their own paperback release, and the founders were just fans who discovered this fact after Tolkien told them about it, in responses to their fanmail. Ace got fucking clowned by the mob of angry fans, and ironically helped him in the end, as the official release gained traction. Then one day, a bitch showed up and started pontificating on how evil it was that "Eowyn was told to stay at home, because she was a girl, and girls have cooties and don't belong in war." Also something something orcs are coded black, all because Peter Jackson didn't actually read the goddamn novel.
Tolkien was a devout Catholic. Pretty sure he would approve of anyone opposing degeneracy.
If people are curious why the split is happening, here's the agenda of the Tolkien Society's summer seminar that happened last weekend.
Short version if you don't want to throw up, the papers listed are focused on:
Trans, Disabled, Environmentalist, Feminist, Colonialism, LBGT, "voice of the Other", LBGT, "being a second-generation Indian Tolkien fan, LBGT, Communism, Caste Systems, Fanfiction, LBTQ, Trans
So it's a Judean People's Front situation?
The Fellowship of The Ring.
Middle-Earth Society? Nah too pretentious... Needs something zippy.
The Shire Choir? Friends of Frodo? Ringlords? "Mordor is the Ottoman Empire Deal With It"?
Thorin's Company
Reminds me of the quarreling around the "The Prisoner" appreciation society, Six of One. Fanbois seem to delight in defending infinitesimal plots of virtual turf to the death.
Archive https://archive.is/gbjjm and also have a nitter link: https://nitter.pussthecat.org/theoneringnet/status/1410733805434851330