Requires Only That You Hate (one of my favorite blogs to read when I need a different perspective on the social/gender/racial issues found in SF/F fiction) has a thought-provoking article up on the racist and sexist elements in Tolkien's writing that addresses some of the usual defenses of his work. I thought this might be of interest to some here, so the link is below.
Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie
Je suis méchant.
Je suis méchant.
The racist elements in Tolkien's writing
- 29/01/2012 01:31:02 PM
2443 Views
She has some points, of course.
- 29/01/2012 02:25:32 PM
1230 Views
Quite a few points
- 29/01/2012 02:40:45 PM
1325 Views
I don't find the tone blunt; I find it leading, patronizing and often wrong or inferring too much.
- 30/01/2012 01:43:27 AM
1237 Views
Agreed - reading it, I struggled to find any redeeming qualities
- 30/01/2012 07:32:58 PM
1328 Views
Agreed, in general. The tremendous bad faith and sophistry turn me off, though.
- 29/01/2012 09:31:04 PM
1429 Views
Mostly agreed with the article, but thought she undermined herself with her own racism.
- 29/01/2012 02:50:11 PM
1292 Views
Just read your Twitter convo... nice try, but looks like wasted effort. *NM*
- 29/01/2012 10:37:08 PM
556 Views
Well, I'll be honest.
- 29/01/2012 10:34:46 PM
1174 Views
Let me try to summarize some of her points with the invective filtered out, then.
- 29/01/2012 10:48:24 PM
1368 Views
Thank you.
- 29/01/2012 11:10:13 PM
1403 Views
What the hell, might as well go and play devil's advocate, right? 
- 30/01/2012 04:50:30 PM
1302 Views
- 30/01/2012 04:50:30 PM
1302 Views
I expected that. 
- 30/01/2012 05:39:59 PM
1206 Views
- 30/01/2012 05:39:59 PM
1206 Views
Of course you did. I'm predictable that way.
- 30/01/2012 10:28:10 PM
1197 Views
Re: Of course you did. I'm predictable that way.
- 31/01/2012 12:39:46 AM
1088 Views
Re: Of course you did. I'm predictable that way.
- 31/01/2012 08:38:46 PM
1135 Views
I <3 you, but there are several very key things we are not going to agree on.
- 31/01/2012 10:02:22 PM
1553 Views
- 31/01/2012 10:02:22 PM
1553 Views
Hmm?
- 31/01/2012 10:10:22 PM
1119 Views
Yeah. I got to reading Encyclopedia of Arda just now, and it told me the same thing.
- 31/01/2012 10:35:54 PM
1044 Views
As a sort of group answer (I've been mostly absent from forums the past two days)
- 31/01/2012 10:45:55 PM
1386 Views
I don't mind if you tell me I'm out of line here, but
- 31/01/2012 11:55:04 PM
1213 Views
I'm rarely ever offended
- 01/02/2012 01:54:58 AM
1409 Views
She was referring specifically to the Twitter "conversation" I had with the blogger.
- 01/02/2012 09:05:28 AM
1195 Views
Yes.
- 01/02/2012 10:47:22 AM
1324 Views
It makes me wonder what she thinks is happening in Zimbabwe, for example.
- 01/02/2012 11:13:11 AM
1355 Views
I've been thinking about that.
- 01/02/2012 11:29:18 AM
1152 Views
That blog post was mostly good, but the exception is a rather large one.
- 01/02/2012 08:35:57 PM
1073 Views
What's a neckbeard? And why am I supposed to care? *NM*
- 30/01/2012 01:29:07 AM
628 Views
neckbeards are when the person (either intentionally or through misfortunate genetics)...
- 30/01/2012 03:21:09 AM
1126 Views
acrackedmoon is a racist, sexist bore. And I don't even like Tolkien. *NM*
- 30/01/2012 01:14:17 PM
1281 Views