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
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She has some points, of course.
- 29/01/2012 02:25:32 PM
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Quite a few points
- 29/01/2012 02:40:45 PM
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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
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Agreed - reading it, I struggled to find any redeeming qualities
- 30/01/2012 07:32:58 PM
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Agreed, in general. The tremendous bad faith and sophistry turn me off, though.
- 29/01/2012 09:31:04 PM
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Mostly agreed with the article, but thought she undermined herself with her own racism.
- 29/01/2012 02:50:11 PM
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Just read your Twitter convo... nice try, but looks like wasted effort. *NM*
- 29/01/2012 10:37:08 PM
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Well, I'll be honest.
- 29/01/2012 10:34:46 PM
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Let me try to summarize some of her points with the invective filtered out, then.
- 29/01/2012 10:48:24 PM
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Thank you.
- 29/01/2012 11:10:13 PM
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What the hell, might as well go and play devil's advocate, right? 
- 30/01/2012 04:50:30 PM
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- 30/01/2012 04:50:30 PM
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I expected that. 
- 30/01/2012 05:39:59 PM
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- 30/01/2012 05:39:59 PM
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Of course you did. I'm predictable that way.
- 30/01/2012 10:28:10 PM
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Re: Of course you did. I'm predictable that way.
- 31/01/2012 12:39:46 AM
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Re: Of course you did. I'm predictable that way.
- 31/01/2012 08:38:46 PM
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I <3 you, but there are several very key things we are not going to agree on.
- 31/01/2012 10:02:22 PM
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- 31/01/2012 10:02:22 PM
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Hmm?
- 31/01/2012 10:10:22 PM
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Yeah. I got to reading Encyclopedia of Arda just now, and it told me the same thing.
- 31/01/2012 10:35:54 PM
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As a sort of group answer (I've been mostly absent from forums the past two days)
- 31/01/2012 10:45:55 PM
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I don't mind if you tell me I'm out of line here, but
- 31/01/2012 11:55:04 PM
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I'm rarely ever offended
- 01/02/2012 01:54:58 AM
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She was referring specifically to the Twitter "conversation" I had with the blogger.
- 01/02/2012 09:05:28 AM
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Yes.
- 01/02/2012 10:47:22 AM
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It makes me wonder what she thinks is happening in Zimbabwe, for example.
- 01/02/2012 11:13:11 AM
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I've been thinking about that.
- 01/02/2012 11:29:18 AM
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That blog post was mostly good, but the exception is a rather large one.
- 01/02/2012 08:35:57 PM
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What's a neckbeard? And why am I supposed to care? *NM*
- 30/01/2012 01:29:07 AM
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neckbeards are when the person (either intentionally or through misfortunate genetics)...
- 30/01/2012 03:21:09 AM
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acrackedmoon is a racist, sexist bore. And I don't even like Tolkien. *NM*
- 30/01/2012 01:14:17 PM
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