Tired of being attacked!!!(or The Defense of Fantasy)

[Schmendrick]

Ok, I'm not sure how to put this, to make myself understood, but lately I've grown really tired of people, who think that fantasy-literature is only "escapism" and it isn't really "high literature" at all and that I'm certainly only going through a "phase" in my life (and that my interest in Tolkien is some sort of regression), now that I'm suddenly interested in fantasy!!(Phew, what a long sentense [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]...)
I'm constantly "attacked" like this...To make matters worse,I'm over 20 and I study comparative literature and I've ALWAYS been someone very cynical and intellectual, and I guess everyone's now totally shocked, when I'm suddenly interested in this "nonsense"-literature. It SO makes me lose my nerves!!!I'm entitled to like whatever literature I like, and fantasy (especially Tolkien) has totally changed my life (to a positive direction), added a new dimension to my (before so boring) life and i'm really excited about it, but I don't know if I'll be able to defense myself time after time or is it easier to just give up...
I don't know...does anyone have same kind of experiences? Are you treated like "childish" or "nerd", because of your Tolkien-interest?

[HerenIstarion]

well, the best possible solution is to offer those ppl to read the books first and judge afterwords (for, according to my experience, most fierce attackers are usually those who just heard rumours of JJRT. I once was accused of reading satanistic book on the ground "Mr. So and So said". Further inquiry has shown that aforesaid Mister haven't read the book himself. Usually works - only too narrow-minded ones are still against JRRT after reading his books

If they refuse to read but still are torturing you, just don't mind - let them think what they would, you know better [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I've been reading fantasy for all of my life--only thirteen years however; and luckily I've got many friends who also love it and we discuss it a LOT...unfortunately only one person I KNOW enjoys LotR but we don't get to talk often...I've found that people do get a little sick of Tolkien and Lewis and Pullman and a few other geniuses, either because they haven't read the books or they've heard other people spread rumours about them being for "nerds"...etc. However, I've been labelled a "nerd" many times, and I have to take pride in that, because it does signify a lot. I can identify with many literate and knowledgeable people and I can learn from them--rather than learning about the latest clothes or slang or what-have-you. I say that you should continue to read what you want and do what you want to do because it IS good for you, like you've said. I know that I will never give up reading such books as LotR, or The Obernewtyn Chronicles, or His Dark Materials, and I'm constantly looking for new books to read while others talk about they're hair, and other frivolous matters. Okay, I guess I'm really coming out as a nerd now, but TAKE PRIDE NERDS! SOON OUR DAY WILL COME!
Hey, I'm just a normal girl with a passion, and I don't care what the cynics think! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Bill Ferny]

Have to agree with Heren 100%.

I can stomach those who say fantasy is escapism, because it is... and so is very other form of entertainment out there! I usually just grin, because I know that these same people probably spend every evening glued to television sets.

What really fries my bacon is when parents tell their children that fantasy is evil or Satanic. This is especially true of the whole Harry Potter thing. There's no better way to make your kid grow up to be Satanists than to give them the impression that Satanism has some kind of power. For example, my wife's sister tells her kids that Harry Potter is evil, so her kids tell mine that they shouldn't like Harry Potter because Harry will make a bunch of demons possess them. My wife and I, on the other hand, watch all kinds of movies with our kids, including Harry Potter and LotR (my oldest son only, of course). My kids look at her kids like they are crazy, because to them Harry Potter, wizards, and witches, Sauron and Gandalf aren't real, just fun.

Oh well, sorry about that... its a touchy issue for me. Book burners suck!

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

People have different beliefs... and if they are shallow-minded enough to ban anything because they believe (due to "hear-say") that it goes against their political, religious or pious beliefs... then they don't even deserve our attention and criticism. Don't let them get to you. There are tons of us out there who appreciate fantasy for what it is and what it means to us.

On the other spectrum... I don't like sports, but I understand people that do... it's just their thing.

[Elenna]

I have had very similar experiences. A lot of people who have seen me reading fantasy or seen me posting here have told me that fantasy isn't literature.

Now, as somebody who wants to write fantasy professionally, this is kind of annoying. If I tell them that professional football is a waste of time, I get called a pagan or a Philistine (not really - a lot of the people who get mad at me don't have vocabularies that big).

I think fantasy is harder to write and to appreciate than realistic fiction - in realistic, the world already exists. You don't have to suspend your disbelief. However, with fantasy, there aren't any hobbits or elves or dragons. In order to put the reader in the world, you have to be a much more skillful writer.

[Calathanien]

I get called names and stuff at school, cos I'm only 16. People say that its "not healthy" for me to be so interested in a world that doesn't exist. Although I try and fight against them it gets hard sometimes.

What I hate is that a girl who I used to be friends with said to me the other day "You really ruined Lord of the Rings for me". How did I do that?! I talk about it to my friends all the time yes but that doesn't mean that she has to listen in to my conversations. [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Anyway, that was my little rant!!! Sorry!!! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] I just hate when people say stuff like that because I didn't ruin it for her, she ruined it for herself.

[Kithrèna Greenarrow Legolas]

Just say you have a danged right to read whatever you wish.

I get attacked a lot...But who cares? Its just thier stupidity that makes them say such things.

Although, I can admit that being interupted from a good book to listen to some insults either towards Me ot the author can get PRETTY annoying.

[NazgulNumberTen]

everyone has thier own fantasies. theirs may be sick and perveted, but ours have elves.
now which is more restpecable?
having our moral and social values portraied in a timeless manner or thinking about a super-model.

[Neferchoirwen]

Schmendrick, I've been on a lot phases myself, and I do feel the same way as you do, feeling like it's all a regression and all that.

But about people "persecuting" fantasy lit, I used to be on the persecuting side, but only in my own mind. I'd shrug the idea off when my friend talks about fantasy, and I do not listen to him when he talks about fantasy (I must have so mean, that I pretend to be listening to him!)

But the only reason why people oppose something is because they don't know much about it. They just don't have the effort to explore what's out there, or to even think about these things. One of my best friends found out that I was reading Harry Potter and was scandalized, as if I was headed for hell. I can't blame him--he hasn't read HP (and he's not one to read, anyway), and doesn't know the experience.

As for you, the cynic, I'd say to you that you're on your way to further enlightenment. I never thought that I'd stumble into fantasy myself, but I am having fun!

[ September 26, 2002: Message edited by: Neferchoirwen ]

[TolkienGurl]

Those who criticize fantasy literature are afraid of it. They don't understand what its about and do not want to risk their reputations by doing something 'out of the norm,' to be thought of a 'weird' or 'different.' Heck, for me, life without fantasy is not a life worth living! Sometimes a person has to escape this world and travel to a fantasy world to maintain their sanity! That is, of course, if they have sanity in the first place... [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[ September 28, 2002: Message edited by: TolkienGurl ]

[Susan Delgado]

Fear is a possibilty. So is closed-mindedness. Intolerance of anything different stems from a lack of imagination of their part and a fear of being seen as "fey" or different from their peers. They think if their friends see them as doing something so outside of what they see as normal, they'll be abandoned and left with nothing, so they do the opposite. Rather than accept, they persecute.

I was lucky enough to be raised by a bookworm in a community of readers so growing up I was teased for everything but my reading habits, which was nice; it gave me an escape from the drudgery of my life.

[Kithrèna Greenarrow Legolas]

everyone has thier own fantasies. theirs may be sick and perveted, but ours have elves.
now which is more restpecable?
having our moral and social values portraied in a timeless manner or thinking about a super-model.

What he said....

[Isilya]

I think Eruwen's topic on this is good, how her principal banned LOTR, and he hasn't even read it!! I used to hate fantasy, sci fi, etc, but now I enjoy it. People change!! Now, if we can just get the rest of the world to join in...

[Elenna]

It all comes down to ignorance. A lot of people think fantasy is either A)sick and perverted or B)fairy tales. It isn't!!!

Our library also doesn't like fantasy - they pulled LOTR and other such (classic) fantasy books off the shelves because parents complained. Yet we have a lot of romance novels and other such books that are more inappropriate. I guess if nasty stuff happens in "real life" it's considered OK, but if innocent stuff happens in Middle Earth, it's corrupt.

Twisted logic - Sauron runs the school board.

[Evisse the Blue]

I usually feel like Schmendrik feels - hejsan, Schmendrick! - but reading what you wonderful people wrote made me feel better! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] It's nice to know there are ppl like you out there. ::blows kisses to all::

I got just one more thing to say to you, Schmendrick: if you're as cynical as I am you'll appreciate the truth of this line:

Sometimes, the need to mess with their heads overwhelms the 'millstone of humiliation'.

It was Fox Mulder who said it, back when The X Files was still the wonderchild of scifi.

~ The geeks shall inherit the earth ~

[Luinalatawen]

I think a lot of people just don't see the point in reading fantasy, mostly because they don't see it as believable. They can't imagine themselves in the plots. Personally, I can't stand reading modern stuff involving realistic people set in this time period. It's too boring for me. The only genres that I read for pleasure are fantasy and books set in the medieval era. (I'm a little crazy and believe that I had a past life in that time period). My younger sister, who is 14, reads things that are about teenagers, their relationships, blah, blah, blah. She makes fun of me for reading Tolkien and says that it's a big waste of time and that it "turns my mind to mush"!!! It makes me sooooo mad. Why don't they understand????

[ March 10, 2003: Message edited by: Luinalatawen ]

[Arwen_Evenstar]

Hey!
I see where your coming from totally! My brother thinks in a month or so Ill be over lotr, he doesnt realise that it is now a perminant part of my life!!! And when im at school and people see my ring, their like 'Oh my god you're a freak!' At first I didnt mind, but now its just getting annoying, and its beginning to hurt [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] .
I just feel like shouting out: BACK OFF!!!ITS MY LIFE, MY HOBBIES, MY OBSESSIONS, MY EVERYTHING, SO JUST BACK OFF!!!

[MLD-Grounds-Keeper-Willie]

Ok, people who do judge others like this are really not the same. Some may be serious about it, others may not. Sometimes when you make fun of a certain type of people, you do it out of habit, but you're not really meaning to hurt the person's feelings'. But then there are those who actually intend to hurt feelings or those that for some unknown reason just don't like the person or the type of person/group. But whatever the case, just don't let it get to you. If someone is making fun of you and they don't mean to hurt your feelings, then don't get all frustrated over it because they are not serious. And if that person does mean to hurt your feelings, then you still shouldn't get all frustrated over it because that's just what they want you to do. They want you to get mad and frustrated, but if you don't, and you act calm and ignore them, they will get frustrated themselves. THey'll get frustrated and mad themselves because you are not doing what they want you to do and they are trying so hard to make you feel that way, but you're not giving in. It is so easy to counter them. However, if it's really serious and the person is extremely harrassing you, then you should seek help from a parent or teacher, or even a friend.

And when dealing with these people, it's just best to ignore them. What do they know anyways. There's no point in arguing with them; they won't understand. Maybe they will someday, but at that point they don't.

Oh yeah, one more thing, Arwen_Evenstar

I just feel like shouting out: BACK OFF!!!ITS MY LIFE, MY HOBBIES, MY OBSESSIONS, MY EVERYTHING, SO JUST BACK OFF!!!

Take my advice: don't do that. Trust me, if you do that, it won't work. Some girl did something like that way back when I was in grammer school and everyone thought she was crazy. She just snapped and went off on someone. I was there, and I thought that she was a physco who didn't take her pills or something, so did my friends and about 99.9% of the crowd. And I'm sure you know that gossip spreads like wildfire. Well, as it turns out, the guy she yelled at had been harrassing her and making fun of her for a while. He had been pretty cruel to her also. But I didn't know that at the time. She just looked crazy then. And then, she was labelled crazy for a long time after that. More people made fun of her. Anyways, you get the picture. But, it's better just to handle it calmly. That's the best way. You can be bold and strong yourself, but do it in a calm fasion. You don't want to attract attention. And your brother might be able to help out, especially if he's older. But whatever you do, don't explode and make a big scene.

[Chancellen the True]

Don't worry about what others think, worry about what you think. I used to hide aspects of myself when I thought others would disaprove, but I learned to be myself. If it's something you enjoy, weather it's fantasy or something else, embrace it and be happy. When some one is happy about himself, people really pick up on that, not that he's into fantasy. There's nothing wrong with being a geek either. I've lived in NYC all my life and I have yet to see a homeless geek. If you enjoy fantasy, then that's all that matters.

[Lush]

Why should one waste one's energy on the stupid opinions of stupid people is largely beyond me.

[Frodo Baggins]

"Fries my bacon" Bill Ferny? Hahahahaha I am going to have to save that and use it somewhere.

Like most of you, I get real tired of hearing how fantasy is unhealthy, how its satanic, how I need to live in the real world, I could go on for pages. The thing is, I have seen enough of the 'real' world to know that I don't like it and its scary. Especially for a little hobbit like me. (ok I feel more elvish some days but that's another story.) Yes,Schmen, a new demension.
Number Ten has it right, everyone has their own fantasies, but ours have elves! I'd rather think about noble elves, cute hobbits, sarcastic, slightly greedy dwarves, and humans who have their hearts in the right place even though their doing the wrong thing, than supermodels. A wierd way to say that but I think you all get my point.

I am the first to admit being a bookworm to the worst extreme, and it really bugs me when I get wierd looks when I go shopping and bypass all the clothes jewellry and whatnot for the books.

Oh Elenna you are so right about romance novels vs. fantasy. The 'real' perverted world is ok, but pristine Middle-earth with all the bad boys getting their comeuppence is bad Yeah right!

Speaking of Mideveal, Luin, that sounds like me. If I'm not reading fantasy I'm reading historical fiction, or mideval history. My friend lent me some books once about 'modern' teenagers and boy oh boy, there was so much relationships and hormones going around in that book I wondered why it wasn't dripping with stickiness. It'll turn your mind to mush much sooner that Tolkien will, that's for sure!

Everyone just stand up and embreace your passion with arms wide open!

not really - a lot of the people who get mad at me don't have vocabularies that big).

Elenna, I know what you mean. Whenever I talk to people I'm afraid to speak the way I normally spak because I'm not sure their vocabulary is big enough.

[Finnguala]

And when im at school and people see my ring, their like 'Oh my god you're a freak!' At first I didnt mind, but now its just getting annoying, and its beginning to hurt

I had that too, a few times... I really DON'T like people who say such things. And then wearing a LotR ring is forbidden because THEY don't like it. But who are THEY?! I think you shouldn't pay too much attention to it. Maybe they're just trying to look cool and though, calling other people a freak because those people are obsessed with LotR... SO WHAT...

(Btw, did I write anything wrong? [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] )

[Inderjit Sanghera]

*shrugs shoulders* As soon as you reach an adult age or your I.Q is above say....10, you stop judging people on their intrests.

I've never been called a nerd because of my intrests.

[Meela]

I don't get any hassle, but then i don't actually know many people (about 5 people know of my interest in tolkien- actually, my aquaintances total about 5)
those who i do know, and know im obsessed with tolkien/fantasy:
1 shares a similar interest
2 threaten to shut this site down
1 takes no notice
1 or 2 or whoever else there is in my life doesnt really care

nobody actually knows the inner secrets of my mind, and therefore knows nothing of my absolute craving for fantasy (my way of escaping from the dull and modern life in which i am trapped). nobody would actually understand, anyway.

i have never been called weird or a nerd. ok, so maybe weird... but only in a friendly way. heck, i'd be the first to admit im weird!

[Rynoah, the Overly-Happy]

It was Fox Mulder who said it, back when The X Files was still the wonderchild of scifi.

You are my new best friend. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

I'm not quite the most popular girl in school, so I've gotten a little persecution here and there, but not to a degree that I make a big deal out of it. Of course, I take any persecution that only involves words lightly (because it's the physical persecution that is really the problem). Such as, I'll have a copy of one of the books on my desk and someone will suddenly sit by me while I'm trying to do schoolwork and say, "Oh, you like that movie, huh? I'll bet you have a big crush on that elf guy." or "That book's so dumb, why do you read it?" Just ignore it.

What Ticks me is when ppl say things like 'oh, suchandsuch fantasy book had devil-worship and human sacrifice in it, so LotR must be gross and perverse!' I thibnk WWAAT! [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] I get teased for reading @ school. Not just fantasy (thought thats what I usually am reading), ppl just seem, I dunno....against reading. It's strange. I have a teacher @ school, who is totally against LotR books and the movies, althogh he's never read them or seen the movie. I don't care for his classes. He belives that the only books worth reading are things by ppkl like Herotodtus (sry, I can't spell). Grrr. I'm gonna stop typing now. Or I might break the key board from typing so hard!