#let people enjoy things
I love Harry Potter but I hate what the fandom has become. Harry Potter fans always argue about everything. Even in this confession blog there are people in the comments section who act in a rude way. Ship whoever you want and love whatever character you want but don’t pretend other people like what you like. Every person is different and has different opinions.
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I cannot relate to ppl who see someone who’s incredibly fixated on one thing that gives them joy, and treat that as pathetic.
Like, if some dude who lives alone, has a job he hates, and only finds joy in his dog, spends all his money on dog toys and food, pampers the shit out of that dog, treats that dog like his child, I don’t see that as sad. He has something that he really cares about despite having things about his life he doesn’t like, and you know that dog is going to have a good life.
If someone is going to a school they hate, they don’t like the people they hang out with, they feel like there’s no joy in life except that they get to play minecraft when they get home, far be it from me to call that pathetic or lazy of them.
If some teenage boy is getting bullied, his parents are getting divorced, he can’t find a reason to make it though the day except to watch anime, good for him. I’m glad he found something he can enjoy.
If some girl has self-esteem issues, feels like she’s not good at anything, has no friends, but gets excited whenever she saves up enough money to buy supplies for a cosplay or go to a con, that’s amazing and I support her
If someone can only find joy in one, tiny thing, why would you make them feel pathetic for relying on that one thing to get through the day just bc you don’t get it or think it’s silly?
Even if someone has a good life but gets joy out of something you think is silly, there is absolutely no reason for you to treat their interests as pathetic.
(Tagging this with stuff like ‘cringe‘ and ‘cringe culture’ cus the ppl who use those tags need to see this the most)
“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” is for your entire life, not just kindergarten.
If you’re wondering why you still like Hetalia as an adult, it’s because Hetalia appeals to your inner child. When you say cringe, you’re actually putting down the kid version of yourself.
no more marvel. no more booktok books with the same cover. no more poetry collections that are written solely for the quotes to circulate online. no more songs written with the intention of going viral. please i’m begging.
additionally.. no more influencers. no more tiktok. no more hustle/grind culture. no more cover letters. everyone be quiet. go sit on a porch and smell the fresh air.
I’m tired, y'all. Tired of posts calling people who are still in the Harry Potter fandom “stupid”. Tired of people using JKR’s racist and TERFy bullshit as an excuse to treat the HP fandom community like shit.
Because here’s the thing: many queer and trans kids, and kids of color, grew up reading and loving the HP series. The series meant something important to them during what was in some cases a very dark and difficult time in their lives. Some people have been a part of the fandom for multiple decades at this point. They have made friends, found community, drawn strength, created fanworks, and been inspired to acts of kindness and bravery because of this series.
The people who have written the most nuanced and incisive criticism of JKR over the years are people in the HP fandom. Many of the people most harmed by her behavior are fans who have been betrayed by someone they looked up to – someone who wrote about the importance of being yourself, about the power of love, and about making a stand against injustice and cruelty – but who does not have their backs in real life.
When you tell people who disagree with JKR’s regressive views that they are morally obligated to turn their backs on the fandom, or else they are complicit, you are telling people to walk away from communities and connections that have given them joy and meaning. That there should be no voices within the fandom pushing back against JKR’s views. That when young people inevitably enter the fandom in the future, they should find no nuanced criticism or trans-positive fanworks; only content that echoes and conforms to JKR’s views, or posts by people telling them they are wrong and stupid for liking a thing.
You should not have to feel guilty if these books meant something, or continue to mean something to you.
You should not have to feel guilty about holding onto your created community.
You should not have to feel guilty about continuing to create fanworks for the series.
JKR will never see another dime from me, but I’m not walking away from the community I’ve been a part of for 20 years. I have fanfic to write.
