Online fandom: Have we gone too far or not far enough?

» emryss - Comment

I really enjoyed your article. I am a regular visitor to Tolkien Online and I have been following the reports on the LOTR Movie. I think you could have used a different word when describing how Tolkien "raped" the stories in mythology to use in his great masterpiece. I would prefer the word "borrowed". We must remember how Tolkien loved the mythology and language of Europe. When he wrote the Lord of the Rings,he wanted to create a mythology for England, the country he loved.

I'm quite happy with the online goss that Tolkien Online provides us Tolkien freaks. I have a friend of mine in New Zealand who has actually worked (for about two weeks I think) on the set. It's hard work apparently. The conditions are quite harsh, but i guess you've got to expect that. Fans must remember that this production is massively huge - and not everybody is going to be happy with it. I personally think that Jackson is doing a damn fine job.

Tolkien's epic, the Lord of the Rings, has always been a kind of "sacred cow" when it comes to interpreting or portraying any part of it; Jackson has taken an enormous risk in making this movie and I believe he's doing as good a job as possible. I honestly believed a few years ago that a movie like this could not be done, unless it was either animated (animation has evolved since THAT MOVIE in the late 70's) or done in a similar way to "The Dark Crystal".

I say keep the reporting going. Try to make it as discreet as possible so people don't get pissed off.

Thanks again.

-- posted by emryss

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» Michael_Martinez - Thank you

I know the word "rape" will strike some people as a bit harsh, but I chose to use it deliberately to (hopefully) provoke a thoughtful response in the fans who are outraged at the way Peter Jackson is treating the story (although I personally feel he IS treating it with respect, despite the numerous cuts and changes he has made).

"rape" is an emotionally charged word, and it should be, but maybe it's been used in too narrow a context the past generation or so. It was a word that Tolkien himself employed, not through insensitivity to the hardships endured by women and children through the ages, but through a love of language. We should not forget the pain suffered by others, but neither should we deny ourselves the rich and insightful beauty of the English language.

And I appreciate all the comments I've received on this article from Tolkien fans everywhere (most by email, obviously). It is a difficult subject to write about, one which requires examples to illustrate the points being made, and such examples could too easily have been misconstrued by me.

No one seems to have misunderstood what I was trying to say, and I'm glad I was able to express myself so well on the issue.

-- posted by Michael_Martinez

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