Targeting / HarassmentJKR released The Ickabog in print today and the Goodreads reviews are a wild place.

submitted by julesburm1891 from goodreads.com

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[–]EveSerpentFiregender Mon-Fri / Pyrogender Wknds & Holidays 37 insightful - 16 fun37 insightful - 15 fun38 insightful - 16 fun -  (1 child)

If “TWAW” is so obvious, then why do they keep having to tell everyone not to forget it?

[–]xanditAGAB (Assigned Gay at Birth) 19 insightful - 21 fun19 insightful - 20 fun20 insightful - 21 fun -  (0 children)

There was an hour last week that I forgot twaw so this was a good reminder.

[–]ArthnoldManacatsaman🇬🇧🌳🟦 33 insightful - 9 fun33 insightful - 8 fun34 insightful - 9 fun -  (2 children)

Omg somebody get the popcorn! GET THE POPCORN, BRENDA

My favourites include:

Yeah, on reflection I’m not going to be able to keep reading this. The author keeps doubling down on transphobic rhetoric that’s harmful and I can’t in good conscience enjoy a lighthearted children’s story in that context.

Okay, but did you read the book? No. If you'll permit my misogyny for a moment (because it's fine when my side does it) - shut up bitch.

It is not a bad book but it is written by a transphobic author so I advise you not to read this book. Not support this person. And don't forget, trans women are women.

Three stars. Mixed messages here.

Did not finish. In light of the anti-trans remarks that JK Rowling has not only made but doubled down on, we have decided as a family to put this the book down and not continue to read it. To: JK Rowling - children listen to your words. All of them. We are not going to continue to read your words.

I, too, think reading a blog post about surviving marital and domestic abuse is an appropriate thing to read to children who are the Ickabog's target market.

Found this a very poor choice as a read aloud for an 8 year old especially during the unsettling coronavirus shut down. Cleverly structured to make it hard to put down but lavish violence, cruelty and cavalier dispatching of good characters makes for a disturbing, anxious reading experience. Not at all what I had hoped for, and only wish I could interest my audience in abandoning the book. We did love My Father’s Dragon if you’re looking for an age appropriate fantasy with plenty of adventure.

A one star review from someone who appears to have at least read the book, and can judge it on its own merits.

[–]julesburm1891[S] 32 insightful - 10 fun32 insightful - 9 fun33 insightful - 10 fun -  (0 children)

Idk. My favorite is a toss-up between:

I DID NOT ACTUALLY READ THIS!!!! Boycott JKR, no transphobia!!! We stand by our trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming siblings!!!!! And don’t forget...TRANS WOMEN ARE WOMEN TRANS WOMEN ARE WOMEN

And

I have zero time for this close-minded woman or anything she writes. Plus, offering it for free online and then taking it down so you can make money off the print version? Did the HP cash cow run dry? GTFO

It’s impossible to choose a favorite between “I’m shouting about not actually reading a book and then shouting oxymorons” and “I’m refusing to give someone my time, but also writing a whole review about them and their book where all proceeds go to charity.”

People are something. But JKR is the bees knees for standing up for homosexuals.

[–]lovelyspearmintLesbeing a lesbian 25 insightful - 1 fun25 insightful - 0 fun26 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

That last comment is my favourite. Harry Potter is rife with lavish violence, cruelty and cavalier dispatching of good characters. How is this any different? Is it because it's specifically aimed at kids, cause I'm pretty sure kids as young as 6 or 7 devour the entire Harry Potter series within months.

[–][deleted] 24 insightful - 5 fun24 insightful - 4 fun25 insightful - 5 fun -  (1 child)

I love how even with all of the review bombing her books are still doing gangbusters and the rating is sitting pretty at 3.99/5 stars.

[–]Lessom 23 insightful - 1 fun23 insightful - 0 fun24 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Exactly. They cant cancel JKR and it’s driving them nuts. The fact they still actively search her name and write rude comments shows it. She isn’t going to stop being successful because of some ‘SJW’ behind their phones/computers called her transphobe.

[–]Tikiri 25 insightful - 1 fun25 insightful - 0 fun26 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I hit like on every positive review and defense of JKR!

[–]julesburm1891[S] 16 insightful - 3 fun16 insightful - 2 fun17 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

I never buy new books or hardback books, but I got a copy of this one for exactly that reason.

[–]Death_Tephra 24 insightful - 1 fun24 insightful - 0 fun25 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I read the book online and it was really good. It can be a bit depressing at times, but it ultimately has a happy ending. It may upset children who find the death of a likable character emotionally distressing. It's got GOT vibes. I bought it for my niece and nephew because a) fuck the trans cult, and b) it has drawings by children their age, which I think will encourage them to draw more.

[–]GConly 23 insightful - 2 fun23 insightful - 1 fun24 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Kids, that's what brigading looks like.

They've figured out they need to give the illusion most people agree with them to keep the pressure up, so they mob sites like that.

[–]NiceDickBro 19 insightful - 4 fun19 insightful - 3 fun20 insightful - 4 fun -  (0 children)

Did they all get together in their favourite T subreddit or Tumblr page to co-ordinate this 'attack'? Seriously don't you people have more important things to do with your time than review bomb an author who hasn't really said anything wrong?

[–]marmorsymphata 19 insightful - 3 fun19 insightful - 2 fun20 insightful - 3 fun -  (1 child)

So Goodreads has no oversight at all then?

[–]EveSerpentFiregender Mon-Fri / Pyrogender Wknds & Holidays 13 insightful - 1 fun13 insightful - 0 fun14 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

No. Any idiot can post anything at any time there. However they are owned by Amazon, so any issues could be brought up with them.

[–]ChodeSandwichtender and moist 16 insightful - 7 fun16 insightful - 6 fun17 insightful - 7 fun -  (0 children)

There's something incredibly condescending about the idea that farting loudly in the direction of a multi-million dollar author actually does anything to help anyone.

[–]fuck_reddit 16 insightful - 4 fun16 insightful - 3 fun17 insightful - 4 fun -  (0 children)

Lol all the negative comments are like "I couldn't finish this because ____" like bitch we know you never picked up the book. You just can't say that flat out cause then it would be blatantly obvious you're just smearing the book for political reasons.

[–]OPPRESSED_REPTILIANIntersex male | GNC | Don't call me "a gay", "twink" or "queen" 16 insightful - 1 fun16 insightful - 0 fun17 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

Don't want to sound like a radfem here but: I am about 85% certain that JKR is only being harassed and targeted consistently because she is female. I don't think people would be so quick to attack a man saying the exact same things.

Maybe part of it is because a lot of #woke types are Harry Potter fans and they feel "betrayed" too, but I don't know.

Also, those reviews from parents claiming they stopped reading the book with their children because JK is "transphobic" really depress me. I can't imagine living in a household like that, where your guardians control the media you consume based on belief, and ban you from certain "unclean" things even if they're actually child appropriate and- oh wait. Yes I can... I was raised Catholic by emotional abusers. Huh, that's weird, it's almost like... gender ideology and religion take the same form. Who would have thought?

Banning JK's books from your kids because she's "transphobic" is no different from not letting your kids play Pokemon because it's considered "satanic".

[–]julesburm1891[S] 18 insightful - 1 fun18 insightful - 0 fun19 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

She is. Richard K. Morgan, the author of Altered Carbon, made several public statements agreeing with JKR and critiquing trans ideology. He was then banned from Twitter for saying transwomen aren’t women. I know several woke people irl who are wringing their hands about how awful and bigoted JKR is. They never shut up about how Harry Potter is ruined for them. However, most of them are also fans of the Altered Carbon series. I have yet to hear any whining about Morgan from that lot. Likewise, when Stephen King made a tentative move to stand with JKR, he didn’t get any rape threats, didn’t get any porn on his Twitter replies, received very few death threats, and there was no #RIPStephenKing insanity.

Yeah. The irony is that it was the fundamentalist Christians demanding everyone boycott JKR and burning her books when I was a kid. There were several kids from über-religious families at my school that weren’t allowed to read HP. Heck, there was even a girl in my third grade class who immediately threw away the Valentine I gave her because it was Harry Potter themed and she was afraid she’d get in trouble at home.

We’ve just come a full circle, haven’t we?

[–]OPPRESSED_REPTILIANIntersex male | GNC | Don't call me "a gay", "twink" or "queen" 11 insightful - 1 fun11 insightful - 0 fun12 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Your point is proven even more by the fact that I didn't even know those two stood up for JKR - or that many people have, actually. People are genuinely acting like she's an evil witch doing it all by herself with no supporters.

Yep. I think I saw like, a small segment of a Harry Potter movie at someone else's home, but it was something I wasn't allowed to watch because it was deemed too dark/scary/against the religion or whatever.

I think it makes sense too because religion seems to be dying in younger generations, at least, religion as we know it. It's just being replaced by a new form of religion, one less about a God, but with still the controlling motives behind it.

[–]turtleduck23 15 insightful - 1 fun15 insightful - 0 fun16 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

there were a couple of male celebs who stood up for her and they didn't receive the same hate as her (mostly calling them transphobic pricks). when she was posting about her new children's book a couple of months ago and asking for parents to submit their kids drawing, there were comments of rape threats and threats of assault. I mean, people wrote that she deserved to be raped and hope she get's her teeth stomped out underneath a child's drawing. I also think like you that they believe JK "betrayed" them because she doesn't think exactly like they do. Two years ago JK rowling was seen as "woke" and now I have seen many commentators calling her a "right wing conservative"

[–]OPPRESSED_REPTILIANIntersex male | GNC | Don't call me "a gay", "twink" or "queen" 11 insightful - 1 fun11 insightful - 0 fun12 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Closest male example I can think of is Graham Linehan. There were initial accusations of him being "transphobic" and people whining because they liked the shows he had made, but there were no mass boycotts and it died down pretty quick. I know Harry Potter is way larger, more popular than many things even, but I still think that being female is a big part of why they're targeting her specifically.

It's disgusting the lengths they go to, and I wish the law would include protections for this kind of aggressive cyberbullying, instead of trying to make "transphobia" and "homophobia" a fucking "hate crime" if you so much as say "I disagree."

[–]Q-Continuum-kin 11 insightful - 1 fun11 insightful - 0 fun12 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

It's not a crazy opinion. You actually need to look at their criticism from their perspective. They perceive women to be a social category which includes the generally "good" aspects of humanity. They expect that being a woman includes being on team woke to some degree so they go nuts when a woman criticizes them in any way.

[–]ChodeSandwichtender and moist 8 insightful - 6 fun8 insightful - 5 fun9 insightful - 6 fun -  (0 children)

Yes. Men are allowed to misbehave sometimes because they were brainwashed by toxic masculinity and blinded by male privilege. If you're a woman or LGB, you're part of the suffering minority bloc whether you want to be or not, and it's your job to spend every waking second wondering how you can help everyone else. You should know better. Trans people don't have to do that though because they always have it the worst and it's unfair to expect these exhausted, suffering folx to do emotional labor for you. 😤

[–]OPPRESSED_REPTILIANIntersex male | GNC | Don't call me "a gay", "twink" or "queen" 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

And the same goes for non-white people. They go from "white guilt" to "literally just a racist" real fast once someone of a racial minority starts expressing "wrong" opinions

[–]GoValidateYourselfuseful lesbian 10 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I'm going to buy a hardcover copy of The Ickabog now.

[–]MiaXiang 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Flag the "reviews" that advocate book banning and are ad hominem attacks on the author.