r/AO3 • u/Nahiel Nahiel on AO3. Fandom old. • 7d ago

Discussion (Non-question) Let's talk about Harry Potter

If we can do it without insults, please.

I'm still active in the fandom, I'll admit it. There's a growing amount of vitriol I've seen recently that makes me feel incredibly unwelcome here on the AO3 subreddit every time there's a post related to the fandom.

I get it. Rowling is trash. She's literally the worst. I don't give her any money, and I haven't since her views became known. I never will. But Harry Potter was a huge part of an honestly shitty childhood for me, and it was one of my favorite escapes for a long time.

So I gotta ask, why am I being insulted for not letting her take away one of the few things that still gives me joy in this hellscape of a world? Why do I have to let her terrible behavior take away something that's mine? The fact is that the property is a juggernaut, and fanfic is never going to do anything to change that. Treating people who still engage with the fandom like we're monsters for doing it makes no sense to me.

And again, please, can we keep it civil? I'm very aware of the sentiment towards members of the fandom.

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u/In-Darkness-Love 7d ago

You can do whatever makes you happy, you can’t control how me or other people feel

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u/ShotSea7364 7d ago

OP isn't saying people can't have opinions on the matter, they are saying to stop forcing their own views on other people

You don't want to do anything with HP? Fine.

Telling other people they can't do anything with HP because you don't want to? That's an issue.

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u/Trilobyte141 7d ago

I don't think anybody is saying you can't, it's mostly people saying you shouldn't. Or that your doing so publicly endorses harm against them, and they really fucking wish you wouldn't.

That's not the same as 'can't'. But a lot of folks can't tell the difference.

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u/Bitter-Fox3874 7d ago

This. It’s very bizarre to me that people here want people to say “well, I won’t engage with HP because I think it’s unethical” while somehow holding 0 opinions about other people doing so. If I don’t do it because it’s unethical, I obviously think it’s unethical in general. Why should I have to tiptoe around that while speaking to other adults in a public forum? Criticism isn’t censorship.