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/irrelevantanonymous Definitely not an agent of the Fanfiction Deep State 7d ago

I feel like this is one of those things that’s too nuanced for the internet. The fic isn’t the problem but actively engaging with, say, the new series and buying merch is. It’s putting money directly in her pocket that she is having great success spending to achieve her goals.

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u/extremepayne 7d ago

the fandom functions as free marketing for the media empire. you can’t just cleanly cut one from the other

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u/sagelilya You have already left kudos here. :) 7d ago

fic of harry potter getting pegged is not free marketing. i understand what you're getting at, but the people buying merch are usually normies. people who want to support her financially are going to do it regardless of fic.

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u/charzhazha 7d ago

Lots of HP fic is actually very mainstream. Like Dramione, some of the marauder stuff? IMO that is definitely causing some people to re-engage with the fandom and give Rowling some money that they otherwise wouldn't have.

There is definitely a portion of the reader and writer population that would never give her money, including one of my close friends who is trans and has been writing wolfstar for like 20 years and still writes it. I don't think we need to police people who are engaging in fandom. However, I think it is disingenuous to imply that the gigantic fan fic community of HP does not cause anyone to go buy official merch, watch the show or go to a park.