Rowling, Blow & Co. - Does Buying Someone's Game Mean You Endorse Their Bullshit? - The Bear and Badger

Gremill

More than anything, what this thread continues to confirm for me is just how fucking exhausting it is to exist in world.

I used to really care about making sure that I didn't endorse people and companies that cross whatever line I had in my head that made them incompatible with my own often wildly fluctuating morals and standards. These days, it's literally impossible to keep track of all of the shitty behaviour and actions out there - so I generally don't bother.

That might make me a hypocrite and an awful person to some, but I'm happy to extend my lack of giving a shit to people who deal in those kinds of absolutes. That said, I think I'm not unlike many, many others who pick and choose where they take a stand. I'll never eat a MacDonalds, or listen to Kanye again, or give Joe Rogan my time but I'm sure there are loads of other things that I do enjoy that others would have issue with and that I'm blissfully ignorant of. I don't know, I'm rambling.

b0r1s

I’d agree with that Grem. I’ve stopped drinking Brew Dog, which can be tricky sometimes as they seem to try to take over nearly every pub. Thankfully Beavertown are fighting back. But for all I know the owners of that company are cunts. And I also buy Apple products who have had some definite issues in their Chinese third party factories. So also appreciate I’m a hypocrite.

This particular instance isn’t an issue for me as I was never buying the game anyway.

JonB

Raiziel wrote:

So fucking what. What’s going on the background when you use gas to heat your home? Or what goes into making the latest iPhone? We’re all cunts for enabling nasty shit. But the new Harry Potter game is where we suddenly draw the line?

This is always the argument that comes up with these things, and it's always ridiculous. I mean, it would make sense coming from someone who actually did grow their own food etc., who actually had the moral high ground, but it never does. So in the end you're admitting you know everything is shit, but you're not even willing to do the easy stuff to reduce its impact, like not buying a videogame. And not only that, you want to tell people off for trying to do something because they can't do everything. It just feels so cynical.

Paul the sparky

I think you're a hypocrite if you make a big noise and grand show about one thing then quietly enjoy something similar. Like that RDR2 boycott about working hours while giving all japanese developed games a pass because it's ingrained in their culture. Either you care about the working culture of developers or you don't

Paul the sparky

JonB wrote:

Raiziel wrote:

So fucking what. What’s going on the background when you use gas to heat your home? Or what goes into making the latest iPhone? We’re all cunts for enabling nasty shit. But the new Harry Potter game is where we suddenly draw the line?

This is always the argument that comes up with these things, and it's always ridiculous. I mean, it would make sense coming from someone who actually did grow their own food etc., but it never does. So in the end you're admitting you know everything is shit, but you're not even willing to do the easy stuff to reduce its impact, like not buying a videogame. And not only that, you want to tell people off for trying to do something because they can't do everything. It just feels so cynical.

Not buying Hogfarts Lunacy doesn't have any impact of the trans community. It might ease some of your own guilt if you feel some, or you can get that virtual signalling buzz on if you need it, but you're not actually doing anything good for anyone

Kow

God, I hate Harry Potter.

Funkstain

Something we can all agree on finally

JonB

Gremill wrote:

More than anything, what this thread continues to confirm for me is just how fucking exhausting it is to exist in world.

This is absolutely key, and a part of how neoliberal capitalism works. It puts all the responsibility on individuals, rather than governments and corporations, and of course it's impossible to keep tabs on everything.

Generally, I'd like to see a wider campaign against overall excess consumerism. The system thrives on people buying more than they can actually need/can reasonably consume, whether it's food, clothes, games, phones, whatever. But other than that, much more political pressure that takes the onus of individual consumer choices.

But at the same time, particular controversies come around that either feel impossible to ignore or generate awareness around an issue that's worth supporting. Personally, I couldn't watch the World Cup knowing the stadiums I was looking at had been built by people being worked to death. I wasn't trying to achieve anything - I just couldn't stomach it. With Hogwarts, I was never going to buy it anyway, but I think it's an important cause to support.

Rather than think of it as hypocrisy when someone makes a stand somewhere and not elsewhere, I'd rather see every stand as better than nothing. Although I'm under no illusion that that's enough without political organisation that goes beyond consumer choices.

monkey

I once attended a pub quiz only to find out it was a Harry Potter quiz. I’ve never seen any of the films, read the books or played the games. My team got 8 out of 70. Terrible evening.

Brooks

It's true, if they start banning all the less than ideal stuff I like doing I will probably stop.

yourfavouriteuncle

All the cool parents keep their kids away from Potter. It’s turgid by the book nonsense. And the films are all shit.

MattyJ

Paul the sparky wrote:

MattyJ wrote:

Raiziel wrote:

I don’t care what she thinks.

If she posted on twitter something like "all n-words should be killed", you wouldn't care?

Has she posted that about trans people?

Not as far as I know.

Bob

yourfavouriteuncle wrote:

All the cool parents keep their kids away from Potter. It’s turgid by the book nonsense. And the films are all shit.

Cool parents? An oxymoron if ever there was one

mannaboy

Was thinking of a good Elden Ring name Parry Hotter.

Paul the sparky

Fair post Jon

Funkstain

I suppose the arguments being made by sparky et al is:

1. Don’t come to me with your hypocrisy trying to make me feel bad for my choices (rather than making your choice then stfu about it)

2. This particular boycott won’t make any difference at all (as per many similar choices / boycotts / activism choices)

Against the first one: I think it’s reasonable for people who feel passionately enough about something to try and grow their activism, and if you disagree, simply ignore, why get al uppity about it and shout hypocrisy?

Against the second: it’s too close to “any activism is pointless” but it’s always a personal choice and besides it’s been literally pitted, by the generator of the source material, as a battle for her opinions on the topic so surely can understand the people boycotting and trying to widen that boycott (see 1)

Paul the sparky

Funkstain wrote:

I suppose the arguments being made by sparky et al is:

1. Don’t come to me with your hypocrisy trying to make me feel bad for my choices (rather than making your choice then stfu about it)

2. This particular boycott won’t make any difference at all (as per many similar choices / boycotts / activism choices)

Against the first one: I think it’s reasonable for people who feel passionately enough about something to try and grow their activism, and if you disagree, simply ignore, why get al uppity about it and shout hypocrisy?

Against the second: it’s too close to “any activism is pointless” but it’s always a personal choice and besides it’s been literally pitted, by the generator of the source material, as a battle for her opinions on the topic so surely can understand the people boycotting and trying to widen that boycott (see 1)

Well no, for 1 I think raising awareness is vital for people to make their own decisions. It's when it strays into abuse etc you've fucked it in my book. And if you're a hypocrite about stuff you should find yourself being called out on it.

For 2, yeah, in this case it's not going to make a jot of difference so shrug. Won't be the case for everything

yourfavouriteuncle

JonB wrote:

Rather than think of it as hypocrisy when someone makes a stand somewhere and not elsewhere, I'd rather see every stand as better than nothing. Although I'm under no illusion that that's enough without political organisation that goes beyond consumer choices.

I think this is about the best attitude to have. A bit of stand here and there if it means enough to you. It might make a bit of a difference, it might not, but if you wanna stand against it then yeah go do it. The person standing doesn’t need pouncing on for standing by their moral judgment - just don’t get too preachy with that shit.

Still, there’ll always be a massive lol from me at I’m not playing RDR2 and LoU2 because devs spoke out about crunch now where’s all my Nintendo stuff? No, this is different. That’s sometimes where this kinda stuff gets muddled and (probably rightly) opens em up for a bit of gripe.

yourfavouriteuncle

Bob wrote:

yourfavouriteuncle wrote:

All the cool parents keep their kids away from Potter. It’s turgid by the book nonsense. And the films are all shit.

Cool parents? An oxymoron if ever there was one

Fair.

b0r1s

Kow wrote:

God, I hate Harry Potter.

Funkstain wrote:

Something we can all agree on finally

Amen brothers.

tigersgogrrr

I like Harry Potter. But I grew up with it, the right age at the right time, and it's always going to be impossible to totally separate my views on the franchise from those happy memories (my mum reading me the first one, all taking it in turns reading the new book when it was released, and a beautiful summers day with a huge joint while reading the fourth).

Rowling is a different matter.

What feels different here - and I think this is where it differs to iPhones/Red Dead etc - is how inextricably linked HP is with the childhoods of those who like the IP... Including trans people. This is one reason that it has become so utterly toxic. People feel betrayed by her, and in turn, people feel like childhood memories are being... Villified?

And it's a real reason I find the argument so hard. I don't agree with Rowling and think she's getting worse. Yet I don't think all enjoyment of HP should be stained by this. Any financial benefit to her is almost moot at this point as she has amassed such a huge empire. I've worked with trans kids at school and always done my best by to help them in whatever small way I can. I completely get why people don't want to have anything to do with it...

But I don't think me playing it and giving her a couple of pennies does any damage whatsoever to the trans community.

tigersgogrrr

Ramble. Sorry. Lad has just been swooped off to A&E so I'm feeling a bit all over.

Dark Soldier

Just be like me and don't think about any of it and like the things ya like. Conscience is a motherfucker, ignore it. I know on my deathbed I won't be thinking about "should I or shouldn't I have bought that game the nasty person was involved with" or owt. I can live with a lot of shit, if ya don't it'll chew you up this modern world.