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Gun o' the Pants ([info]gun) wrote in [info]fandom_wank,
@ 2006-05-05 11:25:00


Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
HP is serious business, part the 2893748th: lather, rinse and repeat
Potterwank that's not about race, feminism or shipping? What are the odds?! To celebrate this event, I thought I'd post this charming little thing. The crux: Battlestar Galactica is literature. Tolstoy is not.

[info]a_t_rain posts an essay about HP characters and feminism at [info]hp_essays. This isn't the wanky part: the essay is short, concise and a pretty damn good read.

The wank entereth when [info]m_ho appears on the scene, disagreeing by saying something about something. I dunno, how she's had no romantic experience or anything and thus the romance in HP relegates it to low-art pop culture. I really couldn't follow along:

From experience with my nerd friends, colleagues, and co-workers, most teenagers learn about themselves through philosophical study and ontological discourse, sparing very little or no thought to romantic love. Granted we're nerds, and most likely a minority, so the "most" is used relatively, however, to us the focus on romantic love does make the Harry Potter books read as pop culture rather than literature.

***

Oh man, Tolstoy. I was going to reduce him to pop culture when I remembered that not only do readers love him, but otherwise respected authors love him too.

I think his writing is superficial, and he may brush against humanist themes, but he doesn't pull the reader into a conversation with those themes. But now that I'm remembering him and some of his contemporaries (Flaubert, etc.), I'm wondering if I can exclude half the literative world from literature...


***

I'm assuming that no one's going to take time and effort to get lessons out of pop culture.

[info]a_t_rain: I think it is safe to say that most of the 577 American colleges offering degree programs in cultural studies would disagree with this premise.

***

Anyone of any age in any circumstance can have romantic screwups, but those screwups aren't the speciously universal ones Rowling throws at us. And despite Hermione's failure, it seems that most people (again relative to me) learn through discussion and books rather than experience, and can be quite adept at romance. Even if they have to get the info from pop culture.

(As an aside, can anyone explain to me what the fuck 'speciously universal' means?)

***



People go WTF MATE ^^. Battlestar Galactica can be classed within the same literary echelons as Kafka, Borges, Gogol and Virginia Woolf. And all the while, I sit back with a cup of coffee and reconsider my major in English teaching.



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(Anonymous)
2006-05-05 03:24 am UTC (link)
Everyone here is missing the point. Why are we arguing about Battlestar Galactica, people? We've got bigger problems!

What are we going to do about all these snakes on this plane?!


--Lifewasbeautifl.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]gun, 2006-05-05 03:26 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 03:30 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 03:56 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]rhiannonmr, 2006-05-05 04:28 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 04:41 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]rhiannonmr, 2006-05-05 04:42 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]nebbieq, 2006-05-05 05:00 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-07 06:55 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]oar, 2006-05-05 06:25 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cork118, 2006-05-05 08:28 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]miss_sophia, 2006-05-05 11:41 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]oar, 2006-05-06 01:22 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]miss_sophia, 2006-05-06 03:51 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]polemic, 2006-05-05 04:45 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]adora_spintriae, 2006-05-05 07:28 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]mcity, 2006-05-05 05:19 pm UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-07 04:15 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]notjo, 2006-05-05 08:34 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]prettyveela, 2006-05-05 09:10 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]drakyndra, 2006-05-05 10:44 am UTC

[info]grrliz
2006-05-05 03:33 am UTC (link)
most teenagers learn about themselves through philosophical study and ontological discourse, sparing very little or no thought to romantic love

I'd have to say most of them learn about "themselves" by grinding sweatily into their mattresses, but maybe that's just my take on it.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]freezer, 2006-05-05 03:36 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]miss_sophia, 2006-05-05 11:44 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]freezer, 2006-05-06 12:08 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]miss_sophia, 2006-05-06 12:09 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]freezer, 2006-05-06 12:10 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]yattara, 2006-05-05 03:39 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]mmanurere, 2006-05-05 07:33 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]yattara, 2006-05-05 12:01 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]theladyfeylene, 2006-05-05 03:56 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]gun, 2006-05-05 03:59 am UTC
Non-native speaker - [info]pyrrah, 2006-05-05 05:06 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sandyclaws68, 2006-05-05 03:04 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cork118, 2006-05-05 08:31 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sandyclaws68, 2006-05-05 10:03 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]mcity, 2006-05-05 05:15 pm UTC

[info]theantifooosh
2006-05-05 03:37 am UTC (link)
Right. Because a theme of romantic love is antithetical to a grand insight into The Human Condition.

(Reply to this)


[info]charmian
2006-05-05 03:38 am UTC (link)
Is "literative" even a word?

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]yattara, 2006-05-05 03:40 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]midnitemarauder, 2006-05-05 05:57 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]smo, 2006-05-05 03:04 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]miss_sophia, 2006-05-05 11:55 pm UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-06 09:07 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]smo, 2006-05-07 01:22 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]miss_sophia, 2006-05-07 02:03 am UTC

(Anonymous)
2006-05-05 03:39 am UTC (link)
I was wondering when that would get wanky. Nice change of pace, though.

Hylarn

(Reply to this)


[info]polygamouse
2006-05-05 03:39 am UTC (link)
I call troll with a side of lit analysis 101.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]pyratejenni, 2006-05-05 03:40 am UTC
My html sucks today.
[info]theantifooosh
2006-05-05 03:40 am UTC (link)
(As an aside, can anyone explain to me what the fuck 'speciously universal' means?)

I believe that the OP is dismissing the claim that a few abortive relationships in a children's book are universal to humanity. Who has made this claim, I'm not entirely sure of, but the OP seems certain that someone has.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

Re: My html sucks today. - [info]shutthef_up, 2006-05-05 04:04 am UTC
Re: My html sucks today. - [info]theantifooosh, 2006-05-05 04:09 am UTC
Re: My html sucks today. - [info]mmanurere, 2006-05-05 07:36 am UTC
Re: My html sucks today. - [info]theantifooosh, 2006-05-05 02:38 pm UTC

[info]hallidae
2006-05-05 03:42 am UTC (link)
speciously universal

Fuck if I know. Taken out of context, it sounds like something that's true across all species, which would make it a bit of an oxymoron.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]community_care, 2006-05-05 08:11 am UTC

[info]qem_chibati
2006-05-05 03:45 am UTC (link)
I'm assuming that no one's going to take time and effort to get lessons out of pop culture.
Then why is moral of the story such a cliche?

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 04:00 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]qem_chibati, 2006-05-05 04:08 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 04:12 am UTC

[info]grrliz
2006-05-05 03:46 am UTC (link)
(As an aside, can anyone explain to me what the fuck 'speciously universal' means?)

It's spelled incorrectly. It should be "Speshully Universal" and it refers to the little bit of je ne sais quoi that each and every Mary Sue is in possession of. It's what makes a Sue a Sue!

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]freezer, 2006-05-05 04:01 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 04:13 am UTC

[info]ladyrogue
2006-05-05 03:47 am UTC (link)
Ah there we go. My brain hadn't exploded in at least 24 hours. My day is complete. And now my English major side has to go cry in a corner.

(Reply to this)


[info]missdaisy
2006-05-05 03:53 am UTC (link)
As an aside, can anyone explain to me what the fuck 'speciously universal' means?

Assuming the poster was using the word "speciously" correctly, it means something that seems to be or is assumed to be a universal experience, but really isn't. In the context of this wank, it translates as "I can't get a date."

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]gun, 2006-05-05 03:55 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 03:55 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]pyratejenni, 2006-05-05 03:59 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]gun, 2006-05-05 04:00 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]theantifooosh, 2006-05-05 03:59 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]missdaisy, 2006-05-05 04:03 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]gun, 2006-05-05 04:05 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]yattara, 2006-05-05 04:16 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]gun, 2006-05-05 04:22 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]yattara, 2006-05-05 04:24 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]theantifooosh, 2006-05-05 04:21 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 01:34 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]doomsday, 2006-05-05 07:12 pm UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-06 06:31 am UTC

[info]elimination
2006-05-05 03:59 am UTC (link)
I'm wondering if I can exclude half the literative world from literature...
OK, this is pure WIN and GOLD and YAY. %) Honestly, sometimes it's so much easier to say 'there are types of literature that I like and types that I dislike' and stop arguing about 'TRU and UNTRU literature'. =_=

(Reply to this)


(Anonymous)
2006-05-05 04:01 am UTC (link)
Ontological discourse. Ontological. discourse. Because really, don't all 16-year olds spend their time quietly discussing the nature of their existence, and what shape their future identities should take? Really, adolescence is just one long burst of navel-gazing: "I say, old chap, shall we saunter on down to the olde tea room for a spot of ontological discourse and a bit of good old darjeeling." "Why yes, that seems an absolutely cracking idea. Let's do." etc. I maintain that nobody is actually this out of touch, particularly if they refer to their friends as "my nerd friends". Git.

--meleth on lj

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]gun, 2006-05-05 04:04 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]rhiannonmr, 2006-05-05 04:36 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]mmanurere, 2006-05-05 07:41 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]rhiannonmr, 2006-05-05 08:05 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]aegflota, 2006-05-06 03:44 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 07:24 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]bubosquared, 2006-05-05 09:22 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 10:23 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]bubosquared, 2006-05-05 10:26 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sandyclaws68, 2006-05-05 03:28 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]smo, 2006-05-05 03:07 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]greenling, 2006-05-05 06:19 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]narcissam, 2006-05-05 06:22 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]honorh, 2006-05-05 09:31 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]dreamoflife02, 2006-05-05 09:57 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]miss_sophia, 2006-05-06 12:02 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]marsdragon, 2006-05-06 02:03 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]aegflota, 2006-05-06 03:41 am UTC

[info]sprungtodrown
2006-05-05 04:02 am UTC (link)
As a big fan of Kafka and Gogol, I cry for them...since, you know, they're dead and thus cannot cry.

As a lesser fan of Woolf and Poe, I just make a small wounded puppy noise for them...same reason though...but a bit less dramatic.


Battlestar Galactica.


WTF?

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]ari_o, 2006-05-06 02:28 am UTC
WTF?
[info]sungodis
2006-05-05 04:06 am UTC (link)
My favorite quote so far is that "most people (again relative to me) learn through discussion and books rather than experience". Yeah, I know that I got most of my life knowledge out of books and not through, you know, DOING things...

(Reply to this)(Thread)

Re: WTF? - [info]dez_chan, 2006-05-05 04:34 am UTC
Re: WTF? - [info]ari_o, 2006-05-06 02:29 am UTC

[info]entelodont
2006-05-05 04:07 am UTC (link)
m_ho's comments gives my images of two nerds, who, after much hemming and hawing about surrendering to the illogical whims of pop culture, go out on a date, only to spend the rest of the evening figuring out how to procede by reading a manual.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 04:17 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]artimusdin, 2006-05-05 05:27 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]miss_sophia, 2006-05-06 12:05 am UTC

(Anonymous)
2006-05-05 04:09 am UTC (link)
Because it needs to be said

So, [info]m_ho, what are your thoughts on yaoi?

I'm a bad little anonymousy..

(Reply to this)


(Anonymous)
2006-05-05 04:12 am UTC (link)
M_ho ships Snarry and seems to use their journal for nothing more than joining HP/Snarry communities, so is it far to say that s/h/it thinks that all teenagers desire rough sex with authority figures who hate them and come to that realization through ontological discourse?

--The Clichemoth

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]sprungtodrown, 2006-05-05 04:21 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 04:24 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]miss_sophia, 2006-05-06 12:08 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]drakyndra, 2006-05-05 10:53 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]oar, 2006-05-05 06:30 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]drakyndra, 2006-05-06 03:46 pm UTC

(Deleted post)
(no subject) - [info]drakyndra, 2006-05-06 03:47 pm UTC

[info]a_t_rain
2006-05-05 04:12 am UTC (link)
I was tempted to ask her what she thought about Jane Austen and the Brontes, but I don't think I want to know, really.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]gun, 2006-05-05 04:19 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]a_t_rain, 2006-05-05 04:22 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]gun, 2006-05-05 04:26 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]a_t_rain, 2006-05-05 04:30 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]gun, 2006-05-05 04:34 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]rhiannonmr, 2006-05-05 04:39 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]llama_treats, 2006-05-05 04:25 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]puipui, 2006-05-05 05:27 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]nlb_muffin, 2006-05-05 05:48 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]massromantic, 2006-05-05 06:20 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]puipui, 2006-05-05 06:50 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]bubosquared, 2006-05-05 09:23 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 04:13 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]bubosquared, 2006-05-05 04:17 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]miss_sophia, 2006-05-06 12:11 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]oar, 2006-05-05 06:32 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]blackhat, 2006-05-06 07:37 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]funwithrage, 2006-05-09 05:01 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ari_o, 2006-05-06 02:32 am UTC

[info]polemic
2006-05-05 04:17 am UTC (link)
You know, I respect the impact of trashy pop culture in a sociological discussion of literature (hell, my thesis makes reference to Ilsa: She-Wolf of the S.S.), but I think it's about time I made a "Is Harold Bloom gonna have to smack a bitch?" icon.

Except I don't like Harold Bloom. :(

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]waltraute, 2006-05-05 04:18 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]polemic, 2006-05-05 04:20 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]waltraute, 2006-05-05 04:22 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]pyratejenni, 2006-05-05 04:33 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]polemic, 2006-05-05 04:41 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]waltraute, 2006-05-05 05:16 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]polemic, 2006-05-05 05:22 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]waltraute, 2006-05-05 05:25 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]polemic, 2006-05-05 05:27 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]waltraute, 2006-05-05 05:29 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]adora_spintriae, 2006-05-05 07:30 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]gun, 2006-05-05 04:20 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]polemic, 2006-05-05 04:44 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]mmanurere, 2006-05-05 07:51 am UTC

(Anonymous)
2006-05-05 04:19 am UTC (link)
“From experience with my nerd friends, colleagues, and co-workers, most teenagers learn about themselves through philosophical study and ontological discourse, sparing very little or no thought to romantic love.”

Are we even in the same freakin’ universe?


“"people who don't relate to practical explorations of romance"

”Their (HP kids’) experiences are far from universal, and yet are often presented and interpreted as such, which make those readings specious.”

I’ll say this in the nicest way possible: m_ho needs to have hot, non-pretentious sex.

a_t_rain is a better person than I will ever be.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]yattara, 2006-05-05 04:22 am UTC

[info]white_serpent
2006-05-05 04:19 am UTC (link)
I love these quotes in the same thread from m_ho:

to us the focus on romantic love does make the Harry Potter books read as pop culture rather than literature.

and:

I'm not really into making distinctions like pop culture vs. literature

WTF? Make up your mind!

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]perletwo, 2006-05-05 05:28 am UTC

(Anonymous)
2006-05-05 04:23 am UTC (link)
Drat and woe, this type of unfortunate reasoning is precisely the reason I lose sleep every night.

Someday, a major franchise will turn out a video game about having sex, and every similar-minded person will rush to their local strip-mall in hopes of picking up tips on wizzling in a more timely manner.

If you aren't learning from experience, you haven't lived.

- Colty McColtington

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 04:35 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 04:44 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 05:08 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]gun, 2006-05-05 05:23 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]perletwo, 2006-05-05 05:30 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]gun, 2006-05-05 05:38 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]perletwo, 2006-05-05 05:41 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]ari_o, 2006-05-06 02:34 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]bubosquared, 2006-05-05 09:25 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]gun, 2006-05-05 10:38 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]puipui, 2006-05-05 05:34 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]chaimonkey, 2006-05-05 05:24 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]marsdragon, 2006-05-06 02:33 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]ari_o, 2006-05-06 02:35 am UTC

(Anonymous)
2006-05-05 04:26 am UTC (link)
I think we need to start a fund to buy this chick a male prostitute...or at least a vibrator because she is wound so tightly if you stuck a lump of coal up her ass in a week you'd have diamond.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 04:36 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 03:57 pm UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2006-05-05 08:06 pm UTC



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