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The HMS STFU - In Praise of Ron Weasley
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| | Subject: | In Praise of Ron Weasley | | Time: | 08:42 pm |
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| Because the fellow needs some defending after seeing what some of the Internet trolls are getting up to over R/Hr and so on.
First off, this is a Ron-POV fic I came across which presents him as an ordinary, level-headed person. Mind, it's humorous as hell, but still, it doesn't present him as a complete blockhead: Harry's Little Army of Psychos
Second off, I dug up ![[info]](http://www.journalfen.net/img/userinfo.gif) zoepaleologa's entry in which she writes a stirring defence of Ron.
Come one, come all - present your fic (or fic you've seen) and meta which shows Ron as a gentleman and scholar good friend to Harry and Hermione. :)
ETA: Modified some sentences to clarify that the fic I saw isn't mine, but was one of the first that came to mind when I wrote this entry. | comments: Poke a delusional shipper     |
azazello | | Subject: | my turn to ride the tealdeer | | Link: | (Link) | | Time: | 2009-10-05 09:41 am (UTC) |
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| Though I'm very last season in fandom - no one's wearing me... It's nice that someone liked my essay on Ron. :D
Okay, I've never understood people who come into fandom hating on characters. I got into fandom post OOTP and entered the fandom because I wanted to discuss it, and also wanted to discuss Snape. I still think there's a market for sane Snape discussion, except that we'd get the crazies bamfing in, in no time at all. My definition of crazy Snapefen includes anyone who takes issue with the way his character panned out in book 7. Rowling was the author, she wrote it that way, suck it up and deal.
But we were talking about Ron. I just don't get how anyone could dislike a boy who was the first person of similar age to show kindness to Harry. It's as simple as that what Ron is and is for.
In actual fact, when I sat down and thought this over earlier today, I realised I actually liked all the characters one way or another. Not in the sense of thinking them perfect, but as a pretty fun cast that ran the gamut of moral standing from one end of the scale to another. I even ended up sorta liking Lucius and Narcissa after book seven, because they weren't some pair of racist aristos at the end of it (besides anyone with an eye for this sort of thing can tell Lucius' money comes from trade), but just a pair of parents whose emotional touchstone was their son. And who in reality could hate people like that? I think Rowling wrote fairly stereotypical archetypal characters (which is right for a children's book series) but with a few ambiguous bells and whistles to make it fun reading for us grownups, but they're a rich selection for all that.
Ron hate can only stem from two things:
1. He's a danger to your shipping
2. You haven't read the books before you saw the movies and therefore buy the OOCness of that buffoon, Kloves.
Everytime I try to deal with badfic or other Ron hate, my mind comes back to three defining Ron moments:
1. The first friending on the Hogwarts Express.
2. The chess game. This boy thinks strategically. He can win a chess game for his and his friends' lives! How on earth can he be dumb?
3. The 'let's rescue the House Elves' bit in the final battle bit in book 7. That, for the benefit of those people who see R/Hr as a potentially abusive relationship is the reason they are going to stay happy. Because Ron was able to get over centuries of wizarding entrenched view for the sake of Hermione. Small wonder she almost hugged him to death!
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| I have a LOT I'd like to say on this subject but for now I'll just focus on one of my pet peeves post-DH - all of the Ron haters making such a big bloody deal about how ridiculous it was that Ron was able to get into the Chamber of Secrets. They all seemed to assume that out of nowhere he could speak Parseltongue, etc., etc., etc., and that led to no end of bitching.
So I wrote a fic to follow Ron and Hermione on their little Chamber adventure, thinking maybe a bit of logic would help (needless to say it didn't).
http://clawed-fics.livejournal.com/9728.html#cutid1 | | (Reply to this) (Thread) |
gmth | | Link: | (Link) | | Time: | 2009-10-05 05:21 pm (UTC) |
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| I'll just focus on one of my pet peeves post-DH - all of the Ron haters making such a big bloody deal about how ridiculous it was that Ron was able to get into the Chamber of Secrets.
OMG, this. If he'd come up with some complex sentence construction that only an intimate knowledge of the language could account for, okay. But a single word that he'd heard Harry say just a few days earlier in the forest when they were trying to open the locket Horcrux? Please. So ridiculous. I've often wondered if those same people got bent out of shape when Kirk spoke an entire sentence in Klingon in one of the Trek movies. I had to AdBlock a friend's icon (a big DH hater) on my LJ flist because it said something stupid like, "Parseltongue isn't French." Grar. | | (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread) |
| lol, how do they know it's not like French? It's a language. A language people can hear. If Harry kept saying the same damn word over and over again, then obviously anyone can pick it up!
Not to mention, he was talking to a sink that was charmed to recognize a sound, not a snake. I could speak Spanish into a one of those toys or gadgets that recognize sounds, and it's going to give me the point without needing to know I'm fluent in the language.
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| (Anonymous) | | Link: | (Link) | | Time: | 2009-10-05 07:33 pm (UTC) |
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| True to be told, most of the time these gadgets are more difficult to use that people expect. I'm Spanish and my Nintendo DS don't obey me in English because I say "red" with a too hard "r". A good pronunciation is the hardest part of learning a new language.
But, who knows? maybe "open" is a easier word in reptilian, maybe Ron was very lucky. The fun part is that people don't have problem in them riding a freaking dragon without too much trouble and they nitpick this tiny detail.
Wwolf_87 | | (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread) |
| (Anonymous) | | Link: | (Link) | | Time: | 2009-10-12 12:52 pm (UTC) |
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| He also heard it back in the second book when they were trying to save Ginny.
To be slightly fair, it's been said that Parseltongue is a magic ability and not an usual language can been learned. Then again we have Dumbledore repeating a sentence and JKR saying he understands it fully, so... yeah.
- crowsilike @LJ | | (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread) |
| (Anonymous) | | Link: | (Link) | | Time: | 2009-10-05 02:30 pm (UTC) |
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| Baranduyn wrote a rather nice Ron defence, and another one for the Weasleys in general (they're all under 'Baranduyn's Rants' in Memories).
As for fic....anyone who likes Ron and hasn't read Jadea's 'The Grim' needs to. www.fanfiction.net/u/256780/ | | (Reply to this) (Thread) |
| (Anonymous) | | Link: | (Link) | | Time: | 2009-10-05 03:59 pm (UTC) |
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| I'll admit I was almost deliriously happy when he was made a prefect in OOTP. He needed that. Besides the fact he needed chances to shine on his own, he saw how happy his mother was and that even after five brothers he could still do something to be proud of. And I just smiled at how he treated the badge, without being as stuck-up about it as Percy was.
- theorclair | | (Reply to this) (Thread) |
steph313 | | Subject: | teal deer, anyone?? | | Link: | (Link) | | Time: | 2009-10-05 05:24 pm (UTC) |
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| Ron Weasley is single-handedly the best character in that series. And he's always been my favorite since he first appeared on page, but the level of irrational hatred he gets has honestly made me adore him. The same can be said on my opinions of Ginny, tbh. Both started out as characters I enjoyed seeing on page, but the fandom has made me love them a little more than reading the book could; they've made me look into why I love these characters so much when it comes time to defend them, and they've made me like them more. :)
And when it comes to Ron/Hermione, it's funny. I read over on...I want to say fandom secrets, where a person--someone I've noticed is a H/Hr fan and has a particular hard-on for Hermione--said, "Most R/Hr fans are just Ron lovers who want their precious Ron to get what he wants. They don't even care about Hermione."
Which, funnily enough, got me to thinking. Even if that were true, besides the obvious, "well, clearly Ron fans love Ron enough to root for him getting what he wants, whereas this particular Hermione and H/Hr fan doesn't even like Hermione enough to root for her getting what she wants..." it made me think how true that statement may be.
I'll fully admit that I've never really liked Hermione. I mean, I like her within the realm of the trio and I like her added dynamic to the group, but as a character, her personality, I...am not a fan. She's not someone I would hang out with, where as if I were fictional, I'd want to be Ron's best friend. At the same time, I love R/Hr. I have since the second book (before Hermione really started to grate on me). So, even though all the pieces are there--1) I love Ron, 2) I don't like Hermione, 3) I, of course, want Ron to kick ass and get everything he wants--was that the reason I shipped R/Hr?
After mulling it over for a couple minutes, I realized that despite my opinions of Hermione, the times I do like her is when she's acting normal. HBP is very humanizing of Hermione--she gets her heart broken, she's frustrated with school (ala, Harry beating in potions), she gets petty over a boy. She shows us she's not some robot, and it's almost always Ron bringing those qualities out in her. I mean, there are plenty of stories out there where a character I like loves someone and yet it's unrequited; I don't then feel the need to ship the pair because that's what my character wants. I could have easily gone that way with Ron and Hermione, but dammit, there's just something utterly adorable about those two. I think JKR did a great job showing how they bring out sides of each other that no one else can do, which shows they're reaching each other on a different level. Not to mention, those two grow and change together better than anyone in the series does. That's a HUGE factor in successful relationships.
So no, I don't ship R/Hr because I just want Ron to get what he wants. Maybe some people do, but for as much as I don't like Hermione, she never managed to turn me off to her and Ron being together. | | (Reply to this) (Thread) |
| (Anonymous) | | Subject: | Re: teal deer, anyone?? | | Link: | (Link) | | Time: | 2009-10-05 07:42 pm (UTC) |
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| Hermione's my favorite character and I love R/hr to death. Of course, I really like Ron too. I ship it because it makes them BOTH happy, thank you very much. They clearly really care about each other, and I love their dynamic. So no, that claim is absolutely not true. A lot of R/Hr's I knew back in the day hardcore loved Hermione too.
-Nev | | (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread) |
angakkuq | | Subject: | Re: teal deer, anyone?? | | Link: | (Link) | | Time: | 2009-10-05 11:41 pm (UTC) |
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| THIS.
Additionally, that comment from the H/Hr shipper is very telling. Couldn't you argue that for the majority of Harry/Hermione shippers are "just Hermione-lovers who want their precious Hermione to get what she deserves for putting up with Ron all those years" and that "they don't even care about Harry"? | | (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread) |
| (Anonymous) | | Link: | (Link) | | Time: | 2009-10-05 06:02 pm (UTC) |
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| I must admit, when I first entered the Harry Potter fandom, it was the intense hate of Ron that confused me the most. He's Ron- he's sweet, sensible, sane, loyal, intelligent (no matter what his detractors may say) and a generally nice guy. He was Harry's friend same-age friend and helped guide him through the Wizarding World at first. Despite what some say, Ron and Hermione are friends, and do share similar interests (debating is an interest). Yes, he does do stupid things, but for the love of all that is holy, he's a teenage boy. Go and find me a teenager, male or not, that hasn't said something hurtful, insulted a friend, or acted like a jerk. Go find me anyone who hasn't said something hurtful, insulted a friend, or acted like a jerk. I'll be waiting.
To be honest, he's always been my favorite of the Trio. Sure, I like Harry; I wouldn't be reading the series if I didn't like the main character (the crazier Snapefen, take note). Hermione reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger, and that can be hard to read, but that doesn't mean I don't love all the Trio. But it's Ron who I adored, from when he was an eleven-year-old facing down a Transfigured queen to help his friends, to his declaration that the house elves need to escape before the final battle.
[/insane rant-wank] Ahem, I think I was trying to say that I liked the essay, but went temporarily mad.
-CallMeBeat | | (Reply to this) (Thread) |
| (Anonymous) | | Link: | (Link) | | Time: | 2009-10-06 07:56 am (UTC) |
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| Incoming bias, as Ron is my favorite character. :)
Two things that bug me about Ron's treatment in fandom:
1) The type of people who insist that Ron is the type of person to be abusive and "keep Hermione barefoot and pregnant" (obviously, the last has been proven wrong, but that won't stop the crazies). First off, I don't think I can name someone less likely to be abusive in the books than Ron. He respects Hermione too much. However, according to fanbrats, in order to respect Hermione, one has to agree with everything she says. Disagreement is "abuse." e.e
Now, on to the second point. As I said, Ron respects Hermione. He respects that she is bright, that she thinks ahead. Heck, even her SPEW efforts subconsciously rubbed off on him, so while he may not agree with all of SPEW, she also helped him challenge some of his thoughts.
Plus, anyone who believes that Ron could keep her from being busy is delusional (yeah, I said it). Ron, despite having red hair, is actually relatively chill. If anything, Hermione would, excuse the expression, wear pants in their relationship. ;)
2) Something that intrigues and annoys me is that so many people go "Oh, Ron isn't good enough for Hermione, he would be terrible towards Hermione...she should've ended up with Draco instead!"
It just makes me believe that if Ron were described as "prettier" (maybe not a redhead? there seems to be a lot of redhead hate in the fandom for reasons I can't fathom) and richer, he wouldn't be hated nearly as much.
In conclusion: I'd much rather date a Ron than a Draco or a Snape, thank you very much.
[/thoughts on yaoi]
-Simplefaith
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| The funny thing is the "pretty" thing is completely a fandom creation, since Draco, I remember correctly, is discribed as having a "pointed-face" and "cold eyes". Even JKR has said something along the lines of, "You're all picturing Tom Felton, because Draco in the story isn't the type of boy you'd say these things about..."
IMO, it's all about the rich thing. It seems money makes it okay to be with someone who actually does abuse you.
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| Yeah. Kinda sad. But then there were Draco fangirls before the movies came out--wasn't the Draco Trilogy written just after GF?
I guess some girls went for Ferret-boy before the movies came out--the movies just brought more of 'em. | | (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread) |
| Re Draco Trilogy, I think so.
Then again Cassandra Claire was more interested in showing off how much literature she could nick and still keep her fan following. :P | | (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread) |
lakme | | Link: | (Link) | | Time: | 2009-10-08 04:07 am (UTC) |
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| There are also Voldemort fangirls and he's Wizard Hitler.
Some people just have a thing for evil, mean characters. Hell, I shouldn't talk, I'm pretty much in love with Iago from Othello. | | (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread) |
| | The Voldemort fangirling thing really freaks me out, especially when I see people putting Dark Marks on their arms. I don't know why it affects me on such a visceral level. | | (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread) |
| | Because he's Wizard Hitler? It's the equivelent of carving a swastika in your arm (the non-Eastern religion kind). | | (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread) |
| :O
I worked up the nerve to google people who have Dark Marks on their arms and I was appalled at how many of them are like OOH I FEEL COOL WITH THIS TATTOO.
I think I feel some teal deer meta coming on. If I can write it without freezing my face in a D: expression. | | (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread) |
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The HMS STFU - In Praise of Ron Weasley
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