Hi. I don't mean to intrude by coming into your lj, but I might clarify my point from before, which I understand did cause you some problems.
My point wasn't so much with the issue that people ship something opposing to me: I might not have seen evidence of H/Hr or R/S in the books prior to HBP, but I can understand that some people might, and indeed, had those been the pairings to come out in HBP, it would neither have surprised or offended me.
I think the issue was a) firstly, the reaction of shippers who had their ship sunk: the threats, the libel, the out-there conspiracies that painted JKR in some very negative colours, and b) that people wanted the books, for whatever reason, to reflect their own moral values: in the case of the Harmonians, that they wanted JKR to show the pure, non-violent and righteous love of Harry and Hermione, and in the case of R/S shippers, that they wanted JKR to condemn homophobia with one fell swoop: neither of which are bad things in themselves, and are quite admirable, but when taken to extremes the matter really does reach that of a religious or social movement. (I always found H/Hr to be the exact opposite of R/S, mind, and I tend to talk out of my arse a lot. But you're free to delete this post should you wish.)
With the matter of R/S, I've seen shippers say that JKR has ruined a 'perfectly good gay character': that they wouldn't be a fan of Lupin if he were anything but gay; that her putting him into an ambiguous heterosexual relationship was definitive proof of her own homophobia (http://www.livejournal.com/users/a_white_rain/170466.html): claims which are pretty offensive and far-reaching. I know it certainly doesn't apply to the majority of R/S shippers, but there is a small and vocal minority who are acting with a particular vitriol in the aftermath of HBP.
It's the same way with H/Hr: there's a large group who have gone off on their merry ways to continue writing H/Hr and drawing their fanart, and for the most part you don't even know they're around. H/Hr shipping, on the other hand, is far more mild than what Harmony has turned out to be: this was really a pair that readers rallied around as being the high example of moral purity, and that the HP books, instead of being entertaining books for children and young adults, would be seen as some sort of bible for how romances should be. Angua's essay on the Harmonian mindset (http://www.livejournal.com/users/angua9/204545.html) should hopefully shed more light on this, and she herself differentiates between people who were fond of the pairing, and thought it might happen in fandom, and those who turned it into something different altogether.
I wish I were joking about comments about JKR being involved (http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/773990.html#cutid1) in Chinese abortions (http://www.livejournal.com/users/phoenixwriter/76666.html). I wish I could lie and say that some Harmonians didn't liken themselves to African slaves. (http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/772909.html?thread=73888045#t73888045) I also wish I could lie about people saying they'd have preferred JKR to have died in childbirth because of HBP. (That link to come: can't remember where I had it saved on my computer.)
But I can't say I was joking, because I would be a liar. Those aren't relationship theories, that is overreaching, untrue libel, trying to defame the author who brought them the characters that they shipped so strongly for years.
no subject
My point wasn't so much with the issue that people ship something opposing to me: I might not have seen evidence of H/Hr or R/S in the books prior to HBP, but I can understand that some people might, and indeed, had those been the pairings to come out in HBP, it would neither have surprised or offended me.
I think the issue was a) firstly, the reaction of shippers who had their ship sunk: the threats, the libel, the out-there conspiracies that painted JKR in some very negative colours, and b) that people wanted the books, for whatever reason, to reflect their own moral values: in the case of the Harmonians, that they wanted JKR to show the pure, non-violent and righteous love of Harry and Hermione, and in the case of R/S shippers, that they wanted JKR to condemn homophobia with one fell swoop: neither of which are bad things in themselves, and are quite admirable, but when taken to extremes the matter really does reach that of a religious or social movement. (I always found H/Hr to be the exact opposite of R/S, mind, and I tend to talk out of my arse a lot. But you're free to delete this post should you wish.)
With the matter of R/S, I've seen shippers say that JKR has ruined a 'perfectly good gay character': that they wouldn't be a fan of Lupin if he were anything but gay; that her putting him into an ambiguous heterosexual relationship was definitive proof of her own homophobia (http://www.livejournal.com/users/a_white_rain/170466.html): claims which are pretty offensive and far-reaching. I know it certainly doesn't apply to the majority of R/S shippers, but there is a small and vocal minority who are acting with a particular vitriol in the aftermath of HBP.
It's the same way with H/Hr: there's a large group who have gone off on their merry ways to continue writing H/Hr and drawing their fanart, and for the most part you don't even know they're around. H/Hr shipping, on the other hand, is far more mild than what Harmony has turned out to be: this was really a pair that readers rallied around as being the high example of moral purity, and that the HP books, instead of being entertaining books for children and young adults, would be seen as some sort of bible for how romances should be. Angua's essay on the Harmonian mindset (http://www.livejournal.com/users/angua9/204545.html) should hopefully shed more light on this, and she herself differentiates between people who were fond of the pairing, and thought it might happen in fandom, and those who turned it into something different altogether.
I wish I were joking about comments about JKR being involved (http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/773990.html#cutid1) in Chinese abortions (http://www.livejournal.com/users/phoenixwriter/76666.html). I wish I could lie and say that some Harmonians didn't liken themselves to African slaves. (http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/772909.html?thread=73888045#t73888045) I also wish I could lie about people saying they'd have preferred JKR to have died in childbirth because of HBP. (That link to come: can't remember where I had it saved on my computer.)
But I can't say I was joking, because I would be a liar. Those aren't relationship theories, that is overreaching, untrue libel, trying to defame the author who brought them the characters that they shipped so strongly for years.