I would not read any famous contemporary* book as it is for sure a very bad book. Such is the state of the art and the world today.
*I carefully picked the word contemporary as there is nothing modern in the contemporary literature.
October 27, 2007
Dumbledore vs Burma
I recently wrote my first reaction when I've heard that Dumbledore is gay here. So let me elaborate.
I believe it is part of being human that curiosity is rose by absurd, and a new title like "Dumbledore is Gay!" is absurd enough to get you read it. It happened to me as well. Also part of being human is the big probability that by the time you finished to read the absurd news you forgot that it was the absurd title that got you reading it and you get engaged in discussions on the user comments part of the site presenting the news as if it was actually "real" and something to be concerned about.
So there you go, all these reactions of teenagers (which by the way, are more likely not to be able to tell the difference between fact and fiction) and grownups about how Dumbledore is gay and how bad or good that is.
In the mean time people in Burma die. The news titles suggests that there is a bloody revolt of some sort happening in Burma. But this is not absurd is it? This does not attract ones attention as much as Dumbledore. Why? Because this is actually "normal" and we have gotten used to things like this happening everyday.
And this is truly sad! Because if we react to absurd news, we don't react to "normal" news like human rights violations in different parts of the world, or worse, people being killed because they fight for these basic rights for them and/or for their children.
Now why I do I care about what actually happens in Burma today and I am not very concerned about the sexual orientation of fiction characters?
Because it reminds me of Romania 20 years ago. It reminds me of the people that would give their lives for freedom. And I do not think the western world today understand what that means anymore.
It means that you wake up in the morning, you wash your face, you dress up, you think about all the injustice that happens to you, to your friends, to your family and you know they will all happen again today. But you also know that today you are not going to take it anymore, you also know that today you are so fed up with it that you would rather die than living one more day lacked by your freedom to be.
So you tie your shoes, you kiss your children and go in the streets marching for freedom. And you know you might not be back. And they know you might not be back. But you have to do it, if not for you, then for them waiting at home, hoping you will be back. And most probably he/she was never back.
Now just take a look at another part of the world. The most important, how they like to think of themselves: US. How many people in the US would have the strength to defend their freedom with their life? To be honest I think if the personal freedoms in the US would be threatened (and they are) they would sit on their fat asses and read about Dumbledore. The only thing that might get them to react would be a ban on McDonalds most probably. Europe is a bit different as people do react more asking their rights and not taking in all the crap from politicians, like the recent strike in France. But still...
Anyway I don't think that this is the fault of anybody. It might be the fault of the society for improper education, but not even that. Simply it is hard to understand what happens in Burma if you never experienced something similar. And this is the saddest thing. And this is why it is more interesting if Dumbledore is Christian or Muslim or heterosexual or homosexual.
And that person I was talking before, never came back home... and nothing in Burma has changed because of their sacrifice. Just that some parents are left without their child, or some children without their parent all in the dream of freedom. And the world leaders sleep well at night very aware of all that happens, and we sleep well at night not aware of much.
And Dumbledore is gay, and that is outrageous. Or is it?
I believe it is part of being human that curiosity is rose by absurd, and a new title like "Dumbledore is Gay!" is absurd enough to get you read it. It happened to me as well. Also part of being human is the big probability that by the time you finished to read the absurd news you forgot that it was the absurd title that got you reading it and you get engaged in discussions on the user comments part of the site presenting the news as if it was actually "real" and something to be concerned about.
So there you go, all these reactions of teenagers (which by the way, are more likely not to be able to tell the difference between fact and fiction) and grownups about how Dumbledore is gay and how bad or good that is.
In the mean time people in Burma die. The news titles suggests that there is a bloody revolt of some sort happening in Burma. But this is not absurd is it? This does not attract ones attention as much as Dumbledore. Why? Because this is actually "normal" and we have gotten used to things like this happening everyday.
And this is truly sad! Because if we react to absurd news, we don't react to "normal" news like human rights violations in different parts of the world, or worse, people being killed because they fight for these basic rights for them and/or for their children.
Now why I do I care about what actually happens in Burma today and I am not very concerned about the sexual orientation of fiction characters?
Because it reminds me of Romania 20 years ago. It reminds me of the people that would give their lives for freedom. And I do not think the western world today understand what that means anymore.
It means that you wake up in the morning, you wash your face, you dress up, you think about all the injustice that happens to you, to your friends, to your family and you know they will all happen again today. But you also know that today you are not going to take it anymore, you also know that today you are so fed up with it that you would rather die than living one more day lacked by your freedom to be.
So you tie your shoes, you kiss your children and go in the streets marching for freedom. And you know you might not be back. And they know you might not be back. But you have to do it, if not for you, then for them waiting at home, hoping you will be back. And most probably he/she was never back.
Now just take a look at another part of the world. The most important, how they like to think of themselves: US. How many people in the US would have the strength to defend their freedom with their life? To be honest I think if the personal freedoms in the US would be threatened (and they are) they would sit on their fat asses and read about Dumbledore. The only thing that might get them to react would be a ban on McDonalds most probably. Europe is a bit different as people do react more asking their rights and not taking in all the crap from politicians, like the recent strike in France. But still...
Anyway I don't think that this is the fault of anybody. It might be the fault of the society for improper education, but not even that. Simply it is hard to understand what happens in Burma if you never experienced something similar. And this is the saddest thing. And this is why it is more interesting if Dumbledore is Christian or Muslim or heterosexual or homosexual.
And that person I was talking before, never came back home... and nothing in Burma has changed because of their sacrifice. Just that some parents are left without their child, or some children without their parent all in the dream of freedom. And the world leaders sleep well at night very aware of all that happens, and we sleep well at night not aware of much.
And Dumbledore is gay, and that is outrageous. Or is it?
October 25, 2007
Dumbledore is NOT gay!
Dumbledore is...
Oh wait! Dumbledore never... was anything but fiction. And I never read the books anyway as there are plenty of better books to read and just this much time.
In the meantime people in Burma are being killed because they want to be free, people in Africa still die of hunger, forests are being destroyed... just the usual.
But hey, to hell with all that! Dumbledore is gay!
Oh wait! Dumbledore never... was anything but fiction. And I never read the books anyway as there are plenty of better books to read and just this much time.
In the meantime people in Burma are being killed because they want to be free, people in Africa still die of hunger, forests are being destroyed... just the usual.
But hey, to hell with all that! Dumbledore is gay!
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