(no subject)

[martasfic]

A while ago I talked a bit about identifying black characters in Tolkien, and since then I've been making a bit of an effort to read blog entries and the like when they touch on Tolkien and race. This one really struck a chord. Well worth the read, especially if you're a white fan like me who's never had first-hand experience of this side of the fandom. (With all the usual provisos that this is just one person's experience, other fans may have different experiences, etc. Even so: very thought-provoking.

https://www.publicmedievalist.com/tolkien-fans-black-people/

Comments

[shirebound]

here is a seldom-discussed duality at play here. It is often employed by white fans to discredit Black fans in such fantasy fandom spaces

I've never had first-hand experience with this either, and never even knew it was out there. Thank you for this interesting read.

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Fabulous article and so very true. There are serious limitations in LOTRO, and Lord of the Rings is, unfortunately, a product of its' author and its' time. A revamp should be done to be more inclusive, it's far beyond time.

As an aside, I wanted to switch one of my characters to a bald look when I lost my hair, but even that is not an open option for any elven female in Lord of the Rings Online. Disappointed!

- Erulisse (one L)