Lovecraft vs. Rowling

I have briefly covered how I can't stand J.K. Rowling due to her spearheading efforts to disenfranchise trans people (check it out here *bats eyelashes*). And that has taken me out of being able to enjoy Harry Potter. I just can't do it.

For the record, I understand that Harry Potter is extremely important to a lot of people. And, ironically, the Harry Potter fan base is exceptionally inclusive. For many, it is a formative memory that is extremely hard to part with.

Pictured: One of the leading anti-trans activists in the world.

My personal recommendation for people who want to enjoy Harry Potter but also want to be socially responsible is to try to purchase unlicensed or used materials; that way the money doesn't go to good 'ol JK. If you have to purchase something official and new (like that new Hogwarts game or something), I recommend simultaneously donating the purchase price (plus a touch more) to LGBTQ+ organizations. Think of it like carbon credits, but for assholes.

However, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. One of my favorite authors is equally, if not more, problematic: H.P. Lovecraft.

Pictured: Another literary figure with a lot of baggage.

For the uninitiated, Lovecraft was not just one of the biggest literary figures in the early 20th century, but was also an extreme racist. Though you can partially blame this on the era (though that still doesn't make it right), Lovecraft was racist even for the time, which is saying something. I mean, his cat's name was n***** -man. And he continued to call black cats that slur for the rest of his life. And, unlike Harry Potter (though Rowling is guilty of this in other books), Lovecraft also integrated some of these beliefs into his work through clumsy metaphors and outright racism (for a good article on his racism in general, see here).

So, one of the issues I had to square with myself was: How could I enjoy the works of Lovecraft while denouncing Rowling?

One of the first things I do is recognize the racism in his work for what it is: horrible. When reading Lovecraft's works, it is important to recognize and mentally set it apart from the rest of the work. This has also been a guiding principle for current adaptations of his work. For example, the game The Sunken City incorporates multiple stories from Lovecraft. The game does include racism - including various appearances by KKK members. However, these aspects are correctly cast as negative, some of the game's quests even have you killing KKK members en masse (super cathartic). Similarly, the TV show Lovecraft Country centers around people of color, turning the racism on its head, This deviation from the original work is a good way of utilizing the interesting ideas from Lovecraft while denouncing the negative aspects.

Pictured: The Sunken City, where the racists are the bad guys.

Another way that I am able to enjoy Lovecraft versus Rowling is that Lovecraft is dead. Indeed, he has been dead for so long, his works are in the public domain. Thus, when purchasing his work, it does not go back to him. Another perk of Lovecraft being dead is that he is not actively advocating for his racist positions. On the other hand, Rowling is not only alive (and therefore gets the money associated with her books), but she has continued to actively advocate for the removal of trans rights. Dead men tell no slurs.

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These are the things I tell myself to help me sleep at night; well, as much as I can sleep after reading existential horror. I (obviously) think these reasons are enough to differentiate the works of these two problematic authors, but I recognize the inherent tension in my position.

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Further Edit: As I continue to read more Lovecraft, it has become clear that some of the racism still bleeds into the stories. Apparently dead men can tell slurs. However, the other points stand and being aware of this bias helps separate it out upon reading.

Also, I found out there is apparently an actual church centered around Lovecraftian archetypes who consider him a prophet. They have a hilarious domain name too at fucc.it, which stands for the First United Church of Cthulhu. My browser is having trouble pulling up the webpage now (not spooky at all) but I do remember seeing the full website.

And lastly, don't feel like you have to do the donations I mentioned. She has more than enough money that it doesn't really matter. But, you know, it's still a good cause and can help you mentally feel better that you aren't directly supporting Rowling. Fight the good fight and all that.