Likewise -- I really enjoyed your participation over at fandebate.
Just a question for clarification about your hesitancy in applying this kind of analysis to LotR. I tend to resist the idea that "proper" analysis is incompatible with emotional investment. And I think that argument has gotten deployed with harmful and detrimental effects in fannish discussions of race -- especially the idea that fans of color are being oversensitive or inappropriately emotional (= angry). As if you can really have a meaningful, substantive discussion about racism without anyone ever feeling any emotions, or acknowledging their various investments.... Plus, the dismissals of critics of Martha's representation & race in Doctor Who as disgruntled shippers.
Passionate fans often make the best, most rigorous and insightful critics. And I get the sense that acafen have become more comfortable overall in refusing to suppress or disavow their fannishness in their academic work.
I'm certainly not assuming that you're reproducing the analytical/emotional divide -- I'd just like to hear more about your reasons for being hesitant to extend your analysis to LotR in this particular case. For me, I'd struggle with doing the kind of rhetorical analysis of race & racism in fan discussions of Doctor Who that you propose not because I'm too emotionally invested, but because I know too much. I'd have difficulty with a narrow focus that didn't allow me to also draw upon my broader knowledge of both the fandom & the show, to start with.
Not that I'm saying that your focus is too narrow! Especially since you're doing a cross-fandom analysis.
(Side note: I was really interested to stumble across the growing body of academic work using postcolonial theory to approach medieval studies -- seems promising for LotR!)
no subject
Likewise -- I really enjoyed your participation over at
Just a question for clarification about your hesitancy in applying this kind of analysis to LotR. I tend to resist the idea that "proper" analysis is incompatible with emotional investment. And I think that argument has gotten deployed with harmful and detrimental effects in fannish discussions of race -- especially the idea that fans of color are being oversensitive or inappropriately emotional (= angry). As if you can really have a meaningful, substantive discussion about racism without anyone ever feeling any emotions, or acknowledging their various investments.... Plus, the dismissals of critics of Martha's representation & race in Doctor Who as disgruntled shippers.
Passionate fans often make the best, most rigorous and insightful critics. And I get the sense that acafen have become more comfortable overall in refusing to suppress or disavow their fannishness in their academic work.
I'm certainly not assuming that you're reproducing the analytical/emotional divide -- I'd just like to hear more about your reasons for being hesitant to extend your analysis to LotR in this particular case. For me, I'd struggle with doing the kind of rhetorical analysis of race & racism in fan discussions of Doctor Who that you propose not because I'm too emotionally invested, but because I know too much. I'd have difficulty with a narrow focus that didn't allow me to also draw upon my broader knowledge of both the fandom & the show, to start with.
Not that I'm saying that your focus is too narrow! Especially since you're doing a cross-fandom analysis.
(Side note: I was really interested to stumble across the growing body of academic work using postcolonial theory to approach medieval studies -- seems promising for LotR!)