BOYCOTTING - Are You A Bad Person If You Don't? THE GOOD PLACE Analysis + Reactions | 1x3
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- čas přidán 11. 09. 2024
- Is it worth it or a waste of time? Let's dig into it. My review & commentary for "Tahani Al-Jamil".
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I think this conversation of 'it's too hard' goes hand in hand with complacency through comfort. I've talked about this somewhere on my channel before, that at a certain level of life if people are at a certain level of comfort going outside of that or forsaking that in any way becomes extremely 'hard'. It's not hard, but it becomes what people are used to. To be more specific, I've often talked about how the restrictions on protest in England are extremely worrying and impact our rights in a 'free' country, and how so many people don't seem to care. It's an 'I don't protest so why should I care' kind of mentality. An 'I'm comfortable over here in my house and with my family' so why should I care? I think you can put a lot of reasons for apathy today down to this idea of a lot of people being too comfortable or used to the comfort they enjoy, however that looks for each individual.
Is this inherently a bad thing? No. I think we can all agree it's a coveted thing. So many people have a car, a TV, the Internet, food on the table. We live in an age where every food spice known to man is largely available to everyone. The 'common' person lives now as kings and queens would hundreds of years ago. And I think opting to go to a different restaurant or buy a different video game comes under this category of people being so used to having everything, the idea of giving one of those things up when they don't technically have to becomes this thing that makes a lot of people angry. They're too used to having it all and won't give it up for anything. I think this is where the anger and the apathy stems from, at least partly.
Am I immoral for watching a clip of a person with one leg run the American Ninja Warrior course, after Drew Dreschel (in the background) gets arrested for sexual assault? I do not think so.
The amputee is innocent. They should be allowed to inspire more people. This is despite what Drew did.
However, what is immoral is me looking up Drew Dreschel's full runs; outside of statistical purposes. I can watch his footage from the Ninja Leauge, because it is not editable from the rest of the video; due to relationship & context of setting.
And not allowing fans who want to watch the full video, to endure such consequences; is cruel. What should be done is to fast forward his run, with a written disclaimer on screen of the event.
Then we mute the sound when his face is being shown during innocent runners' attempts. Similarly, we do not nationally broadcast his run during ANW 11.
But we have to show Daniel Gil's Stage 4 attempt, which mentions it. This is needed for continuity within the film. So why have Drew's Stage 4 attempt preserved online?
It is the simple fact that total victory is an athletic feat so rare, that it forces his clear of Stage 4 to be preserved; simply to understand why the course of Stages 1-3 were so challenging, during seasons after.
Another reason why his runs have to be shown recently is him being so prevalent in the show, before his public arrest was made. There is a grandfathered contract to show these episodes in full; during a writers' strike; of which one is active currently.
Every showing after the first, a false sound or visual edit could be added; but the sharing of public knowledge is (or at least should) guaranteed (or at least guarded/protected). This does not mean the viewing of them should be abused.
Every time I pull up a video with Drew, I call him Drew Dreschel. I tell _why throw their whole life away?_ I use it as a warning of *what not to do,* in an act to help random strangers.
And me using footage of him for _solely_ these purposes is okay. But if I start enjoying videos of him for his athletic talent, and yearn for his return; I have crossed the line: that is not public reform, that is public disgrace.
This does not mean we judge all ninjas mistakes. If a ninja had robbed banks in the past; but they use ninja warrior competitions as a coping skill, to help them rehabilitate; and this is done during their parole: they should be applauded, for reaching out for help.
It is the outlook of where someone is going, and not where they are that you should judge on. A couple of DUIs does not constitute one facility.
But one sexual assault can ruin it all. The real question is how much leeway the rehabilitated should be allowed? But this is a discussion for another lecture.
"There is no ethical consumption under capitalism" is a very true statement. However, I find it tiresome when used to justify taking no action whatsoever, or as some kind of "gotcha". I always think of that comic panel exchange between the labourer in the field saying "we should improve society somewhat" and a smug smiling person popping out of a well to say, "and yet you participate in society! Curious! I am very smart."
I use a smart phone. I am fully aware of the exploitative labour that went into its creation, from mining the materials to its fabrication, and the carbon footprint of it getting to the nearest Apple store to me. However, not using a smart phone would make it very difficult for me to exist and interact with society. That's a step I simply cannot take for myself, but I respect those who have organized their life in such a way to not need one.
However, I have been able to get rid of my need for Amazon! I live in an urban area with individual local businesses that deliver, so I can get cumbersome items delivered and maintain a car-fee lifestyle while supporting local businesses. But I recognize that I have been able to do so because of the virtue of where I live and the amenities available to me. Amazon has positioned itself to be the lifeblood of many rural areas of North America, and I don't fault anyone who hasn't been able to make this choice.
All this to say is that all we can do is the best with the resources and information we have. And also, trans rights!
The amount of times "no ethical consumption" is just brought in as a justification of cynicism, or an excuse for apathy though!
Oh, hey.
🏳⚧⚧
Tyler you were born to react to and analyze this series and I'm here for it.
The problem with Chidi’s manuscript isn’t that he revised his manuscript and changed bits but that he changed his view point and just kept on writing - that’s why it got to 3600 pages and wasn’t finished.
Exactly. He should’ve published it in volumes, or an updated version, or something to that effect.
Listening to you explaining your perspective and PLEASE KEEP GOING with this show all the way to end. It has so much to say about the points you made! I won’t say more so as not to spoil anything, but this show is quite profound and complex actually.
Honestly, your ethical breaks have such Chidi energy. I'm really enjoying them.
I always love the thought you put into whatever thematic ideas the show brings up!
"I'm freakin' out, homie!" cracks me up every time. 😄
I am loving this series so much! I also really love all the colors you’ve got going on with the art, curtains, chair, vest… so lovely!
Thank you! 😊
My thoughts towards boycotts generally is, most companies are fucked up, just due to our economic system. However, a boycott is an organised effort, which i feel makes it a lot more powerful. Therefore, even though there's problems with every company, it's much more important to not buy from somewhere if there's an ongoing boycot
That being said, there can be valid reasons for buying from somewhere that's being boycotted. The idea I always think of is, if someone has something such as Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, where their diet is very restrictive, and one of the only things they currently can eat is only accesible at a place being boycotted, then I think it's understandable to buy from there.
Ultimately, my feelings on it is, you should try your best to participate in ongoing boycotts. There are situations where people can't, but if it isn't very difficult for you to do so, you should do so
My feelings on boycotts are twofold:
1. Boycotting can be a valid form of collective protest or pressure to make a company/organization change a harmful behavior, if enough consumers all do it at the same time.
2. Boycotting on your own (independent of a larger group effort) can also be completely valid, because sometimes it's just as simple as saying "I don't want to contribute to this harmful thing; I don't want to be part of that problem, just on principle" without any expectation that your boycott will actually affect the company itself.
I tend to think of it in the same way I think about NOT donating money to certain extremist politicians who I find to be horrible/destructive. Do I think my lack of donation will singlehandedly bankrupt those politicians and stop them from doing harm? No, obviously not. But I still don't want to lend money or support to those awful people, because why the hell would I? Personal boycotts are exactly the same principle.
Well put, that's largely how I feel but I hadn't managed to put it into words as effectively.
"The more of this I watch, the less I'm on Eleanor's side" - This is a good thing! She's not a good person! Things that she does are meant to be... Disagreeable :)
The boycott issue I find endlessly complex. Regarding Hogwarts legacy... I have 2 trans friends, and they both bought it. So can we say that they're no longer trans allies? I think obviously we can't. Now maybe that could just be chalked up to them not being engaged in this discourse around JKR.... Or maybe they've concluded not ethical consumption under capitalism and are just doing what they want. But I don't have a clear stance on that particular issue as a result, despite being gay and surrounded by LGBTQ folks. I do understand that it's important to plenty of other trans people as well, so I try to focus on that, but my personal circle has complicated any clarity I thought existed on the issue.
Alsooo..... Some of the things you said are going to come up in a big way later. Not elaborating. But I want you to see it all right now so badlyyyy!!!! And just to throw you off a little, some other things you've guessed are completely wrong, so you don't have it all worked out either. You have both correct and incorrect insights! It's a good position to be in to enjoy the show :P
This series was made for you to react to.
hey did you know you can be trans and have internalised transphobia? If a woman votes against equal pay at her company then she is not a feminist ally, if a black person buys MAGA merchandise they are not a black ally. If a trans person puts money into the pocket of a famous person who uses that money to attack and demonise trans people then they are not a trans ally. Humans are very capable of not being allys to their own communities. so yeah i would say your friends can't be called trans ALLYS, and i would say That is Obvious. Being a part of the demographic under attack doesn't exempt you from harming it with your actions.
Right there with you on the HP thing. It’s the only reason I survived my childhood (escapism) but as a gay person, wanting to support my community, it was insanely easy to not buy Legacy.
And thank you for sharing. I know that a hot take can get you roasted, but I appreciate it all the same. I think it speaks volumes about your character
Reading between the lines a bit (and bringing my own small philosophy education to the table) it seems like the problem with Chidi's manuscript (aside from being terribly written) is that it describes philosophical positions without (ultimately) creating or taking any philosophical positions. "If I just put every single idea next to every single other idea, the truth will become evident!"
At the apex of philosophical education (having a prestigious terminal degree, published thesis, tenured faculty, writing) its time to start drawing some fences around what frameworks you consider most "fruitful" or "interesting" (or worse, "useful," or, God forbid, "true") and why. It's also time to start assuming your target audience is aware of "the critiques of the critiques" and have already done their fair share of bashing ideas against each other so that you can get your ideas out there in 400 pages instead of 4000.
It seems appropriate that this is in the same episode as the boycotting discussion. Chidi was incapable of decisive intellectual action as Eleanor was incapable of decisive moral action.
Please do the whole series.
On it!
Absolutely loving these Good Place reactions!!
You getting in the weeds about the ethical debates is absolutely what this show wants. You don't need to apologize about it at all. And you're going to love the conversation that this show has WITH ITSELF for the next four seasons about what it is to be good. Obviously I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that you are meant to feel conflicted about these "truths" as they are presented and to think deeply about them. You're doing it right.
i think usually harry potter is a really great example because the nuances that come up in the conversation tend to be around “well what about autistic people who have hp as a special interest” or something like that. i think it’s really important to talk abt stuff like that! i’m autistic and my lifelong special interest is buffy, joss whedon is a bad person. the important thing to do is to 1. acknowledge not only that but also the effect his views had on the show and 2. not financially support it. all the buffy dvds and stuff i have i’ve had for years, any type of merch i get is unofficial and the only new content i consume is fanfiction. i think that there is one of the best ways to get around supporting the morally bankrupt creator of something you love - fandom! you get that content without supporting that person. i have more to say abt this but this is already way too long for a yt comment lmao
While I don't always agree with your views of whatever topics pop up during your reactions, I thoroughly enjoy listening to your reasoning. Keep at it!
"Who died and left Aristotle in charge of ethics?" might be one of my favourite jokes in just about any show.
Excellent, really enjoyable analysis. This wonderful show appears to be perfect for you. Also love your thoughts on empathy.
I feel like a good way to describe the good place is the end of every episode feels like a season final cause of how many twist and turns there are along the way lol
When I first watched this series, I really bumped off of Chidi. Which, being autistic with GAD is kind of freaking ironic. Tyler, as always, I love your takes on these characters. Everyone deserves a certain amount of empathy or compassion, and it's lovely seeing your views on this (especially when you 180 in an episode 😂😂😂) I love all of your points on ethics and critical thinking! Thanks so much for a lovely reaction!
Commentary is what makes reactions interesting. I love hearing your thoughts!
I like your take on boycotts and largely agree with you. I do my best to avoid "bad" companies, but of course it is not always possible.
Tyler...I assume it is a version of "tailor?" Not sure. Jewish names tend to also be either location based (like my ancestors, the Lubans, named for Lake Lubanas) or profession based (Goldsmith, etc.).
I love this show and your reactions are very entertaining and thoughtful. Thank you!
The bit from 15:32 to 18:28 is an outstanding piece of philosopy I do want to say, it's great
I can understand boycotting everything except art and music, because I value art and music for my own interpretation of it and don't endorse it for the artist, but for the art
I also want to say thank you for supporting trans people. I know it shouldn't be a big deal, but it feels like a big deal. When it feels like the loudest voices are against us, it means a lot to hear people say they care and support us.
I'm so sorry that it is a big deal ❤️
i’m gonna need you to go back and rewatch your reactions after you’ve finished the show because damn!
Tahani's diary has a forward from Malala Yousafzai and Kylie Minogue! Amazing, I never noticed that before.
I boycott when I truly feel like I just can’t support something any more. Otherwise, it feels like lip service or just trying to show off how good I am. I’m cishet white and that means I have a duty to use any privilege I have to help out, but I never want to be insincere. I never want to be one of those people who decides that another group should be offended or should boycott when I’m not part of their community. I never want to make it about ME, if that makes sense. The best way to do that seems to be when I feel that I personally can’t support something any more, I don’t. For example, I just can’t get into anything Harry Potter any more. Rowling doesn’t just have views I disagree with, she is ACTIVE in trying to force those views on others.
The best example is Louis CK. I was SUCH a massive fan. I genuinely listened to his comedy every day and there was a particular bit he did that would calm me during panic attacks (hard to explain).
Then his behavior was revealed in the Me Too movement. At first, I just wasn’t fully on board with dropping him. He was saying he always asked first and didn’t understand that his position of power meant they couldn’t say no. I honestly kinda bought that. If I’d jumped on “canceling” him at that stage, how much support could I have been when I didn’t really agree? And it was tricky to know why to do because I’m not just female, but a pretty loud feminist. At that point, hypocrisy seemed to wait in whatever choice I made.
But over time, his responses to the incident just turned me away completely. I forget how many times he talked about the women admiring him in his “apology”? And then he just whines about all the money he lost. He just sounded like a big baby who STILL didn’t get it. So now I truly am repulsed by him and my cutting his comedy from my life is sincere. I can express why I feel that way, because I truly DO feel that way.
I’m very depressed and sleepy today, so I hope this came close to making sense.
This is my favorite show, btw. Can’t wait to see more episodes.
16:53 There's a quote from a vietnam protestor I heard once that goes something like "I don't do this because I think I can change the world, I do it so the world won't change me" and I think that has a fundamental morality to it that a lot of people want to logic away. Oh, if it's not going to really make that big of an impact there's no point, it's not logical, you can't really change anything etc etc but if I order starbucks or mcdonalds or whatever, I'LL KNOW, even if no one else does. And I think that's significant. Some people might be able to live with themselves, but I can't. My morality doesn't need to be "logical" or "productive" or whatever else for it to be moral.
Omg. As I was listening to your point about boycotts and the harry potter game, an ad for that exact game popped up and interrupted you.
I disagree with the statement that boycotting takes no effort.
The effort is not in taking or not taking a certain action. like in your example buying the video game or not. The effort is in knowing what things to boycot and why. learning about the person behind the game, reading about the different sides, having an already well defined opinion on the matter and holding the opinions and actions of this person up to your own well defined values. this whole process takes a lot of effort, especially if you want to apply that to everything in life.
It's MUCH easier to say "I dont care" and just not look into any of it and just buy whatever you want to buy. MUCH easier.
If your life is already challenging, I will be the last person to judge you on where you choose to get your products. Judging people on what they boycot is in my opinion really shallow and shows you really dont have a lot to worry about in life. And shows you cant really put yourself in the shoes of someone that just cant bring up the time and energy to research social issues outside of their personal sphere.
Just wanted to say (don't take this as a hate comment) that I'm a little bothered by the "there are other things" argument. Idk how people feel about their favorite drinks but I'm deeply connected to fiction, on a bigger level than most people are. And when I have a favourite, it's often impossible to replace, like, no anime comforted me as much as Fruits Basket did. And the other book or game won't be the same story about the same world. It's the Harry Potter some fans want. For me boycott would be a sacrifice, as pathetic as it sounds, not something "easy" to do (easy is a very subjective term anyway).
Ofc there are libraries and gameplays so I'm probably being sensitive over a word choice but oh well.
Since I've decided to spoken up, I'd like to agree with what you've said in the reaction to previous episode. I believe it's important to remember feelings are something you don't control at all. If we start saying mean things because we're angry, that's a bad thing to do as we can hurt other people. But why would we try to blame ourselves for just experiencing feelings? It works automatically. That's also why I'm disappointed by those (I've seen some, mainly on Tumblr) that shame HP fans who do boycott Rowling but still love the story. Since when can you stop liking something? Like, I wouldn't be pleased if someone broke my morals too but it's ridiculous to expect everyone to suddenly start hating something and forget it ever existed. And the ones sending death threats don't seem like good people either.
When it comes to the show, I enjoyed it a lot, it's very interesting and made me reflect on some things. Chidi's a pretty relatable character with his anxiety and Janet is hilarious.
Just to clarify on some points here, it's not a 'you should hate Harry Potter now' stance I'm taking. I don't think asking people not to like a fictional world is productive, and taking a stance against JK doesn't necessarily translate to hating the Harry Potter world. At the same time, you've hit the nail on the head. It isn't easy.
I've put it in a reply to another comment so to summarise - Harry Potter was integral to me and literally has shaped who I am today. I literally just didn't read before HP, and through loving books and always having a book that I was reading I turned to writing. This changed my whole trajectory as a kid. I was sporty, captain of the football team, always pegged to go into sport at University. I ended up studying English and creative writing.
Turning to the creative side of things is likely what prepared me to be in a place to do the thing I always really wanted but never had the confidence to try - acting. The reason I chose to focus my CZcams channel the way I did was because I studied English and creative writing so I had the groundwork for analysis built in.
My entire life and how it's gone can all be traced back to picking up that first Harry Potter book. It was integral to me, deeply fundamental and important to me. I don't say this for any reason other than to communicate that I'm not a bystander in this. I'm not suggesting people do something while I look on from a neutral perspective. I'm in this. It WAS a sacrifice for me.
I don't say any of this with ire or anger towards you by the way, but to explain. Me taking a stance against JK and any future works doesn't invalidate my life's journey. I'm not saying I should look back at my life and be regretful considering where a lot of who I am came from, considering JK's actions now. I don't. What I'm saying is, I understand people still loving the world or the books or whatever they held dear to them before JK revealed herself in full TERFdom.
What I'm saying is that moving forward, how we navigate this space should and can be changed considering what's come to light. And it IS hard. Considering my personal stake as noted above, it devastated me the way it tarnished that world in my mind. But it didn't take away everything it's given me up until this point. And if people still have the books and still read them, not for her, but for whatever comfort they garner from the world and the characters, then I personally don't see an issue with that.
My stance is the way it is because trans people's lives are worth much more than holding on to an IP/book series. When the stakes are as high as that it changes things. Considering that context, I don't feel like saying 'there are other things' is that controversial.
I grew up in an era where boycotting was largely a tool of right-wing evangelicals, giving me a mixed assessment of them. On the one hand, Eminem, JK Rowling, DnD, Buffy, etc all thrived despite the boycotts and book-burnings. On the other hand, every time a group of fanatics got together to have a "Christian Music-Bonfire" (not to be confused with a "Christian-Music Bonfire"), it made the news and they got to express their political positions for a few minutes on TV.
"JK Rowling has uncomfortable, transphobic politics" will never garner as much attention as "I'm not buying the new Harry Potter game for moral reasons and here's why:"
I think we all (rightly) give a lot of importance and airtime to people who hold a moral stance powerfully enough to let it influence their actions. And so boycotting is an effective way to get ideas out there.
Sure, avoiding the cafe with the boob-grabbing manager may lead you down the road to the cafe that steals tips from its employees. But the boycott of the boob-grabbing one is a way for "I can't believe I need to say this, but sexual assault is bad" to be reinforced in the public consciousness.
Yes! I was afraid you had dropped this one. Now on to watch!
Of finally im Soo excited for this reaction series from you. It's perfect
my name means spirit of the forest and my last name means blacksmith, I'm basically destined to be a dnd character.
Not tolerating the intolerant does NOT make you intolerant yourself.
I agree, a lot of the time my brain anticipates the trolls before they're here and I have to clarify beyond any doubt 😂
18:00 if nothing we do matters, all that matters is what we do
THIS.
Can I be an ally to trans people and also purchase Hogwarts Legacy? Can I be pro-union and also use Amazon to purchase goods? Can I be against child labor and also purchase an iPhone? I personally believe yes. There is no ethical consumption under capitalism, however there are degrees of unethical behavior and degrees of connection to (or separation from) that unethical behavior that can give us an idea whether choosing not to engage in something is effective *enough* for us.
Tyler means someone who lays tiles, originally. It's like Smith or Taylor; they're profession names.
Agree with most of your views on boycotting but I also think it's important top be able to separate the art from the artist. Unfortunately a lot of very talented people have done a lot of bad things that their work of art doesn't have anything to do with.
When it comes to JK Rowling, I did boycott her game even though Harry Potter have had a huge impact on my life. I did it partly because of her horribel remarks but also because single player games isn't really my thing. When the Harry Potter HBO series comes out in a couple of years I intend to watch it and I still consider my self a trans ally.
Really enjoying watching your reaction and thoughts on the good place!
I REALLY hope you persist and finish the series. I think you will be surprised at how they address so many of your comments and observations in depth. It's like you are unintentionally making a plot summary of future seasons lol Love your take btw
Really really liked this discussion about boycotting and value judgements in general. Got yourself a sub here with your willingness to examine your own positions and take a public stand on controversial topics like JKL as you did here. I respect that you're not just a moral person but brave enough to take a relatively unpopular stance and stick by it.
Keep up the great content man. You deserve WAY more subs with the quality of your videos and the quality of your character. Cheers, mate!
I have a theory that this is all just a simulation that they live in. I'll watch the rest of the show to see if I'm right (also sorry I'm late).
I completely agree with you about the boycotting. Each individual has to decide for themselves what are the hard lines, what are they willing to accept and what are the dealbreakers. Rowling is one of my dealbreakers, and I was a *huge* Harry Potter fan before. My best friend has a child (almost adult now) who is non-binary and has struggled for years coming to terms with their identity; their family is *very* supportive, thankfully, and all of us friends use the proper pronouns and new name for their child. I have been an ally to the LGBTQ+ community for most of my life, once I was at an age where I understood what that meant. I will still enjoy the books and movies of Rowling that I had already bought before all this came out, but I won't put another dime in her pocket; it's not at all difficult to not buy Hogwarts Legacy even though I'm an avid gamer. I have plenty of other games to play. I won't support franchises like Chick-Fil-A (or however that's spelled), or other businesses that support anti-LGBTQ+ or racist causes, bigotry in general, or pro-birth propaganda, or are associated with people who are predatory. It's really not difficult, because there are almost always alternatives, and it doesn't take a lot of effort to stay informed.
The Good Place uses humor to put forth some intriguing, complex concepts. I'm happy you're continuing with this show and analyzing the contents. While they made Eleanor somewhat likeable somehow, I don't think we are meant to be "on her side" at all, but to be able to see her flaws and point them out, even maybe recognize something in ourselves. I like Tahani, too; I think she means well. Chidi is just a delight. I want to see him happy!
People boycotted Saints Row out of business. I actually personally loved the fact that, as someone who is genderfluid, has Sukhareva Syndrome, ADHD, etc, that I could change my character's appearance, lower presentation, etc, at any point with no cost, and without a specific designated place. Also, with certain colour mixing, you could get very close to playing as a nudist with certain items, and someone actually found a way to make the character be nude without censors, (or atleast look like it,) granted, you couldn't change *anything* about the appearance with the specific way it was made without breaking it, but you could be a genderfluid nudist shooting people with nerf guns, and that's always great. Also, the people who boycotted the Saints Row reboot to the point of Volition going bankrupt, were the people who liked their earlier games, and wanted them to make more serious games. Because they wouldn't give a game I personally love a chance because it wasn't "serious enough", and now they *CAN'T* get another Saints Row game, *NOR* can it be tied to the previous games.
I mean, apparently *some* people didn't like it, but I don't understand those people, and maybe I was just perfectly one of Volition's newer target audience, but now *I* can't get anymore Saints Row either, and that's the power of Boycotting. It's incredibly easy as it turns out, and if you do it against a brand you like, you may never see that brand again, assuming they put way too much into a game you don't buy. They were kinda shooting themselves in the leg with that price point though. They spent *WAY* more making the game. It is kinda steep, but I don't regret getting it as much as I regret the amount of money I spent on Dragon Ball: The Breakers. I got Vegeta, *AND* Broly, and I don't even play the game. I mean, I also got Dende and King Kai, but I was still playing the game at the time I got Dende, and I got them in a pack, but I don't play Raider often, and when I do I regret it is the thing. Also I think I spent money on a cosmetic, or atleast stuff I got in the dragon pass, granted I may not have spent *REAL* money on it, but I definitely should've waited for Zamasu and Puar to be released considering I'd probably start playing again if I could play as a wittle cat person who can turn into a bat and fwy! (Not necessarily in that order).
This show will absolutely take your ideas of what does and does not make a good person and a bad person, and turn it upside down multiple times lol. But you are the perfect person to break this down.
As for your view on boycotts, yeah, it's a complex and often confusing issue and I am not good at following them as well as I should be, to be completely honest. I am a huge neurodivergent nerd and I'm weak for childhood nostalgia. Though I'm pretty good about...finding my way around actually giving them my money. lol. Though it's also the whole thing where - I think certain boycotts only really 'work' when they're a group effort/are being done in an organized/active manor for a certain period of time. Like oh, for this one event, for this one day/week/month/release blah blah blah to do damage/make a point/hurt their numbers, etc. But getting everyone to just never invest money into this one person or business ever again, especially when they're very successful, feels kind of like kicking a stone wall sometimes and it makes a lot of people feel like 'why bother, it won't accomplish anything anyway'.
I appreciate the hp mention. Does me not buying the game will have an impact? No. But I also think there is a personal aspect to it.. I wouldn't be comfortable participating and playing the game, it would feel like I'm betraying my personal morals. On a bigger scale my boycotting it doesn't matter but on a personal scale it very much matters to me to not support it.
I like your theory about someone getting 0 points and tipping one way or another, Good Place or Bad Place, but the point total would actually be much higher to be neutral. If you remember episode 1, Michael said only the “cream of the crop” of positive point earners get into the Good Place. I don’t think he said what the tipping point is, but it looked like at least 7 digits in his presentation.
Tyler actually means "little king"
Going through all the ethics is exactly what the show wants you to do. This is my favorite comedy in that it really taught me something while entertaining me immensely. Also having your name mean someone who makes tiles isn't that boring. Your last name means a man who defends another man. So a man who defends another man with tiles.
I think the question whether boycotting works if not everyone does it has an alternative focus. A boycott that fails in changing the world, or changing the bad behaviour of the company in question does not have no point at all. If you focus on your personal feelings, you can say whatever anyone else is doing I feel better because I have taken a decision not to participate in that. It's better for me to not buy those things even if no-one else thinks its that important.
Picking a cause to say you have and boycotting to “prove a point” are different things. I agree that drawing lines can be helpful for change true but it’s the old Star Wars defense (the what about the mechanics who worked on the Death Star and just needed money for their families). While it’s important to want change understanding that when people get to a certain point how you choose to “request” change is important. Just full stop banning or boycotting people can have “unintended consequences “ for people who may not have the ability to make what others consider a simple choice. Lots of people have an issue with content for a multitude of reasons. Morality and society are fluid and ever evolving. It seems easier to just learn and be open to new information instead of stating things in a good/bad lens…. Ok rant over 😂
Fundamentally I think you've misunderstood the point of what I say in this video. Boycotting to 'prove a point'? I think proving a point is one reason of several to why you would boycott something, and I think to linger on that reason is a little weird considering my final point despite any others should be empathy as the reason, whether for yourself or others. Just a weird thing to focus on like I centred my entire argument around it. I didn't.
I think to formulate an argument based on fictional examples is honestly just not actionably helpful to the conversation. I see people do this all the time and I think it's been normalised which is a problem. 'The Star Wars defence' (as interesting as it is in theory), shouldn't be applied as if it's a real event we should learn from. Let me demonstrate.
Rather than drawing from a fictional event in a general sense to prove a specific point, it's much better to use a very specific real world example that we know has happened to prove said specific point. People are boycotting Starbucks right now due to the events regarding Israel and Palestine. The result of this is a drop in sales for Starbucks and lower revenue in general. Does this mean that those working for Starbucks aren't getting paid? No. Their wage is still paid, and if staff are reduced or shifts become less (which can RESULT in less pay for individual workers), the worker can and will look for another job that will provide that. I've worked in that industry and can tell you, there's a surplus of jobs that are similar, and employees working those kinds of jobs are extremely willing in regard to doing what they need to if circumstances aren't favourable to them.
Now, we can get into that sort of thing in detail because I have plenty to say in regard to economics in my country and others, not to mention corporate practices, but that's a different conversation.
The point is that boycotts quite often hurt the company itself. My example proves my point while the Star Wars example helps yours. I think we can both agree that a real-world example of something happening RIGHT NOW that we know is happening holds far more weight than something drawn from a film from the 70's that has never and will likely never be actionably comparable. I think that kind of reasoning is lazy, honestly (I know you don't mean it that way and you're not intending to come at me with bath faith or anything, but that is the end result).
You cite 'requesting' change as if we live in a world that accounts for that. The staff in the NHS are constantly requesting change. Strikes have happened in England all year for various sectors which are, in essence, workers 'requesting' what they need. They're NOT getting it. I think it's naive to think that asking politely is enough. Coming back to boycots, they FORCE corporations to pay attention because it hits them where they hurt. Their bottom line.
You talk about 'unintended consequences' and people making choices that can have different defintions of simple from one person to the next as if I'm not working with that knowledge. I understand the nuance of the situation, I just feel as if you've missed the nuance that I talk about in the video, and the point I ultimately come to due to these reasons. Like you say, lots of people have an issue with things. And I address in the video that sometimes it isn't viable for someone to boycot something for x reason or x reason. Everyone should factor in their lives and decide for themselves what and why they should boycot. But you can't sit there and tell people what they should and shouldn't boycot based on a group of people over *points vaguely*.
That's not me saying that you don't have a point. Boycots CAN have unintended results that hurt people it otherwise shouldn't (I've referenced that above), but you've got to weigh that against the reason the person who's boycotting is boycotting in the first place and whether they're justified in THAT. You can't point blank tell someone they're wrong for boycotting (when their reasoning is sound) because it'll harm someone else. To theoretically save a person you're damning another in telling them they can't act in the way that is their only option.
Learning and being open and seeing things through a good or bad lens (and sometimes in between) aren't mutually exclusive. You can and should do both, and to partition them is lazy.
@@TylerAlexander first I would like to say thank you for responding. People rarely respond to others comments with such considered thought. Second I am not saying that your whole point is about proving a point I was simply focused on it because that is the focus most people have with a boycott movement. I agree using a 70’s reference can seem lazy which was the point of it. Boycotting can be an outlet when you have no other choice and hopefully people can find alternate employment and there are no negative consequences for them working for a company that chooses to take a stance on subjects. It is similar to the boycott of Chick-fil-A. I understand the catalysts behind it and have lots of personal views on ways to reform when it comes to companies who have views similar to them. People in general dont think about things and the effects of their impacts so using a real world example has little impact since they dont think further than “I hear it’s the right thing to do”. Informed boycotting with the knowledge of its possible effects and accepting your part in that I simple to do. It just requires actually thinking about the topic, its effect on the people and the issues presented by the company in question. I dont think requesting change is a bad idea simply listing it as a similar option to boycotting. While boycotting can stop a company,person,or product the systems that allow for or at least dont actively try to prevent the issues still exist. The issue becomes that people dont always take the time to learn and become informed on all of the issues due to family,health,education or any other reason. I still feel boycotting has problems and I always have. The system needs to change not just to say the person is the problem. I think it’s a bigger issue than just saying stop company x,country x or whoever the current problem is. I personally think that as a world we need to do much better supporting each other. To be more open to each other. To be more aware that there are people outside of us who deserve love and acceptance. Do I think that people will all change and agree no. I want there to be more discussion around how to effectively make larger and more powerful change for those who cant defend themselves. Because tone is not as easy to convey over text I hope that nothing I have said comes across as anything except talking.
@@TylerAlexander I would be interested in hearing more on your thoughts on economics and corporate practices.
Hey Tyler, fellow vegan. While I think I agree in spirit with your stance on boycotts, I don't think what you describe is an actual boycott. It's just a personal choice not to support. Boycotts should be movements with community and goals.
Also, I hate this idea that there's no ethical consumption under capitalism because there's a few big problems. First it makes ethical black or white; right or wrong. Some choices can be more ethical than others without being perfect, like your example of avoiding pubs that mistreated employees. Secondly, it assumes that a system other than capitalism out there might not have flaws, when the reality is, as much as I dislike capitalism, the alternatives have both good and bad trade offs in comparison. So should the saying just be there's no such thing as good consumption? Beyond that, it frames us again not as citizens or as members of communities but rather as consumers. Is there such thing as ethical existence in a world of limited resources? That's why the whole concept is flawed in my opinion.
“it’s so much harder to live like that” well not necessarily, but even if it is isn’t it worth it?
There is nothing wrong with English names or any other European names for the most part.
Based on your analysis regarding the whole boycott issue, I can't wait to see you react to later episodes in season 3. I almost can't believe you haven't already seen the whole series with how spot on you are with some of the themes and plot points. Great reaction!
I’m defence of hogwarts legacy, she had nothing to do with the game, it was made by completely different people
"Tyler" comes from old French and means tiler or tile maker
the good place literally says there is no ethical consumption under capitalism and eleanor had a very nihilistic view of the world when she was alive, it's all fucked, everyone hurt her, what does it matter, but what hopefully what she learns is to do the best you can within your means because it that matters and it does mean something to try! keep your thoughts in tyler! this is the show to do it ❤️
I LOVE your reactions to this show
Are you a terrible person if you don't boycott? No. It's not always possible, and it doesn't usually work, and you can still, using your example, be a trans ally any do things to help trans and playing a video game doesn't invalidate that.
Should you do so anyway? Yeah.
Try. We're only human and we can't always be perfect all the time. What's important is that we keep trying to do better.
Western names aren't all bad! Mine means "champion".
Everyone in this show is just perfect. Honestly, there's no one standout, everyone is so good.
Yeah, I feel the same way about J.K Rowling. I was a huge HP fan when the books first came out, and since I had already purchased all the movies I do sometimes run through them, but I was so saddened by her descent into bigotry. Same with Richard Dawkins. I respect his scientific work and all his efforts to champion science and secularism... but he really pulled a Saruman, there. "Tell me, 'friend,' when did Dawkins the Biologist abandon reason for madness?" *Octegenarian break-dance battle ensues*
Lol speaking of boycotting, a Temu commercial played during the video and they apparently use slave labor, so that's ironic.
Boycotting often becomes a rich person's privilege, unfortunately, when you have companies so big they're practically monopolies. Hard to boycott things if the alternatives are double the price. Same as trying to eat healthy when fast food is $3 and a salad is $7.
In the 80's there was a big boycott of Nestle because of how their practises lead to the deaths of babies in developing countries. Over time people stopped paying attention, but Nestle never stopped their practices. I've talked to missionaries who've seen these things still happening now. Also the CEO of Nestle doesnt believe clean drinking water should be a human right.
Personally, I boycott Nestle products. But none of my friends or family do, so I understand that it isn't something everyone can do. In the same way that I would be vegan in an ideal world, but I'm not well enough to cook for myself and my dietary restrictions mean my options are limited. In a world with better options, we would be able to make better choices.
So I’m somewhat of two minds with ethical consumption. Personally for example, I don’t mess with Rowling anymore. Like you, I have ties in the trans community and also I just don’t care about the content anymore. That said… when i listen to some people talk about it, there’s a blindness to it that makes me uncomfortable. You’ve got people with no clear idea what’s been said or done taking a super aggressive stance without knowledge which to me is super dangerous. I also feel for animators ect who might not agree with views but could have been unaware, or in a hyper competitive industry found it challenging to turn down a massive career opportunity. Does a boycott like that effect their pay? Being ‘morally good’ is just a super ambiguous things these days. People have to make choices they can live with at the end of the day.
Absolutely love hearing your opinions on all of this!!!
the animators are paid while they're working, they don't earn anything meaningful from the sales of the game so it doesn't affect them. likewise, actors can do what they want to get paid and for their careers but won't earn a cut of sales. they're doing a job, totally understandable. But it's the consumer, buying the product or the ticket or whatever, who is putting money INTO JKR's pocket.
@@theorohan7941 I didn’t realise that, thanks for broadening my horizons. I don’t know whether to be happy for them or sad for them, especially with the state of things in a lot of creative industries right now.
As to consumers and where our money goes, I do really believe in what I said before. I personally avoid purchases from people who have questionable (to my beliefs) ethics. I also know that generally there are some really valid reasons someone might lead them to still make those purchases. People make the choices they can live with best at the time and I wouldn’t judge someone for a choice I disagree with. Not as a blanket judgement anyway… every situation has nuances.
Ohhh you are gonna LOVE this show
If you dig, I think you'll find bad things about any corporation. I'm with Eleanor on this one, there are bad things everywhere. You do the best you can, but at the end of the day, you will end up involuntarily supporting corporations that do bad things.
Tyler originally means “tile maker”, I think.
Given everything you said, I’d be curious to hear your take on the recent BudLight boycott. Those boycotting would argue that they are making the right decision for themselves, while simultaneously going against Trans equality. Thoughts?
The Bud Light fiasco was a boycott motivated by hate as opposed to empathy. Like I say, I feel empathy should more often be our reaction, and the example in the show is motivated by empathy. A man was doing something reprehensible and so people were boycotting. People who were boycotting Bud Light were doing so because they were angry that a trans person represented the brand, and I'd wager that goes further in that they're angry that trans people exist in general. These things aren't the same in my mind, and while it's a boycott it's one of a different kind; one motivated by hate and ignorance, and created to exclude.
With this in mind, at least to me, this makes said boycott a farce that shouldn't exist. At the very least it's a boycott I don't respect.
I don't think your perspective on the boycotting is quite nuanced enough. At least in your example of the boycotting of Hogwarts Legacy. The first thing I want to refute is your "Is it that hard" argument. There's a very big difference between boycotting a coffee shop because the manager did something bad, and boycotting a video game like Hogwarts Legacy. There are tons of coffee shops, and it's easy to get a good alternative. But for a lot of games, like Hogwarts Legacy, there literally aren't alternatives. It's not just a matter of finding an alternative, it's a matter of completely cutting out an experience.
Now, you could argue that that's just the price to pay, and that to truly support a cause, you just have to cut certain things out of your life and suffer for it. And that might be fair in some cases, but I still think it's quite nuanced. For instance, let's say that instead of J.K Rowling supporting transphobic organizations, it's the CEO of Google. Are you really prepared to say that you couldn't then use Google in any capacity, couldn't watch CZcams, couldn't use Gmail, Google docs, nothing, and still call yourself a trans ally?
But even beyond this, the people involved in actually making Hogwarts Legacy distanced themselves from JK Rowling, and are openly supportive of trans people. And boycotting the game is actually actively hurting all of these people. Yes, it is still an IP owned by JK Rowling, and she does profit off of the game. But in reality, no amount of boycotting the game, or even her works, is actually going to hurt her. She's too rich, and has too many people who support her.
No, actually, I could not be friends with someone who bought Hogwarts Legacy. I'm not about to tolerate that level of disrespect for who I am as a person. It is not that difficult to not buy a game. If you can't go without, you don't care about our friendship
I think that's also fair ❤️
You might want to consider how near-sighted this ultimatum is. For instance, Hogwarts legacy is made by an independent studio who have actually distanced themselves from JK Rowling and come out in support of trans rights. Yes, JK Rowling owns the IP and gets money from it, but she's also already extremely rich, and even if the game made $0 she wouldn't be any worse off than she is. But boycotting it does hurt all the people who worked on the game. And you're really gonna say that you would refuse to be friends with someone for buying the game, even knowing all this? Or even someone who bought the game without knowing anything about the boycott to begin with? I'd say that sounds pretty intolerable and unempathetic.
@@peterlewis2178 The problem is the game itself though. They've "come out in support of trans rights" but it's trans character is pretty much named trans mctrans. Also, and in my opinion the bigger issue: the game is EXTREMELY antisemitic from the outset, literally the entire concept of the game is based on the blood libel myth.
@@kilianalexander2736 Okay, but throwing in an a disingenuous trans character for publicity isn't the same as being transphobic. I don't see people (at least on the left) boycotting shows like the Rings of Power, or movies like the live action Little Mermaid, despite their racial diversity being EXTREMELY disingenuous. honestly, that's most Hollywood media right now. It's clear they aren't particularly invested in social issues, but they forcibly push them to avoid controversy. That's just greedy capitalism.
As to the antisemitism point, I'm not sure I agree with that. I admit, I haven't played the game yet, so I don't know the full extent of the implications of the story. I do see some problematic things about the premise, but from what I've seen in my research, I think that calling it definite antisemitism is a massive stretch.
Honestly, I think way too many people do that. It's like everyone expects that everything is allegory, and they'll hyper analyze the most mundane things to form a narrative, and it's a bit insane sometimes. Allegory is far less common than people think. And even if there are parallels, often those can be unwitting.
For instance, let's imagine that the characterizations of goblins is antisemitic, and predicated on harmful stereotypes. Most people aren't going to know that. And if someone then creates a narrative that portrays goblins in a negative light, does that make it antisemitic? I don't think so. Problematic, perhaps. But there's also the fact to consider that in this world, goblins are built around stereotypes, not actual people. And then the discrimination in the narrative would be built around believing that those stereotypes are innate to goblins. One could even try to argue that that would be anti-antisemitism, because it is negatively disposed toward the antisemitic stereotypes.
Again, I don't know the extent of the story of Hogwarts Legacy, so this is all hypothetical. I just think people are way too quick to jump on a bandwagon of calling something discriminatory and hateful, and rarely willing to actually look at the nuances or challenge that assumption.
Please keep going. Try not overthinking the philosophy of the show, though, you will find holes. It has limitations of the writers and comes from their world perspective, of course.
Ohh I was so afraid you would stop reacting to this series.
You can say it's not hard to boycott something, but it varies a ton by circumstance. For instance, let's say there's a monopoly on insulin, and the CEO of the company is a member of the KKK. To most people, sure, that's easy to boycott. But to a diabetic, boycotting it would literally mean death.
That's obviously an extreme example. But I'm just pointing out that there's a lot more nuance and subjectivity to the difficulty of boycotting certain things. And I don't think it's fair to impose your perspective of how hard it is for you onto other people, or to gatekeep and say that not boycotting something means you don't support the people who are hurt by the person or company that's being boycotted.
To add onto this, since you specifically touched on it and said that it's not hard to just play a different game, I have to disagree. Books, movies, tv, etc. are not all just stand-ins or alternatives to each other. For instance, with Hogwarts Legacy, it's way too reductive to say that it's easy to just play other games. The point of playing it isn't just playing a game for everyone. The world of Harry Potter is something that has captivated a generation, and has immense nostalgia and value to a lot of people. It may not be a hard thing for you to give up, but that's not the case for everyone.
Personally, there are a number of fictional worlds that have been immensely impactful on my life, and that I have fantasized extensively about, and longed for years to immerse myself more within. Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, to name a few big ones. There is no alternative to these, any more than there's an alternative to a person I care about. So yes, it is incredibly difficult to sever all ties to a world or franchise like that, that means so much to me.
So this is my personal perspective on boycotting things in the Harry Potter franchise. Is it really worth severing an entire facet of my creativity and passion, all in the name of taking a tiny bit of profit away from an already immensely rich person? I don't think so. It would seriously hurt. I would feel a very serious sense of loss if I forced myself to not engage with it ever again, and all for essentially no substantive effect. Now, if you don't have that kind of connection to the franchise, and it isn't hard or painful for you to boycott it, then that's fine. But I think it's incredibly unfair to place that expectation on everyone else and to say that it isn't hard for them, or that by not boycotting it that they don't support the cause.
I address this in the video. Of course this varies from person to person. If you're diabetic then of course you need to buy your medication to survive. I think this is an arbritrarily extreme example because it doesn't achieve anything to bring it into the discussion. Any sane person would understand this context and acknowledge that dying for a boycott is overly extreme. I think this kind of fabricated example just distracts from the larger conversation because to most people the answer to it is very obvious.
I believe I do the work in the video to allow people to understand that every boycott is dependant on each individual person and what they're either capable of or believe in/their own personal circumstances and relationships, but at the same time I think it's fair to judge someone for not boycotting something, or at least fair to say that if you consciously buy something now in the Harry Potter IP while you know the context then you do not stand with trans folk.
@@peterlewis2178 Genuine question. What made you think that I don't share a similar connection to Harry Potter? What makes you think that this decision to boycott Harry Potter wasn't intensely hard for me? You've assumed A LOT here. Which I understand. It's harder to take me seriously if you know I'm coming from the same place as you and knowing that despite that I STILL boycotted it. It's hard to approach the issue from that perspective because then it begs the question - why can't YOU boycott the thing?
I'd ask that you read some of the replies I've made on this video in regard to this as I go into detail as to what Harry Potter means to me. It has literally shaped who I am as a person today and the nostalgic ties you mention are things that exist very strongly within me. DESPITE THIS, whether you want to believe it or not, there ARE some things more important. Nostalgia or deep-seated love for a franchise or IP is not more important than trans people's lives. To me.
In your last paragraph you hit the nail on the head. It seriously hurts. There's a serious sense of loss. I have experienced these things because despite something being difficult, it doesn't mean we shouldn't do them. But if you're not willing to make that decision and experience that then the reality of the situation is that you care more about your feeling of nostalgia and love for a fictional IP than trans people's lives. In my opinion.
You say video game to video game can't be substituted for one another. Again, I disagree. I know what you're saying. Not two games are really, truly the same. And yet, this to me is a weak excuse. Hogwarts Legacy, while set in a specific universe does have contemporaries. Open world games, story-driven games, RPG's, alternatives in this genre exist and are viable replacements. The same can be said of books.
This can all be boiled down to this. You're allowed your opinion and you're allowed to boycott or not boycott as you wish. To assume that it's harder for you than for someone else is (I'm genuinely sorry for saying this because it is harsh) creating another reason to make yourself feel okay with your decision while ignoring WHY people are boycotting the thing. To justify your decision even though you might think deep down it would be RIGHT to boycott. The same for arguing the angle of 'what am I REALLY achieving' with the monetary jab at JK being insignificant. Sure. I adamantly disagree that this makes the choice to boycott useless. As I say in the video, if you achieve SOMETHING, even if that thing is happiness within youself or those around you then it's WORTH doing.
I don't say 'it's not hard to boycott something' with the intent to dismiss the difficulty, but to arrange the scope of the conversation. A living human life means more to me than a video game, and when put into that context it makes the DECISION easy to make even if the process of that decision is very difficult.
@@TylerAlexander Yes, I assumed. I only assumed that Harry Potter hadn't meant much to you because you said that there are alternatives, that it's easy. And for me, that's so obviously not the case. I did read your comments after posting this, so I do now know that Harry Potter meant a lot to you.
You can invalidate my feelings all you want and apply your perspective onto me, but it doesn't make it any more true. I can't see into your mind or know what anything is actually like for you. I can only guess. And the same is true in the reverse. You can't see my mind, you can't know my neurology. And yet you claim with certainty that it isn't harder for me than it is for someone else, or than it was for you.
But honestly, my main issue is just that you have such an extreme and intolerant perspective. JK Rowling isn't going out and murdering trans people. But your stance treats her as if she is. I've tried researching it dozens of times, and I honestly can't see how you can say that putting some more money in her pocket means you don't value trans lives. You say that my boycott example was extreme and useless, I'd argue your equivalence here is much more extreme and useless. My example wasn't even useless. You had been speaking with absolutes, I was providing an example to disprove that absolute.
But I think your stance makes a ton of extreme and unwarranted jumps in logic. Let's look at what JK Rowling has actually done, at least that I've been able to find. She has vocally spoken out against our modern interpretations of gender, in favor of a traditional binary model, and she has supported a store that spreads that kind of rhetoric. But she has simultaneously voiced respect for trans people as people, and she hasn't advocated any kind of discrimination or violence towards them.
Is her rhetoric transphobic? Yes, probably. Does her platform help spread those sentiments? Also yes. But at the end of the day, she's just voicing a different opinion on how we conceptualize gender (something which is entirely socially constructed anyway). Is it possible that her speech specifically has inspired some people to be more harmful towards trans people? Sure, but not to any kind of measurable degree. Do trans people feel hurt or invalidated by her rhetoric? Of course, but everyone will feel invalidated if someone disagrees with their conceptualization of who they are.
I don't know. Maybe this makes me transphobic in your eyes. Maybe you think I don't value trans lives just because I recognize that our conceptions of gender aren't some kind of innate human rule. But honestly, I guess I'm okay with that then. I believe in empathy and understanding. I believe that we all come from vastly different perspectives, and that no one can know they're right about anything. So I focus on trying to understand and respect people's perspectives, so long as they do the same. And if people aren't actively advocating to hurt people, I believe they have a right to their opinion, regardless of how wrong I think it is. This might make me disliked by a segment of trans people. But I'd rather not be tolerated by a demographic than join them in their intolerance of others.
@@peterlewis2178 Honestly, I think you've demonstrated an intense ignorance here and extremely poor application of empathy in what we've spoken about, which is sad because I do believe you mean what you say.
You'd have people believe that despite JK's views literally influencing and promoting legislation in the US that harms trans folk, she's not contributing to the deaths of trans folk? You're naive enough to think that someone like JK, with her fame and following isn't influencing those that don't have an opinion on trans folk JUST because she's not going out and physically harming trans folk herself?
I don't know how many trans people you know. I don't know how aware you are of what it's like on a day to day basis living as a trans person, but if you think JK's views, influence, and money (which she's using to fund anti-trans organisations on top of this), aren't contributing to an incredible spike in violence against trans folk, then you're either willfully ignorant, naive to an incredible degree, or simply stupid. Respectfully. I don't know which one it is and it's not for me to guess. I'm not talking from a place of anger, hate, or intolerance towards you but from a place of passion on behalf of a minority that are in serious danger that experience such because people like yourself woefully misunderstand the climate and what is being perpetrated currently in the social space.
You said yourself JK is speaking radically for a binary model of gender, and yet you don't see how she, with her immense influence isn't poisoning (at the very least) feeling towards the existence of trans folk who literally just want to be left alone to live their lives? By your own words she's a transphobe. If none of your research included listening to the trans community, which your words lead me to believe it didn't, that is where you're lacking in your understanding. If you as a consumer are putting money in the pocket of someone like JK who is using her money actively (which we know she is) to harm trans folk, then you are contributing towards this harm. If you're under the impression that JK has spoken and speaks with respect for trans folk then you have not been paying attention.
'Is her rhetoric transphobic? Yes, probably'. 'Does her platform help spread those sentiments? Also, yes'. I mean, do you hear yourself? And you're seriously under the impression she's not harming trans folk to a measurable degree? I mean come on, this is an insane conclusion to draw. I think you know that she's harming trans folk, you're just not ready to take the step to help trans folk if it is in any way uncomfortable for you. I don't know you. But from the words that you have written in this thread (which is all the evidence I have of you) that is the strong impression that you give. If you're not happy with that, then you need to look inwards at what is making you say this, not lash out at me for pointing it out.
Yes, gender is a social construct. If the binary didn't exist as strictly and pervasively as it does then we wouldn't have a problem, but it's BECAUSE a binary exists that trans folk MUST identify. If you're aware of one then you must be aware of the other, this doesn't de-value the conversation as you seem to think it does. If we could abolish our social structure and re-build with the intent to be more flexible all round with gender identification then great. But that's not going to happen anytime soon so the issues still stand, and so again...you raise an arbitrary point with this that wastes both of our time.
I don't know you. I am not invalidating your opinions, simply professing why I believe you to be wrong, with explanation as to why I think that. If you're not willing to jump into a space of discussion without feeling like I'm invalidating you because I disagree with you, then you're not ready for this space. This is serious. And there is no room for misunderstanding or ignorance if you're speaking out about this, because it goes further than text in a comment section.
Can you understand, considering this context, why a video game is not important? If you want to play it go and play it. But I and anyone else has the right to say that you're not a trans ally. Simply put, if you're cis, stop talking from a place of authority on this. I speak as I do because I have trans folk that are my loved ones, my friends, and I platform support for them because I have that space. If all you have to say strikes against trans existence then I implore you, please, stop talking on the subject. Their lives are not yours to own, influence, or speak for.
You talk about 'conceptualisation of who they are' when you talk about trans folk. And you seem hurt that I might think you're transphobic. By simply saying this, calling someone's identity a 'concept' de-values something that is real and intrinsic to someone's identity. If you're so unwilling to validate a trans person's identity by calling it simply a 'concept' then you're not supporting trans people.
You say that no one can know they're right about anything which implies here that you think trans people aren't right about their own identity. If you're trying to respect and understand people's perspectives and you look at trans folk, respect them, but then look at JK who is simply arguing against trans folk's existence, contributing to organisations that work to wipe trans folk off the map and make their lives so incredibly hard that often this leads to SH and worse, and you're giving both these parties equal respect and understanding then you ARE picking a side. This line of logic that you posit says that those that perpetrate bad/harmful behaviour should be understood and respected as much as anyone else. This, I adamantly disagree with, and yes I'm intolerant of. That is what empathy IS. To be intolerant of those that fight against your existence despite you having done nothing to them is incredibly valid, and your insistence that it isn't, like I say, shows an incredibly poor application of empathy in this instance.
The Hogwarts legacy and boycott part just made me like you even more
Just keep your mind open to other perspectives with this show, and while its totally fair to judge people's actions, keep in mind you may be missing information thats revealed later.
There. I think I navigated that correctly to not spoil.
Too spoily
I love a controversial conversation with someone who is calm and rational, I love hearing other people’s perspectives. As a Harry Potter fan it was hard to hear that I cannot ally myself with trans people from some peoples perspectives. I respectfully disagree. On a personal level that story and world got me through some very dark and depressing times. I think you can appreciate the art of a person without supporting their personal beliefs. if we hold out for purely moral and ethical people all the time before we can appreciate art, music, movies or literature we may miss out on a lot. Doesn’t mean we can’t hope they become better people, or try to make people more aware of how their actions affect people. I very much enjoy your reaction videos, keep analyzing and being controversial 😊
Thing is you cannot call yourself an ally to the trans community while putting money into the hands of a woman who is actively using that money to fund attacks on the community. You can enjoy the books, you can love the fanficition and have fond memories of the series, no one is saying you can't do those things. Death of the author only works if the author is dead or silent though. To continue actively funding hatred against the community (e.g what Tyler said about the new game, or eg watching the fantastic beasts films in the cinema) means you aren't an ally.
I do agree with Theo's comment below honestly, but I also wanted to take a moment because I didn't go over it in the video, to explain my own experience with the HP universe. For me, Harry Potter defined a lot of who I am today. I am a huge reader and I was never without a book as a kid, but there was a time where that wasn't the case. Harry Potter got me into reading and from there I never stopped. Through how much I read, I became a writer which is also a huge defining trait for who I am today. I studied English and Creative Writing at university, I analyse media through my CZcams, all of these things stemmed from first picking up a Harry Potter book and stepping into that world. Fantasy is my favourite genre to this day and it all started at Hogwarts. And still, I believe in what I feel and say today in renouncing JK and her works. And I think that's probably why I am a little harsh about it, because to me there's an element of 'this defined who I am and I let it go, why can't other people?' The struggle you feel I feel, trans people also grew up with those works and adored those works. I suppose it comes down to drawing lines like I say, and deciding what you think is more important. And it hurts to do that if you have an emotional connection with said work. But I do think just because something is hard doesn't mean it shouldn't be done.
I think Theo's comment below details where I come down too, especially with the death of the author idea. It's much harder to practise that as JK is still around. I know that a portion of my contribution to buying things from her IP is actively going towards her directly and therefore I'm contributing to the organisations she's helping to fund that work AGAINST the trans community. I can't be a trans ally if I'm working against said community in that way by buying her works and contributing to the royalties she receives.
You mention art and denying art and how that is inherently a bad thing. Sure, it sucks not being able to automatically consume all art. But it's not me denying myself the art, at least not the way I see it. It's the artist who did what they did who denied their art to be enjoyed in the way it should be. That's on the artist, it's not on me, and in my mind the argument should be levelled at said artist as opposed to someone who doesn't consume their art for moral reason.
EDIT - I forgot to say! Everything I've said doesn't take any fondness or importance you hold for the series itself away. A lot of us consumed the art before JK turned the way she did. I think it's absolutely fine if you already have the books or whatever media and you enjoy them. My stance is against going forward today and buying more knowing what we know.
Had to pause the video hearing you say that by playing Hogwarts Legacy one can't claim to be an ally of trans rights. Feel like that might be a bit messed up tbh. Me personally, I grew up on Harry Potter and quite frankly never looked into the writer or cared for her opinions. Me connecting to the characters of my childhood and reliving the dreams I had by playing a video game shouldn't ban me from being an ally should it? I get that Rowling is actively doing what she does (Don't know the details cause like I said I couldn't care less what she does with her time), but to say that I'm contributing to her actions by playing a game, that realistically barely has anything to do with the writer of the books and moreso the actual books themselves, seems a bit absurd. You say she should stay in her mansion which tells me (aside from the fact that she wrote friggin Harry Potter..) that my little $60+ may be used for her active fight against trans rights or it could sit in her bank account while she continues doing what she was going to do with her already continuously growing passive income... I guess I'm mainly bothered at the bit of a 180 from your take of "intent matters" to this scenario. I just want to play a video game filled with nostalgia. Kinda don't care about the politics. Especially when the game did as well as it did statistically already. :v alright I'm gonna shut up now cause I feel like I'm just ranting at this point.
God dammit I hit play and you paused again 😂😂 I'm sorry for completely misunderstanding your point. 😅
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I strongly disafree with point made there is ntohing wrong with apathy towards what other people think is important without wanting to be botherd a person wanting to drunk at a certain place or play a certain game shouldnt be judged based on those choices since most normal people dont even think about it or dont care, One can enjoy content by a company or creator they dont support without care for political views and one shouldnt be dragged into it.
Living like that one will only ever live angry only using those view of supporthing something as just a steping stone for her towards another.I for one dont support commusim, dosnt that mean im not gonna play a game from a creator or a movie that clearly is or shows himselfs as one ? No as long as the content given is good and wihtou to much biases or preaching i dont care for your views.
Its just human nature under any system really to do something fucked up or belive in one thing or another "taking down the system" wont make peopel suddently support your own belfes under any system you are always gonna be presented with choices of "do i support this ? do i care?"
Speaking of hogwarts legacy boycot for exmaple, it archivemed nothing but be used to doxx and bully people off the internet simply because thats what it always was about because that what allot people just wanna do, go and find reason to be bullies to take moral high ground when in reality they arent any better.
Free Palestine
If it weren't for you offering personal opinion I might not have noticed how you fall right in line with progressive modern society views, which is the next worse set of people to be alive. Some things are better left unsaid. Like maybe this comment for instance, but now you can use it in comparison to your own