Twitter vs. Reality
Tolkien created modern fantasy and deserves more respect than having his work retconned to fit the woke movement.
Twitter is one of those magical places where you can watch the decline of civilization in real time. A user posted about how ‘woke’ Lord of the Rings would be if it were made today. It’s hard to argue the point, but it comes from a former Norwegian metal musician who is also a convicted murderer who now lives in France. So that’s a bit of a ride right there.
He specifically said that Sam and Frodo would be gay if the movies were made today. Unfortunately, something like two-thirds of the comments about LOTR were about how they were already gay or bi or some combinations of letters that I have no idea what they mean.
It’s all a dumpster fire. You have woke Twitterati arguing with neo-Nazis about how they can misinterpret Tolkien’s word to support their soul-destroying propaganda.
So, who cares? It’s just Twitter right? On one hand, yeah: stupid people are going to say stupid things, especially on a platform where they can be anonymous. On the other hand, Twitter is a hangout for the people who care most about changing culture. So something incredibly stupid is said on Twitter, and then some New York Times writer or Atlantic writer goes, oh hmm, how about I re-frame this incredibly stupid idea in an article. Then some professor makes it required reading in their literary analysis class and a future high school teacher takes the class and uses the same article’s ideas in their classroom.
I actually took a course for college credits on Tolkien’s work about a decade ago now. I can’t remember anyone suggesting something like this, but I bet if I took a similar course today it would come up. Sadly, the person who defends Tolkien by pointing out the ridiculousness of interpreting Frodo and Sam as gay would be called homophobic, racist, transphobic, and would have to apologize for hurting the safe space that college classrooms have become.
How entitled has our culture become? Because that’s what it is. We act entitled to customize everything in life OUR way with no judgement.
People with uncommon common sense don’t believe that Tolkien, a devout Catholic, was creating a subtext that they were gay. But selfish people, entitled people, disrespectful people – no matter how intelligent – will ignore the evidence so that their worldviews remain unchallenged. They want Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter, and Star Wars all to be perfectly in line with their beliefs so they never have to feel guilty about consuming media that is some sort of phobic or problematic. They desperately need that social badge of “ally” so they can feel good about themselves.
Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, his best friend, both experienced the horrors of World War I. They saw hell and they saw the quiet strength of spirit that is required to persevere through that. The camaraderie that only true shared suffering can build. The people who insist Frodo and Sam are gay have no concept of platonic affection or of the love that Christ calls us to love one another with.
I can’t help but feel that both Tolkien and Lewis would have far more common ground with those who have gone to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria over the last 20 years and come home scarred than they would with the hypochondriac tweeters who need safe spaces from words.
Comedy Gold from the Babylon Bee: J.R.R. Tolkien Returns With Army Of The Dead To Destroy Everyone Trying To Make 'Lord Of The Rings' Woke