Bitch opened her mouth did she?
How dare a woman say things.
I wanted to show the tweet itself but they seem to have taken it down.
Telling us to shut up only makes us talk more.
Updating to add an incensed reaction or two.
Deborah Arthurs is the Editor-in-Chief of Metro.
And Metro falls into her trap. Once again, Rowling uses her uncancelleable position to amplify the messages of other women in a way that can’t be ignored, bringing more attention to the issue that these media outlets are quietly, complicitly sweeping under the rug. By commenting now, she keeps the story in the public eye, and brings it to the attention of readers and viewers who had not realized that they had been lied to in the original, reportage. While Metro (and other media outlets) thinks that somehow “Rowling’s transphobia” is the story they’re telling, they’re unwittingly shedding more light on media capture. Interestingly, at least some of them, in recounting the “Scarlet Blake” story as part of the background to Rowling’s criticism of Sky News’ coverage of it, continue to use “she/her” in the Blake portions, unintentionally highlighting her exact concerns by repeating the lies, and thereby showing how disgusting and pervasive the ongoing deception is:
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/jk-rowling-scarlet-blake-trans-b2503056.html
https://www.gbnews.com/celebrity/jk-rowling-sky-news-scarlet-blake-transgender-murder
https://www.gbnews.com/celebrity/jk-rowling-sky-news-scarlet-blake-transgender-murder
What, if anything will bring about some awareness in all of these editorial boards that this pandering to trans sensibilities is self-destructive folly that makes them look incredibly dishonest because it is incredibly dishonest? Their professional reputation is sinking beneath their feet, and Rowling is showing them the drill they’ve been using so diligently to put holes beneath the waterline. They can stop at any time. Yet, still they drill. Maybe it’s just too embarassing to be schooled in the First Law of Holes by someone they’ve tried to bury.
Rowling has cleverly goaded trans “rights” advocates (once again) to defend the “identity” of a convicted criminal, placing the use of “preferred prouns” ahead of the truth, defending a murderer’s “identity” at the expense of all women. It’s become a reflex. There’s no longer any thought in the process. And not only activists, but the media particularly, which seems to be fully prepared to clutch their style guides even more tightly, even in the face of intense scrutiny and criticism. Rowling is showing just how mendacious and corrupt the media have become in reporting on tran issues, as they have becoming actors in their own right in decieving the public. What is it that complels them to do this? Who can punish them, or hold them accountable if they stop worrying about the “crime” of “misgendering” and start reporting the true sex of actual criminals? They’re so scrupulous about a suspect’s “alledged” crimes before a conviction (and rightly so), but quite free and easy to lie about their supposed “gender identities,” dishonestly stating that men are women, males are females, he is “she.” You’d think that would violate some kind of journalistic standards and guidelines, but apparently it doesn’t. It should. Rowling might not be building a case herself against the media, but she’s helping to amass plenty of evidence for anyone else who wants to. It’s continuous self-incrimination.
I know I’ve noted this before, but I still find it remarkable (even though, at this point, I shouldn’t); Rowling didn’t have to do this. She could have retired from the conflict; she’s already done so much, instead, once again, she uses her position of comparaitive strength and security to continue defending women. In some ways it’s become a bit easier, because now that her reputation has been trashed (in certain quarters), she has nothing to lose in that regard. If she had worried about it this, she wouldn’t have stepped up in the first place. Those who have decided to believe the lies about her have written her off, but they just can’t resist writing about her when she speaks out. They have to put the boot in. Again. Whether or not they see her pattern and spot the trap, they’re just too dim and self-righteous to ignore the bait. Sometimes negative reinforcement just doesn’t sink in. They just can’t pass up an opportunity to pile on JKR. Again. And when she has the spotlight turned on her, she redirects it to places her detractors might not expect. They still can’t see that she’s not going to respond to the continuing lies told about her. Instead, she focuses her attention (and everyone else’s) on the misogyny of her critics. Again.
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