Studio 36, With TigerShadow

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GJFH
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Location: Writing my way out
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What was your favourite Russian name Bernard used? \:D/

What do you consider to be the worst Harry Potter ship?
Who was your favourite in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?
Which character are you most like?
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us - Romans 8:18

It’s not enough to be against something. You have to be for something better. – Tony Stark
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TigerShadow
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GJFH wrote:What was your favourite Russian name Bernard used? \:D/
Ooh...probably "Ethel", because while it's not Russian, it is a clever historical reference.
GJFH wrote:What do you consider to be the worst Harry Potter ship?
There isn't one. There's a list that doesn't have any particular order to it except what I'm feeling that day.

1. Snape/Lily: I could go on a tirade about this, but basically, I hate the fact that fandom uses Snape's infatuation with Lily to excuse him from guilt for all wrongdoings. Fact is, Snape was a bully and a bigot who only sided with the good guys because of the threat to a woman whose life he endangered and whose husband and infant son he was willing to sell down the river. And he showed respect to her memory by bullying and abusing that son, for whom Lily sacrificed her life, as Snape very well knew.

Just...ugh. Keep Snape as far away from Lily as possible. She deserves way better.

2. Harry/Hermione: This ship is just obnoxious. I can see how people would ship it because of the movies, but friendly reminder that the movies aren't canon (and are also "pretty good" at best and "absolute garbage" at worst; most of them are on the latter end of the scale). In the books, Harry and Hermione very clearly have absolutely no romantic feelings for each other and were never going to. Goblet of Fire explicitly states that Harry doesn't really like hanging out one-on-one with Hermione, and when Ron's gone, he thinks about him almost constantly. But one book earlier, when Ron was fighting with Hermione, Harry sided with Ron (largely because he thought Ron was right) and didn't really miss Hermione all that much while he wasn't talking to her. In other words, Hermione is not Harry's top priority, so how could you expect either of them to be happy in a relationship like that?

Furthermore, we see that neither of them would be a very healthy choice in a partner for the other. When Hermione bosses Harry around and tries to tell him what to do, he rolls his eyes and ignores her or lets his anger build until he explodes at her. Hermione does not know how to handle Harry. Harry, meanwhile, usually doesn't tell Hermione when he's annoyed with her or sees something that would upset her (like when he finds out that Hermione's scheme to free the house-elves with hand-knitted hats has offended the elves so much that they won't clean Gryffindor Tower anymore), he just doesn't feel like telling her or doesn't have the heart to do so. In other words, Harry is not typically very honest with Hermione, and he doesn't appreciate her maternal nature.

So in what way are these two good for each other, especially when their canonical love interests do know how to deal with them in a healthy way and do understand and appreciate them? It simply does not make sense to me to ship them. I mean, it's one thing if you were like "hey, it's a long shot, but it's not that big a deal, let's just enjoy the series"; it's another if you're the kind of person who had an emotional breakdown when HBP and DH officially torpedoed the ship. Harry and Hermione's relationship wasn't that deep, and I don't get what about their relationship gave people anything to work with romantically.

3. Draco/Hermione: Tends to work on the principle that Draco Malfoy was a sad tragic little boy with a sad tragic little backstory who just needed to be Loved The Right Way and Redeemed™️...neither of which have very much canonical evidence. Yes, Draco Malfoy's story isn't the happiest, but most of the sadder parts of it? He brought them on himself. The books never really redeem him. And even if they did redeem him, why in the world would Hermione want to deal with someone like him, who was a racist, bigoted, classist bully who not only abused her but also her best friends and other people she cared about (including throwing racial slurs at Hermione, turning up his nose at the Weasleys' poverty, and mocking Harry's dead mother), when they have people whom they already want to be romantically involved with?

At any given point, all three of these ships will be the worst to me, largely because of their fandoms. Many times, in supporting these ships, their fans will go out of their way to run the characters they don't like, who "get in the way", completely into the ground. James, Ginny, and Ron all get utterly demonized to make way for these ships, or otherwise see their characters dragged through the mud. It also doesn't help that a lot of shippers utterly adore Severus Snape and Hermione Granger to the point of denying that they had any flaws or ever did anything wrong or deserving of criticism. It's incredibly toxic, and also contributes not only to my loathing of Severus Snape, but also to my dislike for Hermione until I reread the books and remembered that, while I never really connected with her, she at least isn't that bad.

Of course, people do ship these and are not completely insane, but there's no denying the association with every obnoxious cliché shipping trope under the sun, as well as the fandom's abuse of three of my favorite characters. (Harry generally comes out looking okay at best, too, including for H/Hr shippers, so I'm not too fond of their treatment of him, either.)
GJFH wrote:Who was your favourite in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?
Newt, definitely. I really liked all of the core four, though; I want to see more of the adventures of Newt, Jacob, and the Goldstein sisters.
GJFH wrote:Which character are you most like?
Probably Tina Goldstein and Ginny Weasley. I'm stubborn, fiery, and passionate, and have a strong belief in the importance of pursuing justice.
it's not about 'deserve'. it's about what you believe. and i believe in love
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GJFH
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Do you have a favourite band?

Do you have a desk you use for sketching, or do you prefer working anywhere?

Do you ever re-watch Parks and Rec?
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us - Romans 8:18

It’s not enough to be against something. You have to be for something better. – Tony Stark
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