Lord of the Rings TV Series in Development - How could this POSSIBLY go wrong...

[mindlessobserver]

The late stage numenorians were imperialists and this is depicted as a bad thing, the early stage numenorians are also imperialistic but more benovolent.

I seriously doubt the Amazon show will actually address that aspect of the second age.

Or address how eerily similar the philosophy of the fallen numenoreans resembles modern leftists. Hard breaks with tradition, ending religious practice, hedonism and a pushing of boundaries; literally in some cases as in the case of sailing west.

 

[Morethanabitfoolish]

I think what Tolkein the person had more than anything else was a degree of class. While his personal values were of his time he still had things he considered unacceptable and he was not above opening his mouth very widely and making some fairly controversial remarks by the standards of the time no matter what it cost him (see the above mentioned matter of telling the German publishers to shove their blood purity).

As an aside I actually do consider his Farmer Giles of Ham worth a read or listen, there's at least one audio version with Brian Blessed as the titular farmer. While far from depicting the lower status Giles as some form of genius he very clearly considers Giles superior to the assorted noble sorts the farmer interacts with, even to the extent that the "villain" dragon of the tale also proves to be more honourable than them. While one of his lighter works it still shows an underlying attitude that a person's background, status or even species do not make them a good or bad person.

Edit - found this less than 2 min bit of an interview with Tolkein. Look at the comments section and tell me these people want the Amazon version of his work

J.R.R. Tolkien talks about languages - 1968 (subtitles)

Footage from BBC where John Ronald Reuel Tolkien talks about languages and Elvish. (Subtitles)

www.youtube.com

 

[qu_rahn]

The name's Baggins...NEGRO baggins!

 

[RomanesEuntDomus]

The name's Baggins...NEGRO baggins!

You're joking now, but just wait for this show to throw in a black troon Hobbit that will actually create the Baggins family and be the one to build Bag End more like Bad End amirite

 

[anti SJW]

This is a prequel right? So that means if they add black hobbits, but there aren't any in the later movies, then... there was an ethnic cleansing in the Shire.

 

[RomanesEuntDomus]

This is a prequel right? So that means if they add black hobbits, but there aren't any in the later movies, then... there was an ethnic cleansing in the Shire.

I mean, it's a rather hilarious thought that this show lays the foundation to Hobbits in tiny KKK robes lynching all the black hobbits at some point before LOTR, but you know as well as I do that this will be blamed on JRR Tolkien and him being an UGH OLD WHITE MAN (which means that there is simply no way in hell that he isn't a KKK member).

 

[anti SJW]

So are the colored Hobbits the Tolkien blacks on the show?

 

[Shamash]

As I understand it Isildur will apparently be a main character or something, this sets a timeframe of the Akallabeth to his death as the only option.

 

[Spud Stacker]

As I understand it Isildur will apparently be a main character or something, this sets a timeframe of the Akallabeth to his death as the only option.

or....and bear with me here....they are going to assfuck the continuity of the books harder than sauroniqua the body positive trans queen of the haradrim is going to be assfucking elendil in the series

 

[JohnDoe]

Wasn't Tolkien rather progressive, even for a Victorian born aristocrat for his time?

In 1938, sometime after publishing The Hobbit, German publishers from Nazi Berlin requested if he was Aryan descent. He sent an angry letter back, going out his way to say "whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people." The German publishers responded by burning copies of The Hobbit. Ironically, Tolkien is of strong German descent.

During WW2, Tolkien wrote to his son Christopher who was serving in South Africa in the RAF, which he stated: "The treatment of colour nearly always horrifies anyone going out from Britain, & not only in South Africa."

Yeah, some old racist white guy alright!

Yet for all his deference the (((elites))) are trying to defame him and grind his legacy into dust. To despoil and ruin everything he greatest, to corrupt and subvert his life's work. What gratitude they have for their supporters!

 

[Shamash]

or....and bear with me here....they are going to assfuck the continuity of the books harder than sauroniqua the body positive trans queen of the haradrim is going to be assfucking elendil in the series

Jesus Christ.

Your correct of course. It just makes me sick to think about.

Yet for all his deference the (((elites))) are trying to defame him and grind his legacy into dust. To despoil and ruin everything he greatest, to corrupt and subvert his life's work. What gratitude they have for their supporters!

Tolkien respected the social class structure of Britain or England. The man was a devout Catholic after all. I don’t think (((elite))) would mean the same thing to him in a local context of respecting the town notables, tipping your hat to the lady and the squire.

Might be somewhat hard to fit into a modern context, but proper deference to the local noble is seen as morally just and appropriate in pre modern European culture.

 

[Seventh Star]

Also half black, and I had the same experience. My dad who is otherwise a really intelligent and well-read black man, almost to a fault (the kind of pretentious ass who has Marcus Aurelius, Cicero, and Plato on his bookshelves) gives 0 fucks about LOTR, and it was a chore to even get him to sit down and watch the movies with me. I've practically given up on getting him to ever read the books. I don't understand why it's such a turnoff for him though.

I lurk threads mainly to entertain myself, but I have the same issue. I think it's just really unappealing and boring to go through for a lot of people. I put one of the movies once on TV a few years back, when I had cable, and it was way too slow paced to hold my attention. I assume it's partly because it's too lore-focused, and people really don't care about lore.

 

[atleast3letterslong]

So are the Easterlings gonna be in here or not

 

[Shamash]

So are the Easterlings gonna be in here or not

Honestly? I think to avoid controversy they will avoid showing the Men of Darkness. Easterlings, Haradrim, Variags, etc…

 

[qu_rahn]

They should make them all slant eyes

 

[Standardized Profile]

They should make them all slant eyes

No. Only the orcs.

They are (or were) squat, broad, flat-nosed, sallow-skinned, with wide mouths and slant eyes; in fact, degraded and repulsive versions of the (to Europeans) least lovely Mongol types.

 

[ditto]

Honestly? I think to avoid controversy they will avoid showing the Men of Darkness. Easterlings, Haradrim, Variags, etc…

Or be depicted with thick southern accents and red MAGA hats, subtlety be damned.

 

[Art Kassul]

They should make them all slant eyes

I look forward to the clash between the Maori and Moriori hobbits. We might get our first hobbit-on-hobbit genocide! Complete with cannibalism! A second breakfast indeed.

 

[The Nothingness]

What does it say when a sketch comedy show already did a "diverse" adaption a decade before Amazon?

 

[Dammit Mandrake!]

Actual Justice Warrior swoops in.