#Ilúvatar almighty

[prattling-she-elf]

Since When does the Fandom Hate Horses?

It absolutely baffles me that people out there hate the scene in RoP where Galadriel and Elendil go horse riding. Of all the things to be nit-picky about, you chose that?!?

I shit you not, I saw a review that complained that the horse riding scene was "a pointless usage of riding in slow motion and something PJ would have never wasted time on" (I'm paraphrasing here, but that was the gist).

Like, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Seriously?

I so wish I could find that review again because it was so damn obvious that this guy's hate had nothing to do with the fact that riding horses in slow motion took up screen time.

I mean, let's look at the evidence. Peter Jackson would never have had people riding horses in slow motion, huh? Bud, I think it's time to rewatch those movies.

Oh yeah, I guess you are right. No slow-motion horses in the Fellowship of the Ring.

Come I think of it, there was none of that in the Two Towers either.

Yeah, imagine how lame that would have been in Return of the King.

(This was maybe not the best choice of gifs, but you probably get it)

In my personal opinion, this scene was done in a way that blends beautifully with the previous movie adaptations.

So, what was this dude's (and other people's) problem?

Let's take a look at the scene.

Apparently, I am in the minority here (at least, that's what it feels like), but this scene was breathtaking.

The colors! The flowing robes! The stunning cremello horse! The cinematography!

This. Is. Art.

Watching this scene made me understand exactly how this show is "a love letter to Tolkien".

Yet a lot of people hate it.

And, surprise surprise, it's not about the horse or the use of slow motion.

Let's compare this scene to its predecessors, shall we?

What do they have in common? For the most part, they can be described as:

Dark

Grim

Urgent

Perilous

Dangerous

This new scene, on the other hand, can be described as:

Bright

Light

Freeing

Leisurely

High Spirited

Two completely different moods, with two different receptions. This is surely a huge part of the negative reaction. People just did not like the lack of tension.

And that's ok.

If you found this scene boring and generally unimpressive due to this lack of narrative pressure, that is completely valid.

But if that was the root cause of the widespread hate for this scene, I would not be writing this.

Because "cringy" is not an adjective used to describe something you find boring and unimpressive. And cringy is the descriptor I have seen used over and over again.

So what about it is "cringy"?

Well, it's not the slow motion. Many people pointed out that there was a lot of it. Does the scene lean too heavily upon slow motion? Meh, in the end, it boils down to personal preference there, but as I have pointed out above, slow motion alone is not the source of enmity.

Nor is it the artful aspect. Many people have expressed their appreciation for the shot where we can see Galadriel's flowing robes.

No. Interestingly enough, the shot that I see the most complaints on, the moment that the enraged masses cry "cringy", is this one.

I mean, look at her! For the first time, she feels joy. And it shows.

Our poor emotionally constipated Galadriel, who has shown nothing but pride, rage, and impatience (all symptoms of her trauma from the hell that was the First Age), is finally happy, even for a brief while.

This poor woman has been shown nothing but disbelief, skepticism, scorn, and outright hostility from other characters. Everywhere she turns, these people patronize her and her growing sense of urgency (I think a lot of people have forgotten/are not aware that she has foresight). Her concerns are not unfounded.

Finally, she catches a break, and her expressions show it. Morfydd Clark does a wonderful job of capturing that freeing release.

Instead, people say it "looks ridiculous, laughable, and out of place", and they complain that it "looks like an advert for a feminine care product".

No. I fear that this reaction stems from something else. Because this was never about the horses.

Our society is twisted and skewed so that many people are not willing to tolerate a female lead—let alone a woman who does all the things that typically male characters do. They have no interest in a female-led narrative. They don't want to see women expressing emotions that don't immediately cater to their egos.

This is mostly a man problem, hence the several instances I've heard of men complaining that this scene looks like advertising for feminine care products (since when did that become a derogatory thing?), so in all fairness, I now point out that some women are also guilty of this through internalized misogyny.

Now, I'm not saying you have to like this scene. You don't have to like anything about RoP. If you don't like it, my advice is to stop watching it and making yourself and everyone else miserable. Go find something you actually like. I promise it will make you feel better.

But, if you hated this scene and other parts of RoP because you are mad that a female lead is showing emotions and doing things that don't fit with your ideas on how women should look or act, then I have a few choice words for you stinky misogynists.

Eca, a mitta lambetya cendelessë orcova, catassa.

#galadriel #fellowship of the ring #the two towers #return of the king #lotr on prime #lotr rings of power #the rings of power #rings of power #love letter to tolkien #rant #lotr horses #calm down and stop trying to ruin rop for everyone else #Ilúvatar almighty #since when did this fandom become so toxic #absolutely laughable rop complaints

[lemurious]

First lines meme

Thank you to the wonderful @nocompromise-noregrets for tagging me!

Rules: list the first lines of your last 20 stories. See if there are any patterns. Then tag your friends.

1. “Take him to the Firstborn”, they say, when what is left of an Elven lord is brought into the chambers, and his rescuer quietly breaks down into sobs at his side. The Firstborn  (A dark take on the Awakening of the Elves).

2. “What shall we do for the solstice?” Meneldil’s son asked his father. The Lord of Gifts (Annatar is Father Christmas)

3. To the sound of the great cannons rumbling, inside a flea-infested dugout, by flickering candlelight, a soldier was writing. The Great War of the Jewels (World War I x Silmarillion crossover). 

4. When Farmer Maggot saw a dark-cloaked figure striding toward his house, he knew he could not waste another moment. Candles in the Fog (Maglor during the events of the War of the Ring).

5. First they wrote stories about me. Evenstar. (Poem about astronomer!Arwen).

6.  If only a King had come, she says, loud and clear, raising her head to look straight into Mithrandir’s face. Hands of a Healer. (Orc!Ioreth, Arda Forged ‘verse). 

7. “In gratitude for the boundless mercy of Eru, we confirm that the sentence to atone for your grievous misdeeds has now been served, and you are proclaimed to be fit to receive freedom anew, though you shall abide in abject humility, with no palace nor retainer, seeking ever to serve the Almighty Ilúvatar and live in peace as the lowliest of your most venerated brethren,” Manwë finished in a single breath, though by the end he was audibly running out of air. Release from Bondage, and What Came After. A.k.a. Villains in Valinor. (Melkor/Mairon in Valinor, crack, but Arda Forged-compliant). 

8. Do you know what the best thing is? A Footnote to a Tale (Thranduil’s wife, written in @nocompromise-noregrets ‘verses). 

9. The Noldor lords of the Northern settlements in Beleriand paid little heed to simple townsfolk, beyond thanking their good fortune that there were enough to support them through the endless battles, until their cities fell at last. Know Our Names. (Orcs assimilating into Elven cities, Arda Forged ‘verse). 

10. “I am a monster,” she says, watching her sons walk in through the door, gingerly stepping over the corpses. Dark Secrets of the Golden Wood. (dark!Galadriel and a different take on Celebrían, Arda Forged ‘verse). 

So first lines from 10 pieces is quite enough - I apparently tend to start with one of my characters speaking :) this was a fun game!

Tagging anyone who would like to be tagged, please! I would love to be reminded of your stories. :) 

#tag game #my fics #first lines #lemur writes

[dickbosman]

Eru Ilúvatar. Eru (the one / the almighty ) Ilúvatar (All mighty father of All) in Quenya. Eru is the Creator God in Tolkien's Universe, he created the Ainur (Holy ones) who had a hand in all his creations except for the creation of the Races of Men and Elves which he alone was responsible for creating. (Art by Elveo)