Ender's Game Author Asks For Tolerance After Boycott Threat

[ShirowShirow]

This is exactly the kind of attitude I'm talking about. "The author is an asshole so his works are worthless." Walt Disney was a raging Anti-Semite, are you going to sit there and tell me all of his classic works are shit based on his beliefs? What about Henry Ford, another man who also held anti-Semitic beliefs and yet is heralded as an American hero for making the automobile cheaper and more affordable to the working class?

Well, they're dead so it's hard for them to hear my rage against them or benefit from my transactions.

I ain't saying that Ender's Game is a bad book... Maybe it is but I haven't read it despite owning an old paperback... I'm saying Orson Scott Card is a terrible person who thinks he's entitled to be free of consequences after campaigning to oppress people who have had to deal with a lot of fucking oppression. I'm saying I will not go watch the new movie because I don't want to support any work that features him on the credits.

 

[Monsterfurby]

He's a great writer, a decent author, a passable storyteller and a human being I most certainly would not really enjoy meeting in person.

As much as I would like to be able to separate his person from his writing, I often find myself with a bitter aftertaste when thinking about his work. I'm an rookie author myself, and the man could very well be a great example to me - but I just can't admire him. With all he has achieved, I cannot admire him because of his views. I agree that his books (at least the early Ender series, the Empire books not so much) are not political or ideological in any way, but still I just cannot get over the fact as much as I try.

Sorry, Orson Scott Card, I deeply regret this but I am afraid that I fail to tolerate your particular brand of intolerance.

 

[omega 616]

Fuck this guy, I would say "I'll pirate it" but I wouldn't sully my eyes!

Everybody is guilty of a little hypocrisy but come on the fuck on, first he is all "fuck them homos" then 'cos the government said "gay people are cool" he is saying "can't we all just get along"?

Couldn't we all just get along before the government said it was ok? He hasn't reversed his views like he is in a feel good Hollywood film and he has seen the error of his ways ... he saw his work could bomb and said "come on guys, why the hate?".

Kind of off topic. I'm glad for all the gay people in America, who are now slowly but surely being given equal rights.

 

[kailus13]

This is exactly the kind of attitude I'm talking about. "The author is an asshole so his works are worthless." Walt Disney was a raging Anti-Semite, are you going to sit there and tell me all of his classic works are shit based on his beliefs? What about Henry Ford, another man who shared a lot of common opinions with Hitler himself and yet is heralded as an American hero for making the automobile cheaper and more affordable to the working class?

There is no proof that Walt Disney was an anti-semite. Lot's of rumours yes, but no proof. Another factor is that Walt Disney happens to be dead and as such, can't actually affect anyone.

Which of Hitlers opinions did Henry Ford agree with?

 

[Lovely Mixture]

This makes a bit more sense, but I still think you should be able to separate your opinions on the author and his past activities from whether or not the movie should be seen or the books read. If you just plain don't like Ender's Game on its own merits, more power to you. The author himself has come out and said he's laying down the pitchfork and backing off. I can understand if you don't believe him but he may very well be speaking truthfully.

He hasn't apologized, he hasn't even reformed. He just said "hey guys, I'm not being as politically active, so don't hold it against the movie based on my work."

As the links in the article show, he's still as intolerant as he's ever been:
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700245157/State-job-is-not-to-redefine-marriage.html?pg=all

And if you choose to home-school your children so they are not propagandized with the "normality" of "gay marriage," you will find more states trying to do as California is doing ? making it illegal to take your children out of the propaganda mill that our schools are rapidly becoming.

Misread the date, thought it was more recent. My point still stands though.

Well darn, I wish I knew about this crap before I bought the first four Ender books. I guess I'll read them since they're already paid for, but this tool's not getting any more of my money. Guess this is another name to add to the bigot boycott banner.

Oh, so Orson Scott Card is a bigot AND a sniveling coward? Lovely.

Fuck him and his movie. He'll never get a cent from me.

This is exactly the kind of attitude I'm talking about. "The author is an asshole so his works are worthless." Walt Disney was a raging Anti-Semite, are you going to sit there and tell me all of his classic works are shit based on his beliefs? What about Henry Ford, another man who also held anti-Semitic beliefs and yet is heralded as an American hero for making the automobile cheaper and more affordable to the working class?

Except, all they said was that they weren't supporting him. Never called his works worthless.
You can't financially support Walt Disney, he's dead.
You can't financially support Henry Ford, he's dead.
See the difference?

 

[Pickapok]

It screams of people looking for a cause to rally around no matter how ultimately trivial.

I don't think you could have missed my point more completely.

I'll give it one more shot:

People--at least ones with the capacity for emotion--will be influenced by their emotions. Sometimes, a person's emotions (positive or negative), will influence their perceptions of the work or products produced by or associated with a particular person. This is not something you can change. If you don't understand how people could operate in such a way, you may never, but that's how many (or even most) humans work.

How very irrational and illogical.

Like I said, if you don't have the same emotional capacity that most people have, that won't make sense to you. Emotion is irrational and illogical and is of considerable evolutionary value. You can dismiss that, or--I'd recommend--archive that somewhere in your mind so you understand, on some level, why people act and react the way they do to things.

Please don't insult me or my emotional capacity. I am very capable of feeling just as pissed off as everybody else and by all means, be pissed off at Card as much as you want. But by boycotting this film people are doing more damage to the state of Hollywood as a whole than they are to Card himself. Hollywood needs good stories and good storytelling. You always hear that consumers vote with their wallets and that is very much true. Right now the message that Hollywood is getting is that the people want mindless explosions and action in the style of Michael Bay and that's killing creativity in film. It's part of the reason why so many of the great directors and actors have fled to make amazing television series like Hannibal and Game of Thrones.

Forget about Card. If we help Ender's Game become a success, who knows what we could see next? If both this film and Pcific Rim do well then we could finally see that At the Mountains of Madness film Guillermo Del Toro has been wanting to make for ages now.

 

[CriticalMiss]

I wonder if his Bigotry Club membership will get revoked now that he has shown that making money is more important to him than campaigning against equality?

 

[Lovely Mixture]

snip

I'd rather pay money for dumb explosion films than for anything that supports intolerant people.

I'd rather not sacrifice my integrity for the small chance that Hollywood might see creativity as profitable. If that were even the case.

 

[Pickapok]

I'd rather pay money for dumb explosion films than for anything that supports intolerant people.

And this is why we get shitty movies.

 

[1337mokro]

It screams of people looking for a cause to rally around no matter how ultimately trivial.

I don't think you could have missed my point more completely.

I'll give it one more shot:

People--at least ones with the capacity for emotion--will be influenced by their emotions. Sometimes, a person's emotions (positive or negative), will influence their perceptions of the work or products produced by or associated with a particular person. This is not something you can change. If you don't understand how people could operate in such a way, you may never, but that's how many (or even most) humans work.

How very irrational and illogical.

Like I said, if you don't have the same emotional capacity that most people have, that won't make sense to you. Emotion is irrational and illogical and is of considerable evolutionary value. You can dismiss that, or--I'd recommend--archive that somewhere in your mind so you understand, on some level, why people act and react the way they do to things.

Please don't insult me or my emotional capacity. I am very capable of feeling just as pissed off as everybody else and by all means, be pissed off at Card as much as you want. But by boycotting this film people are doing more damage to the state of Hollywood as a whole than they are to Card himself. Hollywood needs good stories and good storytelling. You always hear that consumers vote with their wallets and that is very much true. Right now the message that Hollywood is getting is that the people want mindless explosions and action in the style of Michael Bay and that's killing creativity in film. It's part of the reason why so many of the great directors and actors have fled to make amazing television series like Hannibal and Game of Thrones.

Forget about Card. If we help Ender's Game become a success, who knows what we could see next? If both this film and Pcific Rim do well then we could finally see that At the Mountains of Madness film Guillermo Del Toro has been wanting to make for ages now.

That's right Pickapok is a being made out of lots of polygons! He has so much more emotions than you do toaster! A short joke to bring some levity to this discussion.

If Ender's Game does well and we don't get that movie. What then? You will have supported a person who most likely after the success of his movie will revert right back to his earlier ways in the vain hope of catching a carrot.

Why not just support Pacific Rim? Why bother also supporting Enders Game? If everyone who boycotts Enders Game goes out to see Pacific Rim instead you'd have the same effect. Doing something that gives money to a person who has the potential and the history of wanting to harm and oppress others is never justifiable just because there is a dangling carrot in the distance.

Why don't we just let Hollywood die and see what rises from the ashes? Maybe a less racist, misogynistic, stupid industry will take it's place.

This all smacks of a "serially guys things will get lots better if you just dent your integrity a little bit" that has time and time again been abused to do the most reprehensible of things.

"No really guys just wait, if we follow the guy with the moustache the economy will get fixed up. He has some questionable other ideas, but hey! At least the factories will be running again!"

 

[james.sponge]

I had not idea people were planning some kind of boycott, good for them I guess. Oh well, still intend to watch the film.

 

[Amir Kondori]

Lot of self righteous people in this thread. I for one loved the books and I am atheist who thinks gay people should have all the same rights I do. But maybe some of you should practice a little forgiveness and humility.
He'll certainly have some more of my money, I usually pay people for work I like, such as the books and hopefully this upcoming movie.
If you guys want to miss out to make some kind of point that even he is resigned to then by all means help yourself.

 

[Pickapok]

That's right Pickapok is a being made out of lots of polygons! He has so much more emotions than you do toaster! A short joke to bring some levity to this discussion.

If Ender's Game does well and we don't get that movie. What then? You will have supported a person who most likely after the success of his movie will revert right back to his earlier ways in the vain hope of catching a carrot.

Why not just support Pacific Rim? Why bother also supporting Enders Game? If everyone who boycotts Enders Game goes out to see Pacific Rim instead you'd have the same effect. Doing something that gives money to a person who has the potential and the history of wanting to harm and oppress others is never justifiable just because there is a dangling carrot in the distance.

Why don't we just let Hollywood die and see what rises from the ashes? Maybe a less racist, misogynistic, stupid industry will take it's place.

I have all the polygons.

Pacific Rim and Ender's Game won't be in theatres at the same time. Aside from that, the same goes for the flip side of the coin. What if the boycott doesn't catch on and Ender's Game still makes a ton of money? What then? You may not have added your support to the film but in the end it didn't make that much of a difference at all. "But at least he didn't get any of MY money," you might say. "But at least I tried!"

And that would be my response to the possible outcome you presented. "At least I tried."

 

[Deacon Cole]

Card doesn't understand what "tolerance" means, now does he? It's always funny when a bigot begs for tolerance.

 

[Lovely Mixture]

Lot of self righteous people in this thread. I for one loved the books and I am atheist who thinks gay people should have all the same rights I do. But maybe some of you should practice a little forgiveness and humility.

If he wants to be forgiven, he should show humility, apologize for his bigotry, and ask to be forgiven.
He has no regretted anything he has done, he has not done ANYTHING yet that indicates he should be forgiven.

Would you forgive a racist if he said "race isn't an issue to me anymore so I won't support killing minorities, but I still hate all you kikes and negros." ?

I'd rather pay money for dumb explosion films than for anything that supports intolerant people.

And this is why we get shitty movies.

Yeah integrity is sooooooo overrated man [sarcasm]. If you'll notice, I'm not criticizing anyone who desires to see the movie. It's just my principles say "I should not support intolerance, even indirectly."

What if the boycott doesn't catch on and Ender's Game still makes a ton of money? What then? You may not have added your support to the film but in the end it didn't make that much of a difference at all. "But at least he didn't get any of MY money," you might say. "But at least I tried!"

And that would be my response to the possible outcome you presented. "At least I tried."

I don't think you understand how boycotts work. It's meant to be a show of expression, not necessarily a means to an end.

It's called "protest."

 

[Seventh Actuality]

What an unmitigated ****.

 

[BartyMae]

I didn't even know there was a movie being made...just read like 5 of the books in the past week. Interesting.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

If the person behind the product is a piece of shit, he is working towards make his bullshit beliefs effective law and on top of that really isn't that good of a writer then you should not ignore the effects of supporting this man financially.

Bullshit. You're a thug and a bully looking to stir up hatred and intolerance, yourself. You wrap yourself in whatever flag you're told to and quote the arguments you've been fed. No doubt you were the sort to trip kids in the school hallways, just as soon as you figured out which were the "unpopular ones" you could get away with abusing.

You've joined a popular pile on because you're too lazy to investigate what the other 99 authors on the Times 100 think about "stuff." You're joining because you read it's cool to hate on this guy, right now. And next month, you'll get told who to pile on next.

You're a zombie serving the bidding of others. Just like "the other side," of these arguments.

As my old English teacher told me once when she was tearing apart an article I wrote for the school newspaper, "You have a right to say anything you want. You also have the responsibility to bear other people reacting to what you say. Freedom of speech goes both ways."

 

[wulfy42]

I have an idea, lets all boycott his SECOND film (if they make it) cause honestly the second book in the Enders series sucked anyway.

Enders Game though.....was and is a great book, and I hope it will be a great movie. You are not "supporting" Orson Scott Card by watching it...other then possibly opening the door to a sequel, as to make a movie they have to pay for the rights to use the book up front. It's part of the cost of producing the movie...and it's very unlikely that Card will see a dime of any profits (if there even are any) from the movie.

And even though the book is very popular...I'm not sure how well it will do anyway. It's a kinda nitch book in many ways. It doesn't have any romance to grab the teen girls etc (so not going to have the same hoards as Hunger games or Twilight books), and it's science fiction based (which can often be a harder sell). It's a book about kids.....so adults may bypass it...but it's actually a very adult film...so kids may not flock to see it.

All this controversy about Cards "beliefs" is silly...and I doubt it'll make a huge impact on how many people see the movie. I just am not sure if the movie is a good idea in the first place (at least as a full....theator release). To be honest I think it would have been best served as a mini-series...as the Book breaks down very well into episodes....with many interesting characters that would have been good to get to know over time. How they are going to cram the entire story...into 2 hours....is beyond me.

As far as gay marriage is concerned, it should NEVER have been up to the gov. to determine if it was legal. In fact, we are past the time when we should need marriage licenses or have the goverment involved at all. No more tax breaks for being married for anyone, instead you can pool taxes owed with family members, or people living in the same residence etc. No more medical coverage based only on marriage, instead you can have 1 other person (and of course any children) added to your coverege if your working etc.

The is NO reason to involve the gov in marriage at all at this point. And if you didn't, there would be no argument about gay marriage. You want to be married? Go find a priest and get married. If the priests don't want to marry you....find a new religion.

 

[Bruce]

I won't watch movies by Roman Polanski the child raper, and I won't be watching Ender's Game. Tolerance, is one of those things which gets sold as a virtue when in actual fact it is a big ol' chunk of why it takes so long for the world to become a less shitty place.

People in unjustly disadvantageous positions (whether it is because they're the wrong race, religion, sex, sexuality or anything else which has no bearing on their abilities) are told to tolerate the intolerance shown towards them.

And when they don't tolerate it they are told they are just as bad as the people who are actively trying to deny them rights. Fuck tolerance. Tolerance is only a virtue so far as it supports basic human justice, otherwise it can easily become cowardice.

Captcha: Strike a match.

Fitting.