LOTR fans now fucked over by corporate society...

[Jehar]

http://m2.2mdn.net/794647/Ringers_728x90.jpg

I nearly fell over when I saw this. Somebody decided to make a catch-label for those who love tolkien, of whom I guess many of us do.
This really gets me steamed... a label shoved on us by someone out to get some cash... and non-tolkien-readers will go out now and call us "ringers"... Fuck.

Now I feel the star trek fans pain. Except, I had the concept that trekkies call themselves that; I have no desire to call myself a "ringer"

[Quast]

How are you "fucked over" by having a label being applied to something? Would you rather people use "tolkien fan" or something of the like? It's all the same anyway. Does it really matter? I don't understand why people get bothered by things like this. We love to categorize things. It is in our nature.

[Bucket]

So you're going to make it more difficult for yourself by picking up some weird trait or hobby that somehow allows you to escape being pigeonholed. In doing so you join the ranks of people exactly like you who never delve too deep into one group or theme, spreading themselves across disparate interests in fear of being understood. Sure, you'll convince yourself that you're multifaceted or like different things... but we all know what's really going on.

[Jehar]

Quast said:

How are you "fucked over" by having a label being applied to something? Would you rather people use "tolkien fan" or something of the like? It's all the same anyway. Does it really matter? I don't understand why people get bothered by things like this. We love to categorize things. It is in our nature.

Maybe I have been reading too much Huxley and Orwell then ;)
I dislike being labeled with any such whatever I am interested in. Being labeled makes one a target audience... or just a target if you prefer. Just another way to be judged, both by others and by themselves.
"What do I want to be... hm. Ringers are interesting. I'll be a Ringer!"
I hate sounding like an individualistic emogoth, but fo fucks sake, that situation is ridiculous.

[myk]

I hear Dave Cronenberg made a movie about deceased Tolkien fans.

[baronofhell]

Yeah, metal heads hate being labeled. But they pretty much label the rest of the world. If you ask me, what's wrong with the world is people trying to push their belief on others. People need to mine their fucking business. But yeah, the lord of the rings movies were pretty good. I liked the last one the best easily.

[Csonicgo]

tolkien is spinning so fast in his grave he is now an undead borring drill...

[Janderson]

Too bad. Your label sounds like something a pack of gay, black-leather motorcyclists would call themselves. My sympathy and laughter goes out to you.

... in fact, could you write the guy and ask him to change it to RingRiders.

Seriously though, you aren't going to be affected and unless you dress like the characters you'll never be reffered to as a Ringer and we'll have forgotten all this by next week.

[Kristian Ronge]

Csonicgo said:
tolkien is spinning so fast in his grave he is now an undead borring drill...

That's the funniest shit I've read in a long time. Thanks for making my day, man!

[Jehar]

Janderson said:

Too bad. Your label sounds like something a pack of gay, black-leather motorcyclists would call themselves. My sympathy and laughter goes out to you.

... in fact, could you write the guy and ask him to change it to RingRiders.

Seriously though, you aren't going to be affected and unless you dress like the characters you'll never be reffered to as a Ringer and we'll have forgotten all this by next week.

So this is starting to look like "ringers" are about to be equated as 'specialist cosplayers'... ugh.

[Ralphis]

Dude what are you tolkien about

[St. Doom]

What you tolkien about Willis?

[Gokuma]

Csonicgo said:

tolkien is spinning so fast in his grave he is now an undead borring drill...

what elemental srengths or weaknesses does he have. Shit, when'd he die?

[Gokuma]

Janderson said:

Too bad. Your label sounds like something a pack of gay, black-leather motorcyclists would call themselves. My sympathy and laughter goes out to you.

... in fact, could you write the guy and ask him to change it to RingRiders.

Seriously though, you aren't going to be affected and unless you dress like the characters you'll never be reffered to as a Ringer and we'll have forgotten all this by next week.

Ever have a ringjob? Probably not too forgettable.

[VileSlay]

actually a lot of fans of LotR do call themselves "ringers". thats why that doc is so titled. fans of the books and movies who created a culture, much akin to the ones star trek and star wars fans have made, wanted an identity and came up with that name. it did not come from some corprate mastermind.

I grew up with the cartoons and read the books over 15 years ago and have read them over and over again. I am also a huge fan of the movies and dressed in a homemade strider costume while my girl dressed as arwen for halloween '04. I have never called myself a "ringer", but I would have to say, yes, I am a "ringer".

if you want to go on about labels, then think about this. every word you think, speak, or type is a label. it is tag attached to a concept. that is what we as humans do.

[Janderson]

VileSlay said:

if you want to go on about labels, then think about this. every word you think, speak, or type is a label. it is tag attached to a concept. that is what we as humans do.

Deep man. Pass me the blunt :P

[Sharessa]

I think anyone who would be offended by a label is someone who is so obsessed with said subject that they're already basicaly setting themselves up for stereotypes.

Gokuma said:

Shit, when'd he die?

60s I think.

[Mancubus II]

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) (thanks Wikipedia)

And after reading this thread I still don't understand what the hell the original poster is on about. How are you "fucked" over by or on anything? As a recent but avid tolkien fan and as a fan of peter jackson's lotr film work, I don't see how this really affects me in the least.

EDIT: After reading this description, it doesn't sound bad at all. In fact I think I may pick up a copy to check it out.

[-_DLD_-]

Csonicgo said:

tolkien is spinning so fast in his grave he is now an undead borring drill...

Here here!

Perhaps he can join Shakespeare, what with all the mutilated "modernized" versions of his plays running around...

[TheDarkArchon]

What, at the point where he was completely incinerated by the earths core?

[Jehar]

Mancubus II said:

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) (thanks Wikipedia)

And after reading this thread I still don't understand what the hell the original poster is on about. How are you "fucked" over by or on anything? As a recent but avid tolkien fan and as a fan of peter jackson's lotr film work, I don't see how this really affects me in the least.

EDIT: After reading this description, it doesn't sound bad at all. In fact I think I may pick up a copy to check it out.

Perhaps the term 'fucked' was a bit overreactent; i wasnt totally sober at the time of posting. remember kids: dont drink and post!

And thanks for the info VileSlay, I feel much better knowing that. Much better. I would prefer not to call myself a 'ringer'... silly sounding and I am not a huge cosplay person, nor would I like cosplay and lord of the rings automatically associated. *shrugs* I'll stick with 'lord of the rings scholar'. May sound pretentious, but I really dont think a term as petty as 'fan' really applies to literary work.

[-_DLD_-]

TheDarkArchon said:

What, at the point where he was completely incinerated by the earths core?

Heh, exactly. Screwing with Shakespeare's plays and still calling them Shakespeare is blasphemy, IMO.

[darknation]

it just goes to show that shakesphere's plots are weak and floppy.

I'm with T.S Eliot on this one. Shakesphere was a hack.

[Naked Snake]

-_DLD_- said:

Here here!

Perhaps he can join Shakespeare, what with all the mutilated "modernized" versions of his plays running around...

Actually, I've very sure Shakespeare would have championed re-interpretations of his plays, even if the quality wasn't very good.

[-_DLD_-]

Even those awful modenizations?

[Fletcher`]

if LOTR fans have a problem with being called Ringers, i wonder what the furries think!

[-_DLD_-]

I guess I'm a true Ringer, since I have a "One Ring".

[SYS]

Jehar said:

I have no desire to call myself a "ringer"

Maybe if it were something like "Gaylord of the Anal Rings" then you'd be a vitcim of corporate society. A ringer is like a Trekkie. Only they're a Tolkeinphile.

[chilvence]

POTGIESSER said:

Only they're a Tolkeinphile.

So they're obsessed with Tolkein and his ring? The plot thickens...

[Mancubus II]

I watched this docupic, and while there definitely are some cringe-inducing moments, it has some cool history stuff presented in a way that was entertaining.