[Inziladun]

I have been doing my absolute best to ignore all of this, but I'm finding it more and more difficult: it's everywhere.

When I first heard of Peter Jackson's planned films these many years ago, I was not in approval. For one thing, I simply wasn't interested in someone else's interpretation of Tolkien's work. Didn't need it.
For another, I thought that financial success would bring the Tolkien name to the attention of some who would be highly interested in the monetary possibilities of further excursions into Middle-earth, but lacked Jackson's basic respect for the source material.

Now, I see added to the mix a rabid desire to slash, burn, and remake whatever isn't considered "progressive" enough, be it too old, too traditional, or simply out of step with "modern" thinking. Some of the show personnel have said things that definitely support their thinking that way.

Tolkien's work is more important to me personally that any other printed work, save one Book that predates him considerably. I wanted him to be exempt from the trend befalling so many other loved and respected books and movies. But the last guardian of his legacy, Christopher, left us at last.

Do the Amazon writers and cast know that Tolkien conceived of his tales during some of the darkest days of the 20th Century? Do they know that Christopher read LOTR chapter by chapter while serving during WWII? I doubt they do, and even if so they certainly don't care.

I say all that to say this: all I can do about the thing myself is not to watch it. But perhaps, if enough people do likewise, and the thing is not a commercial success, the flood may be stemmed somewhat. Maybe they would think twice about committing huge sums of cash toward a bastardization of Tolkien's ideas that the man himself has no say over.

Please consider: if they do get their money out of this, there is no end of what might be done in Tolkien's name, until people have largely forgotten (if they ever even knew) the old books we all cherish.
Don't watch this. Don't enable more of the same. Teach them that Tolkien is different.