[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Zigûr

What is frustrating is that outside of places like this it is difficult, if not impossible, to hold any discourse about Professor Tolkien's work without the films rearing their head.

I haven't been poking around any other forums in many years, so I'll have to take your word about the prevailing sentiments there. I wonder if the distinction of the Downs is due to the fact that it was begun a couple of years before the movies were released. I do (grudgingly) credit the movies though, for apparently drawing people to this place in the buildup to the films' release. Many seem to have been only interested in the films, but some have been thoughtful, well spoken individuals who have brought a lot of valuable contributions here over the years.

Originally Posted by Zigûr

Everything becomes indistinguishable: the source material, the adaptations, any merchandise, and their cultural presence in the shape of references, memes, catchphrases etc. It seems to be the same with things like Harry Potter or, as we've discussed elsewhere, "A Song of Ice and Fire", or comic-book superheroes. Sherlock Holmes might be another example. I find this to be a shame because it treats all of these things as one entity, so we can't talk about one without the other, at least in mainstream conversation. At least we have places like this as an alternative.

I think the commercialization has become inevitable, as the value of a literary work is apparently only measured in terms of monetary potential. That naturally leads to a disregard for any efforts to preserve the integrity of the source material, and the cheerful addition of ideas and scenes not conceived in the author's wildest dreams. Books written in today's times are more susceptible, I would think, but Tolkien and A.C. Doyle are certainly not immune. The mass-media product is much more attractive to this Twitter-addicted, instant gratification society, so again it's not a stretch to see that a movie would garner more attention than the book it's based upon.

Originally Posted by Zigûr

Again, I apologise if this comes across as pretentious or arrogant. There are just times when I feel extremely isolated and alien among a culture which seems to have completely different values to my own.

As you said though, there are those who "feel your pain". I still haven't seen the Hobbit film myself, and I have no plans to do so. I really don't have any animosity toward PJ, nor do I look down my nose at people who have enjoyed the movies. I just don't think the movies have, or will do anything to enrich my enjoyment of Tolkien's works, so there's no point in me just helping Zaentz and co. line their pockets.