Annoying Amateurs

[yavanna II]

It's way more annoying when done by those damn teachers who haven't even read the book.

[Araréiel]

Oh, that's bad. If a teacher talks about the book and doesn't know what's what, is it any wonder why school kids tend to be so stupid these days? Not to offend the ones here who are among the exceptions! It takes brains to read and understand all the intricacies of Tolkien!

Please tell me you aren't talking about a literature teacher though! That would be inexcusable.

[Enorëiel]

AHEM!!! *points emphatically at self* Hello! Do I not count anymore? You're so mean, Enny. *pouts* (J/K. )

Sapphy, Sapphy, Sapphy *shakes head* can't you read? I said I THINK hence meaning I didn't think. Honestly, I thought you'd learned that by now...


Have you guys ever had problems with little children trying to show you up? Some kids know their stuff but some... I was telling someone who Frodo was and explained that he was the ringbearer. This little 10 year old girl goes 'No, Biblo had the ring.' I asked her if she'd read the books or seen the movie and she said no. Needless to say after that... I wasn't too worried. But come on! What are we teaching children nowadays?

[Araréiel]

I do have to defend a 10-year-old here. LotR is so involved it is above many 10-year-olds. Not all, but most. The Hobbit is much more in line with with what a child that age could easily read. So she was right as well in a way. While Frodo was the ring BEARER, Biblo did have the ring-for a while anyway. I believe in cutting slack on kids with this.

[VanimaEdhel]

I do have to defend a 10-year-old here. LotR is so involved it is above many 10-year-olds. Not all, but most. The Hobbit is much more in line with with what a child that age could easily read. So she was right as well in a way. While Frodo was the ring BEARER, Biblo did have the ring-for a while anyway. I believe in cutting slack on kids with this.

Well, you know I first read The Lord of the Rings when I was nine, so I think that if you are going to get upset at thirteen-year olds, ten-year olds should not necessarily escape your wrath as well. I read The Hobbit when I was eight and loved the books, so my dad gave me The Lord of the Rings. I did not have any problems understanding the books at that time.

Vanima, I agree that people who've just seen the movies are fine. I started out seeing just one movie, and didn't even know who Frodo was when I did. But those people who've only seen the movies and claim to be experts on all things Tolkien are another story....

But then it goes back to the maturity issue. Usually people who claim to be experts are either rather immature or have littler self-worth. When it comes to the maturity thing, they just are not in a phase in their life when they can understand what they are reading. It can happen to eight-year olds and it can happen to fourteen-year olds. Often they feel as though this makes them inferior, so they claim to know a lot about a subject they do not. They think that by seeming to know everything about something like Tolkien's world, they will seem to be more mature than they actually are. The vast majority of the people that feel that way now will grow out of it by the time they grow up. Even if they are about fifteen now, when they are twenty-five, they may finally grow up. Everyone becomes able to understand different things at different times. I usually just prefer ignoring the people, or correcting them gently at the very least. If they don't believe me because they genuinely think they know what they are talking about, oh well. I'm not going to lose sleep over someone else's ignorance.

[Sapphire_Flame]

Originally Posted by VanimaEdhel

Usually people who claim to be experts are either rather immature or have little self-worth. When it comes to the maturity thing, they just are not in a phase in their life when they can understand what they are reading. It can happen to eight-year olds and it can happen to fourteen-year olds. Often they feel as though this makes them inferior, so they claim to know a lot about a subject they do not. They think that by seeming to know everything about something like Tolkien's world, they will seem to be more mature than they actually are.

A very valid point. One that I fully support, because when I tried to read LotR when I was eight I failed miserably (I think I got to Shortcut To Mushrooms... o.O). I was fifteen before I finally got around to reading LotR all the way through; possibly, I could have done it before then, but I was in the midst of a HP obsession. But I do understand how some people can't understand certain things at different points in their life. And some people never understand things as long as they live. I, for example, know for a fact that I will never understand any math beyond beginning algebra. I don't really care that I won't. But, fortunately, I am secure enough with myself and my intellectual level that it doesn't bother me, and I don't try to sound like a trig expert when I'm not. I merely revel in the fact that I can catch typos that others can't. *e-vile grin* j/k

Abedithon le,

~*~Aranel~*~

[Encaitare]

Ugh. No, Merry and Pippin don't get on the ship, BUT NEITHER DOES CELEBORN! Can nobody see this! Gaaaahhhh!!!!

Yup, and Cirdan didn't have a beard in the movie, either. I was *looking* for a beard, and was disappointed, because Cirdan is one of the coolest characters ever. But I suppose people would have been all, "Wha? How come he has a beard and none of the other elf-people do?" and "Wait... if Galadriel and Seleborn are married then where's he? Why isn't he going with her?" The only thing worse than people saying "Celeborn" like there's an S instead of a C is when people say "Izzle-door." *pukes*

But the worst annoying amateur was a Mary-Sue writer on ff.net. She was terrible. She kept saying that she had read the books "like 100 timez" and memorized all of Legolas' lines so she should be entitled to write a fanfiction. She misspelled the name of every canon character (except Sam), and her MS's name was Jyessicah. This is still a running joke among my friends. Just say it... Jyesssssicaaaahhhh.... Someone emailed her a bunch of questions to test and see if she really did read the book, and here's the Q&A:

Hey, this is Lady Lanet, who just read your review. I thank you for
reviewing and telling this girl that her story is awful. Actually, I
sent her some questions about the book. Boy did she screw up!!!!

Here are the questions:


Hey, this is Lady Lanet, the girl who reviewed your story today, and
I'd like to say, TAKE IT OFF!!!!!

This is a disgrace to Tolkien. The poor man put his heart and soul into
the books and now your butchering it!!!! Hey, and you've read the
books, right (Sure.) Lemme ask you some questions.

Before Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin reach Bree and The Inn of the
Prancing Pony, who do they meet? *Not Farmer maggot.*

Who saves Frodo at the river, and is NOT Arwen (Proper spelling.)

Who solves the Moria Puzzle at the door?

How does the Fellowship meet Galadriel? (The really pretty Elf lady in
the white robes. She has the mirror.)

Who goes with Frodo to the Mirror of Galadriel?

In which book does Boromir die? Fellowship or Two Towers?

Thank you. Please email me back
as soon as possible. I'm just trying to help!


And here are the answers:

I have read the books! Lemme answer these ?s....their really easy!!!
Youll see how good @ lotr cannon I am.................

ok.....


They meet Marry and Pippin! In the field.

Nice try!!! But Arwen DID save Frodo!!! She sent the water-horses @ the
Ringraiths!

Jyessicah will solve teh Moria Puzzle!!!!! lol

She sends peeps (Haldeer!) to fing them and talks too Frodo in his
head!!!

Duh! Frodo goes with no one but Galadreil!

Boramir dies at the end of fotr!!!! (i cryed did u? even tho he was BAD)

See! I've read teh books!

And here are my answers:

Hey! You answered every thing MOVIE VERSE!!! HE-LOH!!! Okay, lemme give
you the answers to the questions from the book.

Frodo, Merry, and Sam meet Gildor, an elf of Rivendell (But he also
might be of Loien origin). You can look this up on page 88 of
Fellowship. Then they meet Merry in Farmer Maggots field. Then the four
of them meet Tom Bombadil, and Goldberry, daughter of the river.

Umm.... Jyessicah.... nice try, but an ELF MAN saved Frodo. His name is
Glorfindel, advisor of Elrond. And to keep the weight down, he sent
Frodo ALONE to Rivendell. At the Fords of Buerian (SP), Frodo's horse
is terrified and won't run anymore to escape the Ringwraiths. Elrond
and Gandalf summon the water and water horses. You can find this
information on pages 236-242 of Fellowship.

Gandalf himself solves the Moria Door puzzle, not Frodo, not Jyessicah,
but GANDALF!!! Merry helps a little too.....

Yes, you answered half way right. But only half. Haldir (Correct
spelling.) and his brothers, Rumil and Orophin are border guards.
Making sure that no orc nor uruk gets through to their home and the
Lady of the Wood. At that time, only Aragorn and Legolas know who the
Lady really is (Gimli has a big mistrust of elves, so he does not know
the fair ladies name.). Haldir and company lead them into Caras
Galadhon, where they meet Lord Celeborn of Doraith (If you've read the
Silmarillion *Curse my horrible spelling!* you know what that is.) and
Lady Galadriel. You can find this information on pages 384-399.

Sam goes with Frodo to the Mirror. Sam looked in first, then Frodo.
Afterwards (And Galadriel yelling 'DON'T TOUCH THE WATER!!' ),
Galadriel shows them her own ring, Nenya, the ring of water. You can
find this on pages 400-411.

Boromir dies at the end of Fellowship of the Ring ThE MOVIE!!! he dies
in the beginning of Two Towers. That is followed by the longest chapter
in Tolkien history, THE RIDERS OF ROHAN!!! And Boromir wasn't bad. He
just in believed in his country, like most Gondorians do. The only
reason that he tried to take the ring was that he wanted to SAVE IT
FROM DESTRUCTION!!! Hey, Aragorn almost took the ring, just like
Boromir. Boromir wasn't bad at all! he cared deeply for his little
brother Faramir, even tried to protect his from his father. I must say,
why do you think Boromir was bad?

Thank you.

Lady Lanet,

Lore Master of Middle Earth,
Advisor of Elrond,
Keeper of Agelos, Narsil, and Hadhafang.

But thank you again. Reply if you wish

Oh, how delightful. And *that* my friends is the most annoying amateur I have ever had the pleasure of flaming. And I never ever flame; I think it's mean. But this I made an exception for because she was so ignorant, and refused to believe that maybe the people reviewing and trying to correct her nicely were right. Blugh.

[yavanna II]

Originally Posted by Araréiel

Oh, that's bad. If a teacher talks about the book and doesn't know what's what, is it any wonder why school kids tend to be so stupid these days? Not to offend the ones here who are among the exceptions! It takes brains to read and understand all the intricacies of Tolkien!

Please tell me you aren't talking about a literature teacher though! That would be inexcusable.

Hey. IT HAS BEEN MY LITERATURE TEACHER who doesn't read the book, and the one who has the guts to tell me that I JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE MOVIE! It's an outrage!

but my Trigonometry teacher understands me... he is an LOTR geek... he's gay, and loves legolas[ew ew ew ew]