Noblesse Oblige We have in Plenty, but Precious Little Droit du Seigneur

[steepholm]

Did I mention that I've been dipping my toe into the world of authors and their pesky post-facto thoughts about books?

Comments

[ron-broxted.livejournal.com]

So far as social meejah I can't abide Rowling. She wrote a very lucrative series of kids books. Why the hell she feels qualified to pontificate (like some mad old lady with a cat) on Scots independence, or anything outside Potter is stupefying.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

She's not the only person on Twitter who feels entitled to pontificate, from what I hear! I don't blame her for that, so much as other people for treating her as an expert - if indeed they do.

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

That's another fine line - between a celebrity who thinks their fame makes them into an expert on every subject and one who decides that if they're going to have all this influence, they might as well use it to promote what they consider good causes.

Example of case 1, the genuine expert on his own subject who's turned into an ignorant blowhard on topics he knows nothing about: Richard Dawkins. Example of case 2, the celebrity who uses his fame to promote good causes: Sean Penn.

I haven't been following Rowling in detail, but I think she falls into case 2. Even if you disagree with her on Scottish independence.

[ron-broxted.livejournal.com]

There is the Pontiff of course. Quite a few gasp in awe at her utterances, which reminds me, I must away and bomb TERFs.