Hogwarts: A Legacy Of Hate (The Jimquisition)
J.K. Rowling is a transphobe who uses the success of Harry Potter to claim her vile views are justified. Hogwarts Legacy is a game that supports and benefits her, and as a trans person I really need to talk about that, the trolls rallying around it, and the "allies" who sold us out for the sake of a media product.
For most people, it'll always be "just a game." For those of us threatened by the vicious little monsters Rowling emboldens, it'll always be something more.
Comments (52)
Thanks for the summary. I only ever did quick google searches and I could never quite figure out why people think Rowling is the devil. Finally found a satisfying explanation. Now I'm fine with not buying the wizard game. Long-term though I hope the UK can disentangle wealth from political power a bit more.
It’s really hard for me to watch this video. In a very literal sense, because I have to mute and skip over any parts that show the bigot’s faces and feature the sound of their voices. Sorry, I hate to skip parts of your hard work. But I can’t… I just can’t with these pigs. Excellent video, though. I think it does the whole pile of garbage fire situation justice.
Excellent work as always steph.
Loved the video! It's a great summary for people who might struggle with the more long form videos people like Shaun have done on the topic. Hope you and yours are coping okay with the dumb but inevitable backlash.
You absolute legend. You rock that outfit too!
After thinking this video over for a few days, I still think it's, frankly, terrible. It is the definition of getting upset over pretty much nothing. Mindless consumerism is obviously bad, but a boycott only has any chance of ever being effective if it targets something or someone that can actually be impacted by a boycott. If JK Rowling loses 97% of her net worth overnight, she's still gonna be richer than most of us. She already has all that money, she isn't dependent on any new money coming in, as she is not a company. "But JK Rowling says her getting money is an endorsement and she gets license fees from the game" yeah well, if the game didn't sell, she would ALSO see it as an endorsement of her views, because it would make her believe she really is being cancelled. With a boycott that was doomed from the start because the part of the trans community and their allies that is online enough to even give a shit about this (and also part of the Anglosphere because non-English speaking trans people in my experience often don't even know what the whole thing is really about) is quite small, all people have achieved is giving JK Rowling BOTH endorsements I mentioned at the same time. You want to do something good for trans people? Donate to a trans charity. Boycott a company that is actually dependent on revenue coming in and doing real harm, like Nestlé, or heck, Activision Blizzard. Don't shit on people who want to play a Wizard game that has absolutely nothing to do with trans people other than the author of the original franchise being a transphobic asshole.
> "Don't shit on people who want to play a Wizard game that has absolutely nothing to do with trans people other than the author of the original franchise being a transphobic asshole." That seems a significant "other than" to me. I took away from the (I thought excellent) vid that it was about explaining the views and activities of the person who wrote and owns the IP behind this game, and it invites the viewer to consider their position on the game in light of this. I didn't see it as "shitting on" people to say that if they're going to get and play the game regardless of this, then so be it, go play it. Though that says something about how they weigh their support for the Trans community, vs a desire to consume an entertainment product where the IP creator/owner has the views talked about in the vid. (I definitely agree with your point that there are plenty of other products with problematic ties to owners with deplorable views and/or practices. Pointing that out as a criticism of _this_ specific vid though feels like whataboutism).
I was talking to my girlfriend (who is transfem) last night and we were having a conversation about her sister. During that conversation, she came to quite the realization. Her sister is vegan explicitly because she is concerned about the harm done to the pigs and the chickens. But that same sister has no such concern about a particularly at risk group of the human population, since she not just pre-ordered HL, but also hasn't stopped trying to talk others into buying the game.
I will never understand people who have more empathy for animals than for people.
There are so many other video games to buy this month.
that's the thing, it's not even all that tempting, I have something like 8 other games to play this month, even if Rowling wasn't an ass I'd probably be skipping this one.
People can have all kinds of reasons for buying Joanne's IP, but their dollars spend the same no matter what. That's the brutal, simplifying force of capitalism. Is it a nostalgia dollar, a spite dollar, a dollar ignorant of any problem at all or a donation from Mumsnet? It will be equally useful to Joanne's political goals. 'Was a fresh supply of cash sent to anti-trans lobby contributer and advocate Joanne?' No matter how complicated people's feelings about Harry Potter are, that is a yes/no question. It will stay that way whether or not anyone is emotionally ready to treat their financial decisions, even in entertainment, as political decisions.
It's crazy people give JK the benefit of the doubt even after she wrote a book where a cross-dressing serial killer targets cis women. Her paranoia and hatred are not well hidden.
Mundfish has also come under fire for a EULA apparently claiming that they collect user data and pass it off to a Russian government agency. Bad taste in mouth forming...
A friend just hit me with a video of a similar feel, but this time about the new FPS Atomic Heart. I think the cats a lil' too close to this one (he's Ukranian, game is made by a Russian studio and is DRENCHED in '50's Russian culture) but he does bring up some damn good points about AH's funding and promotion. Anybody hear any neg nooze about AH's development?
Anyone else hear the intro and think of the ending to ralph bakshis "wizards"?
Thank god for you!
Such a great episode Steph. Sad it has to exist but this is one of your best.
I wanted to make a jokey comment along the lines of "lets get back to important things: steph's cleavage rocks", but your fear and anger really came through this time. :-| I would so very much like to say that the vast majority of people does care and simply doesn't know anything about Rowling's terfness, and indeed most people don't, but they still don't care when they find out. :(
Can anyone direct to an international trans rights charity because, I don't want to limit support for trans rights to the USA or UK 🙇🏻♂️
JSS might have loathed "having" to make this, bit I do appreciate the vid, as I still believe that getting a different or even specifically informed opinion on a topic is a good thing. That being said, there are a few things I do find disappointing or downright "have your cake and eat it". Again, shouldn't have to point out I've been a fan for years, and still am (hell, I'm posting this on a site where fans support creators). You might even point out I've only be a relatively recent patreon. Think what you will, fact remains that I've been subbed for the Jimquisition for years, before JSS's coming out, back when it was just "Jim fucking Sterling son". Hell, I don't think the Digital Homicide (apt name, considering) lawsuit had dropped yet. Fuck I'm old. Anyway, before I ramble too much, my issues: So, you've got followers who are asking your permission to play a game. That makes sense since you have an actual "stake" in this convo, as it were. Hell, for this whole thing I've been sad for all the people who have been fans of Potter before JKR outed herself as a terf. But stating that "I'm not saying your transphobic for buying Hogwarts Legacy" and then saying you can't be an ally is rather shortsighted. Especially when you state that you "can't feel safe" around that hypothetical person. It basically boils down to you won't say someone's a transphobe for being a Potter fan, but you'll alway treat them as such. Pick a lane I suppose. Admit that the transactivists are a religion. This reminds me of the stories my parents told me about the satanic panic. Throwing out their Beatles and Rolling Stones albums because a church said they shouldn't like that. You can't complain about people looking for your opinion or permission when their allyship is "at stake". You are the new clergy. You also can't complain about being 2% of the population and people viewing you as a epidemic while being the most vocal minority of minorities the internet had had the pleasure of knowing. Also, the fact you keep mentioning your regular sub hemorrhaging as being a result of your being trans is becoming more and more unbelievable. I could see it at the beginning when you first came out, but at this point if someone's unsubbing because you're trans then somehow your vids haven't appeared in their feed for YEARS, and somehow now their finding out you're trans and unsubbing when the most recent gets somehow served to 'em. Youtube is personality driven, so perhaps those unsubbing have hit their limit to being demonized and blamed for being a fan of something. That and you're the only person that's a critic of games that limits what games they're going to specifically criticize will drive people away. Gaming is perhaps the most inclusive and diverse group yet you alienate big portions of it. Also, as much as corps lay off devs even with record profits, they will kill subsidiaries that don't generate any at all. Damn I hope this makes any kind of sense since I actually found this interesting enough to watch multiple times, bit tldr I suppose is claiming that allyship is a binary is the same as saying any complex issue has an obvious simple solution. Keep it up tho. I'll be here till the very last episode unless death claims me first 😊
You might not want to hurt anyone, but you do want to buy a Harry Potter product. Understanding what Joanne is doing with her money would make that a conflict. If you then went and bought the game anyway, bad feelings are likely to result from that conflict, which then got worse at hearing the harm clarified. How I or any other trans person feels about your decision cannot change those base facts. How we behave toward you apparently does decide whether you're willing to help, but it can't really change any of those base facts, and so it can't really change the base reason for misery. Harry Potter money, to Joanne's pocket, to lobbying for trans kids in the UK to still have to suffer through conversion 'cures'. That pipeline is there no matter whether any trans person is blaming you for it. Am I blaming you? Why bother, when my blaming changes nothing for those kids. It motivates no change in your money decisions. A few dozen people have already admonished me not to be mad at them because just ONE person paying her doesn't matter, today. But let's not allow any unpleasant interactions to happen to you, person who left a lengthy lecture for unruly and noisy trans people to learn from. Pardon, but my lowly 2% place chafes this afternoon, and since you've decided to advise me, I shall return the favour. Presuming that you find that pipeline awful, the bad feelings about feeding your dollars into it will remain in some form. Indignance at even the possibility that you might be blamed by someone, somewhere, is useless to you. It's useless because the blame is immaterial to the pipeline's flow. You, the one with the least to lose in this endless parade of horrors, don't seem to me to be the one in the greatest danger because you could feel blamed. Not even if we can assume that most cis people share your feelings does it suddenly start to make sense that a bunch of adults feeling blamed for the results of their own money choices is a worse pain than a bunch of kids being put through soft torture until they agree to pretend to be cis. What comes out at the other end of that pipeline is horrible enough that a fear of having to take perhaps some miniscule part of millions of parts of the blame for it - no, not even a fear that is spread among 98% of people - should stand in the way of stopping it.
It's so nice to hear someone in the video game space say what all of us trans people are thinking. It's painful, tiring, and terrifying knowing that money is flooding in for people like JKR who are actively trying to make this world unsafe for us to live in. Hearing Steph say that, is I think the first time I've ever heard anyone list those out when talking about HP. I could say a lot more, but I'd just be reiterating Steph's points. Although it might not be a consolation, I actually started watching you much more right before you transitioned on the channel, and actively look forward to all your videos now. You are one of the handful of trans people in the gaming space I know of that endure the harassment and keep being outspoken (to be clear that is not a criticism of other trans people, simply a statement of your incredible strength). Thank god for you.
I'm sorry you have this kind of fear in your life, James Stephanie. I've been a fan of yours since The Escapist days. It's been a beautiful and wonderful thing to see you embrace your true self. I love yah, and I respect yah. I stand with you and all other Trans people. You all are beautiful and brave to seek your happiness in a world devoted to holding you down. I'll help in whatever way I can, always. Love and respect. Thank GOD, for you!
Thank you for this video. You made some excellent points. Being an ally is not just a title you can self-apply. It requires action and commitment. Those people who can't do the bare minimum and avoid supporting biggots don't qualify. At the very least, it's clearer now who can't be trusted.
I am not in a safe headspace to watch this right now and I'm not sure I will be anytime soon, but I want to say I really appreciate your strength in calling this stuff out. I can only imagine how exhausting and harrowing it is, but you're still out here yelling at full volume because it still matters. Despite everything, you're still you, and thank god for you.
As someone who is but a few weeks away from transitioning, someone who has been seeking trans care for about a year now, someone who has consternated heavily on whether this is the right choice or not, I feel that the time has finally come. Don't get me wrong, I'm scared too Steph, but I have followed you since the very beginning. What you do gives me courage and you have been an inspiration to me from the start. I will always support you in everything you do and hope that I can transition even half as well as you! Wish me luck and thank god for you!
OMG but Steph, what if a Make-a-Wish child wanted to play Hogwarts Legacy?? What then??? Why do you HATE CHILDREN with CANCER?! /s
I just wanted to say thank you, Steph. You're a superstar. I pity the fool who tries to cross you. 😉 I'm in a hospital at the moment. (Ah, yes. Good ol' American profit driven healthcare.) And it SUCKS. But I salute the kind nurse's and nurse's aids doing their best to take care of me and make me as comfortable as possible. They are superstars, as well. I'm not even joking. They are doing their best under horrid conditions in one of our "finest" "world class" healthcare centers and they all deserve fucking medals. 😎
This isn't anywhere near the point, but I can't help but think this game doesn't even seem worth giving up one's moral stance in order to play. Elden Ring had a more vibrant and welcoming looking wizard's school compared to the many, many many ad videos that I've skipped as fast as I've could of this game. It profit a person nothing to give their soul for the whole world... but for Hogwash!
This is a great video. Thank you.
This may be one of your top vids of all time! Congrats on all your hard work on this one!
I can't believe J-Steph had the gall to serve a look so fierce that distracts me from this genuinely harrowing subject matter 😩
I think JK Rowling has a twisted view of trans people because of a few things, one of which is her father who abused her because he wanted a son, another is paranoia from her belief that trans women are cosplayers who know nothing about living under misogyny (her view, not mine). It would have been better if she wasn't made to feel she had to associate with awful people, but strategic thought on the internet is hard to come by. All that said, if I can pick up Hogwarts Legacy 2nd hand for a great price in a year or two, I might get it. Keep in mind, I said that to myself about Cyberpunk 2077 and I still haven't gotten it. Harry Potter was a big part of my elementary-high school interests, but I mostly leave it there rather than trying to chase that nostalgia like many others.
Or maybe jkr is just a tool.
And yes Steph, you should be scared. This bigotry is really out of hand and they are trying to make being LGBTQ illegal. But I have a story that may help ease the pain - My 13 year old daughter wanted me to get this game for her. She's halfway through HP book 4 (we've owned the entire collection for years). I explained why I wouldn't be buying this game and she not only understood and wanted to learn more about what JK and her type are like. She then decided that she wasn't going to read anymore of the books and said "can we just get rid of the books?" So we did. The only thing that seems to bring me hope nowadays is when my kid does stuff like that. Unfortunately it doesn't help people in the present.
Stephanie, I was wondering when the Hogwarts video was coming. I'm glad you went after the "allies" instead of just going after JK. Those "allies" are almost more disgusting than the bigots. I don't remember the last Ubi or EA or Blizzard game I bought. Its very easy to skip a game. Hell we're 90 days away from another 7/10 Zelda game.
I don't know how to properly express my thoughts and feelings toward you Stephanie, and Laura. You have been major influences and inspirations in my "education" in knowledge LGBT+ people. Heck, you've even helped me to define myself. This video hit me hard, and I support you.. Whole heartedly! I guess I just wanted to say: Thank God for you.
Does anyone have a timestamp from when the TERF clips end? Mental health is low today and the rhetoric is triggering me in ways I didn't expect, but I still want to get my weekly dose of Jimquisition
The TERF clips end at 9:15, with JSS talking about their own experiences with transphobia until 11:15.
Thanks, I was on the fence about this one, I'm not the biggest HP fan, but I liked the books, (when they first came out) & the game looks amazing. Thing is, you shouldn't have to be afraid, not for being who you are. I'll have back, even if I'm the last CIS white hetero who does. Fuck Rowling and her fascist crones, she'll not get another dime from me. Hope that helps.
There will be other good games that don't fund people who actively want to kill Trans people, Blacks, and Jews.
It's very easy to not do something.
I 'pondered this orb' for a while, because she wasn't going to stop being a raving TERF therefore I knew I was going to have to decide at one point. I found that it was easier [for me] to not buy, pirate, play or have anything to do with this game than it was (at the time) to stop playing Activision/Blizzard games. Not that is going to change a lot; I am 'Billy No One' and she is a very wealthy, well connected individual with a large audience and deeply entrenched in the entertainment media complex - the favoured method to sway public opinion because as we know 'a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down' but at least I don't have to deal with the cognitive dissonance, and that's nice.
At 2:10, I am reminded of the showdown between Avatar and Blackwolf from Ralph Bakshi's Wizards.
I'm disgusted that anyone is willing to even review this game. And equally disgusted that a friend of mine (who is also friends with my trans NB partner) is looking forward to playing this game.
I know this is not video content related but girl that choker is fucking stunning, goddamn. I am entirely here for the early video rant. The absolute pretzle shapes I have seen "allies" twisting into to justify playing this game, despite there being so much evidence about antisemitism, the JKR issue, the head developer having ISSUES all the way down, etc etc, is both hilarious and sad. There's nothing else I can call with other than hypocritically sad. I wish they cared about the cause as much as nostalgia.
The number of self-proclaimed "allies" I've had to unfollow, or even *block* just so I'd stop seeing their shit, is so damned disheartening...
The way I've been phrasing it is that if you'll support people when it makes you feel good but not when it inconveniences you even slightly...you're not an ally, you're a mercenary. I'll be grateful for your support when it comes, but I will never trust you.
She literally said that she uses the thoughts of her latest royalty checks as a balm against the disappointment felt by former fans who left because of her hate. This woman is just vile.
I'm still at the intro, and it's my favorite thing in a long, long while. I accidentally woke my poor dog, who's sleeping in my lap, because I was shaking with laughter
"Even if you're already IN the Wizarding World, you've got to get back OUT of it and then run into a wall!"