I learned something important from my daughter’s first-grade teacher that has stayed with me: “Don’t yuk someone else’s yum.” Our moms might have said it differently: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” It’s simple, but there’s wisdom in it that the online, and particularly social media, world of fandom could use. Just because you don’t love something doesn’t mean someone else can’t find joy in it. Even worse, your ‘yuk’ hot take may stifle content creators’ ability to bring out content you might end up loving.
(Let’s address the elephant in the room: Yes, I know this is my hot take—but hey, mine’s aimed at you, the fan, not the content creators.)
After what seems like a lifetime at TheOneRing.net (Has it really been 25 years?!), I’ve seen every possible reaction to new Tolkien content. From diehard fans reveling in every second of a new adaptation to those who can’t wait to point out what went “wrong.” It’s predictable and, frankly, exhausting. Every time something new comes out, it’s like clockwork: a flurry of love, a tidal wave of hate, and everyone shouting into the social void.
The truth is, not every story needs to be made for you, and that’s okay. I promise. 🤗
Critique? Sure, it has its place. But what’s happened is we’ve confused having an opinion with needing to broadcast it. Tolkien’s world is vast. It can hold different visions and interpretations from both filmmakers and fans. We don’t need to take sides in an imaginary battle over what’s “right.”
But why even bring this up? Because the casual social user, or even the casual internet participant, sees that ‘yuk’ always rises to the top. Algorithms are designed to push controversy and conflict into our feeds, knowing that our human condition tends to lean toward drama over harmony. Negative opinions and arguments get engagement, and platforms thrive on that. But here’s the problem: content creators use those negative metrics to gauge the success or failure of their work. And often, they make decisions—like canceling a show—based on the loudest, angriest voices, even when there’s a quiet following that genuinely enjoys it. Yes, these entities might be large corporations with teams of data scientists, but don’t assume that they are fully exploring the data to avoid simplistic conclusions.
Don’t yuk someone else’s yum – Annonymous
And there’s another side to this. Fans who do love something often hesitate to share their enthusiasm. Why? Because they don’t want to deal with the trolls. The loudest voices—the bullies of fandom—are quick to tear down anything that doesn’t meet their personal standards. And just like in politics, where the conversation is dominated by those with the loudest, harshest opinions, fandom is too often steered by negativity. The result? Studios and creators miss out on hearing from those who love the content, because those voices are drowned out.
Take the trailer for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew as an example. When it dropped, my fellow over-40 male demographic flooded my feed with waves of negativity. But here’s the thing: I’m secretly loving the idea of mixing Star Wars with The Goonies and Stranger Things. I want creators to take those kinds of risks with our beloved franchises. And if it turns out to be something I don’t enjoy, I’ll just quietly move on; no need to let folks know I wasn’t into it.
The beauty of all fictional universes and our beloved Middle-earth is that they can mean different things to different people. If someone’s finding joy in a version of the story that isn’t your cup of tea, do you really need to jump in and let them know? Let them have their moment. There’s a quiet strength in stepping back and allowing others to enjoy what they enjoy.
At the end of the day, fandom is supposed to bring people together, not force everyone into corners based on whether they loved or hated the latest installment. Maybe, just maybe, we don’t need to weigh in on every adaptation. If you’re not feeling it, maybe scroll past, or better yet, log off and reread The Silmarillion. The stories aren’t going anywhere. There will always be space for your favorites and your least favorites in Tolkien’s world.
The next time you’re tempted to post your hot take, think back to my daughter’s first-grade lesson. It’s okay to stay quiet and let someone else have their yum.
In fact, it might be the best thing you can do—not just for them, but for the creators who need to hear the whole story, and for fandoms to enjoy a new risk here and there.
So, remember: Too much yuk, and the content you love might never get made.
The views expressed in this article are those of just me, but maybe a few other TORn staffers agree. 🤷🏻♂️
P.S. If you’ve got thoughtful critiques or just want to discuss all things Tolkien in a more welcoming, troll-free zone, there are safer places for that. Check out TheOneRing.net’s Discord or message boards, where you can share your thoughts without drowning in negativity. Let’s keep the conversation lively, but respectful—Middle-earth deserves nothing less. Feel free to email me as well
P.P.S.Hey Amazon – I couldn’t end this article without sharing some of my yum. I am LOVING Season 2 of ‘Rings of Power!’ Don’t let anyone yuk my yum! 😋
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Last week Rings of Power returned to our tv screens, when the first three episodes were released on Thursday 29th of August. Once again it has attracted its share of responses from those who love the show and those who don’t. Perhaps the most surprising result of ROP’s return has been the reaction to one, quick, scene showing an Orc holding a baby.
While Tolkien never fully resolved the origin of the Orcs, owing to his own theological beliefs that nothing is entirely evil, he did provide ideas on their origins. Their creation story changes from Orcs being created from stone, and being soulless, to them being corrupted elves or men, containing souls. However, in every iteration he always speaks of them being “bred”.
The very first idea of the Orcs, as mentioned in The Book of Lost Tales, had them created by Melko,
“all that race were bred by Melko of the subterranean heats and slime.”
This text also speaks of members of the Noldoli (Noldor elves) being twisted by Melko and combined with the Orcs, until they believed themselves to be one kindred.
This idea was later expanded upon in Morgoth’s Ring, with the Orcs being corrupted Eldar, captured by Melkor after their first awakening. These Eldar were taken to Utumno and
“broken… and by slow arts of cruelty and wickedness were corrupted and enslaved. Thus did Melkor breed the hideous race of the Orkor in envy and mockery of the Eldar”.
Similarly, Morgoth’s Ring also discusses the creation of the larger Uruk-hai, stating that the Men who were under Morgoths rule would be made to mate with Orcs to produce the larger more cunning Uruks. It also states that this was rediscovered by Saruman who inter-bred Orcs and Men, to create Men-orcs, who were large and cunning, and Orc-men, who were treacherous and vile. Which is quite different to how their creation was depicted in the Peter Jackson films.
It is quite horrifying to us to envisage such inter-breeding, but Tolkien did, repeatedly. The showing of an Orc baby is merely acknowledging Tolkien’s own words that Orcs breed, they mate and produce young.
There have been arguments online that this is trying to make us more sympathetic towards the Orcs, as the existence of Orc babies implies that Orcs have gentle feelings. Why? Because they breed? There are humans who have children who don’t have any gentle or “maternal” feelings towards them. Yet they raise these children, not well, but they do raise them. While not all children raised by parents like this will go on to emulate their parents behaviour, sadly, many of them will, which leads to this learned parenting behaviour becoming the norm. When the brutish nature of Orcs is considered, it is quite likely that their children are raised in a similar manner. Provide food, shelter, and clothing, and not much else. Those that survive would go on to continue their brutish and vile natures, which increases with each successive generation, until we arrive at the Orcs of the Third Age in Lord of the Rings.
The fact that Orcs produce young in no way implies that the Orcs are not horrific. None of their acts of atrocity are played down. All that it shows is this is how more Orcs are created, they breed. They don’t just spring fully formed out of a sac in the ground.
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
This beautiful mug has on one side Oscha’s own ‘Doors of Durin’ design, and on the other, TORn’s special 25th Anniversary logo:
The mugs are only available as a limited edition; they were on sale during San Diego Comic Con, and we’ve brought them back for THIS WEEKEND ONLY; after September 3rd they’ll be gone forever! You can pre-order online direct from Oscha; and for those who are at DragonCon this weekend, you can also purchase in person from TORn’s fan table (Hyatt Exhibition Level, opposite the entrance to the Art Show). So don’t delay – order this mug or grab one at Dragon Con, and celebrate the 25 years we’ve had together so far. The road goes ever on….!
Greetings from Atlanta, fellow Bagginses and Boffins, Tooks and Brandybucks, wizards and elves, Rohirrim and Beornings, Men and Women of the West, Nazgúl and Uruks, and other glorious embodiments of the diverse denizens of Middle-earth! And Proudfoots! (‘Proudfeet!’) It’s Labor Day Weekend, which means Smaug is stirring in the form of the singular Con forged by fans for fans (why, just like TheOneRing!): it’s Dragon Con time!
Now in its 37th year, and much like the world of fantasy in general, Dragon Con has always leaned heavily into its Tolkienian roots, with Middle-earth inspired programming, cosplay, partying, and a global Fellowship serving to inspire many of the 70,000 or so fans who converge on downtown Atlanta every year. And the 2024 version will be no different! Here’s a quick rundown all the Tolkien goodness that will be happening this year, indeed when there seems to be an explosion of so much we can celebrate!
Movie Guests: The Hobbits Are Coming to Dragon Con!
It’s a long-expected celebration as we welcome three excellent and admirable hobbits back to our annual party! Billy Boyd and Elijah Wood have been here before, with 2023 serving as a Frodo first for the con. It’s great to have him back, along with an inaugural visit by Dominic Monaghan. We’ll enjoy reminiscences and revelry, past shenanigans and current updates from gentlemen who still bow to no one! Find them at various times across the weekend.
Alas they’re not bringing Orli with them to Atlanta…
Media Project Updates and an Event: So Much Happening!
International South, Hyatt, 7pm Thursday 29th – watch The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Prime Video was so courteous to schedule the opening of Season Two of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on the same day that Dragon Con kicks off! They were especially gracious to allow us to host a Release Day Watch Party in a large ballroom space in one of the host hotels where we’ll get to all three of the first episodes on a big screen with 400 or so of our closest friends. There will be swag!
L401-403, Marriott, 11.30am Monday 2nd – The Rings of Power panel
TheOneRing.net will also be hosting a panel on Monday offering an opportunity for reactions and speculations from a crackerjack panel, including our good friend Willie Jenkins aka KnewBettaDoBetta.
L601-602, Marriott, 1pm Friday 30th – The War of the Rohirrim panel
Just as exciting is the upcoming December release of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, the anime collaboration between the same team that brought us both the LotR and Hobbit movies, along with director Kenji Kamiyama. We’ll have a dedicated panel to discuss the recently released trailers, and special recorded interview with producer Jason DeMarco as he digs into some details with staffer greendragon. (Also look for swag…!)
Centennial One, Hyatt, 11.30am Saturday 31st – Middle-earth Updates with TORn
We’ll even do some speculating about the recently announced next movie release coming in 2026, the PJ-produced, Serkis-directed The Hunt for Gollum. That will happen as part of a general update from TheOneRing.net staffers at Dragon Con, along with some good friends, covering a vast smorgasbord of things we have to look forward to in the Tolkienverse.
Some Scholarly Conversations: Academics Can Party?
Tolkien fans are noteworthy for also loving to dive deeply into Tolkien lore, characters, themes, and discussions as part of their experience. We’ll be scratching that itch on a number of fronts:
L401-403, Marriott, 1pm Saturday 31st – Here at the end of All Things: Tolkien’s Apocalyptic Visions
Our good friend, professor, and author, Constance Wagner, was asked recently about contributing to an upcoming publication discussing apocalyptic themes in fantasy literature. The inquirer wasn’t sure there really was much in Tolkien’s legendarium that dealt with that kind of thing. After Constance calmed down, she recruited a couple of us to join her in road-testing just how apocalyptic Tolkien can be, and across all the Ages of Middle-earth starting with the Music of the Ainur. And what better place to do that than among Dragon Con friends! We may have to hand out cookies to lighten the mood a bit, though.
L401-403, Marriott, 11.30am Sunday 1st – On Fairy Stories
Tolkien’s On Fairy Stories serves as a fundamental apologetic for the importance, depth, and suitedness of these stories in their application to the human condition. Plus they’re good reads. We’re looking forward to engaging with other fans on these foundational ideas.
L401-403, Marriott, 4pm Sunday 1st – The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien
With the publication of the massive three-volume edition of The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien mere weeks away, we take an hour to focus on what we can expect from this monumental effort from scholars Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond. And we’ll probably do a bit of group confession of how many of us skipped the poems during our first LotR reading or two. We may even listen to Tolkien himself reciting some of his verses.
Parades, Partying, Dancing and Singing: Always Trust an Elf! Or a Hobbit!
Grand Ballroom, Courtland Grand, 8.30pm Friday 30th – An Evening at Bree
Dragon Con (unlike many of those “CC” alternatives around the country), is especially knows for its literal 24-hour partying spirit, both informal and officially sponsored. One of those latter parties, indeed one of the longest standing parties across Dragon Con’s history, is our annual Evening at Bree. Always happening on the first full-day of the Con, this Friday evening festival combines live bands (since back in those the Emerald Rose glory days! – this year we’ll have Landloch’d, Beth Patterson, and the Brobdingnagian Bards playing), dancing that’ll bring joy to the most curmudgeonly hobbit, a costume contest showcasing jaw-dropping cosplay talent, and a mini-concert from Bree’s own Elf Choir who gather to rehearse and present iconic fantasy tunes all on the same day. It’s a great way to kick off the Con in a celebratory mood.
Elf Choir performing at Evening at Bree in a previous year – photo courtesy of Geek Behind the Lens
Grand Ballroom, Courtland Grand, 5.30pm Friday 30th – Sing with the Elf Choir
That Elf Choir, in addition to their larger contingent who perform at Bree, also has a dedicated group of master singers, garbed in elven cloaks and sporting ethereal lanterns, who make their way through the Dragon Con masses on their long and melodic journey into the West. Fortunately, the Grey Havens are proving elusive, and they’ll be back again this year.
Grand East, Hilton, 7pm Sunday 1st – Hobbit Drinking Songs
One of the most riotously reeling renditions of Shire shenanigans happens with the Brobdingnagian Bards’ annual concert (and excuse to dance spontaneously): Hobbit Drinking Songs. They’ve been at it long enough that many in the audience join in, at least on the choruses. And they have CDs!
Grand East, Hilton, 10pm Sunday 1st – High Fantasy Goblin Ball
One of the last parties we’ll be joining this weekend is one where staffer deej will be taking the lead: The High Fantasy Goblin Ball! We always like to pick a theme for these dance parties, usually picking a favorite decade where deej focuses her musical stylings. We’re back to the 80s this year, and using a Goblinesque orientation in whatever forms our attendees might choose. The mashup cosplay has gotten pretty hilarious in years past. The Eye of Sauron in shutter shades, anyone?
Home for this Tolkien-inspired programming, and for many of us Tolkien-addicted people, is one of Dragon Con’s 35 or so dedicated fan groups, or “tracks”: The High Fantasy Track. Home base is right in the center of all the action, on the lobby level of the Marriott Marquis (L401-403). Should you be attending Dragon Con this year, come by and say hi to fellow fans there!
Grab some merch – celebrate 25 years of TORn!
You should also, of course, visit staffers greendragon and deej at TheOneRing.net’s fan table in the Atlanta downtown Hyatt, down on the Exhibit Hall level just across from the Art Show (our usual spot). There you can get some fabulous merch – shirts, buttons, and more! Show your political allegiance by voting Gollum/Smeagol 2024; or show your love for TORn with our 25th anniversary shirt and mug.
We’re looking forward to seeing friends old and new! Now forgive us as we go finish up that last flourish on our cosplay!
In January I was reading a skeet on Bluesky about how people feel after every re-reading of The Lord of the Rings. Do they still feel the same emotions, have the same reactions as they did when they first read it?
Some of the responses reflected that you can never feel or react the same way as you did during your first reading, as everything you were reading was new and fresh to you, which is very true. A much-shared readers lament is that you can never feel the way you did the first time you read a well-loved story.
Several responses went onto clarify that every re-read still affects them, though in different ways. Could this be due to being older? Having a greater understanding of world-issues? Being able to comprehend more nuances from Tolkien’s writing?
For myself it’s probably a combination of all of these, after all, I was only 8 years old when I first read LOTR. The complexities of the world-building have grown on me as I’ve gotten older, and I’m far more appreciative of these now than I was as a precocious 8-year-old. My main reason for reading LOTR back then was to join in with the discussions my mother and older brothers were having about LOTR. My mother tried to get me to read The Hobbit, but I just wasn’t interested: Mum and the boys were discussing LOTR, and I wanted to join in with that. I did say I was precocious 😉
This led to a life-long love of Tolkien’s work. Many of my fondest memories are related to LOTR. My brothers and I saved up to buy our mum a box set of Tolkien’s books when The Silmarillion was published, those books now live on my bookshelf, along with all my other copies. Many of my responses when re-reading LOTR reflect where I was at that time in my life. Re-reading the books my brothers and I bought our mum reminds me strongly of when I first read LOTR and how much I enjoyed discussing them with my mum and brothers. They also remind me of the wonder she introduced us to when she first shared her love of LOTR with us, and how excited we all were to buy her the box set, so she finally had her own copies.
Now, every time I re-read them; I’m constantly finding new insights. I’ve mentioned the world-building, something that all fans of Tolkien’s work love, the themes of friendship, fellowship, enduring love, and simple joys are what resound with me and lead me back to read these books over and over again.
I’ve mainly mentioned LOTR, as since that was the work that the fans over on Bluesky were discussing, but I also regularly re-read Tolkien’s other Middle-earth books. My favourite is The Silmarillion, probably because I’ve always been a bit of a history geek too, so I really love the deeper insight into Middle-earth that The Silmarillion provides. I’ve honestly lost count how many times I’ve read it, and LOTR. At one point I could quote whole sections of it from memory, but that was a few years ago, before children and other RL interests came along. Still, I can remember quite a bit of its lore. Every time I re-read The Sil I uncover deeper meaning, beauty, and sorrow and it draws me firmly into Middle-earth.
I must admit that I appreciate The Hobbit much more now I’m an adult, than I did as a child. Being a quite advanced reader from a very young age, I absolutely hated anything that I felt was “talking down” to children. As an 8-year-old, that’s how it struck me, I disliked the narrator talking directly to me and skipping things they felt I was too young to witness or understand. Now it just seems a quaint way of telling the story and doesn’t distract me from the tale. I find I can more fully enjoy Bilbo’s travels “there and back again” a lot more from an adult perspective, and I notice and enjoy the nuances far more than I did as a child. Maybe that’s just me.
I know many fans that have come to Tolkien’s works via Peter Jackson’s movies, and, more recently, via Amazon Studios’ The Rings of Power TV. One of the first questions I was asked when I finally crept out of Lurkwood and joined our Message boards was if I was a “book-firster or a movie-firster”. The question wasn’t asked to belittle me, it was asked out of genuine interest as to how I discovered Tolkien, and led to a truly enjoyable discussion about Tolkien’s work and how wonderful it was that more people were discovering his work due to the release of the films. That, while I enjoy the films, the books will always hold the number one spot in my heart, and it’s this first love that draws me back to Middle-earth over and over again.
We’re seeing this again with the TV series, with people finding out about Middle-earth for the first time and wanting to know more. We regularly have new members join our Discord chat, wanting to know about Tolkien’s books, which order they should read them in. Then they share their joy with us all as they read the stories. I have no doubt that we will see another influx after The War of the Rohirrim is released in December.
We are so lucky today to have so many more adaptations set in Middle-earth. As a child the only film I ever saw was the Bakshi Lord of the Rings. While I left the cinema with many questions for my mother, over changes and omissions, it didn’t rob me of my original love: the books. I did immediately re-read the books, and was surprised at how Bakshi’s film, while not perfect, led me to a greater appreciation of the written work.
It’s wonderful, and a privilege, watching others begin their journey into the wonder that is Middle-earth, and having new memories added to my own ongoing journey. As I, and others, have found, I am sure that those who have come to discover, and love, Middle-earth through the recent adaptations will discover the greater realm that awaits them within the written works. At least, this remains my belief and hope.
I wish them well as they embark on their own journey of discovery, of deeper understanding and wonder of the amazing world that we’ve been gifted by J.R.R. Tolkien. This wonderful Middle-earth. I envy their new discoveries, their first steps into this immense literary world, but rejoice that they are joining our Fellowship. Welcome!
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Look for TheOneRing.net’s annual Baggins Birthday Bash at Griffith Park just 4 weeks from today.
You can find the event at https://www.facebook.com/events/8264139026978984/ and RSVP in the discussion section with what food, beverage or picnic supplies you plan to bring. If you don’t do FB, you can RSVP to Garfeimao@TheOneRing.net with that info. Please read the About info, and open it to reveal More because there is a lot of info in there, including driving directions, the fact we are in the Mineral Wells portion of the park, and start time (11:30am).
If you are looking for ideas of what to bring, you can see from the above image, portable chairs, pop up tents, blankets, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses are all standard. Cosplay, full on or just geeky shirts, we welcome it all and often have a very robust contest.
And then there are the food items, this is a Potluck, so bring at least enough of something you and your traveling companions can eat. We always end up with too much, but that’s not a terrible thing. One you, we had lots of drinks and no cups, so supplies like cups, plates and eating utensils is also a really good idea. And some ice chests to keep those beverages cool. And finally, desserts. We moved off bringing an official birthday cake, to turning that into a competition of Cake and Cupcake makers to design their own Middle-earth themed tasty desserts, so put your creative thinking caps on.
