ACCIO ASPIRIN
Putin Invoked J.K. Rowling In A Speech About Western 'Cancel Culture,' And Woof, Did People Have A Lot To Say About It
An unfortunate fact of the modern era is that very often, if you’re on Twitter, you get your news from the sidebar of trending topics. That was how I found out that Vladimir Putin gave a speech today about how, regardless of the war he has been waging on Ukraine, it’s very unfair that people are now “canceling” Russian books and businesses — not unlike how the West is “canceling” J.K. Rowling over her close-minded views on gender.
Formerly beloved children's author JK Rowling is trending yet again after...
— Bad Writing Takes 🖊️🏳️🌈 (@BadWritingTakes) March 25, 2022
*checks notes*
... I'm sorry, what? No, I'm sorry, WHAT? pic.twitter.com/yj4zOd7dME
To be very clear: yes, Putin name-checked “Joanne Rowling,” sympathizing with her cancelation, because he feels the West is now “engaging in cancel culture” against Russia.
"It's impossible to imagine such a thing in our country"
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 25, 2022
President Vladimir Putin uses J K Rowling as an example of Western cynicism and "cancel culture", which he says is currently being aimed at Russia.
Latest on Ukraine: https://t.co/XTFXr6HmAe
📺 Sky 501 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/TyH9lddC5k
So… okay. Let’s break this down. Putin feels that it’s not right for other countries to “cancel” Russian things just because he’s waging war on Ukraine — he’s got a point there; boycotting Russian restaurants in other countries is not going to help the Ukraine in any way. But should the leader of that very war be the one to complain about it? I’m gonna say no, not so much. And is he right to compare people boycotting mostly powerless entities of a nation over a devastating international war that their leader is waging equivalent to people calling an author out for using her enormous platform to consistently rebuke and deny a marginalized group’s gender identity? Once again, I’m thinking he's not.
But to Putin, Rowling is an ally of sorts, at the very least in a kind of the enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend type of way — and honestly, the two of them ending up in the same camp isn't total nonsense.
jk rowling vladimir putin
— jenny_tightpants_ (@halomancer1) March 25, 2022
🤝
making the world worse
and then complaining
about cancel culture https://t.co/P9zuoo3hNA
Needless to say, there were a lot of thoughts about and reactions to this on Twitter.
Putin invading a country, a quarter of his generals getting killed, and then giving a speech where he says "I stand with JK Rowling" is hilarious I'm sorry
— Aufheben Culture (@julie_neuhouser) March 25, 2022
putin mentioning jk rowling is the funniest outcome. i couldn’t have even imagined this
— oatmeal influencer (@acechhh) March 25, 2022
JK Rowling seeing why she's trending pic.twitter.com/5xvL3O02v9
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) March 25, 2022
"Putin defends JK Rowling over trans rights" is a news item perfectly designed to destroy the brains of british columnists and for that you have to respect him
— Ed (@ted_pen) March 25, 2022
jk rowling could have easily and uncontroversially been remembered as the most beloved children’s author of all time but she took a detour and is now being defended by a totalitarian war criminal dictator. anything is possible
— matt (@mattxiv) March 25, 2022
“JK Rowling” - Vladimir Putin
— JP (@jpbrammer) March 25, 2022
Say what you will about Hitler but he’s never publicly defended JK Rowling
— Fairy Gothmother, MD (@jenny2x4) March 25, 2022
When Putin holds you up as an example, @jk_rowling, maybe have a think about things. Ask, “is it possible I’ve been wrong?” https://t.co/rMFYqApNZN
— Maureen Johnson (@maureenjohnson) March 25, 2022
how can he defend JK Rowling when the siberian railroad is trans https://t.co/6Zxo2LZTpd
— Rob DenBleyker (@RobDenBleyker) March 25, 2022
For her part, J.K. Rowling had this to say in response to Putin’s speech:
Critiques of Western cancel culture are possibly not best made by those currently slaughtering civilians for the crime of resistance, or who jail and poison their critics. #IStandWithUkraine https://t.co/aNItgc5aiW
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 25, 2022
Look, she’s not wrong about that. But she’s certainly not right about a whole lot else.
On a serious note, I hope gender criticals can reflect on Putin’s embrace of JK Rowling.
— Erin, Trail Mom (@ErinInTheMorn) March 25, 2022
Recognize that trying to protect tradition by ostracizing and demonizing a persecuted minority has been in the fascist toolbag since the beginning.
Wake up and see it, please.
