I feel it’s important to state that I actually have no feelings for or against the issue of racism and xenophobia in Tolkien’s writings. Is there a clear inclination towards east and/or dark = evil? Most definitely. But I don’t believe it to be racism as much as I think it is just an establishment of who’s good and bad and making them as defined as possible. The lesson learned from Tolkien’s writings should not be that anybody dark or foreign is different and therefore inherently evil, but much rather that anybody ugly is evil, and therefore should be murdered but somebody physically attractive.
Because in the end, that’s really what the Lord of the Rings is about. All the pretty people with fabulous hair of Middle Earth get together to fight against and the evil bald eye and its taint of ugliness.
This whole thing is strange to me, because I just can’t figure out why regular people just don’t seem to go bald in Middle Earth. We even see a projection or Aragorn in the future, old and dead, and he still has a full head of hair. Elrond is sporting quite a huge forehead, but elven hairstyles are probably as eternal as he is (and let’s not even get into the subject of elven hair).
As said in the comic, sure enough, one of the main characters in the series is shown to be bald in the movies, but then Gollum is tainted. His baldness isn’t natural but more likely caused by his degeneration. Plus, he has a sort of pathetic, limp little comb over. And as all bald men of dignity are aware, to use a wig, a comb over or fight in any way to hide your baldness is anathema to our way of life. These behaviors must be shunned and eradicated.
I will go watch the Hobbit in a week or so, and I will enjoy it, I’m sure. But like so many others, I will find it difficult to find a character I can identify with. Maybe they need Jason Staham to just run in and kick all their asses.
Good hunting;
O
NOTE: Please keep in mind that I am well aware that my comical anger should be directed towards Peter Jackson and not towards Tolkien, since I’m referencing the movies more than I’m talking about the books (of which I have read all). But I think it’s funnier to be angry with Tolkien. Specially since he’s kind of dead, and Peter Jackson isn’t – and I wouldn’t mind him giving me a job as a concept artist someday.
Not Tolkien, but Jackson (and his crew) was the one to come up with design of most characters. You should be happy with Dwalin in Hobbit movie though!
I hope I don’t inherit my dad’s baldness (nor his body hair)
Bilbo Baggins may not be as bold as O, ut his hairline is severely receded.
And he is decidedly benign!
See: http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkdm65CNVv1qecfy1.jpg
The college I went to (Bethel University in St. Paul, MN) had a class titled “The Theology of J.R.R. Tolkien,” which I took. First, I want to say that you wouldn’t believe the sheer amount of interesting mythology Tolkien put into those books, and how much meaning each and every paragraph has.
Now, second, I wanted to expand upon what AngryPotato said, because he’s exactly right – Jackson was the one who decided orcs and uruk-hai should have dark skin. In Tolkien’s writings, the orcs are described as having “sallow” skin – so, very pale, sometimes yellowish. That’s just one of many things that the movies completely whiffed on.
Racism by region may appear to be present if the only books you read are The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit; but evil originally came from the north (possibly alluding to Vikings pillaging northern England?) and has, over the years, corrupted and used many different types of people. Those in the east are mentioned as having been allies against the evil from the north before their corruption, as well, so people from the east aren’t inherently evil.
I’ve found a decent wiki that explains many of the points that claim to be racist. Honestly, the work has its stereotypes, but I don’t think that stereotypes are, on their own, racist. However, people from the USA seem to be very sensitive to any possible implication of racism and read into even the littlest things – so if you still think that the works are racist because some of the races of Middle Earth are based on stereotypes of races of our world, that’s your prerogative. I disagree, but I’m not going to get all militant about it and start an argument. I really just wanted to point out how different the books are from the movies.
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Racism_in_Tolkien's_Works
You’re right O, there is lots of hair based hate out there. “Beat you like a red headed step-child”! Where did the anger at my auburn awesomeness come from?
Wait, didn’t Gimli have a massively receding hairline in the LotR trilogy? I think there was a scene in the extended editions that finally showed him without a helmet, and there was… an unexpected lack of hair given how much could be found on his face (and still jutting out of the helmet at other times).
Minsc and Boo approves of your concern. Wrath of justice upon them! *Squeak*
I thought that the WWI had a strong influence on Tolkiens work as well as he was deeply affected by his experiences in the trenches. In many illustrations, the orces wear medieval helmets in gothic style and partly outright german models. The influence of his thoughts about how the world is dominated by evil and had to be rescued by the good fighting back is pretty heavy throughout his works.
tolkien and CS Lewis had a conversation about religion in the (then) modern age. So what. I’m an atheist and so non racist that i don’t need to be politically correct, I still enjoy the writing. Baldies, on the other hand, are EVIL. BURN THEM BURN THEM, because lets face it, you don’t want to burn hairy people, the smell would be just awful