A teensy bit of rec'ing...

[valis2]

If you've been reading then you know that I'm a fan of sarcasm.

So let me, without further ado, mention one of my favorite things recently:

the_snarkery.

In this community members dissect OotP chapter by chapter in a delightfully snarky manner. I really, really love this community. They point out inconsistencies, skewed characterizations, and they don't seem to hold back. I don't always agree with the points that get brought up, but each commentary usually has a few things that ring true, and a couple laughs.

If you hate things like deleterius and pottersues you will not care for this community at all. If you enjoy seeing things skewered then this could be the culmination of all your sarcastic HP desires. I'll warn you, it's mean-spirited and deconstructionist. But well worth it if you are a fan of MST3K.

sistermagpie's commentaries are my favorite.

Comments

[straussmonster.livejournal.com]

I enjoy sarcasm. But I admit to finding the community distinctly unfunny. Maybe it's just the overkill. Maybe it's the air of 'we're snarking at this because we wanted X and got Y instead', and the faintly bitter overtones. Maybe it's that you can run ANYTHING through that kind of treatment and come away feeling oddly virtuous and self-satisfied, be it enjoyable mid-level literature (HP), grand opera, or certified Classics of Western Literature.

But it's fun to look at every once in a while. An infrequent while.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I enjoy reading it.

I agree, though, with a bit of sarcasm you can dismantle anything.

[gillieweed.livejournal.com]

I love it. I can't believe I've been missing out on it for so lont! There were lots of things I didn't like about OoP and so far the comments have been pretty much in line with my feelings--but funnier.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Yes, many times they've touched on things that I had vague thoughts of while I was reading the books.

When I reread OotP for the third time, I really noticed that Umbridge isn't really that bad a character when you ignore the quill/hand punishment, the Dementor event, and the end of OotP. If you look at her carefully, she seems to be something Hogwarts needs, considering the odd way classes are run, and the fact that some of the teachers don't have any teaching credentials.

Oh well. I mean, I know she has her bad points, but I don't she's a Death Eater or anything...I think she's just a bit too zealous about rules and perfect behaviour.

[gillieweed.livejournal.com]

Umbridge = Hermione + 20 years.

And Harry coulda complained about the pen. McG would have loved to have heard about that!

[gillieweed.livejournal.com]

Well I spent so much time doing this (without the snark--now that's scary) to real literachah in college that it comes as second nature.

[straussmonster.livejournal.com]

Oh, so did I--certified humanities geek here, having survived both the Common Core and a lot of literature classes, now doing the same to music and getting paid to do it.

But I don't think what they're doing is even terribly good analysis, despite and yet because of the snark. That's a more complicated point to make, though, and I should be writing. :)

[valis2.livejournal.com]

But I don't think what they're doing is even terribly good analysis, despite and yet because of the snark.

There are a few people doing analyses on the site, and they all have different viewpoints and have different things to say. I don't agree with everything, but there are things they say that I have noticed, and sometimes their sharper eyes pick up things I haven't. I read for the snarky tone itself, and though I realize that snark by itself is not a valid form of literary criticism, and, in fact, is a rather hollow and quite invalid method of interpretation, it still amuses me in the way the Fish-Slapping Dance does. Everyone's funny bone is unique, and I find portions of the_snarkery to be quite amusing, myself.

and I should be writing.

Hear, hear. :) But LJ always tempts me...