Our Worst Fears!
 

<BR>I haven't been posting much lately, merely lurking in the shadows but I thought I should bring this to the attention of the pub: A story was published in <i> the Sydney Morning Herald</i> recently to do with Cate Blanchett being one of the greatest actors of her times or something...but a few paragraphs really caught my rapidly diminishing attention as I continued to read the article:<br> <blockquote><i>Quote:</i></b><hr> &quot;...I was in New Zealand and they were talking about &quot;the GALADRIEL DOLL'</b> which sent a shudder down my spine.&quot; (yeah right) &quot;It should be very expensive (translation: So I can make more money out of it) because of her (translation: my) very long hair (i.e. my beautiful golden locks that everyone should envy) so maybe very few people will buy them.&quot;<hr></blockquote><br> ACK! That particular paragraph sent a shudder down <i> my</i> spine.<br> <br> But wait, there's more:<br> <blockquote><i>Quote:</i></b><hr> &quot;...can we expect to see Blanchett's face on a packet of chips? (please...nooo....) 'I have to consult my contract! (Oooh! I could make money out of that! Good idea, I'll write it into my contract!) I hope I'm not on too many packets of Twisties. Obviously that's a by-product you can't escape. I didn't do it to be a doll (I did it for money) But I DID DO IT FOR THE EARS. THE EARS WERE EXTRAORDINARY!</b>'&quot;<hr></blockquote><br> NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! <br> <br> From this, not only can we conclude that Cate Blanchett is yet another self-centred, egocentric, Hollywood actor concerned solely with money and her hair, but we can conclude that the Movies ARE NOT going to be completely devoid of the usual cheesy, merchandised crap that companies yearn to churn out just so they can rob decent people of their mind and money. <br> <br> That, and the movies are going to have pointy-eared elves. :sigh: <p>- <i>enep</i></p>

<BR><br><br> I don't know if you've read some of the comments in the &quot;I think I figured it out&quot; thread (including my own mention of merchandising - you and I are on the same wavelength with regards to the matter), but if you haven't, check it out. <br> <br> The idea of the toy manufacturers and fast-food joints jumping on the LOTR bandwagon leaves me cold. <p></p>

<BR><br><br> <blockquote><i>Quote:</i></b><hr> Cate Blanchett is yet another self-centred, egocentric, Hollywood actor concerned solely with money and her hair<hr></blockquote><br> <br> Really, enep, the only thing that made Blanchett's comments even slightly similar to your assessment were your parenthesized asides. Crikey! Without your internal remarks, her statements seemed fairly charming to me.<br> <br> I think people (including you, enep) are trying too hard to find reasons to hate the upcoming movies. Of course, I'm probably guilty of find reasons to love it (after all, I always feel compelled to reply to anti-film sentiments like this one).<br> <br> Now, I'll tell you what. That Galadriel doll better not be just a cheap Barbie with long hair and a fancy dress. It had better be an elaborate porcelain statue standing 18&quot; high and costing lots of money! <br> <br> What's a Twistie? <p>The Barrow-Wight (RKittle)<br> I usually haunt <a href="http://www.barrowdowns.com">The Barrow-Downs</a> and The Barrow-Downs <a href="http://www.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi">Middle-Earth Discussion Board</a>.</p>

<BR> Re: Our Worst Fears!</b><br><br> *sigh* It was inevitable. Oh, well, my nieces collect dolls, at least I can add some class to their collections. I hope they will be of &quot;collectible&quot; quality...hopefully that is what is meant by &quot;very expensive&quot;. I would much rather see a nice porcelain Galadriel doll than a plastic Galadriel action figure with glow-in-the-dark Nenya ring!! I am EXTREMELY upset about the ears, though. Aaaaargh!!! <p></p>

<BR> Re: Our Worst Fears!</b><br><br> I have to agree with the BW that the only thing in those comments that make me think she's money grubbing are the aside comments. I happen to have a lot of respect for Cate Blanchette as an actress (se Elizabeth, it's great) and can think of MANY MANY actress who would be MUCH worse. I, too, shudder at the idea of our precious characters gracing Happy Meals...but I don't think we can blame the actors/actresses. As for the ears, yuck, but you knew they would...you had to know. How else would the public be able to tell they were elves (as pointy ears=vulcan or elf in the public eye). After all, Santa's elves have pointy ears. *blech* *blech* *blech* Sorry, self induced purging. <p>-*-The X Phial-*- You must believe in free will, you have no choice. Isaac Singer</p>

<BR> Re: Our Worst Fears!</b><br><br> Awww! I think the ears are cute!<br> <br> And there is, I'm told, reason enough to allow pointy-eared elves from some arcana of the Legendarium.<br> <br> It's the pointy-ears on the hobbits that I object to!<br> <br> As for merchandising, at least it will UNDOUBTEDLY make more kids (parents) buy/read the books, too!<br> <br> <p><center> <a href="http://www.barrowdowns.com">Barrow-Downs</a>~<a href="http://www.geocities.com/robertwgardner2000">Bare Bones</a>~<a href="http://pub41.ezboard.com/btarostineruhir">Tar Ost-in-Eruhir</a>~<a href="http://www.geocities.com/robertwgardner2000/gilthalion.html">Grand Adventures</a>~<a href="http://www.barrowdowns.com/fanfichobbits.asp">The Hobbits</a>~<a href="http://www.tolkientrail.com">Tolkien Trail</a> </center></p>

<BR> Re: Our Worst Fears!</b><br><br> The hobbits have pointy ears? <p>What if - what if this is as good as it gets?</p>

<BR> LOOKIT THEIR POINTY LITTLE EARS!</b><br><br> One of the Took's must have taken a fairy wife!<br> <br> <br> <br> <p><center> <a href="http://www.barrowdowns.com">Barrow-Downs</a>~<a href="http://www.geocities.com/robertwgardner2000">Bare Bones</a>~<a href="http://pub41.ezboard.com/btarostineruhir">Tar Ost-in-Eruhir</a>~<a href="http://www.geocities.com/robertwgardner2000/gilthalion.html">Grand Adventures</a>~<a href="http://www.barrowdowns.com/fanfichobbits.asp">The Hobbits</a>~<a href="http://www.tolkientrail.com">Tolkien Trail</a> </center></p>

<BR> Re: Our Worst Fears!</b><br><br> I never knew there were pointy eared hobbits either. <p>Those who will defend authority against rebellion must not themselves rebel. </p>

<BR> Re: Our Worst Fears!</b><br><br> Saulotus used to make a case from various arcane HoME references that Elves, Hobbits and Men <u>all</u> had pointy ears -- so the true Tolkien scholars should be lamenting the lack of pointy ears on Viggo. <p></p>

<BR> Re: Our Worst Fears!</b><br><br> Actually, as the pics illustrate, the pointyears don't look too bad. It's just that I didn't know hobbits had pointy ears. <p>What if - what if this is as good as it gets?</p>

<BR> Re: Our Worst Fears!</b><br><br> &quot;What's a Twistie?&quot;<br> <br> You don't know what a Twistie is?! :look of shock on Zoe's face: Please say you're joking.<br> <br> Or perhaps Twisties are an Aussie thing... Hmmm...<br> <br> As for the picture: I was more concerned by the dazed look on their faces than by the ears... <p>"This sig is proudly quote-free." -Me.<br> (Also known as eoz, and now has a non-Tolkien forum, called <a href="http://pub57.ezboard.com/beverythingelse45161">everything else</a>.) </p>

<BR> Re: Our Worst Fears!</b><br><br> &quot;I was more concerned by the dazed look on their faces than by the ears... &quot;<br> <br> Too much pipeweed. <p>-*-The X Phial-*- You must believe in free will, you have no choice. Isaac Singer</p>

<BR> Re: Our Worst Fears!</b><br><br> Exactly my thought, X-Phial.. the pipeweed <br> <br> and as for the merchandise. Did anyone really think they're not gonna have <br> cheesy and disgusting merchandise???<br> <br> <p>And he that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom</p>

<BR> Re: Our Worst Fears!</b><br><br> What are twisties? Im from the U.S., and i dont know what they are either!!! <p>The Road goes ever on and on </p>

<BR>Sorry</b><br><br> Sorry if I offended you guys...BW and X Phial, I wasn't looking at reasons to throw down the movie, just something to have a go at. Looking back I probably shouldn't have started the thread Am I forgiven? <br> <br> It's not that I don't have any respect for Cate Blanchett - just Hollywood, it's actors/actresses and just about everything else.<br> <br> I'm still seeing the movie. And buying a Viggo action figure. <br> <br> Twisties are sort of puffy french fries with flavouring, it <i> is</i> an Australian thing.<br> <br> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://www.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_profile&u=00000041>enep</A> at: 4/10/01 11:31:24 pm<br></i>

<BR><br><br> Twistie ties right? Pointy Ears being discussed in the movie forum? This is definately not the place for that. Didn't Tolkien say that Hobbits had pointy ears, I am sure it is in a letter or picture of his. <p>Thus even as Eru spoke to us shall beauty not before conceived be brought into Eä, and evil be good to have been.</p>

<BR><br><br> As de<i> pict</i>ed, this is definitely a good place to discuss pointy ears or whatever else the movie shows! <p><center> <a href="http://www.barrowdowns.com">Barrow-Downs</a>~<a href="http://www.geocities.com/robertwgardner2000">Bare Bones</a>~<a href="http://pub41.ezboard.com/btarostineruhir">Tar Ost-in-Eruhir</a>~<a href="http://www.geocities.com/robertwgardner2000/gilthalion.html">Grand Adventures</a>~<a href="http://www.barrowdowns.com/fanfichobbits.asp">The Hobbits</a>~<a href="http://www.tolkientrail.com">Tolkien Trail</a> </center></p>

<BR><br><br> Didn't Tolkien once write that the hobbit ears are somewhat pointed, though less so than those of the elves? <p></p>

<BR><br><br> Letter #27, where Tolkien describes Bilbo from drawing in The Hobbit:<br> <blockquote><i>Quote:</i></b><hr> ears only slightly pointed and 'elvish'<hr></blockquote><br> <br> Whatever that means.<br> <br> I guess Tolkien did not refer to his own elves of Middle-Earth (of whom Houghton did not know much, if anything, by the time he wrote that), but rather the elves of fairy tales. Tolkien wrote some lines before that Bilbo is 'not like a fairy-creature'. Obviously hobbits nevertheless had slightly pointed ears like the 'elves' of legend.<br> <br> Consequently, this quote says nothing about the ears of the Arda-elves being pointed or not.<br> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://www.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_profile&u=00000003>Sharku</A> at: 4/18/01 9:45:44 am<br></i>

<BR><br><br> I don't really see the big deal either way. It's not going to hurt anyone that the ears are pointy, and PJ is the paying for all the prosthetics, not me. <p><p align=center>Every leaf a miracle ~ The woods are lovely, dark, and deep <br> I am Administrator at <a href=http://pub43.ezboard.com/bfangornforest>Fangorn Forest</a> and <a href=http://pub29.ezboard.com/btolkiencommunity87810>Planet Tolkien</a>.</p></p>

<BR><br><br> hmmm.. just another thing that Hollywood thinks is best even though there is no indication of any such thing in the books. I can sum this up: Retardation. <p></p>