{"id":2335827,"date":"2024-09-02T20:49:01","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T00:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-season-of-amazons-lord-of-the-rings-show-slammed-as-the-ultimate-insult-to-tolkien\/"},"modified":"2024-09-02T20:53:46","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T00:53:46","slug":"new-season-of-amazons-lord-of-the-rings-show-slammed-as-the-ultimate-insult-to-tolkien","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-season-of-amazons-lord-of-the-rings-show-slammed-as-the-ultimate-insult-to-tolkien\/","title":{"rendered":"New Season of Amazon&#8217;s \u2018Lord of the Rings&#8217; Show Slammed as &#8216;The Ultimate Insult to Tolkien\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnew-season-of-amazons-lord-of-the-rings-show-slammed-as-the-ultimate-insult-to-tolkien%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2335827&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-trumps-last-ditch-effort-to-remove-fani-willis-isnt-likely-to-succeed\/\" title=\"Unlikely Trump&#039;s Last-Minute Attempt to Oust Fani Willis Will Succeed\">passage discusses<\/a> the moral philosophy of\u200c J.R.R. Tolkien, particularly his clear stance on the distinction between \u200dgood \u2063and evil, which is conveyed through characters like\u2063 Aragorn in &#8220;The\u200c Lord of the Rings.&#8221; Despite this, the second season of Amazon&#8217;s &#8220;The Rings of Power&#8221; has faced criticism from fans and commentators \u200cwho feel it strays from Tolkien&#8217;s \u200bmoral absolutism and fails to\u200d capture the essence of his \u2064literary worldview. Critics \u2063argue that the series \u200ddepicts villains, such as orcs, \u2063as misunderstood\u2064 rather than inherently evil, \u200bundermining the moral\u200c clarity that Tolkien&#8217;s works embody. Notably, some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-cocaine-story-wont-go-away-despite-best-efforts\/\" title=\"White House struggles to shake off persistent cocaine story.\">media \u200cpersonalities<\/a> have labeled \u2064the new season as a significant departure from Tolkien\u2019s \u200cintentions, with one \u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-wants-maximum-secrecy-for-hunter-biden-art-deal\/\" title=\"White House Wants Maximum Secrecy for Hunter Biden Art Deal\">critic describing<\/a> it as &#8220;an abomination.&#8221; This\u2062 negative reception represents a setback for Amazon, which had already struggled\u200d with the first season&#8217;s accolades.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> <script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_1)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Whatever one may think of the somewhat-verbose writing of legendary author J.R.R. Tolkien, one thing that can never be questioned is the man&rsquo;s moral compass.<\/p>\n<p>Tolkien, famously, never believed in moral relativism.<\/p>\n<p>No, the author of luminary fantasy novels &ldquo;The Lord of the Rings&rdquo; and &ldquo;The Hobbit&rdquo; always exuded that he believes there is good, and there is evil.<\/p>\n<p>It is a far cry from the narrative musings of many modern shows that love to espouse, &ldquo;But the good guys are really bad guys!&rdquo; and vice versa.<\/p>\n<p>(See: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/disney-pulls-plug-wokest-star-wars-project-ever-fans-revolt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Acolyte, The<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>  <script> \t\t\t\tif( ! getCookie( 'ff_subbed' ) ) if( typeof FFADS.replace_ict !='undefined' ) if( FFADS.replace_ict ) eval( FFADS.replace_ict ); \t\t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>One of the most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/quotes\/783253-it-is-hard-to-be-sure-of-anything-among-so\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">quoted<\/a> lines in all of his works is when Aragorn, a shining example of masculinity done right and a key character in &ldquo;Lord of the Rings,&rdquo; responds to someone who is confused at the crazed state of the world:<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;How shall a man judge what to do in such times?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Aragorn responded: &ldquo;As he ever has judged &hellip; Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men. It is a man&rsquo;s part to discern them, as much in the Golden Wood as in his own house.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s a very noble, heroic, and &mdash; sadly &mdash; rare sentiment, and one that should easily translate to television, where viewers naturally crave a protagonist and an antagonist.<\/p>\n<p>So then why in Middle-earth is the second season of Amazon&rsquo;s &ldquo;The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power&rdquo; struggling so mightily with some Tolkien fans?<\/p>\n<p>In short, because the series doesn&rsquo;t seem too keenly interested in the moral absolutism of Tolkien.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, it&rsquo;s so bad, that one famous YouTube media critic, &ldquo;The Critical Drinker,&rdquo; lambasted this second season as &ldquo;The Ultimate Insult to Tolkien,&rdquo; which is a scathing assessment, to say the least.<\/p>\n<p>(You can watch the video <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=O8T1LPtS4-A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>, <em>but be warned that it includes language the viewer may find offensive.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Season one had only a tenuous understanding of the morality of Tolkien&rsquo;s world,&rdquo; Critical Drinker mused. &ldquo;And that understanding seems to have completely vanished here [in season two].&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The YouTube critic further blasted the show, saying it &ldquo;ticks almost every diversity box except acting ability.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This show is quite simply an abomination,&rdquo; he said, further noting that it was &ldquo;a ruined, corrupted form of entertainment twisted and mutilated, lost beyond all hope of redemption.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, others on social media found similar issues &mdash; if perhaps not quite as dramatic &mdash; with many of the second season&rsquo;s plot points, including the suddenly humanized orcs.<\/p>\n<p>(Orcs, for the unfamiliar, were the bloodthirsty monsters that largely populated the evil armies in the books and films.)<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The obsession with making the bad guys just &ldquo;misunderstood&rdquo; is killing the genre.<\/p>\n<p>Let evil be a simple thing, and heroics be a simple and just reaction.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Grummz (@Grummz) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Grummz\/status\/1829280349286986196?\">August 29, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Orcs just want a safe place to raise their kids, be evil, and practice their corrupted form of life in peace,&rdquo; media critic Nerdrotic posted on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-new-acting-attorney-general-jeff-rosen-recently-wrote-an-essay-on-foreign-influence-in-us-elections-this-tells-us-a-little-about-his-knowledge-of-whats-going-on-today\/\" title=\"The New Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen Recently Wrote an Essay on Foreign Influence in US Elections \u2013 This Tells Us A Little About His Knowledge of What\u2019s Going On Today\">social media platform<\/a> X.<\/p>\n<p>Mark Kern, a famous video game developer, chimed in with: &ldquo;The obsession with making the bad guys just &lsquo;misunderstood&rsquo; is killing the genre.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Let evil be a simple thing, and heroics be a simple and just reaction.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Now, Tolkien is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/quotes\/10333142-the-shadow-that-bred-them-can-only-mock-it-cannot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">quoted<\/a> as describing the orcs as such in his writings: &ldquo;The Shadow that bred them can only mock, it cannot make: not real things of its own. I don&rsquo;t think it gave life to the orcs, it only ruined them and twisted them.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Some have taken that quote to mean orcs were once good before being &ldquo;twisted&rdquo; into evil, and these humanized orcs of the &ldquo;The Rings of Power&rdquo; are pre- or mid-twisting, but that really isn&rsquo;t what&rsquo;s been shown so far.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless, this second season&rsquo;s tepid reaction is a blow for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/hit-new-amazon-prime-series-surprisingly-good-libs-complaining-isnt-gay-enough\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>, which paid a high price for a generally poorly received first season of &ldquo;Rings of Power.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The first season was so odious to X owner Elon Musk, that the tech mogul <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tolkien-turning-grave-elon-musk-gives-brief-blistering-review-amazons-new-lord-rings-series\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">claimed<\/a>, &ldquo;Tolkien is turning in his grave.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> <label>* Name<\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> <\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> <label>* <\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> <\/div>\n<p> <label>* Message<\/label> <br \/> <textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea>  <\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> <input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\">  <\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<p>   <script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<style> \t\t\t \t\t\t.insticator-unit.type-commenting{margin: 0 10px 25px 10px}@media screen and (max-width:1060px){#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{margin: 0 auto 25px auto !important;}}#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{height: 280px !important; width: 336px !important} \t\t<\/style>\n<div class=\"insticator-unit type-commenting\">\n<div class=\"insticator-ads\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"insticator-ads additional\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Regardless of opinions on the somewhat lengthy prose of the renowned author J.R.R. Tolkien, one aspect that remains unquestionable is his strong moral compass. Tolkien was a staunch opponent of moral relativism; he firmly believed in the existence of good and evil. The creator of iconic fantasy works like &#8220;The Lord of the Rings&#8221; and &#8220;The Hobbit&#8221; consistently conveyed that these concepts are absolute, contrasting sharply with many contemporary narratives that blur these lines by suggesting that heroes can be villains and vice versa (as seen in shows like &#8220;Acolyte&#8221;). <\/p>\n<p>One particularly famous quote from Aragorn, a paragon of masculinity and a central figure in &#8220;The Lord of the Rings,&#8221; addresses confusion about morality during tumultuous times: \u201cHow shall a man judge what to do in such times?\u201d To which Aragorn replies: \u201cAs he ever has judged\u2026 Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men. It is a man\u2019s part to discern them, as much in the Golden Wood as in his own house.\u201d This noble sentiment is both heroic and regrettably rare, especially on television where audiences typically seek clear distinctions between protagonists and antagonists.<\/p>\n<p>So why is Amazon&#8217;s second season of \u201cThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power\u201d facing significant backlash from some Tolkien enthusiasts? In essence, it appears that the series lacks an appreciation for Tolkien&#8217;s moral absolutism. This disconnect has led prominent YouTube critic \u201cThe Critical Drinker\u201d to harshly criticize this season as \u201cThe Ultimate Insult to Tolkien,\u201d an assessment that&#8217;s hard to overlook.<\/p>\n<p>In his critique, he noted that while season one had only a tenuous grasp on Tolkien\u2019s moral framework, this understanding seems entirely absent in season two. He further condemned it for prioritizing diversity over acting talent, labeling it an abomination\u2014a corrupted form of entertainment beyond redemption.<\/p>\n<p>Others on social media echoed similar sentiments regarding various plot points from season two\u2014particularly concerning how orcs are portrayed. Traditionally depicted as ruthless monsters serving dark forces within Tolkien&#8217;s universe, their sudden humanization has sparked frustration among fans who feel this trend undermines established lore. As one critic put it: \u201cOrcs just want a safe place to raise their kids&#8230; Let evil be simple.\u201d Mark Kern also weighed in with concerns about portraying villains as merely misunderstood characters.<\/p>\n<p>Tolkien himself described orcs by stating: \u201cThe Shadow that bred them can only mock; it cannot create real things.\u201d Some interpret this quote as suggesting orcs were once good before being corrupted into evil beings; however, current portrayals seem inconsistent with this idea.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, the lukewarm reception for this second season poses challenges for Amazon after investing heavily into what was already met with criticism during its first run\u2014so much so that tech mogul Elon Musk remarked humorously about how &#8220;Tolkien is turning in his grave.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2335828,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Rings-of-Power.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4558,39941,39942,39943],"class_list":["post-2335827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-amazon","tag-lordoftherings","tag-tolkien","tag-tvshows"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Rings-of-Power.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2335827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2335827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2335827\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2335828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2335827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2335827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2335827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}