Ginny Haters

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 152244

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > Ron had every right.  He's her older brother, and she was       
> > putting herself into a position to earn those sort of           
> > nicknames.  It was his duty as the elder sibling to call her on 
> > her behavior.
 
> >>Gerry: 
> ????? What behaviour? Having a couple of boyfriends at the         
> appropriate age for discovering boys?
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
No.  Making out with one of those boyfriends in a public, and 
popularly travelled hallway.  That's the sort of behavior that could 
earn Ginny a bad reputation.  Ron, as her elder sibling, had a duty 
to step in and stop that behavior.  If Ginny *had* earned a bad 
reputation, you can bet your brass boots Molly would have questioned 
Ron on what he'd been up to while his baby sister ran around making 
a spectical of herself.

> >>Phoenixgod:
> <snip>
> I went to high school with my younger sister, and
> you bet your behind I watched out for her. No one knows better    
> than a teenage brother what boys want to do to their nubile       
> teenage sister. If Ginny had been my sister...

Betsy Hp:
Nice to hear from you again, Phoenixgod! I totally agree.  I went to 
highschool with one of my younger sisters and I would have called 
her on that sort of behavior too.  It's what older siblings do.  
And, quite frankly, it's what parents expect older sibling to do.

> >>Gerry:
> The only person who had issues was Ron himself, which had a lot   
> more to do with him not being popular with the girls.

Betsy Hp:
Where on earth do you get that idea?  Ron isn't experienced, true.  
But he's got Lavander giggling and whispering with her friends when 
he walks by.  That suggests that he's seen as a bit of stud.  He 
just hasn't bothered to take advantage of that fact.  Yet. 

> >>Gerry: 
> Besides, the idea that elder brothers are somehow responsible and
> justified to control their younger sibblings behaviour is
> reprehensible. Reminds me of those honour killings we see now when 
> sis has a non-muslim boyfriend. 

Betsy Hp:
Um, no.  I'm not saying I'd have *killed* my sister if I'd caught 
her in the clinch with some guy in a public place.  I'd have just 
called her on her behavior.  Also, as an older sister, I'm not 
saying it's just older *brothers* who have a duty to look out for 
their younger siblings.  It's part and parcel of being an elder 
sibling.  

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > But where was Ginny's anger of Justice when Luna's stuff was    
> > stolen?  That's what I meant about JKR not giving us a clear    
> > case of Ginny's "righteous" anger.  

> >>Gerry: 
> Does Ginny even know?
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
To be fair, Ginny might not know.  But it does mean that bringing up 
Ginny's being kind to Luna (to her face, anyway) doesn't go very far 
in backing up the argument that Ginny's anger is righteous.  Because 
Ginny has never fought a righteous battle.  It's all been very 
personal and petty stuff.  The fact that we know Luna is picked on, 
and that we know Ginny likes Luna, but that JKR never bothers to put 
those two facts together, suggests that perhaps we're not supposed 
to see Ginny's anger as anything other than unhealthy.  Otherwise, 
why not give us a clearcut example of Ginny's anger being helpful?

> >>Gerry: 
> Well, if I would have had an older brother like Ron I would have
> treated him much worse than Ginny. He was awful, patriarchal, and
> behaving like he belonged in the Victorian age. He needed his
> commupance and needed it badly.

Betsy Hp:
Do you have an older sibling?  Or a younger sibling for that 
matter?  Because honestly, Ron does nothing out of line.  Actually, 
he's pretty laid back when it comes to Ginny.  We don't see him 
sitting Dean down for a little talk on how Ginny is supposed to be 
treated, or following Ginny on dates, or anything of that sort.  
It's only when Ginny pushes her sexual awakening in Ron's face that 
Ron says anything at all.
 
> >>Gerry:
> And it was all over when he finally had his own girlfriend. We    
> don't find Ron mentioning Ginny havin extensive snogging sessions 
> in the common room, yet guess who does...

Betsy Hp:
And that's because Ron doesn't have any older siblings of his own at 
Hogwarts anymore.  (See what happens when you let the little ones 
get out of line? <g>)  But yeah, Ron was hypocritical there.  Though 
I'm betting he'd have *still* said something if Ginny and Dean 
started making out in the commonroom.  Not fair, but that's life. <g>

> >>Nick:
> > > I hate to break it to everyone, but we're supposed to LIKE    
> > > Ginny. We're supposed to laugh at her jokes.  We're supposed   
> > > to approve of her behavior.

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > Why?

> >>Gerry: 
> Because she is a very likable popular girl.

Betsy Hp:
Where do you get that from?  Boys think she's pretty, but that's 
about all we see as far as Ginny being popular.  As for likable, I 
guess she could be, once she gets that massive chip off her 
shoulder.  At the moment she's a bit too likely to throw a punch (or 
a hex) to be called likable. 

I'd say the only reason we're supposed to think Ginny is this 
wonderful girl is based on JKR's interviews.  There's little in the 
actual canon to say that she's wonderful.  But there's a lot to show 
that she's got some major issues that need to be delt with.  Again, 
everytime Ginny unleashes she hurts the people she loves.  That 
makes it hard for me to believe that her anger, her temper, are a 
good thing.

Betsy Hp