I recently read a fairly good time-travel story (well-known too), and was enjoying it. Until Harry decided to contact Fred and George for technical back-up. I then pressed alt-w.

I really don't understand the sheer amount of fandom love for these characters. Really. I don't.

Not only are they portrayed very flatly, but what personality they seem to have... well, they're idiots and jerks.

Because, in my world, people who give pills (in this case, food) to unsuspecting young children that cause bleeding, vomiting, etc. would be regarded as fucking psychotic. If you met people like this in real life, you'd be very determined to hit them.

Yet in fandom (and canon, come to think of it), they are shown to be cool, funny, and generally decent. Intelligent also, by way of being genius inventors.

Personally, I've always regarded Fred and George to be Rowling's greatest character failures (even more so than Ginny). She tries to make them "good", but I've always found them to be annoying, bigoted, and assholes.

Thoughts? Comments? Rationale for Fred & George being liked?

 

Pretty sure the general consensus here is the following. Yes, this applies to all characters. Even Ginny.


If they're written believably by a good author, then they're going to be good characters.

If they're written poorly by a bad author, they're going to be bad characters.

Obviously, the frequency that this happens is a little in favor of one side versus the other. However, DLP isn't about that - kind of more quality versus quantity.

 

It's more on the lines of:

- in canon, they're douchebags
- in fandom, they're douchebags
- people love them

i.e. WTF?!

 

They also happen to be Weasleys.

In that sense, enembee's portrayal of them is the most accurate characterization in the fandom.

 

Hmm, it's interesting that you've mentioned it, since I'd never really considered it in that way. I always just saw them as mostly harmless pranksters, whose only purpose in canon was to provide helpful distractions for Harry and the gang when it was needed.

The only justification I can really give is that they always developed an antidote to go with their pranks, and I cant recall an instance where they let a prank go on beyond the time it takes to be funny. Plus, you've got to remember that the Wizarding World has a pretty laissez faire approach to children's injuries. Since they can cure pretty much anything, why coddle them too much?

 

There is also the fact that they live in a world where all that shit isnt that amazing.

Sure if you or I gave a kid candy that made them piss blood we'd be bat shit insane.

But in a world or flying broom sticks and house elfs... not so much.

 

.....................................

No.
......................................


Again, No.

 

IIRC the pills to make kids bleed and vomit were voluntary. People used them to skip classes.

 

Actually, I happen to love Fred and George. They're the only Weasleys that I can tolerate. If they're written correctly they could be great characters. I've read a couple of fics about them and honestly, they're not that bad.

Agreed. And besides, you could use the sweets to get out of class.

Although, I hate the Gred and Forge thing. In the book it wasn't so bad but I think fandom destroyed it. Like many things.

 

Meh. I actually liked Percy for trying to ditch his dead-weight family and making something of himself, before the retardation of working under Fudge ruined it. Besides him for a short while, I like Charlie for the simple fact that he's the only Weasley not featured for any length of time in the books.

 

I agree with the sentiment that the Twins are rather harmless pranksters. After all, the national sport involves hitting two iron balls at people that exist purely to cause as much physical harm as possible and flying a great distance above the ground at breakneck speed. Schools held a competition which had a high death-rate for centuries before they decided it wasn't safe. Not just that but, as others before me have pointed out, they already have sweets that burn a hole in your tongue. The Twins developing sweets to induce puking and nosebleeds, as well as punching telescopes, doesn't really appear that psychopathic.

I also agree with fanon's general "The Twin's are geniuses" viewpoint. When you compare the Twin's accomplishments to those around them, they stand out from the rest of the crowd. They appear to be on the same level as Snape and the Marauders. Snape and the Marauders, at the age of sixteen, were creating spells and becoming animagi respectively. At the same age, the Twins are creating their own product range including fireworks, fake wands and sweets that can cause, and cure, minor illnesses.

 

Yeah, I think so too. They never stuck to me as jerks and I still see no reason to think that they are. Sure, fandom has written them a few times too badly but in a whole, they belong to the more likable characters.

I for one enjoyed every scene in the books with them and wished there were more.

 

This

I mean compared to everyone around them, including adults, they shit on them. I mean they were good enough to quit school and start their own joke shop, which IIRC, was off to a great start. Easily the best Weasley's. Shit they were even more talented than Arthur and Molly IMO

 

........ :|

 

I suppose from the perspective of Harry + Co. they seem harmless. But I really don't think they are. For example, the Canary Cream that they gave Neville (forgive me if this isn't exact canon) caused humiliation. Rowling described the whole thing as funny, what with people laughing and all, but Neville. The guy with zero self-esteem.

Tasteless, I think.

Actually, I truly believe that the best portrayal of FG come from jbern's The Lie I've Lived. They've never struck me as being able to take a joke.

On geniuses - really? I admit some of their stuff is ingenious, but it seems at odds with the (lack of) other things they do.

 

Forgive me also if this isn't canon, but didn't Neville laugh along with the others afterwards?

As for them being geniuses, I agree with that viewpoint. Things like Extendable Ears seem completely new to the Wizarding World, and in HBP their shop was the only one in Diagon Alley that was crowded. Why so if their products weren't genius?

Although - fanon sometimes goes too far with the whole thing and that makes them unlikable.

 

Yes.

And I agree with Jbern's portrayal of them as assholes to be honest. I haven't analyzed them as others would have; but they always just seemed like bullies without anyone to stand up to them. Basiclaly a slightly more funny, ginger version of Malfoy.