The racist backlash against The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is still going strong as detractors dig in their heels and insist that, even in a fully made-up fantasy world, their white-washed ideals should reign supreme. In response, the team behind Rings of Power posted a heartfelt message in support of the show’s cast and was soon joined by a number of Middle-earth alumni. The Sandman author Neil Gaiman is likewise sticking to his defense of the Amazon Prime series despite claims that he is personally at fault for its perceived flaws.
Elijah Wood and his fellow Hobbits stand with Rings of Power
The racist hate aimed at Amazon Prime’s Rings of Power quickly prompted a wave of support to rise up in defense as celebrities, authors, and even former Lord of the Rings stars voice their support for the series and its characters of color. Even the original Hobbits themselves joined the outpouring of support, with Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd posting heartfelt messages to social media and proclaiming that “You Are All Welcome Here.”
A heartwarming story reminds fans of everything The Lord of the Rings has given us
While most of the fandom remains engaged in a fiery debate about The Rings of Power, one fan took to Reddit to share a heartwarming reminder of what these books mean to some of us. They explained how the story in The Lord of the Rings has stuck with a 70-year-old patient battling Multiple Sclerosis as she struggles with her memory. Even now, Tolkien’s world is “as clear as the rising sun,” according to the Reddit post, a gorgeous reminder of how impactful books can be even decades after we first read them.
Neil Gaiman maintains his cheeky defense of Rings of Power
Back on the debate about whether Rings of Power is a lovely, enjoyable show or an absolute garbage fire, Neil Gaiman is once again shutting down detractors. This time, however, the Sandman author was forced to make an odd promise to a heartbroken fan who seemed to be confused as to Gaiman’s involvement ⏤ or lack thereof ⏤ with the Amazon Prime series. Gaiman cheekily responded to the fan’s claims of “crushed hope” by promising that he will “no longer make any Lord of the Rings based television for any network ever.”