Let's talk about Harry Potter

[u/AMVilla86]

… and other problematic IP

Hi folks,

We need your input. The mods have been discussing for a bit now about crafts with complicated Intellectual Property creators. Occasionally a craft will receive reports due to the theme of the craft and not about crafting itself. While we try to be as open-minded as possible, and we follow sitewide rules (such as no hate speech targeting identity or vulnerability, etc), there is still some nuance with moderating these types of posts. These posts have raised many questions, but we realized we needed to ask the community what they thought. If the community is uncomfortable with something, we want to know and be sure to moderate appropriately.

Some of the ideas we had so far, and why they would be tough to implement:

- Ban specific IP→ Where do we draw the line of what is and isn’t allowed?

- Create specific flair for ‘problematic’ → again, where is the line drawn?

- When a post receives enough reports about the theme and not the craft, leave a high-level moderator comment explaining how to block a user and/or hide a post → might be ignoring a problem rather than solving the issue for the sub.

With that being said, there’s only so much we can police. We want crafters to feel welcome, but with all the moderating we do, it would be hard to add on a layer of “educate a crafter on why the creator of this IP is bad” on top of our normal roles. We also don’t want our subreddit to become a lightning rod for debate. Ultimately, we are a crafts subreddit. While a few comments about inspiration of a craft is allowed, and questioning of said inspiration is also welcome, once we're many comments deep in multiple comment threads with no mention of crafting, it is no longer an appropriate conversation for r/crafts. There are many other subreddits for discussion and debate where you can converse.

So, what do you all think we should do with these types of posts? If we receive a large variety of ideas, we'll put it together in a survey or poll to further gauge how the subreddit feels. Also, feel free to message the mods if you're uncomfortable commenting on the post.

[u/vomit-gold]

I think this is the things people are missing. You are completely free to use your HP material but some people just aren't down for seeing it.

Having it as a banned topic or a controversial tag gives people the ability to chose not to see it.

[u/toicegannaire → u/vomit-gold]

I do think there is a high likelihood that banning topics or forcing a ‘controversial’ tag will just end up causing drama, even when done with good intentions. As a commenter above mentioned — where does the line get drawn?  You can dig up something problematic about a lot of (maybe most?) celebrities, IPs, etc. That’s not to say that —using a recent example from another craft sub — someone like Hank Green is comparable JK Rowling, just that it’s unlikely people will agree on who should be included as controversial vs. who is still ‘okay’. 

To take the examples back to IP itself — Harvey Weinstein is a monster, but it seems over the top to cancel or mark as controversial every movie he ever contributed to (not something you suggested, just saying in general). It also seems unrealistic that everyone who wants to post in this sub would even be aware he was involved with a given project or IP. 

I do like the idea mentioned elsewhere that a catch-all flair for any IP might work. This avoids the need to explicitly draw lines that people will not agree on while also  allowing for targeted discussion (e.g., via a designated comment thread, etc) as people choose. 

[u/a-beeb → u/vomit-gold]

Some people legitimately buy and showcase their HP or other merch by problematic individuals specifically because they know it upsets some people. They think is funny. They have a strange definition of funny, but okay.

It happens in other hobby communities all the time.

[u/Culinary_Fruit_Salad → u/a-beeb]

oh is that like why I had to leave a bunch of Facebook cast iron groups because people kept using them to show off racist cast iron figures like sambo etc?

it's frustrating how many people suck when the reddit blocklist caps at 1000 🤬

[u/abitofasitdown → u/vomit-gold]

Are you down with hiding all your other problematic stuff, too?

[u/vomit-gold → u/abitofasitdown]

I mean if someone doesn't want to see something I post, they have that right.

If I made a craft that got the 'problematic' flair, and some people want don't to see -that's completely fine.

[u/settingdogstar → u/vomit-gold]

Kinda fucked to categorize people’s joy as problematic

[u/vomit-gold → u/settingdogstar]

You can admit that something you like has a problematic origin and still enjoy it. That a part of being an adult.

It's like you can talk about your amazing memories of Sea-World while also admitting that some of the things Sea-World does is not cool.

[u/just_flying_bi → u/vomit-gold]

Having a tag is an appropriate response for this just as any other common trigger warning. Art is subjective so certain things will upset some folks that don’t upset others. For me, it’s repurposed animal parts. It personally upsets me but I don’t need to demand that others view it in the same manner. It’s just not my thing.