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We’ve got a real scandal on our hands! An eagle-eyed IMDB message boards critic has pointed out that there are a number of suspiciously similar visual and thematic parallels between the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Harry Potter series. Could it be that J.R.R. Tolkein ripped off J.K. Rowling when putting together his adventure?!
Overall, I like Lord of the Rings. However, I do feel that Tolkien kind of rips off Harry Potter in many ways. There are several parallels, such as elves, dwarfs, wizards, goblins, trolls, magic (especially invisibility), etc. Sauron is referred to as “Dark Lord” just like Voldemort is. There is also the elder white-haired bearded wizard who serves as a mentor, Gandalf, who is reminiscent of Dumbledore. Some of the character names are similar, such as Wormtongue as opposed to Wormtail, too. There is even a gigantic spider (Shelob) at the end of “The Two Towers” that reminds one of Aragog from Chamber of Secrets. I even noticed that the plots of both series begin with the protagonists’ birthday. Now I see that Tolkien, this unoriginal bastard, is coming out with The Hobbit in December. This would be fine, but why didn’t he just write this book first to begin with? I still like Lord of the Rings, though–don’t get me wrong–but I wonder if Tolkien has ever said in interviews whether he borrowed elements from Harry Potter. I’ll be watching the extended DVDs later this week and I think he’s featured on the commentary track, so I look forward to that.
THROW THAT THIEVING TIME GHOST IN MAGIC JAIL! He’s clearly the reverse-timeline-Carlos-Mencia of fantasy authors. Unbelievable. ACCIO JUSTICEIOSUM! Expecto LOLs! (Via Uproxx.)
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To whomever wrote that, even if in jest: to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee. If you will excuse me, I must weep nerdy tears of pain.
Now I feel badly that I spent the latter half of my senior year in high school writing stuff like that on message boards. My friends wrote things agreeing with me.
Just want to note for “the record” that the photo/caption on this made me LAUGH OUT LOUD as they say.
Louis C.K. ripped off Dane Cook.
Ridley Scott totally got copied by Lovecraft.
Hydrox totally ripped off Oreos.
Kurosawa ripped off George Lucas.
Stereogum ripped off Videogum.
Finally, a reference I get.
God ripped off Protogod.
Strike that, reverse it. I’m drunk.
hydrox were so much better and no one believes me!
Willy Wonka ripped off Gene Wilder.
(don’t worry this makes sense to me)
You guys, do you think we have a case against Gale Donahaye? I feel that he uses all our catchphrases. Asking for a friend. Bing Bong.
JANE AUSTEN PLAGIARIZED SETH GRAHAME-SMITH.
You guys think this is bad? Everyone in music has been ripping off Weird Al for YEARS and nobody says anything.
PLAGIARIZE, YOU FOOLS.
Dude’s gonna be super pissed when he watches the Extended Edition DVDs next week and finds Tolkien doesn’t make an appearance on ANY of the 4 audio commentary tracks provided!
I know I was.
Also though, since when do we pay any attention to things people say on imdb message boards?
“Elvish is such a rip off of Parseltongue.”
I don’t know why this comment is here. So I’m going to pretend I’m responding to you about IMDB with a very IMDB board type comment.
And to add to the authenticity: He is not hot. U think he’s hot? LOL.
I like when you respond to my comments because it looks like our dogs are playing together. Also, LOL.
Holy cats! It does. This, I’ll allow. Anthropomorphic foodstuffs are still on notice tho.
Oh that would be awesome.
Here are actual topics of discussion I just found about this movie:
What happens if the Orcs had won the battle of the Five Armies?
What would happen if the Dwarves went through south Mirkwood Forrest?
Why dont the Nazgul sense it at all when Bilbo uses the One Ring?
DISCUSS.
Mine is not anthropomorphic. Just a regular ol’ pizza.
What would happen if Bilbo refused to go and just stayed home?
HAHAHAHAHAHA. BEST QUESTION YET. BEST QUESTION OF ALL TIME.
RichCreamy, of course you are correct. But your recent association with facetaco I’ve made in my head lumps you into being anthropomorphized. These are my issues, not yours (and of course ultimately I’m just being a jack-ass in the hopes of squeezing out a little pinch of humor)
Especially things which are clearly jokes and/or trolls?
gabe’s been slumming it in the worst parts of the internet since my call for more content in front of paywalls.
tomorrow he’s just going to cut and paste entire comment threads from AVClub’s review of the new Fiona Apple album for an installment of “That’s Your Boyfriend…”
So many nerds are going to get their jorts in a twist over this.
If Stephen Colbert does not address this tonight, I will be disappointed. I love it when he nerds out on Tolkein.
have you ever played WoWC for 18 hrs straight in jorts? it is very easy to get them in a twist.
I’m not sure I would want to be playing WoWC for 18 Hours straight to begin with…it might interfere with my “brony” time
I don’t know if any of you listen to the Dead Authors Podcast– where H.G. Wells (Paul F. Tompkins) uses his time machine to whisk up dead authors (other talented comedians), bring them to the present, and interview them about their work– but it is pretty damn funny. http://thedeadauthorspodcast.libsyn.com/
I noticed that recently they had on Matt Walsh as Tolkien. I cannot wait to listen to that interview whenever it gets posted. I love it when comedians reference/talk about complex world mythologies of works of popular fiction (re: nerd talk). Any time PFT mentions stuff about the Fantastic Four, Galactus, and Uatu the Watcher my heart just soars. Or any time Eddie Izzard says ‘Galadriel.’ Stuff like that. Can’t wait to hear Matt Walsh’s Tolkien.
Also, the episode with simultaneous interview guests James Adomian and Paul Scheer as Friedrich Nietzsche and H.P. Lovecraft, respectively, is batshit insane.
I ADORE the Dead Authors Podcast. The PG Wodehouse episode is one of the funniest things I’ve heard in a while. I was at work and was actually doubled over trying to stifle my laughter.
That was a good one! I don’t re-listen to too many podcasts, but I see myself going back to these in a little bit.
I have listened to the O. Henry and Charles Dickens podcast multiple times, and it still makes me crack up when Dickens talks about the poor.
Guys, it’s the best podcast. Next time you’re in LA, you should go to it live! It’s so very good live, and the ticket price goes to 826 Writing Centers!
I am really late to this excellent recommendation, but Paul F. Tompkins’ work with podcasts is unbearably excellent. I enjoy everything he does with the medium. *shines pince-nez*
But thankfully it’s a monthly podcast so there’s not a huge backlog with its whopping EIGHT EPISODES!
NINE episodes. Sorry. Got excited and miscounted!
Obvious IMDB Troll is obvious.
this is an excellent username.
Isnt plural of dwarf “dwarves” and not “dwarfs” or am I trippin’? You trippin’, holmes!
I believe the plural is ‘dorfs.’
It depeds. Tolkien started ‘dwarves’, before that it was ‘dwarfs’. Now the accepted difference is that ‘dwarves’ are the guys in Snow White, Lord of the Rings, D&D, etc … while dwarfs would be ‘little people’ as the current PC term is (as in Tyrion, of Game of Thrones, is a ‘dwarf’ as in a small human, instead of a dwarf, as in a race of bearded miners.) Also there are stuff like dwarf stars which would be dwarfs, not dwarves.
http://youtu.be/IRsPheErBj8
oops, dead link
try again…
here
Is this real?
J. R. Tolkein pulls a copy of Harry Potter off his book shelf. “Aw yeah that’s what I write…”
This reminds me of the Bieber fan who said Justin is cooler than Kurt Cobain because he has more Twitter followers. She has a point. When are ghosts going to start utilizing social media to address the critiques of the public? Do a Reddit AMA already Tolkein and Cobain!
Who is this Tolkein guy?
The guy who wrote the IMDB critique, idiot though he be, at least managed to spell Tolkien correctly.
And the Bible totally ripped off the whole back from death thing from Gandalf.
“Fly Fishing” is still his best work.
*Tolkien.
Are you fucking stupid?????????????? The Lord Of the Rings was written long before Harry Potter!! this Gabe asshole is a retarded fuck!
That is one of the greatest things I’ve ever read. That Tolkien guy is totally a thief. Who the hell does he think he is, anyway? For the record, Harry Potter could kick Frodo’s ass any day of the week. Goblin THAT!!!!
oh please J.R.R Tolkien has been dead since 1973!!!!! now how could he ripped off harry potter, if he has been dead for years?!?!?!?!?! do the research right!!!
ALL WHO THINK THAT JRR COPIED HARRY POTTER ARE BLOODY MORONS!!!!!!! JRR WAS DEAD BEFORE JK WAS EVEN CONCEIVED!!! THAT IS THE MOST ILLOGICAL, THE MOST UNPROFESSIONAL, AND THE SHITTIEST CRITIQUE EVER!!!!!!!! EVERY STORY IS UNIQUE, BUT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SIMILARITIES!!!!!! STUDY THE HERO CYCLE OF STORIES BEFORE YOU JUDGE ANYTHING!!!!! ^DAMN THIS MAKES ME ANGRY!!!!
AND TO ADD, THE LORD OF THE RINGS BECAME FAMOUS ALMOST OVERNIGHT ABOUT TEN YEARS AFTER JRR’s DEATH!!! HOW COULD HE BE INTERVIEWED?????!!!!!!!!! MORON NEVER READ THE BOOK. HE CRITIQUED THE MOVIE WITHOUT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!!!!! F!
Its obviously a joke by an intelligent Tolkien fan and obviously a not so subtle jab at J.K. Rowling. For a few reasons. 1. It’s a concise well written statement. 2. There are no spelling errors. 3. Actual real English grammar is used. 3. Note the lack of excessive random capitalization.
Dracula sooo ripped off Twilight. What was Stoker thinking copying from Stephanie. Just he got it wrong…vampires sparkle!
As much as I love Harry Potter, LOTR was first published in 1954…So if anything Harry Potter ripped off LOTR