**headdesk.**

[ladybug_archive]

Please explain to me why it is not even considered that someone could be singing a song of French origin in German. This honestly boggles my mind.

Even more discouraging is that originally I'd had a notation that Autor was singing in German, but I removed it because I thought everyone would just assume he was and that it would look silly to have such a notation.

Never overestimate.

It's so ironic that hearing a German version of that French carol is what inspired the fic in the first place.

That's kind of amusing, actually. But oy vey. Next time maybe I'll be smart and keep the supposedly unnecessary and silly notations.

Comments

[ex-nuitsong.livejournal.com]

Grr. That sounds silly and narrow-minded. Most of our Christmas songs have German origins. Like, "O Christmas Tree," and I think "Silent Night" and some others that currently escape my mind.

Asinine, asinine, asinine! :P (Hope that makes you feel better)

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Kaze was commenting with wonderful sarcasm that basically "Oh no! We couldn't possibly sing O Holy Night in English, either, since it's a French carol!" Which, by that reviewer's argument, would also be true. I just ... do not grasp the reviewer's logic.

LOL! Lovely.

Sorry for two comments

[ex-nuitsong.livejournal.com]

**just finished reading the latest review for "Lay Your Head Down.."**

Over half of that review discusses geographical and cultural possibilities. Things that AREN'T central, focal, or even relevant to the plot. It doesn't even matter if "O Holy Night" is French- it can still be sing in German just as it can be sung in English.

Explosive anger? Really? That's stereotyping more than anything else. (Sorry- I know irrelevant but I had to bring it up).

One more thing- Fakir ir part Arab? what the heck? What kind of warped sense of canon is this? Just because the NAME has Arabic origins doesn't mean the character.... I just... I don't even know...

Re: Sorry for two comments

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Yeah, a lot of that review left me staring blankly at the screen. Everything about geographical and cultural possibilities sounded like stereotyping to me. I could hardly believe what I was reading. And that's so true about O Holy Night; that's another reason why I left out the notation that Autor was singing in German.

The creator has even said Fakir isn't Arabic, which I made sure to tell the girl in my reply. **shakes head.** Wow. Just ... wow.

[moonshadowmagic.livejournal.com]

Okay, I know, I gotta go read this. Now it sounds as if there's a review that's just as interesting as the story, correct?

'Stille Nacht' is indeed German, which is why a few of the lines in English are a tad awkward. And I have no idea which came first, 'Adeste Fideles' or 'O Come, All Ye Faithful.' They're hymns, and Christmas songs, they're supposed to be translated and spread around.

Oy vey, indeed....

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

LOL. Yeah, I guess you could say that.

Yes! Translated and spread around is a good way to put it.

[moonshadowmagic.livejournal.com]

Just read it. *Of course* she can get Autor to sing....

Yes, I had a bit of the staring- at- screen reaction. I'm not particularly put off by the 'stereotyping' though-- gotta remember that it wasn't so long ago that a national identity was expected, and even in parts of America it was unusual to marry outside of one's ancestors' nationality. I suspect that only long since WWII has the concept been seen as a sort of prejudice in a bad way, since that's really when transportation and travel got a boost, along with contact with other nationalities. And really, we can still talk with a straight face about hot- tempered and artistic Irish, dour and thrifty Scots, argumentative and musical Welsh, rational English... and few people bat an eyelid.

Anyway, before I start sounding like the reviewer I need to get some work done and acquire some not- freezing- in- snow sleeeep.

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

LOL. Yes, Ahiru is a miracle worker!

**nods.** That's true. Maybe it's in the presentation. Seriously acting like a certain nationality is just like that *down to the last man, woman, and child* is what makes my jaw drop. I don't know that she was really saying/believing that, but that was impression I got.

LOL. Sleep is a wonderful thing.

[northeastwind.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's looking into it a little too deeply, methinks. Heck, if she's like +70% of the fandom, she probably got into PT through a Swedish song.

Just one thing that annoyed me more than it should have.

ARAB is for a person.

ARABIC is for a thing.

Fakir is not a thing. It's like calling an Asian person oriental... Or maybe I'm just sensitive, eh. But yes, all the "this is what people from this country are like" was a liiiittle unnecessary. It's sometimes fun seeing how much you fit if you're actually from those countries (*points to You Know You Live in Wisconsin When... posts*) but doing it to other people is just stereotyping. I can't even read that part of the review.

I always keep the silly notations because I'm paranoid XD; To me, Autor could have been singing in Portuguese and the only reason I'd care is because where the heck would he learn Portuguese? XD

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

LOL.

I think it bothered me more that she was flat-out determined to think that Fakir was part Arab when there is no canon evidence other than the name itself. Actually, he could be part-Indian, for that matter, since the word "fakir" exists there, too. I don't think he's either one, though the creator also did admit that there could be some Middle Eastern blood further back in Fakir's family line.

My eyes glazed over on the ethnic part of the review the first time I read it. I had to go back and look at that more closely later on. I don't think it was her intention, but it really did look like stereotyping.

LOL. Yeah, I probably should have kept the notation. Though after talking to her more, she seemed more intrigued by the fact that a French song was around in Kinkan and was there during the time Drosselmeyer was in control. I don't know; since things came in from the outside even when they were in Drosselmeyer's bubble, it doesn't seem that big a deal. And maybe the song is older than Drosselmeyer's bubble, anyway. I need to look into that, just for curiosity's sake.