Get your cunt-stained fingers off my MUSH: the Ballad of Lindaaaa Antonsson

I am frankly baffled by the amount of people in this fandom who haven’t heard of Lindaaaaa, Christian name Linda Antonsson. Shocked that people don’t know that one of the foremost ASOIAF fans and influencers of the author of the series is totally vile.



For example, are you put-off or offended by me using “cunt” in the title? Well, if you’re reading this it probably applies to you, as Lindaaaaa thinks that fans who condone fan fiction are pedophiles who fap to their neighbors’ children. I am not fucking kidding.



This is not an exhaustive profile about Lindaaaa; I hope to provide you with enough information about her so that you are aware of her role in fandom, her influence over GRRM and her shenanigans here. She is a Big Name Fan behaving very, very badly.

This post is long, but I am here to educate.





1. Who the heck is Lindaaaaa?

This is Linda Antonsson.

Jk. This is Linda Antonsson.

Linda, 37, is pictured here with her fiance and co-owner of Westeros.org, Elio Garcia. In case you REALLY don’t know anything about this fandom, Westeros.org is the largest ASOIAF fan site and also hosts a wiki. Google any details about the series and the top results will probably include a link to the website.



In the Vulture article I link to above, Lindaaaa identifies herself as an English/Swedish translator, which is technically true as she is hired to do translations for GoT (more on that later). On her tumblr, however, she seems to think of herself as a perpetual student, riding the waves of free Swedish tuition like Dany on the back of Drogon in the probably-never-to-be-published A Dream of Spring.



Legend has it that Lindaaaaaa started her illustrious online career in Wheel of Time fandom, operating under the pseudonym “Nymeria.” At some point she became increasingly erratic— basically demonstrating the same behavior she does on a daily basis with ASOIAF fandom— and I only have conflicting reports as to the end of her tenure there and transition full-time into ASOIAF fandom.



Lindaaaaa began reading the book series in 1997. In 1998, Elio and Linda began their GRRM-approved fanfiction RP MUSH. The first iteration of Westeros.org was launched in 1999, devolving from documenting the unfolding ASOIAF world to the behemoth that we know today.



2. Why does Lindaaaaa have so much power/influence?

Lindaaaa and Elio have a firm grasp over a portion of the fandom arguably because of their long relationship with GRRM and their multipurpose fan site. Contacting and establishing a relationship with GRRM as early as 1998 was certainly beneficial for the pair; the author has been quoted saying Elio knew more about the books than he did, and Elio has been postured as one of the foremost authorities on the series.

Due to their close relationship, Elio and Lindaaaa got their hands on an early copy of ADWD to fact-check. In some circles it’s been proposed that based on the finished product and their professed views on characters in the series, they did a little more than just check facts…but that’s who you talk to.



And Westeros.org pretty much stands alone as a fandom resource with its combination of fanfiction MUSH, myriad discussion boards, wiki, etc etc. Sure you have other websites where fans can interact, but Westeros.org remains king of the more conventional fan web experience. And I’ll explore this later, but the rise of places like ONTD and tumblr as hot spots for ASOIAF fans— especially younger female fans who have recently read the series because of the tv show— threatens Lindaaa, especially since she has no control over them and is openly mocked.

Despite Lindaaa talking some major shit about the second season of GoT on her tumblr and personal website, Elio and Linda have been featured on Sky’s Thronecast to share their hallowed insights into the program.



Furthermore, Lindaaaa and Elio were personally thanked by GRRM in ADWD (seriously, go look it up). For whatever reason, the couple and George have a relationship that has been going strong for over 10 years, regardless of Lindaaa’s behavior or ethics.



So that’s why it’s rather surprising that some people have legitimately never heard of Lindaaaa.



3. What has Lindaaaaa ever done to you?



Personally? Though I thought it was funny both times, Lindaaa has called me a bitch, a twat, an idiot and has threatened to throw a dictionary at my head.

She has also had one tumblr shut down and targeted several of my friends, but here’s a short list of ad hominems that she loves using:



cunt, cunts, stupid, crazies, dumb, dumber-than-a-rock, fanamoeba, numbskull, jerkoffs, twat, dimwits, nitwits, ninnies, disgusting,whiners, barbie, amoebas, trolls, delusional, miserable, delusional feminazis, delusional harpies, poor delusional fools, idiots, cesspool of idiots, pathetic idiot, immature 12-year-old, pathetic troll, pathetic cowards, shit-flinging monkeys, bottom-feeding fishies, a mob, little girls, lackwitted girls, PC squad, pond scum, uptight feminists, rotten fishies, rabid mob, loudmouth bully, little fuckwits, filthy little bullies, disgusting teenage bullies, mindless parrots, hysterical, #1 Tumblr Retard, Village Idiot, shitstain on the world, cunt-stained fingers, pedophiles



Also, when I was an active user at Is Winter Coming?, Lindaaa had the website shut down and they had to scramble to a different server. Not cool, Lindaaaa. But according to her,

You are talking about a site which was created by a bunch of whiners to harass and troll GRRM and a number of his fans. So, sure, there’s a lot to be said about harassment and that cesspool of idiots, but it doesn’t involve me harassing anyone. (x)

…you got their site shut down Lindaaa. There are emails in which you openly admit it, as well as in the boards of your Amazon ADWD review.



Thankfully IWC? is alive and well today, with a 55-page board on Lindaaa, in case you are interested.

Here’s a fun lie about WICnet, which is run by some awesome people

Oh, and what’s this. WICnet? Again, I do not have an account there. Never have, never will. Elio occasionally posts with our Twitter account, I believe. Please do point to the allegedly harassing post he’s made there. You can have a cookie if you find one.

Bazinga! Gimme a cookie…no. A cake, for your lies!!



4. Lindaaaa’s Greatest Hits (tw:rape, abuse)



It’s important to note that Lindaaaa has deleted and edited posts so I have had to rely on reblogs and other sources for some of this ish.



-One of my favorite things to mock Lindaaaa for is her refusal to read ⅓ (approx 400 pages) of ASOS, including the RW and Oberyn’s duel. She has cited general squeamishness arising from her Swedish heritage for this, but seriously, Lindaaaa. The book’s been out for 12 years. Get to getting.





(Scumbag centaur meme by fantastiquecollective)



-The clusterfuck that was her Amazon.com ADWD review

Lindaaaaaa gave an overwhelmingly positive review for ADWD on Amazon.com, which was picked apart by other reviewers who knew her and her monetary ties to GRRM and general shadiness. She spends many pages denying any sort of financial interest in ADWD or ASOIAF’s greater success. But Lindaaaa: you fact-checked ADWD, are helping to compile a gigantic ASOIAF encyclopedia with your fiance and are subtitling the second season of the show.





And, in typical Lindaaaa fashion, she got a ton of comments flagged from people who were arguing with her. Amazon.com doesn’t actively monitor their boards (just like censoros.org trololo), so Lindaaaa’s displaying the same tired behavior of censoring people she disagrees with or who are calling her out.





-Tumblr invasion of 2011- Linda created her tumblr in November 2011 with the express purpose of being an asshole. If you don’t believe me, let’s hear it straight from her:

there are also a few groups of…shall we say, shit-flinging monkeys? Since they rarely crawl out of here, I can’t exactly laugh at them elsewhere. And given how laughable these so-called fans of Game of Thrones are, well, I hate to pass up the opportunity. (x)

Well, we don’t want any miserable, delusional feminazis trampling all over it, so if you think to stir up any shit, rest assured that I’ll bring the battle to you. I so enjoyed ripping you to shreds there for being the cunt you are. (x) (I don’t know what the it or the who she is referring to, but does it matter?)

I would not have started the tumblr at all it if it wasn’t for the attacks directed at not just westeros.org but also myself and Elio for running our site one way or another or for having the “wrong” opinions. (x)

source

-Lindaaa does not play well with others.

Misogyny towards female fans? Oh, whatever? If someone attacks me, I don’t hold back. Any form of verbal retaliation is fair game. (x)

Is it harassment for me to tell you that you’re a cunt? No. (x)

General piece of advice. If you condemn my opinions and call me racist, sexist or whatever, I am not ever going to be interested in having a polite discussion with you. You will be written off as a troll and I will have no interest in spending energy on trying to be taken seriously by you. Because, quite frankly, you are a clearly a person of poor judgement whose opinions are pretty fucking irrelevant. You don’t get the consideration of politeness or courtesy of me. That’s for human beings, not trolls. (x)

I see no reason whatsoever to express myself in anything but the most disrespectful terms to a bunch of hysterical girls who started screaming “omg, you’re horribly sexist, racist, whatever-ist!” based on their warped and completely fucked up “social justice” agenda. I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings possible about the fact that I have no respect at all for them or their opinions and that I consider their existence a waste of natural resources. (x)

Its quite funny to see how delusional you are about the size of your particular corner of tumblr “fandom”. A corner that for the most part is too busy squeeing like 12-year-olds and writing laughable fanfics about their special pairings (excuse me while I vomit a little) to amount to anything important at all.

See, I think you should stop worrying about what the A Song of Ice and Fire fandom is like, because you’re not part of it. You’re part of the fandom of a pretty weird and sometimes rather sick interpretation of the books, which has nothing to do with the actual story. So, you just stick to that and stop worrying about me, we’re not in the same fandom. When I talk about the books, I talk about the actual books, not some weird “headcanon” version of them. There’s one version of the books, the one GRRM wrote. (x)

For the most part, I suspect the support for various actors and actresses can be boiled down to “OMG, so hot // OMG, such an awesome couple” but then some people try to dress up their fannish, hormonal silliness as serious business and supporting minorities. (x)

Okay, yes, there was a group of tumblr users who actively mock Lindaaa and talked about the bullshit on Westeros.org. But that was a handful of people (many if not most of whom originated from LJ/ONTD), whereas ASOIAF tumblrs number in the hundreds, and fans of the show in the thousands. Yet Lindaaaaa likes to paint everyone who isn’t her as a teenage fangirl wallowing in the glittery cesspit of slash fic and shipping. Also, why is that such a bad thing?

I guess my biggest question to Lindaaa is: why do you care so much?

Here’s a post I don’t feel like quoting from where Lindaaa claims she is not harassing people…veeeeery passive-aggressively. And Linderr it doesn’t really help your argument when you go back and delete entries. Of course, everyone who reblogged those posts can still see them, such as the iconic cunt-stained finger, slash fic pedophile entry below.

-Lindaaaa wants to talk about you on tumblr but she doesn’t want you to know she’s doing it…or something.

All of her posts are bizarre because it’s clear that she’s directly responding to someone, but she never reblogs posts, tags anyone, and often gives people pseudonyms rather than mentioning them by name. She has blocked the vast majority of people who have reblogged or responded to anything she has said. Interestingly enough, however, is that those of us who have IP trackers installed (myself included) have noticed extended visits from a Swedish individual. One friend of mine reported that Lindaaa visited her blog daily and spent several hours there, combing through pages. Trying to gain ammo? Just sort of pathetic? Who cares!





Thus Linda came to tumblr to “confront” us, but took every step possible to avoid confrontation. So she’s here to give us all a taste of our own medicine, but can’t take it herself. (I also believe that Lindaaaaa does not fully understand how to use tumblr)

-PIXEL PR00000N



Winteriscomingbitch discovered and posted some of Lindaaaa and Elio’s screen grabs from their Second Life RP in which their avatars engage in graphic sex. Of course WICB posted it with great glee, but soon tumblr support swooped down on her like pterrifying pterodactyls at the behest of Lindaaaa and shut the post down on copyright grounds. WICB promptly posted the links themselves, duh. Presumably to alleviate further mocking, Lindaaaa decided to post the pictures herself on her tumblr and website. I am not going to have that filth on my tumblr or assault your eyes with it, but here are the links:



http://hippoiathanatoi.tumblr.com/post/13612419321/it-just-didnt-seem-fair-that-people-would

http://hippoiathanatoi.tumblr.com/post/13613843558

http://hippoiathanatoi.tumblr.com/post/15748473881/84-73-177-230

http://www.koinup.com/Ran_Garrigus/works/coolest/page/1/



Lindaaaa. Gurl. Just have sex with your fiance. Jfc.

-The Cersei incident (TW: RAPE, SPOUSAL ABUSE, FUCKERY)



I have no idea how Lindaaaaaa got on this subject, but for some reason she spent a whole lot of time and energy sharing her enlightened views on Cersei and Robert’s sex life and how everything was Cersei’s Fault. Mostly I find it troubling because it shows a distinct ignorance toward sexual assault, which mostly just makes me want to send her some pdf’s from a women’s organization. Regardless, Lindaaaa displays some stupendous insensitivity in the following posts, which I will try to summarize with a link because there are so fucking many.



Cersei was never truly prepared to give Robert a chance

If Cersei had truly wanted to, she could have said no…it comes down to Cersei’s desire to be queen

Cersei does get some physical abuse from Robert, yes, but she also hands out both physical and emotional abuse to him

Cersei cannot say no to Robert if she wants to keep sleeping with Jaime.

Cersei chose to be an ambitious adulteress.

Her ambition and her adultery is what keeps her fucking Robert

She may have hated it, but she had to force herself to do it.

Its about her being ambitious, selfish and trying to keep her crimes hidden

The fact that she thinks of his visits as assaults does not in any way change the fact that she knew that they were necessary to uphold her lies.

There’s no suggestion that she ever objected to him having sex with her at all.

She’s forcing and pressuring herself into sex for her own, selfish reasons, that’s what matters.

You cannot take Robert and Cersei out of their context

If you want to remove the context altogether, you will also need to go ahead and just to take one of many examples — call Tyrion a pedophile for wanting to consummate his marriage with Sansa. It would, however, be completely ludicrous, as it is not understood as such in the context.

She knows that is part of the bargain she made when she became queen

If you say Robert was abusive towards Cersei, yes, absolutely. Just as she was abusive towards him.

There’s no way around that she has put herself in a situation where she has numerous reasons for needing to accept that Robert has sex with her

I am saying she wasn’t raped since she made the choice to put up with Robert

Cersei doomed that marriage...Robert really didn’t stand a chance with her





And she goes for the Context argument

I am not going to apply modern standards to characters in a fantasy novel any more than I will apply them to characters in a historical novel or actual people from history. I can look at classical Athens and say “what a misogynistic society” but that does not mean I am going to be disgusted by all men who lived in classical Athens or think that they somehow should have known better.

Ultimately, I don’t care if others want to be what I would call bad readers, but you have no business trying to silence me. (x)

Just because you’re allowed to say whatever you want doesn’t preclude us from calling you out on your shit opinions!

Lindaaaa’s response to people rebutting her flawless arguments (including someone sharing a personal story about sexual assault)?

If you disagree and feel a need to attack me for putting forward a well-reasoned argument purely based on the books … well, kindly go fuck yourself. You probably need it. :) (x)





-EVERY TIME YOU MAKE A CHANGE, A WHITE ACTOR GOES HUNGRY

Lindaaa HATES it when they deviate from the book on the tv show. She writes about it all the time but when I try to read it, all I see is blah blah blah so I don’t bother. Here are some general thoughts from the queen of ~purism on adaptations:

If I look just to my own enjoyment and what my personal preference would have been, I would rather have had just one or two faithful seasons that failed to capture the wider audience and ultimately was cancelled pretty quickly than a less faithful show with more mass-appeal. (x)

As such, my interest in Game of Thrones is purely as an adaptation of a series of books that I love. I want to see as much of what is in the books as possible and how well (or not) the show adapts the books is what it stands and falls on for me. It informs everything I say or write about the show. (x)

If it was possible (and yes, I know it isn’t), I wouldn’t want a single change. (x)

we continue to “support” the show in the sense of covering it our site and participating in other forms of publicity surrounding the show, such as Thronecast. (x)

Keep in mind that Lindaaa makes money from the show.

As for Thronecast, I see no problem with us appearing on it as long as they are interested in having us and as long as the show has enough of a connection to the books that we can provide relevant commentary. (x)

Do you ever mention that the changes they make in the show make it difficult for you to watch? Do you ever bring up the actors you love to bash or your progressive views on casting POCs? I don’t know because I’ve never checked it out, as I find looking at you about as enjoyable as you watching scenes with Xaro Xhoan Daxos.

To top it all off, Lindaaa has gifted us a post with an extended metaphor about the show incorporating a puppy and a rat. You really have to go read the whole thing.

My favorite part of Lindaaaa’s feelings about the show is her utter and complete hatred of Cersei and Lena Headey. For her, Cersei on the show is a “ridiculous rewrite” and “unwatchable.” Here’s some more hate.

-Talking about Lindaaaaa’s views on adaptations brings me to my next point: RACE IN WESTEROS





This “discussion” was mostly sparked by Lindaaaa’s outrage over the casting of Oona Chaplin and Nonso Anonzie but quickly turned into a M E S S.



In which Lindaaaa explicitly states that she doesn’t know what POC are

Lindaaa’s views on casting POC

Think of teh world-building! Think of teh canon!

I am upset about world-building being thrown out the window by certain casting choices. (x)

Nevermind that these changes, especially when they affect the world-building, often risks undermining the consistency and logic of the underpinnings that both plot and other characters rest upon? Clearly, having a social justice agenda makes you blind to stupidity. It is bullshit and nothing else to be fine with adding diversity to the cast just for the sake of diversity. Writers shouldn’t write to a fucking quota and TV shows shouldn’t be made to a fucking quota when using pre-existing material. I find it just laughable, disrespectful and plain idiotic to make these sort of changes. And yes, defending those changes and complaining about others is hypocrisy. (x)

Why Westeros is White

White people in Dorne

White people in Essos

People are whining when they complain about the Martells getting white-washed

You could cast the Starks as Hispanics as long as they looked white

There is some focus on Jeyne/Talisa/Oona not looking white enough

There is thus nothing to indicate that either Jeyne’s grand-mother or Jeyne herself have a skin-colour that sets them apart from the rest of Westeros. Indeed, none of the Westerlings or the Spicers have their skin-colour remarked upon and skin-tones that differ from the Westerosi norm are noted in the books. (x)

Lindaaaa’s great thesis of white as default because People Notice POC and They Would Mention It

Did you know that Lindaaa is an anthropological genius??? Sew glad that one of the BNFs of my fandom is a race expert.

Also, don’t forget all the blatant whiteness in the source material!

We work with GRRM’s canon and nothing else as far as is possible. Yes, we will extrapolate using historical sources. We’re not whitening the history of the Seven Kingdoms, we’re working with what has been described in the books. Feel free to have an issue with the book being too white for your tastes, I don’t care, but I don’t engage in making fantasy settings more politically correct. (x)

Lindaaaa is mad that ur calling her a racist stawp

If someone still wants to call me racist, be my guest, but I know you’re making a baseless accusation and that is what matters to me. I am purely looking at this from the point of view of wanting to see the books changed as little as possible.

I honestly see no difference between complaining that Game of Thrones is too white and complaining that a movie about Viking-age Scandinavia is too white. Both of them draw from a pre-existing source and when it comes to adapting the material I don’t place history above the world-building for a book. (x)

But in LindaaaaLand, “’purist’ isn’t spelled ‘racist’“

(source source source)





-FANFIC / MUSH

Aaaaaah yes. Fanfic. One of the reasons Lindaaaaa hates tumblr and fangirls. Pure deliciousness.



Lindaaaa’s BNF tears soak her tumblr as she rails against the “pond scum” who write or condone fanfic. She talks about how terrible it is and yet she herself has a huge RP in which she participates in fictitious activities. Since GRRM says it’s kosher, though, and dislikes other fic (probably because fangirls write sex better than he does lbr) Lindaaaaa has a firm anti-fic stance which is really hilarious because no one gives a fuck what she thinks. Harassing us with hateful speech is not going to deter a single person or change minds and hearts. Typing this is inspiring me to write some smutty Roose Bolton/Fat Walda fic RIGHT NOW, actually. Lets hear what Lindaaa has to say…

Dismissive attitude towards elements of the fandom? You mean like calling people who write fanfiction against GRRMs expressed wishes pond scum? Oops, sorry. ;) Actually, no, they are pond scum. (x) 1) If the author doesn’t care, knock yourself out. It may then technically be illegal, but who cares? I don’t.

2) If the author asks fans to refrain from it, be fucking respectful and refrain from it, because it is actually illegal. If you still go ahead, you’re pond scum, simple as that.

Same, incidentally, goes for MUSHing. Don’t fucking make a MUSH based on someone’s books without approval. (x)

Don’t worry, Lindaaa. I would never make a MUSH.

But, ultimately, what matters is not whether something or not is fan fiction, what matters is whether the owner of the copyright in question allows it or not.

If an author says fine, knock yourself out. If an author has said nothing, ask. If an author has said no, don’t do it.



Its common fucking courtesy. Someone created something you love, and you think its fine to shit all over their wishes? Not to mention their legally supported wishes. If you are a fan artist, do you like it when someone takes your art and draws dicks all over it and puts it up on their own website? I see plenty of fan artists whose notes for how their work can be used includes “no modifications allowed”.

GRRM has said yes to our MUSH, he has said yes to fan art, he has licensed a comic, he has licensed an RPG, he has licensed a show. He has said he is not fine with people writing fan fiction.

MUSH is not fanfiction.

Lies.

It is, however, a legitimate and fully approved way of roleplaying in Westeros. (x)

Can we talk about your MUSH for a sec? I would love to portray a Dornish noblewoman with ‘dusky’ (a GRRM word) skin. Can we make this happen?

Oh, and just because we don’t use book characters doesn’t mean we don’t stick to what’s canon in the setting. Which means no black nobles native-born to Westeros. (x)

Good LORD woman.

I told someone they likely couldn’t play a black character unless they had the experience of MUSH roleplay that we require of anyone who wants to play a foreigner or an outsider, regardless of where they are from. (x)

(what the fuck does this even mean???)

I’m not going to claim to know the inner workings of Lindaaaa’s fanfiction MUSH, but new characters engaging in new adventures in the world of ASOIAF is not at all analogous to fan fiction?



Here are some portraits Lindaaaa cooked up of characters in her fanfiction MUSH that is not fanfiction

http://hippoiathanatoi.tumblr.com/post/19864545432/using-second-life-to-create-character-portraits

http://hippoiathanatoi.tumblr.com/post/20034200763/using-second-life-to-create-character-portraits

http://hippoiathanatoi.tumblr.com/post/20060779062/using-second-life-to-create-character-portraits

http://hippoiathanatoi.tumblr.com/post/20060791528



Here are some excerpts of Lindaaaa’s from her fanfiction MUSH.





(sauce)

Oh and this one is juxtaposed with Lindaaaaa talking about herself. Please read omg.

I don’t care if GRRM himself were to read any of this, weep and sign her up as a ghostwriter for WoW; there is some fan fic up in herre.





TO WRAP THINGS UP

THIS IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE POST OF LINDAAA’S WHICH SHE DELETED. Good thing the fine people of IWC took a screencap of its glory. We were not worthy of it.

(open in new tab to see sensible size)

My favorite bits: Just accept that you’re a sad cunt for supporting an activity that most likely is illegal (yeah, I know it hasn’t been proven either way in court, but there’s plenty of well-informed opinions that support that it would found be illegal if tested) and definitely very rude and a good sign of someone being a shitstain on the world when it goes against an author’s wishes. Aww, sad that you can’t write your Jon/Robb porn to get off all on you own? Seriously, get your cunt-stained fingers off characters that you have no right to use.



How about you go write some slashfiction about your neighbour’s children? I am sure you can masturbate to that too.







The above is an excerpt. Would you like to hear a dramatic reading?



Finally,

We do regular searches for any mention of the site as part of keeping track of links, articles, etc. Tumblr gets indexed by Google very quickly, so any mentions show up almost right away. (x)

HI LINDA ANTONSSON OF WESTEROS.ORG. HOW ARE THINGS OVER AT WESTEROS.ORG WITH YOUR FIANCE ELIO GARCIAS? IS LIFE TREATING YOU WELL, LINDA ANTONSSON? WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORGWESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG WESTEROS.ORG



BEXIBITCH OUT.