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NoHall

hmmmm......can't remember
May 28, 2007
9,032
996
Northern Hall County, GA
What I've never understood is why people get upset about Harry Potter but don't get upset about Disney "glorifying witchcraft." Snow White comes to mind. I love the Harry Potter books. As a teacher, it's great to see kids get excited about reading. The later books do get a bit more mature and darker, but as I understand, the first book is meant to be read around 2nd or 3rd grade, then progress so the kids can read them as they grow up...if that makes any sense at all. So while the first book may be a good read for a third grader, later books are upper level and made to keep the interest of kids in that age group.

Most of the same group who gets upset about Harry Potter have been upset with Disney for many years.
 

hnooe

Beach Fanatic
Jul 21, 2007
3,022
640
I know it's fiction (and some of the best fiction IMO) - just like Tinkie-Winkie or whomever was a fictional character. Didn't stop people from flipping out.

The fact that Harry Potter is fiction didn't stop someone in Georgia from trying to get the books removed from their school library because they thought it glorified witchcraft!

I could not have said it better, Scooterbug--DITTO!!!
 

Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,038
1,980
Most of the same group who gets upset about Harry Potter have been upset with Disney for many years.


And most of these people are the ones that claim to be so strong and secure in their faith. If that is true, then why are they the first to be threatened by other faiths and practices? Craziness.:blink:
 
IMO it stinks that Rowling has messed with the sexual orientation of countless kids by announcing this. I mean, why doesn't she announce Dumbledore's political affililations, whether he is "green," whether he is a vegan or not, etc. Is she just trying to get a different set of people to read the books (since this is supposedly the last in the series) to hunt for clues regarding Dumbledore's sexuality? I have no bias regarding someone's sexual preferences, but IMO the young audience to which the Harry Potter series of books is directed is not ready to make these judgements. IMO.
 

NoHall

hmmmm......can't remember
May 28, 2007
9,032
996
Northern Hall County, GA
IMO it stinks that Rowling has messed with the sexual orientation of countless kids by announcing this. I mean, why doesn't she announce Dumbledore's political affililations, whether he is "green," whether he is a vegan or not, etc. Is she just trying to get a different set of people to read the books (since this is supposedly the last in the series) to hunt for clues regarding Dumbledore's sexuality? I have no bias regarding someone's sexual preferences, but IMO the young audience to which the Harry Potter series of books is directed is not ready to make these judgements. IMO.

AMEN! You hit the nail on the head. Well put!
 

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert
May 8, 2007
16,706
3,339
Sowal
Rowling didn't exactly announce it out of the blue, she was asked about it during a Q&A session and answered the reader's question.

I can safely say that until this hit the news I NEVER thought about the sexual orientation/sex lives of ANY Harry Potter character unless it was explicitly stated in the book that they were romantically interested in someone or in a relationship with someone - i.e. Harry & Cho, Hagrid & Madame Maxine, Cho & Cedric, Ron & Hermoine - and I doubt any kid will unless someone else brings it up or they're looking for it.

This was a "lounge" topic in my mind because the media's top story of the day was the sexual orientation of a popular children's book character. I thought it was funny that it was big news and cool that Rowling had a character whose identity wasn't as a stereotypical gay person, but as a incredibly gifted and iconic character, who BTW just happened to be gay. She has made so much money off of these books/movies/merchandising that she is richer than the Queen and has sold so many copies that additional publicity or reaching another demographic is a moot point.

Thank you, as with many Sowal threads, it became quite educational and made my jaw drop a couple of times.
 

Matt J

SWGB
May 9, 2007
24,861
9,665
IMO it stinks that Rowling has messed with the sexual orientation of countless kids by announcing this. I mean, why doesn't she announce Dumbledore's political affililations, whether he is "green," whether he is a vegan or not, etc. Is she just trying to get a different set of people to read the books (since this is supposedly the last in the series) to hunt for clues regarding Dumbledore's sexuality? I have no bias regarding someone's sexual preferences, but IMO the young audience to which the Harry Potter series of books is directed is not ready to make these judgements. IMO.

:bang: You're so right, I know it helped me growing up as a gay kid to have absolutely no role models whatsoever.
 

Matt J

SWGB
May 9, 2007
24,861
9,665
Why does someone have to be gay to be a role model to gay youth? :dunno:

They don't, just as a person does not have to be straight to be a model to straight youth. What's wrong with a role model being gay and why would that instantly alter a young persons sexual orientation?
 
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