Why? I have a HP tattoo and don’t regret it. The fandom has gone past the author at this point. She’s a hateful removed but that doesn’t mean that we can’t still love the world and characters she created. We’ve made it our own.
You mean the world where slaves like to be slaves and trying to release them is wrong, apartheid is right because the other sentient people look different, the bankers are antisemitic stereotypes and the main character becomes a literal cop enforcing all this?
If they’re a reader of fanfiction that is typically one of the major changes to the story that’s done. Fanfiction has effectively rewritten the entire series to be more palatable at this point. Bonus points that you can read it without giving Rowling any money too.
That’s a tall order with how most people act. Disney vibes anyone? There were few things that could capture a whole generation’s imagination so strongly, and people want to bond over it. My stance is taking what you like and making new things is how we get new series’s, and fanfic has it’s place in that.
At my last job, the only who was in his 50s or older and was nice to the trans employee had HP tattoos. He saw JK being a terf (we taught him the word) as her (referring to Rowling) own problem to solve.
It’s a great example of why you shouldn’t get a tattoo of something that is intellectual property. It’s way too easy for that shit to get associated with bigots/hatred/etc down the line.
Another example: I’d love to eventually get a Star Trek tattoo. I can see the suits at CBS eventually burning the IP to the ground, sure. But they probably wouldn’t turn anything Star Trek related into a hate symbol. But what happens if it turns out that neo-nazis start using ferengi imagery to spread anti-semetic hate? You can’t guarantee your favorite skin art keeps the ethical values or meaning over the entirety of your life.
I’ve seen quite a few people with the old Carlsberg logo tattooed on their bodies. Imagine being a beer lover only to discover people think you’re a Nazi. /s
I don’t have to imagine. I’m a bald white man. People think I’m a cop or a Nazi. I’m the opposite. My only tattoo turns out to be used by Nazis as a symbol. Not commonly but I have seen it.
I go to Lowe’s a lot for work supplies. Workers there commonly tell me I’m forgetting my veteran’s discount. I have never been in the military. It’s crazy how people just try to put you in a bucket.
Edit response: yeah it is very weird. Imagine getting a tattoo of Hitler’s (obvious exaggeration) paintings, and then have people come along to say they shouldn’t feel bad because “the fandom has gone past the author”.
I don’t think the people with tattoos should feel responsible, or bad about themselves in any way, but I would look at them sideways if they then were saying actively that there’s no part of them that’s sad or disappointed about getting it.
I know several “ally” and one trans HP fan. They all just “separate the art of the artist” as cope. They’re also a bunch of adult children and I don’t really respect their opinions on media.
When you separate the art from the artist, you still have:
a slaveowner cop main character
an Asian named Ching Chong
slavery abolitionism as a joke
genetic superiority of certain characters (the bad guys were just wrong about which people are superior)
rampant fatphobia
Jewish goblin bankers
slaves who like being enslaved
slave heads decorated in Santa hats by the “good guys”
freeing slaves is bad because they become alcoholics
a black guy named MLK Shackles
a Jewish guy named Goldstein (I did not have to change this name to make the racism more clear)
none of the systemic issues that created the villain are ever addressed by the main characters beyond a surface level so nothing has actually been fixed, they’ve just delayed the takeover of society by fascists another generation or two
It’s not that deep. It’s a fantasy world that people can suspend themselves in and each person has their own self made story. If we start nitpicking which fantasy worlds have done something politically motivated we would be left with literally nothing to read/watch.
JKR is an absolute cunt who has indeed damaged the image of the HP universe but for those who just care about that fantasy world because magic is cool that’s their get away from the hell that is real life.
If we start nitpicking which fantasy worlds have done something politically motivated we would be left with literally nothing to read/watch.
The above criticism of Harry Potter is hardly nitpicking. When so much of a setting is stained by bigotry like that, it’s time to move on. Some fantasy worlds are better/worse than others. The HP world is clearly up there with the worst because of the myriad of hateful sterotypes.
The problem isn’t that the world of Harry Potter is politically motivated. The problem is that it’s racist, transphobic, fatphobic, misogynist, and it’s centrally designed to accommodate a political philosophy of systemic inaction even as it directly and clearly shows us systemic problems that are never solved.
The first book was good, but after that point the books keep getting more mature and discussing bigger issues, while also refusing to have the protagonists do anything to help these issues on a permanent basis, even though some of them try! Hermione tries to abolish slavery and the author has to intervene to say no. Harry Potter is trying to be a complex and political story for big kids, and it promises political payoff to the political story arcs, but it consistently fails to deliver.
By the time of book 4 or so, the fantasy of Harry Potter is an imaginary world where nearly everyone sucks and nothing about the world or society ever gets better over time. That’s a depressing AF fantasy. People get stuck reliving the whimsy and delight of the first two books and don’t see that Harry Potter has become grimdark. They don’t see the art for what it is.
Racist I can see, but where did the other -ist and -ics come in to the story? Fatphobic? Are you talking about the part where his cousin just starts eating someone else’s birthday cake with his hands and gets magiked with a pig’s tail? Genuinely curious here, idk any of the hot garbage takes from Rowling herself since I never made and will never make a Twitter.
In book 4, Dudley is trying to lose weight. The narration says he’s “the size of a baby whale”, and constantly mocks him. Harry taunts him with food, and the Weasley twins give him magic candy that causes his tongue to swell to the size of an anaconda. Thing is, Dudley doesn’t actually do anything mean to Harry in this book. This treatment is retribution for abuse that happened years ago, and Dudley was and is a child.
The narration constantly insults women characters by calling them fat, saying they have “mannish hands”, and pointing out masculine facial features. When Rowling doesn’t like a woman, she calls her fat or masculine. In Harry Potter, moral failings are usually accompanied by failure to embody femininity.
Oh yeah. He did work on loosing weight. I really liked his redemtion arc and character by the end of the books. Yeah, that was retribution from children to children. Felt very “Lord of the Flies” esque when I was reading it. I wouldn’t call that fatphobia myself, but I understand your perspective better. Thanks for the quick response.
The thing is, you have to make some sort of distinction between what Harry thinks, and what Rowling as the narrator says. The narration is always going on about how bad women have “mannish hands”. Is Harry a raging misogynist in his private thoughts, or is this the voice of the author? And if this is the voice of the author, why is Rowling making fun of childhood obesity? Why is Rowling joining in Harry’s abuse of Dudley? I can understand Harry being mean to Dudley, he has a pretty decent motivation. Rowling is a grown adult and was not abused by the Dursleys, so why is she so mean-spirited to her own character? Why is she saying he’s the size of a baby whale?
This is why I said I don’t trust their opinions on media. This group lacks any media literacy and just looks for “roller coaster” type experiences. There’s so many better children’s/YA fantasy out there, many a direct response of HP, but to them, they’ll just be imitations to the sort of people who can’t read subtext.
i feel bad for all the people i know who got harry potter tattoos 15 years ago
edit: it’s really fucking weird how people are trying to invalidate my criticism of the bigoted bigot who loves bigotry, j.k. rowling
Why? I have a HP tattoo and don’t regret it. The fandom has gone past the author at this point. She’s a hateful removed but that doesn’t mean that we can’t still love the world and characters she created. We’ve made it our own.
You mean the world where slaves like to be slaves and trying to release them is wrong, apartheid is right because the other sentient people look different, the bankers are antisemitic stereotypes and the main character becomes a literal cop enforcing all this?
It’s really a magical world /s
If they’re a reader of fanfiction that is typically one of the major changes to the story that’s done. Fanfiction has effectively rewritten the entire series to be more palatable at this point. Bonus points that you can read it without giving Rowling any money too.
If the fanbase needs to rewrite the entire series to be “more palatable” that might indicate something about the series itself.
Might be time for people to just move on to a different series.
That’s a tall order with how most people act. Disney vibes anyone? There were few things that could capture a whole generation’s imagination so strongly, and people want to bond over it. My stance is taking what you like and making new things is how we get new series’s, and fanfic has it’s place in that.
can you please share where can I read that fanfic? :)
None of that is correct.
Oh, and thanks for the ‘/s’. You know, otherwise I really would’ve thought you were giving it a compliment after a full paragraph of invective.
This is what the fucking bad guys believe, it’s not like the books are advocating for apartheid. What the hell kind of criticism is this.
What species are allowed to use a wand and attend Hogwarts?
What other species has wizards?
At least goblins and giants and the wand ban is broad enough to imply more.
hateful removed
[EXPLETIVE DELETED]
At my last job, the only who was in his 50s or older and was nice to the trans employee had HP tattoos. He saw JK being a terf (we taught him the word) as her (referring to Rowling) own problem to solve.
I am once again asking you to please read a different book
It’s a great example of why you shouldn’t get a tattoo of something that is intellectual property. It’s way too easy for that shit to get associated with bigots/hatred/etc down the line.
Another example: I’d love to eventually get a Star Trek tattoo. I can see the suits at CBS eventually burning the IP to the ground, sure. But they probably wouldn’t turn anything Star Trek related into a hate symbol. But what happens if it turns out that neo-nazis start using ferengi imagery to spread anti-semetic hate? You can’t guarantee your favorite skin art keeps the ethical values or meaning over the entirety of your life.
I’ve seen quite a few people with the old Carlsberg logo tattooed on their bodies. Imagine being a beer lover only to discover people think you’re a Nazi. /s
I don’t have to imagine. I’m a bald white man. People think I’m a cop or a Nazi. I’m the opposite. My only tattoo turns out to be used by Nazis as a symbol. Not commonly but I have seen it.
I go to Lowe’s a lot for work supplies. Workers there commonly tell me I’m forgetting my veteran’s discount. I have never been in the military. It’s crazy how people just try to put you in a bucket.
Harry Potter tattoos have a higher regret rate than gender affirming surgeries.
Edit response: yeah it is very weird. Imagine getting a tattoo of Hitler’s (obvious exaggeration) paintings, and then have people come along to say they shouldn’t feel bad because “the fandom has gone past the author”.
I don’t think the people with tattoos should feel responsible, or bad about themselves in any way, but I would look at them sideways if they then were saying actively that there’s no part of them that’s sad or disappointed about getting it.
I know several “ally” and one trans HP fan. They all just “separate the art of the artist” as cope. They’re also a bunch of adult children and I don’t really respect their opinions on media.
When you separate the art from the artist, you still have:
It’s not that deep. It’s a fantasy world that people can suspend themselves in and each person has their own self made story. If we start nitpicking which fantasy worlds have done something politically motivated we would be left with literally nothing to read/watch.
JKR is an absolute cunt who has indeed damaged the image of the HP universe but for those who just care about that fantasy world because magic is cool that’s their get away from the hell that is real life.
The above criticism of Harry Potter is hardly nitpicking. When so much of a setting is stained by bigotry like that, it’s time to move on. Some fantasy worlds are better/worse than others. The HP world is clearly up there with the worst because of the myriad of hateful sterotypes.
The problem isn’t that the world of Harry Potter is politically motivated. The problem is that it’s racist, transphobic, fatphobic, misogynist, and it’s centrally designed to accommodate a political philosophy of systemic inaction even as it directly and clearly shows us systemic problems that are never solved.
The first book was good, but after that point the books keep getting more mature and discussing bigger issues, while also refusing to have the protagonists do anything to help these issues on a permanent basis, even though some of them try! Hermione tries to abolish slavery and the author has to intervene to say no. Harry Potter is trying to be a complex and political story for big kids, and it promises political payoff to the political story arcs, but it consistently fails to deliver.
By the time of book 4 or so, the fantasy of Harry Potter is an imaginary world where nearly everyone sucks and nothing about the world or society ever gets better over time. That’s a depressing AF fantasy. People get stuck reliving the whimsy and delight of the first two books and don’t see that Harry Potter has become grimdark. They don’t see the art for what it is.
Racist I can see, but where did the other -ist and -ics come in to the story? Fatphobic? Are you talking about the part where his cousin just starts eating someone else’s birthday cake with his hands and gets magiked with a pig’s tail? Genuinely curious here, idk any of the hot garbage takes from Rowling herself since I never made and will never make a Twitter.
In book 4, Dudley is trying to lose weight. The narration says he’s “the size of a baby whale”, and constantly mocks him. Harry taunts him with food, and the Weasley twins give him magic candy that causes his tongue to swell to the size of an anaconda. Thing is, Dudley doesn’t actually do anything mean to Harry in this book. This treatment is retribution for abuse that happened years ago, and Dudley was and is a child.
The narration constantly insults women characters by calling them fat, saying they have “mannish hands”, and pointing out masculine facial features. When Rowling doesn’t like a woman, she calls her fat or masculine. In Harry Potter, moral failings are usually accompanied by failure to embody femininity.
Oh yeah. He did work on loosing weight. I really liked his redemtion arc and character by the end of the books. Yeah, that was retribution from children to children. Felt very “Lord of the Flies” esque when I was reading it. I wouldn’t call that fatphobia myself, but I understand your perspective better. Thanks for the quick response.
The thing is, you have to make some sort of distinction between what Harry thinks, and what Rowling as the narrator says. The narration is always going on about how bad women have “mannish hands”. Is Harry a raging misogynist in his private thoughts, or is this the voice of the author? And if this is the voice of the author, why is Rowling making fun of childhood obesity? Why is Rowling joining in Harry’s abuse of Dudley? I can understand Harry being mean to Dudley, he has a pretty decent motivation. Rowling is a grown adult and was not abused by the Dursleys, so why is she so mean-spirited to her own character? Why is she saying he’s the size of a baby whale?
She damaged her own reputation, not Harry Potter’s.
This is why I said I don’t trust their opinions on media. This group lacks any media literacy and just looks for “roller coaster” type experiences. There’s so many better children’s/YA fantasy out there, many a direct response of HP, but to them, they’ll just be imitations to the sort of people who can’t read subtext.
This is so absurd I can’t help but laugh.
The fuck is this dense comment? Rowling being a cunt doesn’t change anything for Harry Potter. Jesus fucking Christ.