The Witch Trials of JK Rowling

You summed up Episode 2 perfectly!

I swear that Megan and her co-host are so amiable and open-minded that their common sense is lacking. They can't seem to realise that Contrapoints is making bad faith/straw-man arguments about them on purpose - that is Contrapoints' whole schtick and always has been. There is no misunderstanding happening; Contrapoints set out to present them in a bad light - using information about Megan's past to paint her as a bad person was a rotten thing to do.

The author they interviewed was self-involved to a high degree and couldn't stop making everything about him.

Noah still seemed like a nice person but is only 19 - I'm still not sure taking part in a project like this and Witch Trials is a good idea for such a young person.

Funny seeing this pop up again, I don't think I can bear listening to Wyn whining anymore but I will pop over to 🥝 to read the reviews. They are always spot on.

Thanks.

Contrapoints absolutely unbearable in ep2. Hasn't actually returned to the podcast, but they use some of CP's TWO HOUR LONG YouTube episode criticising the series and whining about taking part. Megan and the other host are far too charitable in response.

She does a great impression of a GC woman.

Speaks really well on GC issues, wrote a book called “Difficult Women”, wrote the most incredible piece on social contagion for The Atlantic (it really is excellent and worth a read if you haven’t already) but says TWAW. I just don’t know how she can bring herself to do it.

I'm getting fed up of Lewis always being invited on to American podcasts as if she's THE unbiased expert on UK GC feminist circles - there are other women available but they never seem to get airtime.

I've listened to episode 1 and it's not a stitch up but it's more or less a recap of what was discussed in Witch Trials plus some UK updates on the public debate. I'm going to listen to episode 2 in small bouts because Contrapoints' attempt at 'woman voice' does my head in.

@Jellycats4life why is Helen Lewis a snake exactly?

Yes it is an update.

Part 1 is much as expected.
Part II is just out and covers the views of trans activists as time has gone on, incl a take down of Megan by Contrapoints (who refused to be on). There is a lot of mention of bigots and bigotry 😬 which renders the words meaningless.

@Bunty2727 it's an update I think

This isn’t new, it came out in Feb 2023, i loved it.

Whatever happened to the epilogue?

Hmm, sounds like it could be a stitch up job.

“Two of listeners’ favorite guests from the original series: Natalie and Noah” - that level of kiss-assery is quite telling. Favourite guests? Natalie’s breathy fake laydee voice made me angry, and Noah made me sad.

I guess I’ll reserve ultimate judgement until I listen but the blurb - and they fact they decided to revisit in the first place - looks like they want to appease.

HL is a snake too 😅

Reviving this thread to flag up a new two-parter that reflects on this series and what has happened since.

Contributions from Helen Lewis, trans teen Noah who featured in some episodes, and Contrapoints (that could be interesting given the stink CP kicked up in the aftermath last time). Haven't listened yet but link yo first ep here:

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reflector/id1743666262?i=1000660897417

OK! Thanks.

I wouldn't bother with Contrapoints - their take says nothing new and even at faster playing speed it is a waste of too much time.

Thanks for the link, very interesting!

I listened to a few episodes of The Witch Trials of JKR, all out of order, starting with “The Tweet” episode… but can’t remember which ones I haven’t yet heard!

Now I also want to watch the Contrapoints video - tried at the time but thought they droned on incredibly annoyingly, and I couldn’t take 2 hours of it.

There is an epilogue for this podcast due very soon. I'm looking forward to it very much! I thought it was an excellent series.

Megan Phelps-Roper talks about the whole series here with Chris Williamson, including the epilogue.

Can't remember if I've already said this but Megan Phelps-Roper's autobiography with family / church history "Unfollow" is well worth reading. It stands with Edmund Gosse's "Father and Son" as an account of growing up in a narrow extreme religious ideology convinced of its own rightness. Her ethical approach and her own open mindedness are inspiring.

And her inside story of the Westboro Baptist Church, the role of women and the power struggle in the church makes for fascinating feminist reading.

There was retweet of Reverend Coles with the line no T vicar? Which really tickled me!

I have now binged the podcast. It articulated a lot for me - like the authoritarianism, what would it take to change you mind? And I've finally learned what straw man means. And hasn't megan got a wonderful radio voice?

👍😁

Surely, there’s got to be a more intellectually coherent contrasting opinion to Witch Trials than one of Contrapoints dressing-up box videos

Don't think so!

When Richard Coles was interviewed on BBC Hard Talk he came across as very clever, wise, thoughtful and has clearly done a lot of thinking about gayness and gay rights. As you'd expect really, in his shoes. He's also as a man of the church very familiar with dogma. I would be surprised if he's naive about this.

Let’s hope the Rev. Coles is one of those gay men who sees the inherent homophobia in transing children, who are more likely to be gender stereotype non-conforming lesbian or gay children.

He inspired me to listen to Episodes 6 and 7, having only listened to E5 before, it’s so good, so thoughtful. Now I must listen to Episodes 1-4!

He's thanked the Tweeter who put up the thread highlighting the abuse he has been getting so I think he is fully aware of the "consequences" and, hopefully, won't back down.

I remember that now! Very funny, but in a characteristically gentle way.

Shame the humourless gender borgs got at him. You'd think even they could have seen that it wasn't a joke about transgenderism but about the clash between the very macho, sexist persona of James Bond and the modern convention of giving one's pronouns. But then these people are very stupid.