The Witch Trials of JK Rowling

Another review of the podcast from the Times stable, this time from The Sunday Times:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-witch-trials-of-jk-rowling-the-author-hits-back-at-the-haters-kgq7x7hbx

A much more grown up review than the one I linked to above by someone (this time a woman) who listened to the podcast in terms of what it was setting out to do and the review is about how that went. Far better than reading a review where you get the sense that the author is trying to score points.

A bit off topic but nice to see Evanna Lynch being a bit more nuanced than previously…

“I was very naive when I was dragged into that conversation,” she says. “I didn’t even know there were two sides. I had a view of, like, good and bad. I do have compassion for both sides of the argument. I know what it was like to be a teenager who hated my body so much I wanted to crawl out of my skin, so I have great compassion for trans people and I don’t want to add to their pain.

“I understand being too triggered to be able to have a conversation. If you put me in a room with one of my doctors who treated me in the past, ooh, I’d kick off. Like, I would want to scream and yell names.

“I do also think it’s important that JK Rowling has been amplifying the voices of detransitioners. I had this impulse to go, ‘Let’s all just stop talking about it’, and I think probably I’m a bit braver now about having uncomfortable conversations.”

www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/harry-potters-evanna-lynch-jk-rowling-has-always-advocated-vulnerable/

Oh no. I'm so sorry to hear that. I do wonder about legal options. It's disgraceful that someone can be subjected to something like that. It's nothing but bullying on a grand scale.

Here's another JKR supporter as collateral damage:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11790813/JK-Rowling-supporter-steps-55m-company-founded-Spitfire-Audio-amid-trans-row.html

A Bafta-nominated composer who publicly supported JK Rowling's divisive views on gender has stepped down from the £55.1 million company he founded after he was hounded by LGBTQI+ activists.
...

Furious pro-trans activists slammed the comments and lashed out at Spitfire executives, sparking an apology from CEO Will Evans and an announcement that Mr Henson would be 'taking a break' from the business. Last night, Mr Henson said: 'As an original founder I am deeply saddened that Spitfire and Pianobook has become embroiled in something it has no involvement with.

Is there no legal route, for people hounded and harassed and calumniated like this? The TRA zealots are delighted with their power and couldn't give a damn that they may put dozens of people out of work. It just proves that their "most marginalised, most discriminated against" propaganda is bullshit, from top to bottom.

Here's a remarkable review of the podcast from The Times:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-witch-trials-of-jk-rowling-review-a-fascinating-interview-buried-in-digression-jrk9rjnx9

(You can find it as an archived version, for example at archive dot fo.)

The author, James Marriott who often in his writings for The Times comes across as a bit of a weasel, goes out of his way to miss the point of the series, in order that he can deliver a bit of a snidey kicking. The clue is in the title of the podcast: The Witch Trials of JK Rowling, ie it's about the contexts within which at one point JKR was being attacked by the evangelical Right, and now some years down the line she's getting attacked by the identity-driven progressive Left. When the evangelical Right and the progressive Left are sworn enemies. (There's also a very interesting side show that perhaps isn't in the series: JKR might actually have more to fear in terms of her physical safety from the progressive Left.) Marriott isn't interested in the contexts and wants something that's shorter with more of it being interviews of JKR. But that is only a part of what the series is about.

Overall a petty and spiteful reivew.

It's on now.

Megan Phelps-Roper is shortly to be interviewed on Radio 4 on the Today programme. No indication of when, let's hope it's not the 8.55 slot done in a tearing rush before the pips at 9am.

I'm guessing next week. I'd like to know how many eps there are and when to expect them!

Probably next Tuesday, the episodes are supposed to be weekly.

Does anyone know when the 3rd episode comes out?

It wasn’t even the eugenicist’s surname!

He was Robert Galbraith Heath, cited in most of his works as RG Heath or Robert G Heath, & apparently known to colleagues throughout his life as Bob Heath.

It’s a bit like the thing about whether Douglas Adams wrote jokes in Base 13, only vicious.

Dragonsarecool your phrase about the 90s bringing ‘a tone of persecuted virtue’ to US Christian fundamentalism really puts it in a perfect nutshell.

That seems to have a parallel in the TRA culture of today where the (to me) baffling claim is sometimes made that there is a desperate struggle for trans and non binary people ‘to exist’.

To most people quite clearly other people who adopt whatever gender identity, exist just as much as anyone else exists. We all know that other human beings are not like the fairies in the Peter Pan story (who will die if children don’t clap for them to show they ‘believe’). It seems a quite bizarre claim, and makes sense only if it were rooted in (unfounded) persecution fears. Who’s gaining from spreading that unjustified fear?

All of which ‘tone of persecuted virtue’ also can be seen to be provide a justification effect or legitimising effect on authoritarianism/book burning and other intimidation and violence by TRAs, just as it has done for other groups back to time immemorial.

I enjoyed the first two episodes. The context around Christian fundamentalism was fascinating, but I also loved the scene setting and the 90s segment. I liked the interview with the lawyer who had changed his mind over time and befriended his opposing counsel in the book banning case. The podcast shows an openness to ideas, dialogue and critical thinking which is sorely needed.

I kind of expected it to be just JKR so all these other viewpoints came as a surprise and there is so much to take in - which is why I have to listen again.

I think that's it's strength, to be honest. It's not 'the JKR show' but more of an examination of the culture.

It's a considered conversation, not a pally showbiz interview trying to make her detractors like her again.

And in doing so it again shows her intelligence, compassion and fortitude and how it is a million miles away from anything the likes of The Onion or India Willoughby can comprehend.

My daughters best friend was very Christian, and banned from reading Harry Potter so this aspect is particularly interesting. I just smiled and nodded with an internal eye-roll at the time.

I have loved listening to these two episodes and can't wait for the next (although I will probably re-listen to these).

It is good to hear her voice and what she says is reflected in the Robert Galbraith books too. I thought the background to the objections from the US Christian groups was really useful to hear for someone in the UK and the further thoughts of the man that lost his court case fascinating.

I kind of expected it to be just JKR so all these other viewpoints came as a surprise and there is so much to take in - which is why I have to listen again.

I had more of a creepy ahah! moment. I’m a Christian and went to church and youth groups when I was a teenager in the 2010s. The youth leaders would sometimes use American work books for the obligatory bible bit each session which always have a tone of persecuted virtue about them that puzzled me. No one in my life cares enough about my religion to persecute me for it?!? My best friend at school was an atheist of the angry bitter variety and she couldn’t care less what I believe! But those crazy Americans sure do! They care so much about how other people are wrong and out to get them, they forgot to check that they’re actually right first! I can definitely tell how their version of Christianity is descended from one so destructive and annoying it got persecuted out of Europe centuries ago. And it seems the attitude has stuck stubbornly all over the US, even in places the religion has waned. Scary stuff.

The Mary Sue writer hasn't even listened to it. 🙄

One of the other articles had this gem:

The effort to ban Rowling’s books was fantastically unsuccessful

This was in the context of the Evangelical Christians efforts to ban it. There's no sense of irony that the current ideologists have also been remarkably unsuccessful in their efforts to ban the franchise.

I thought it was really great and very interesting. I know next to nothing about Christian fundamentalism in the US or why anyone would have objected to Harry Potter on religious grounds so it was an interesting insight. It’s not that focused on JKR really so far but the conversations between them add a lot of helpful context.

"Pretending to be insightful"

That gave me a laugh!

Apparently the episodes will be released weekly, so there should be one or hopefully two more out next Tuesday.

In the meantime, enjoy these fine reviews:

The Daily Beast: The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling’ Is a Mind-Numbing Exercise in Digression
Jezebel: New J.K. Rowling Podcast Is Just Pretending To Be Insightful
The Mary Sue: Please Stop Giving J.K. Rowling More Platforms!

Sorry, just to add I've not read the article yet, just listened to the podcasts. Desperate to know when the third is out!

I didn't feel that at all. The first two episodes don't really touch much on trans issues other than to note that JKR has come under attack from two very different sides. The first episodes have mostly focused on how the far right condemns her for the 'witchcraft' of Harry Potter.
I suspect more on the transphobia accusations will be covered in future episodes but so far it is very thoughtful, sensible and thought provoking.
It's certainly very interesting.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-i-made-a-podcast-with-jk-rowling-in-her-scottish-castle-klfvxz2h7

I've not listened to the podacst yet, but I did read this interview in the Times, and have to say how disappointed I was with it. To my mind Phelps seemed to spend far too much time pandering to the " transphobia" accusations, without actually countering them or investigating the validity of them. Maybe she is assuming everyone will go on to listen to the podcast, but for the many that don't if was a missed opportunity. The last sentence didn't make up for that.