‘I’m here for all the witches’

[JNicholson]

Watched some of the Emma Watson/Jay Shetty podcast the other day including what she said about how she feels about JK Rowling post their disagreement and rift about trans issues. Have also read JK Rowling’s recent response on Twitter, which she posted above a retweeted clip from GB News in which, among other things, a male newsreader claims that EW was ‘snidey’ at the BAFTAs a few years ago when she made her comment about ‘I’m here for all the witches’ (interpreted as a statement of support for trans rights). He claims that she said ‘I’m here for all the witches bar one’, and thus by implication that it was a clear attack against JKR.

Irrespective of what you think about trans issues or EW and JKR in general, AIBU to find it really frustrating that the GB newsreader makes this false claim? IMO if you watch the clip of EW at the BAFTAs, it’s pretty clear that she says ‘I’m here for all the witches BY THE WAY’ and not ‘BAR ONE’. Some of the news outlets at the time seem to have reported it one way, some the other. But it makes such a big difference, because ‘bar one’ would be a really horrible personal attack, whereas ‘by the way’, whatever you feel about the content of EW’s views, is clearly just saying that she has different views to JKR. JKR makes it clear in her post that she viewed that speech by EW as a turning point, which is her prerogative. She may just feel offended that EW made such a public point of disagreeing with hers which is also her prerogative. But I think it’s a real shame if she incorrectly believes that EW said ‘bar one’ and therefore believes it’s more of an attack than it was. IMO for anyone familiar with EW, whatever you think of her otherwise, making a spiteful remark about ‘bar one’ would be really out of character.

AIBU for thinking the media has a responsibility to report on this correctly, as it really changes the meaning of EW’s statement if you claim she said ‘bar one’?

Not looking for a discussion on the rights and wrongs of trans issues, as there are already lots of these on MN - this is a thread about media responsibility to report the news responsibly and not in a false inflammatory way.

@MixingMemoryAndDesire it's a personal attack because of the 'bar one' comment. It's excluding JKR.

this is a thread about media responsibility to report the news responsibly and not in a false inflammatory way.
I hope you get equally angry about the way the media misquote JKR and twist her words.

It’s very clear to me that she mouths ‘bar one’. It’s so clear that I’m surprised anyone has concluded anything different tbh.

That aside, Watson has had multiple opportunities to correct any misunderstanding over the years and she hasn’t, which speaks volumes to me. Not to mention that handwritten note, which beggars belief.

Emma Watson 100% says 'I'm here for all of the witches... Bar one.' Clearly a dig at JK, because she had been so rude about her previously...

Emma tried to deny it of course. 🙄

OP can you link to the clip?
I watched it several times at the time and definitely saw/heard ‘bar one’.
which could be taken as a direct dig at JKR
by the way would put a different spin on it I think

For those who can't google search.

20 seconds in...

I thought "all the witches" with emphasis on ALL was making a point about including transwomen because witches are typically female.

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing

While I see what you're saying in regards to fictional witches/witchcraft, and agree to an extent, as someone who practices real witchcraft I wanted to point out that it is a genuine practice and 'witches' are real in the sense that there are individuals who practice it and so take on the moniker of 'witch'.

Obviously those witches aren't the people who Emma Watson was referring to in her comment, but witches do exist as a community of practitioners of occultism.

Just watched again, I agree.

I’ve got a mild hearing impairment and lip read, it’s evidently “bar one” imo

I watched it and op I can see how you can interpret it as by the way or bar one. The thing is why mouth by the way - it doesn’t make sense. I think she mouthed bar one because that’s logical.

Thanks @BatchCookBabe
gosh I don’t know now.
does she say by the way or bar one?
I think this is the issue about whether she had a go at JKR or not, the witches stuff is not relevant?

It’s like that laurel or yanny audio. You hear whichever one you are primed to hear.

I can look at the Watson footage and while there may be an argument for “by the way” if I’m primed to look for it, it doesn’t really make sense as a comment.

“ I’m here for all… bar one” makes sense in context and also is closer to her mouth movements. I think she was being snide.

The way I understood it, EW says "I'm here for ALL the witches" as a parallel to the libfem notion that you're not a feminist unless your feminism includes ALL women (i.e. also includes men who say they're women).

That alone would be a swipe at JK, but the 'bar one' (and watching the clip I believe it's clearly bar one, not by the way) is an extra swipe that she doesn't include JK.

@JNicholson

Well, witches are real. Not the Harry Potter kind, but people who practice witchcraft do exist; I am one. There's a lot of crossover with the pagan and occult communities, in which I am also involved, though a being a witch doesn't automatically also make you a pagan or occultist.

Ok thanks @Janina - so it's only a dig if indeed she is mouthing "bar one". Makes sense.

YW. I am virtually 100% sure it's bar one. A few people think 'by the way' but as a pp said, she only says 2 syllables.

Anyone else wish Emma Watson would just shut up and fuck off? What is she even for?

I agree, OP, and made a similar point on another thread yesterday, where EW was repeatedly misquoted.
I’ve watched the footage many times - she definitely says “ by the way”, not “ bar one”

No, the whole thing was a dig. Why does this even need explained?

“all the witches”

The emphasis on “all” because she was saying she is there for all women (her definition so including men who identify as women) which throws shade at anyone who believes otherwise, and using witches instead of women as the descriptors drags JK into it and everyone knew that. It was a pointed dig at JK. The bar one just made it worse.

She says two words. Not three. Lip readers have also confirmed and have been doing so for years.

Clearly ‘by the way’ but never let the truth get in the way of a good story 🤣

Am not a lip reader but I think she's saying two words not three. Also, in the context, why would she mouth rather than say 'by the way'

I clearly see bar one.

However I didn’t know this at first yet was very aware of the context and the dig. The bar one just makes it so much worse.

From my reading h JKR is saying this was the tipping point for her, but what makes her actually really angry is the wilful support of mermaids et al in their quest for medically destroying children’s reproductive & sexual function.

What makes her really upset is the cowardly note Emma sent.

So the speech was ill advised and extremely petty on Emma’s part but this would be forgivable. The other stuff, it so much.