Boswell School removes JKR's name from school house

[Goatsaregreat]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10367133/JK-Rowling-cancelled-Performing-arts-school-drops-Harry-Potter-author-transgender-row.html

The top comment pertinently states:
So basically this school doesn't support women's rights. Over 7,000 likes and the article's only been online for a few hours.

@thinkingaboutLangCleg

They don’t bother to read JKR’s words. They cancel her on the basis of hearsay, not of facts. Then they don’t do the most basic research on their next choice.

And these people are teaching children.

That's what's so worrying isn't it? No sense of leadership, rationality or modelling respectful discussion. Just giving in to demands to cancel a woman. Such a scary message to give to girls isn't it? Don't think of having boundaries or voicing an opinion about your rights - not in this school. Look what we'll do to you.

BUT - I love that they've chosen a woman who's expressed identical views to JKR. Such a fabulous own goal

@thinkingaboutLangCleg

They don’t bother to read JKR’s words. They cancel her on the basis of hearsay, not of facts. Then they don’t do the most basic research on their next choice.

And these people are teaching children.

Heresy more like...

It's an understandable decision especially now criticism of the antisemitism in Rowling's work is finally coming under the spotlight in the US: www.newsweek.com/jon-stewart-accuses-jk-rowling-antisemitism-harry-potter-goblins-1665301

It seems likely Rowling's work will go the way of someone like Enid Blyton - very much a product of its time and not really inline with modern moral sensibilities.

“ArtemesiaK

Being replaced by Dame Kelly Holmes, though? What are her thoughts on transwomen in women's sport, I wonder?”

I wondered this too ArtemesiaK. Will she or others like her be running against transgender males in the future?

The perfect end to this sorry tale would be if Dame Kelly Holmes told them to get lost and remove her name from the House in solidarity with JK.

That's what I would do if I was DKH which of course I'm not and she probably won't. Would be very satisfying though.

@barleybadminton

It's an understandable decision especially now criticism of the antisemitism in Rowling's work is finally coming under the spotlight in the US: www.newsweek.com/jon-stewart-accuses-jk-rowling-antisemitism-harry-potter-goblins-1665301

It seems likely Rowling's work will go the way of someone like Enid Blyton - very much a product of its time and not really inline with modern moral sensibilities.

The article you linked says

"It was one of those things where I saw it on the screen and I was expecting the crowd to be like 'Holy s*.' She did not in a wizarding world just throw Jews in there to run the f**king underground bank."

So the problem is the film then. Perhaps you and Jon Stewart should take up your criticisms of the costumes/CGI with Warner Bros.

It seems likely Rowling's work will go the way of someone like Enid Blyton - very much a product of its time and not really inline with modern moral sensibilities.

Oh, what wishful thinking! I think as trends go, gender identity will be in the bin long before JKR disappears from the best-seller lists.

Interesting.
theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/04/emma-watson-pro-palestinian-post-sparks-antisemitism-row

Short article in the Times today:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/562e31e6-6d8a-11ec-a1b8-3009dadbed4f?shareToken=0560c85d9c4713ad44bbbe1ec5fc37dd

@barleybadminton

It's an understandable decision especially now criticism of the antisemitism in Rowling's work is finally coming under the spotlight in the US: www.newsweek.com/jon-stewart-accuses-jk-rowling-antisemitism-harry-potter-goblins-1665301

It seems likely Rowling's work will go the way of someone like Enid Blyton - very much a product of its time and not really inline with modern moral sensibilities.

Oh this old chestnut.

There is zero antisemitism in the books.

Only an antisemite would see the character of a goblin who works in a bank and go 'Ah. Clearly Jewish!'

Because Jews all work in banks and look like goblins???

As a Jew, I am very sensitive to antisemitism in what I read and can honestly say this bizarre equation of goblins and Jews strangely enough never crossed my mind.

In fact, on the contrary, JKR was one of the very few prominent non-Jews who spoke up loudly and clearly against antisemitism in the Corbynite wing of the Labour Party and stood with British Jews against the very real hate we were experiencing - unsurprising maybe for someone whose most famous work is basically an allegory about the fight against fascism, but very welcome nevertheless and appreciated by the Jewish community.

Of course, her public support for Jewish people facing antisemitism did not endear her to the 'woke' Corbynites dishing it out, and they've been looking for any excuse to attack her since. (This was years before she spoke out on women's rights.)

Exactly, xxyzz

All of this has been thoroughly explored and it is quite baffling why anyone would believe that someone such as Rowling who was so vociferous in standing up for Jewish people in the face of the intransigent anti semitism of elements of the Labour Party was actually secretly signalling in her books that her real position is that she herself is anti Semitic.

It makes no sense. But people who just want to sling mud at her love it, of course.

Times change.

In Enid Blyton’s Noddy, the 1950s golliwogs were replaced by goblins to keep up with changing sensibilities. (And Robertson’s jam revised their labels and branding.) Do they need to be replaced again? By what? And then is there a risk that’d end then a negative character, even though a fictional beast, will in some way and by some person, be identified with some race religion or culture.

F*ck Boswell School then!

‘ It seems likely Rowling's work will go the way of someone like Enid Blyton - very much a product of its time and not really inline with modern moral sensibilities’

Hahaha. You wish. Never going to happen.

@ArtemesiaK

It will be embarrassing for them when they have to cancel Dame Kelly as well :)

Oh how I hope so!!

It is a continual feature of this debate that those telling you to educate yourself know less than you.

And, as if by magic, we have a poster appear to demonstrate that very truth right before our eyes!

Did someone perform a summoning spell?

‘ It seems likely Rowling's work will go the way of someone like Enid Blyton - very much a product of its time and not really inline with modern moral sensibilities’

Enid Blyton’s books are still read. I just bought a set (all new) for a young relative.

@ArtemesiaK

It will be embarrassing for them when they have to cancel Dame Kelly as well :)

It's fine. They'll just replace Dame Kelly with Sharron Davies over Easter.

It's fine. They'll just replace Dame Kelly with Sharron Davies over Easter.

And someone will start claiming that Noddy is trans. I am sure I was not the only small child traumatised by Noddy being carjacked in the woods and stripped naked, whilst being too young to note his lack of genetalia.

Certainly not all the parents support this. But the school went ahead and did this without applying any critical thought (or clearly even bothering to read what JKR said).

@barleybadminton

It's an understandable decision especially now criticism of the antisemitism in Rowling's work is finally coming under the spotlight in the US: www.newsweek.com/jon-stewart-accuses-jk-rowling-antisemitism-harry-potter-goblins-1665301

It seems likely Rowling's work will go the way of someone like Enid Blyton - very much a product of its time and not really inline with modern moral sensibilities.

1. Shakespeare survived…many ‘of his time’ ‘tropes’, but then Shylock was an actual Jew , and from the thick of the stereotype, Shakespeare gives him one of the early diversity equality speeches: “do we not bleed”.

1. It is not necessary to interpret the banker goblins as Jewish. I have never done so… maybe you have to buy into the stereotype to apply it.

All of us can make mistakes, assumptions, fail to recognise our internalised ‘isms’ because none of us have 360’ experience or education. And we need to keep telling the stories of experience, and being committed to the education.

But if we witch-hunt every writer and artist, cancel every thinker, obliterate rather than discuss, smother rather than open up and discuss, shame rather than trust people to change, where are we as a society? Who is in charge of what can be said, published or taught? And how fo we know they are right? Who are they accountable to?

I wonder if the school were honest and explicit with DKH, and told her she was a replacement for a woman they were cancelling?

@barleybadminton

It's an understandable decision especially now criticism of the antisemitism in Rowling's work is finally coming under the spotlight in the US: www.newsweek.com/jon-stewart-accuses-jk-rowling-antisemitism-harry-potter-goblins-1665301

It seems likely Rowling's work will go the way of someone like Enid Blyton - very much a product of its time and not really inline with modern moral sensibilities.

Such a reach........

The people who are seeing a similarity between fucking Goblins and Jewish people are the racist ones here

The people who are seeing a similarity between fucking Goblins and Jewish people are the racist ones here

I would say that this is far closer to the truth.