BBC article about Harry Potter fans

[Hedgehogsaremything]

Harry Potter: Is Miriam Margolyes right that adult fans should 'grow up'? www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-68552815

A series of books that apparently wrote itself. #WhereIsJo

Not edited as posting time is still 10 hours ago.

I think this is a classic case of being outraged by something because you want it to be so, not because it is.

I went to an event recently in an exhibition centre, and discovered that in a parallel hall there was a ComicCon taking place. Some attendees had travelled on the same bus as me, very colourful! MM would have had conniptions at so many adults dressed as fantasy figures, but they seemed to be having the time of their lives, and were certainly entertaining everyone around.

@Hedgehogsaremything

is it a lack of moral fibre by the BBC as to not offend trans supporters. JKR is hugely wealthy and influential and so even the mere mention of her name is toxic to some especially within the media sector.

As far as I know JKR has not received any honours like a damehood or OBE and I think it will be a bellweather test that we are post tra when governments are brave enough to award her one. (Given her commercial success, charitable donations and work the fact she hasn't got an honour is laughable)

Yet again only one kind of identity is socially acceptable, and all the others are considered fake or a symptom or a sign of immaturity.

You may have a point re honours but (a) the article did mention her and (b) the fact JKR wrote HP isn't actually relevant to the article.

Here's a long , academic article about Star Trek fandom which doesn't mention Gene Roddenberry.

Star Trek fandom

Sums it up for me

J KR Companion of Honour award

Membership of the Order of the Companions of Honour, established in 1917 by George V, is a special award held by only 65 people at any one time, and recognises services of national importance.

JKR awards

I'm not crying.

JKR is mentioned in the article.

You may not know that JKR has an OBE. But actually she does have one, awarded in 2000.

Do your homework ffs.

Alan Rickman didn't say that. It was made up by a teenager on Tumblr. So yes, it does sum it up.

Nothing wrong with STILL reading chalet school!

(And discussing the silly situations that occur with fellow adult readers)

The privately educated MM who read English at Cambridge may feel that JK isn't a literary colossus and wants to signal to the masses we shouldn't regard her as such

As one of the 'masses' (by which presumably is the not-educated at Cambridge) I don't need MM to signal that to me, thanks, I can judge for myself if I want to (I don't, have never read any JKR). In any case, literary colossus or not, JKR is phenomenally successful and popular. And rich. Perhaps that's what MM doesn't like.

What's a literary colossus, anyway?

Didn't know that. Fair play.

As per a previous comment of mine, I still think that the idea that some interests (football, soap operas) are 'acceptable' things to be interested in and stuff like HP is the arena of childish adults is ridiculous though.

but also people don't realise that Shakespeare was considered to be populist and comparatively low brow at the time , with fart and 'your mum' jokes, lots of sexual double entendres, high tech (for the time) special effects, action sequences, etc. The intelligentsia of the 16th century would have been deriding the masses chowing down on oranges while shouting out their favourite lines of Romeo and Juliet and saying that it was populist drivel compared to the Roman/Greek classics.

Same applies to Jane Austen etc. Now they are considered classics, at the time they were lightweight rom-coms for girls.

I studied english lit at uni and HP was actually covered - but, key, in a module on children's literature. I don't think anyone is going to ever consider it on the same level as high brow literature - the point is it's a good example of what it is. There aren't many people who love reading who only like HP - the point is it's a comforting fall-back. In the same was as gastro foodies probably still like the occasional beans on toast/chicken soup now and again.

Is it any weirder than 'I'm a scorpio so....'?
(to be fair I think astrology is a load of rubbish but millions feel it explains their entire personality)

The intelligentsia of the 16th century would have been deriding the masses chowing down on oranges while shouting out their favourite lines of Romeo and Juliet and saying that it was populist drivel compared to the Roman/Greek classics

Given that a lot of WS plays deal with issues over royal succession and examine them in some depth at a time when who was going to succeed Elizabeth I was becoming more and more of an issue, I doubt if the intelligentsia would have been ignoring what the ordinary people were going to watch and would be talking about and relating to a current political situation in their country.

Elizabethan theatre was popular with all classes.

It is certainly true that one of his plays, ‘Richard II’, played a part in the Essex rebellion of 1601.
On Saturday 7th February 1601, when the aged Queen Elizabeth was just two years from her death, Shakespeare’s company was asked to perform the play ‘Richard II’ at the Globe Theatre.
The play tells the story of the last two years of Richard II’s reign and how he was deposed by Henry IV, imprisoned and murdered. Shakespeare wrote and published ‘Richard II’ around 1595 but the first editions of the play were printed without an important scene: the Parliament scene or ‘abdication episode’ which shows Richard II resigning his throne. Historically correct, at the time it was considered politically unwise to include the scene because of parallels between the ageing queen and the former king. King Richard had relied heavily on politically powerful favourites, as did Elizabeth; her advisors included Lord Burleigh and his son, Robert Cecil. Also, neither monarch had produced an heir to ensure the succession.

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Shakespeare-Richard-II-Rebellion/

I haven't read a Harry Potter book for years. We watched the films a lot when the child was smaller.

These days if I have a Harry Potter something about my person, like a pencil case on my desk or a small lightning bolt on my necklace, it's more a subtle nod to the awesome woman that JK Rowling is.

Yes 💯

I am an adult Harry Potter fan. I wear HP clothing, I’m a devout Slytherin and my bedding is HP themed. Even my wedding was HP themed. Do I think I need to grow up? No! Is JKR my absolute idol? Yes!

imagine being slagged off for immaturity by someone whose "career" of late has consisted of shouting "Cunt!" on television. Uhm.

Maybe MM is relative of father Jack from father Ted?

She appears to not understand how fiction works, nor its value to both children and adults in making sense of the world, humanity, and ourselves. Ignore her.

I don't know why this is in feminism. It's got nothing to do with feminism and it's not an attack on JKR.

It's a celeb talking nonsense. Margolyes has past form for that.

None of these "anecdotes" show Margolyes in a good light- although she clearly thinks differently.

The Matthew Perry one is despicable. Aside from the fact that even if you hated Friends (I did) how is it possible she didn't know who he was. If she really didn't know, common decency would have taken 2 minutes to Google/ ask, given she was appearing on a chat show with him.

Margolyes Vanity moments

I think MM possibly took roles in the Harry Potter films for a pay day. It may be she didn't like HP in reality but it was a chance to get paid substantially and be in a franchise that was storming the world.

I don't think she is a national treasure and I much more like the acting skill and general demeanour of Judi Dench. She may be clever but the old woman swearing schtik is just dull and borderline offensive.