Love Harry, hate JK
Although the Harry Potter series is scheduled to premiere in 2026, its creators have been fanning the flames for months. Meanwhile, JK Rowling, creator of the boy wizard, is pouring fuel on other fires . Many were incensed by the publication on X in which the author struck a defiant pose celebrating the British Supreme Court ruling that stripped trans women of their status as women.
Rowling's position on the issue was public, but she'd never flaunted it so arrogantly, quoting nothing less than a line from The A-Team , on a yacht with a cigar. Could she have referenced a less misogynistic series in her post ? Of course. Could she have chosen a less elitist setting? That's right. But that wouldn't have raised so many eyebrows. JK Rowling doesn't play with fire; JK Rowling is fire.
I have no proof, but I also have no doubt that HBO Max, the platform that produces and will broadcast the new Harry Potter series, daily gauges the promotional impact, more negative than positive, that JK Rowling's media presence may have. However, the power of Harry Potter still far outweighs the antipathy its author generates in many fans. These fans, mostly millennials or younger, are now experiencing firsthand the contradiction they criticized their older siblings for: the separation between work and author . The same voices that demanded radicalism with (against) the works of Roman Polanski or Picasso now beg for nuances that allow them to adore Harry and despise Joanne Kathleen.
The Harry Potter series will be a hit, I'm sure. I also predict countless articles simultaneously defending its enjoyment and Rowling's cancellation. Some will use the endearing and painful non-argument that Harry Potter no longer really belongs to her, but to the millions of readers and viewers of the series. Nonsense .
Those who don't console themselves don't want to. And those who don't understand that we live in a contradictory and complex world have decided to settle into simplicity and narrow-mindedness. That's how I would describe certain of JK's positions. Her fame and fortune not only amplify them, but also provide real fuel for achieving things like the controversial British Supreme Court ruling. Will this affect the Harry Potter series? No. Fans will watch it at home, simultaneously excited and annoyed. Some will say that, on principle, they haven't seen it and don't plan to. They'll be lying . Separating author and work is easy if you know how. But you won't know how until you're forced to do it. Polanski is a monster; Chinatown is a marvel.
elmundo
