this post was submitted on 14 Jun 2025
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[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 139 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (14 children)

In addition to my loathing of the author, I have to say I am also really bothered how the books normalize slavery, glorify blood purity and elite privilege, treat systemic child abuse as comic relief, use goblins as thinly veiled anti-Semitic caricatures, reduce fat characters to jokes, sideline women or box them into tired tropes, justify authoritarianism with a shrug, romanticize magical servitude, paint non-human creatures as inherently dangerous, and act like destiny is a substitute for character development — all while the wizarding world runs on a caste system and no one ever questions it.

So I will be passing on this series, personally.

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 35 points 1 day ago (1 children)

this what most of the people are elucidating her meaning of her books, its her subtle way to express her transphobia, anti-semititism, etc.

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 32 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Ok fair, and kind of obvious now that I think about it. But a lot of people seem to also be arguing that the books can stand alone and be enjoyed separate from the author’s discriminatory beliefs. And if that is the case, then let’s take the books separately, and examine what they really are presenting to the audience that loves them so much. Even forgetting about Rowling, can these people really say they feel it’s totally ok to enjoy a classicist story about discrimination, slavery, and child abuse, etc.? And that they should be allowed to enjoy such a story without anyone casting aspersions against them?

[–] gaael@lemmy.blahaj.zone 16 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

I'll agree to examine the books separate from the author the day buying them doesn't mean giving her money to finance her backwards agenda. Until then, they are 100% linked.

[–] orgrinrt@lemmy.world 11 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (4 children)

Yeah I feel the same. I would love to get a really good and nostalgic tv series out of this, the movies were a big thing in my youth and I liked them, and while I can now see it and some of its themes and portrayals in a very different light even ignoring Rowling themself, I would argue the problematic stuff are in line with other cliche fantasy that have very similar problems. There seems to be a baseline of problematic stuff pretty much everything includes, likely there from naivety or ignorance rather than intentional malice, but there nevertheless. I can live with that small baseline amount as long as it’s clearly sensible, in that I can understand it’s probably not intended to do harm, and ultimately does not do much of it even unintentionally. And I can’t say I haven’t yearned a little bit to play the rpg situated in the world either.

BUT, and this is important to me, I can’t, unless Rowlings no longer benefits from them. The IP, if bought by HBO for example, leaving no royalties to the transphobic bigot, I could see myself even enjoying again. But the cutoff would have to be complete. Even if they managed to cut off Rowlings just for this show, they would still benefit from it in merchandise and the IP recognition in general, so I could not allow myself to enjoy the show even if it did not directly benefit the bigot.

But that’s not very likely, is it, to entirely cut them off? If anyone using the IP truly want to get the full potential, they should find a way to entice the bigot to sell off any and all rights and benefits regarding them and the franchise. But that’s not going to happen, because the hateful bigot needs the money to wage war against minorities.

It’s expensive to be hateful and oppressing. You need a money making machine to support such a campaign. And the bigot knows that.

The sad thing is, this will likely be a hit still. Most people don’t seem to care, and I guess that’s valid. But it’s harmful. Just like the game. People find ways to justify their consumption even if they are aware and agree with the problems.

Can’t do much else than try and educate the few people we face in our lives.

But if it was ever possible, I would do much want to try the game and ultimately watch this show too, if it ends up being decent in production terms. Just can’t see that happening, which is sad.

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[–] andros_rex@lemmy.world 28 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

sideline women or box them into tired tropes

Which makes it mind bogglingly insane how many claimed “feminists” support her because of her stance on trans people.

Hermoine and Ron ending up together is shit. He treats her like garbage throughout the series.

Bellatrix is presented as this fucked up “Daddy’s Little Monster” to Voldemorts Joker.

All of the “good” women are passive little teachers and moms.

What happens to Tonks is especially gross as shit. You have a GNC women. Goes by a shorten, masc-ish name. Short hair, colors, dresses ambiguously.

Then she gets married off to the other queer coded character. (Werewolf = HIV, I’m pretty sure she straight up said that at one point.) He calls her her extremely feminine birth name, and iirc the text even mentions that she is vaguely uncomfortable with that? Then gets knocked up and killed off. She gets to die a “proper woman.”

TERFs say “trans men shouldn’t transition! Just be a non confoming woman!” But it’s a fucking front. They are a conservatives in disguise. They don’t want GNC people to exist, just like they don’t want trans people to exist. “Just be non-binary! But also, shave your legs and wear makeup and make sure to present in a feminine way.”

If I was a billionaire feminist who could buy courts, I could think of several better priorities.

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 11 points 17 hours ago (5 children)

If I were a billionaire, the amount of low-to-no cost housing, green energy, and fiber internet I would build would be off the charts. And with Elon Musk money, I'm fairly certain I could ensure that NO ONE in the US would ever have to worry about where their next meal would come from. Certainly not schoolchildren. Also, I would commission a third season of the classic 1999 anime Big O, with the original writers and showrunner.

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 11 points 15 hours ago (6 children)

Unfortunately if you were a billionaire you'd be a selfish sociopath so wouldn't think of any of these things.

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[–] Bouzou@lemmy.world 13 points 19 hours ago (8 children)

I have no idea what book series you read (or if you've read it at all) but you are...very off on this take.

Don't get me wrong, JK Rowling is a total piece of shit, but the books themselves are distinctly anti classism, "blood purity," slavery, misogyny, and a whole host of other things you listed.

Are they without any flaw? Certainly not. Is it okay if people boycott the media because of Rowling's ongoing transphobia? Absolutely. But most of what you've listed about the book series is blatantly untrue...

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[–] RickyRigatoni@retrolemmy.com 9 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Everyone who praised blood purity was a villain and the entire last half of the series was about how the real hero was a dude with mixed blood. What are you smoking bruh?

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[–] svcg@lemmy.blahaj.zone 126 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (32 children)

Reminder: "separating the art from the artist" is an approach to engaging with an artwork, and is a separate question from whether or not you should engage with an artwork when doing so has real life consequences.

Whether or not you should consume HP Lovecraft media despite the fact he was a racist is entirely up to you because he is long dead. He doesn't make any money. He isn't even racist any more. Because he's dead.

When you consider whether or not you consume Harry Potter media, you must consider that JK Rowling will make money and will donate that money to anti-trans groups. If you still go on to buy licensed merch, or pay a streaming service to watch it, you will literally be helping to propogate transphobia. Continue to enjoy anything you currently own if you want. That is where separating the art from the artist comes into it. But if you still actively promote the material online and thereby increase the demand for it; again, transphobia, arguably.

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[–] DarkCloud@lemmy.world 98 points 1 day ago (72 children)

Because they're supporting the anti-trans hag?

[–] harrys_balzac@lemmy.dbzer0.com 38 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The parents of the child actors should be getting plenty of pushback. Exploiting their kids like this is gross.

It's like seeing pictures of kids in KKK robes.

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[–] GraniteM@lemmy.world 84 points 14 hours ago (12 children)

Whether or not you should consume HP Lovecraft media despite the fact he was a racist is entirely up to you because he is long dead. He doesn't make any money. He isn't even racist any more. Because he's dead.

I always say "If you're going to be a shitshow of a human being but a talented artist, the least you can do is also be dead."

See also: Phil Spector, Pablo Picasso.

[–] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 22 points 7 hours ago (3 children)

HP Lovecraft was more a clinical xenophobe and expressed that in his writings. He was afraid of different races, but he was also deadly afraid of scientific advancement and even the color indigo. He also didn't fund terrible politicians or get into feuds on twitter. You also don't see terrible people on twitter using his writings to justify their beliefs.

JK Rowling is actively funding and bragging about making other people's lives worse.

[–] GraniteM@lemmy.world 12 points 6 hours ago

Yeah, I actually think Lovecraft was doing what was probably the healthiest thing available to him at the time with all his fucked up phobias by turning them into inspiration for spooky stories. He was creative and articulate enough that he could have been writing political screeds and trying to get others on board with driving out all the immigrants, but instead he wrote about crab monsters from space. Far from the worst possible outcome considering a lot of the other possibilities from the time.

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[–] cley_faye@lemmy.world 13 points 9 hours ago

There's also something to say about someone that was a racist in his mind, but made some effort to move in a better direction and/or live in isolation, versus someone that's actively moving toward ruining other people lives with the benefits they reap.

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[–] SayJess@lemmy.blahaj.zone 82 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

It’s pretty simple. Rowling is an avowed bigot who is using all of her means, financially and socially, to punish trans people for existing. She is a hateful person who should be judged harshly and ostracized. It will be a good day for the world when she is no longer able to or allowed to espouse her bigoted views.

Supporting her in anyway, be it paying for her works or even enjoying her content should be stigmatized to the maximum degree. Actors agreeing to work with or for her should lose everything, as they are even worse for helping to continue her pursuit of hate and villainy.

If she were to fall down a literary flight of stairs, I would be most pleased—especially if this were to happen daily until she were unable to fall any further.

Here’s to hoping that anyone that hitches their wagon with hers suffers pain and ruin.

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[–] Goretantath@lemmy.world 34 points 1 day ago (3 children)

It's always moraly right to pirate any harry potter media.

[–] TheBat@lemmy.world 45 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Not this show. Don't pirate it, don't discuss it on social media, don't make memes about it. Let it die because of cultural insignificance.

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[–] gnomesaiyan@lemmy.world 20 points 21 hours ago

I don't pirate things I boycott. Professionals have standards.

[–] breecher@sh.itjust.works 17 points 20 hours ago

More morally right to never indulge in any Harry Potter media at all. Don't reinforce the hype by watching that crap, even if by piracy.

[–] Siresly@lemmy.blahaj.zone 24 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

John Lithgow reacted to the open letter mentioned in this article, sent to him by "a very good friend who is the mother of a trans child" by saying "Why is this a factor at all?" and expressing sympathy for the transphobic bigot.

So it's unfortunate that he probably wouldn't know what a social media is if it slammed him right in the asshole - which is the entirety of him - because he certainly sounds deserving of decades of hell. Especially from his now hopefully former "very good friend."

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[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 24 points 15 hours ago

The online portion of the community that is complaining about all this may be valid, but it's still a small portion of the actual public. Regardless of all the negative press, if this show is good, it's going to be a commercial hit.

[–] hector@sh.itjust.works 20 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

I'm probably gonna watch it because it's interesting to see what they made of it, I'm gonna pirate it and seed it far and wide tho lol

[–] nednobbins@lemm.ee 19 points 14 hours ago (2 children)

Fuck the whole HP franchise.

It was always shitty writing and the plot was garbage. The whole story was a thinly veiled glorification of British exceptionalism.

The only saving grace of that stinking turd of a franchise is that, in the '90s, it seemed like a good way to get kids to read.

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[–] QueenHawlSera@sh.itjust.works 18 points 5 hours ago (3 children)

I guruan-fucking-tee there's going to be a new character who's basically just a transgender boogeyman

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[–] 2ugly2live@lemmy.world 13 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

What? You mean a celebrity doesn't really give a fuck about people and just wants to make money? But they were so silly and sweet in their interviews!

Unless this hurts their bottom line, I doubt they'll move. Her behavior is not new and they auditioned and signed the contract anyway, the same way people still buy their house themed merch and take trips to Potter land or whatever the fuck it's called. That woman's growing wealth is a sign of just how little people are willing to give up.

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[–] kayky@thelemmy.club 11 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Never give these people an inch, or they'll take a mile.

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[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 10 points 1 day ago

i heard rowling was trying to retcon the characther to curate thier her subtle transphobia needs because the og cast members do not like rowling.

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